Texas gun law myth busted

[Bill50]

I ordered delivery. As I picked it up and walked back to my apartment, my coworker texted me about buying a Colt AR-15 from him. I've been telling him I would buy it for 6 months or so, so when he told me he'll take a check and deliver I figured it was time to answer the age old question. Can you get a gun delivered faster than pizza in Texas? He lives near the place I ordered food, so I figured it was a fair comparison.

Pizza took 26 minutes. He took 27. Myth busted!

I do have a couple serious questions though.

The last time he used it he pulled the charging handle back, hit the bolt hold open, and closed the dust cover. When I unboxed it to do a safety check, the only way to check the chamber was to release the bolt and then pull the handle.

There seems to be no way to open the dust cover and check the open chamber without releasing the bolt in this state.

This should be safe to do if the gun is loaded and pointed in a safe direction, but I did have a mosin nagant slam fire a couple times are the range. We were in the middle of my apartment complex, so the safe place here was 6 inches from my foot.

I should have been able to do a real safety check, open the dust cover, and look into the chamber without having a potential slam fire.

I've done a field strip of it now and can't figure out a way of checking the chamber without punching the rear takedown pin.

Why do ARs still work this way?

The second question is how do AR owners safely store their rifles?

The only other semi auto rifle I have is an AK. There is no bolt holdback (if you pull the trigger the bolt carrier stops on the hammer and acts like a bolt holdback until you slap it) so I just chamber flag it in storage. AR-15s seem more modern, so I feel that like there should be an easier way to store it chamber open.

 

[1911 guy]

If the bolt is open, stick your finger up the magazine well and push the dust cover open from the inside.

Also, taking the upper off (takedown pins) is going to be a hassle because of the bolt extending from the upper receiver into the buffer tube, which is part of the lower.

If you're worried about a slam fire, ride the charging handle down slowly.

 

[Sam1911]

As you get more familiar with the rifle these things will seem intuitive to you, but yes, you can either reach up through the magwell and pop the cover open or pull back the charging handle and use it to ease the bolt carrier forward until the door pops open.

Either store the rifle with the bolt locked back using the bolt hold open lever, or close the bolt on an empty chamber. Either works fine.

 

[Ibmikey]

Clearing an empty weapon for storage follow the advise above but when loading the weapon for live fire you do not want to get into the habit of easing the bolt forward....let it slam shut picking up and chambering a cartridge..that is the way the weapon was designed.
Get yourself some magazines, i prefer magpul 20's and lots of ammo while it is fairly inexpensive. I keep 10-12 thousand on the shelf and reload as i shoot it to maintain a good supply. I am no prepper i just like to have lots of ammo on hand when i get the desire to take a rifle or pistol out to rid the world of soda cans and dirt clods.

.
.

 

[Tirod]

If checking for a clear chamber with the bolt back and dust cover closed, the main issue is whether there is a mag inserted. If so, take it out. No ammo, no slam fire. Let the bolt slam home which opens the cover and retract again.

The issue of the AR bolt causing a slam fire is of some notoriety on the internet but never happens in the field. It would require commercial ammo with a protruding primer that's sensitive enough firing pin inertia would set it off. The AR firing pin doesn't have enough mass to do that - it can't, even if firing full auto.

So the answer is, no, it won't slam fire, and to make sure, don't have a magazine of ammo in it to check and see if it's clear.

 

[Slamfire]

The issue of the AR bolt causing a slam fire is of some notoriety on the internet but never happens in the field. It would require commercial ammo with a protruding primer that's sensitive enough firing pin inertia would set it off. The AR firing pin doesn't have enough mass to do that - it can't, even if firing full auto.

Are you unaware of the slamfire issues the Army had with the first M16's?. This mechanism, like all mechanisms, with a free floating firing pin will slamfire given a sensitive enough primer. The early M16's used commercial primers and had a heavier firing pin. If you look in Chapter eight, page 130, of the “Black Rifle” by R. Blake Stevens, there is an entire section on the slamfire problems the Army had with the M16. A number of AR15 slamfire incidents had occurred when cartridges were single loaded and the bolt release pressed.

If you read the report in the book, dated 1963, based on the tests of two rifles with the firing pin configuration available at the time, the energy during bolt closure of one of the test rifles firing pin always was above the “none fire” specifications of the primer. Which meant that statistically some of the primers would ignite at those energy levels. So the Army did two things. The first was to test alternate firing pin configurations, all pictured in the book, and one has a spring undoubtedly like the current AR-10 design, and the second was to change the ammunition specifications to require a harder primer.


http://www.thegunzone.com/556dw-2.html

USAF and USMC testing of the AR-15 indicate a "slam-fire" problem. The issue is originally blamed on high primers, but this is quickly dismissed as the cause.

There are lots of accounts of slamfires with commercial ammunition or reloaded ammunition on the web.



AR15 slamfire with Winchester primers.




http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=4627417

Occured today while breaking in a new upper ... single round in the mag, pressed the release and ... BANG! A little later on, with three rounds in the mag, pressed the trigger ... round fired. Everything is ok. Pressed the trigger again ... double BANG!

I went back to single loading to finish out the box. Total rounds fired ... 40. Two slam-fires (including the double). Two failures to extract. One failure to feed.



First slam-fire was on the second round fired (while I was still single loading the magazines). The double was on rounds 27, 28 (of 40).

At this point the ammunition is my prime suspect, Winchester "White Box" .223 Rem, 62 grain but I would have to say that ARs do, in fact, slam-fire.


I did inspect for a frozen pin after the first slam fire. I didn't expect one (frozen pin) since I had personally cleaned and inspected the gun last night and it was the second round of the day. I also didn't expect it to foul up too much since it is a piston operated upper (ZM Weapons).




The upper was brand new and unfired (except for factory). The lower is a relatively new (about 200 rounds) RRA. Both (upper and lower) were cleaned, inspected and lubricated properly before the trip to the range. The lower has functioned flawlessly for those 200 rounds when mated to a White Oak Armament upper (all Black Hills .223 Rem 77 grain).

I know BR said that the bolt face could cause the slam fire but the two casings did have firing pin strikes with no other dimples or scratches on the primer face.

I am begining to suspect the recoil spring on the ZM upper. It does seem rather robust. This upper might require the harder primers found in 5.56 NATO. Unfortunately I don't know it all yet so I'm still researching.



Tevor 21 Slamfire video on youtube.

Notice how many rounds the guy fires. If he had a mechanical problem he would have recurring slamfires, but he did not. When you see the slamfire, notice that the finger is not on the trigger. He was running Federal American Eagle (federal primers) and Winchester ammo. Winchester redesigned their primers in 1999 to make them more sensitive.

This weapon slamfired in battery. The risk with Garands and M1a’s, is that they have often slamfired out of battery.


Watched an AR Slam-Fire Saturday


Posted 20 http://www.usrifleteams.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13132&view=&hl=slamfire&fromsearch=1 April 2009 - 09:10 AM





I was scoring my firing-point partner Saturday during offhand and he had a slam-fire on about the 5th round. We're talking about an experienced shooter here. Multi-year state HP champion, generally shoots 199-clean offhand, not to mention he's a hell of a nice guy. The bullet hit the dirt about 10 yards in front of the firing line. I was watching him closely trying to learn something from his technique, but didn't expect to learn this. I know his finger was off the trigger for certain but his muzzle was decidedly pointed earthward when he closed the bolt. The area downrange is uninhabited for many miles, so at this range folks are a bit lax about closing the bolt while rifle is pointed toward the impact area. After that, he was pretty careful about keeping it level. He was shooting an AR spacegun. He thought it might have been due to the bolt carrier weight he had just put in for testing before this match. My suspicion is high primer, but he could be right. Another possibility is his loading technique. He places the round through the ejection port, then tips the muzzle down and jiggles the round fully into the chamber prior to closing the bolt. I have always thought it best to leave the cartridge on top of the magazine and let the bolt "strip" and chamber it from it's "natural" position. In any event, let this be a lesson to all of us. Closing the bolt is an inherently risky event. Point yer rifle at the backstop when you push that button. My buddy lost the match as a result of his slam-fire, but next time it could be a lot worse.





Posted 30 May 2009 - 08:09 AM


I am the person Heman referred to having a slam fire on a bolt rifle. The rifle in question is a Stolle BB Panda action with a Kelbly trigger set at 14 oz. The system is two years old and has several thousand live rounds through it as well as countless dry fires. After the match, I re-weighed the trigger and it still breaks at 14 oz. The only thing that was found was a very small piece of dirt on the sear engagement notch, but I doubt that this was the cause of the slam fire. I tried to re-create the condition 8-10 time on the line, without success, then again at home. I KNOW I didn't have my finger on the trigger when I closed the bolt, so that scenario isn't a suspect either. I just returned from a two day Palma style match where I fired over 100 rounds and not a single hick-up with the system. I guess it will just get chalked up to one of life’s great mysteries.
Be safe,
Lloyd





http://www.arizonashooting.com/v3/v...sid=588d04cdaf6def94be9f899784f80c31&start=15



12 April 2011



I have had ARs fire unintentionally before when the bolt hold-open is released and the bolt slams home. Usually this has happened with reloads, due to use of soft commercial primers and the free-floating firing pin design of the weapon. The milspec primers are slightly harder to prevent just such events. Many claim that the low wieght of the alloy pin makes this unlikely,...but I've experienced it and know better. Nearly took my big toe off once when I releoaded a fresh mag and let the bolt fly home (finger off the trigger, of course).




If the weapon had seen a lot of rounds fired since the last cleaning, the carbon fouling build up that the direct gas system is notorious for could have slowed the rotating and closing of the bolt just enough, that when the sudden slowing of the bolt assembly's forward movent allowed the free-floating firing pin to hit forward on the soft commercial primer,...detonation occurred before complete locking of the breach.

Posted 20 April 2009 - 10:43 AM


Gary,

I disagree.

It's happened to me.

I've found that dropping the round entirely into the chamber and letting the bolt close with full momentum isn't the best idea.

I now leave the round resting on the magazine and let the bolt "pick it up" as it closes.

Free-floating firing pins and occasionally sensitive primers can lead to this.

Pamf,
Gary brings up a good point about the trigger issue. Another consideration is the primer. I have seen 2 slamfires in an AR15. Both occured during an offhand string, 2 shots in a row. The shooter is a very experienced reloader and highpower shooter. It never happened again to him. He was using WSR primers. Perhaps it was the primer's "sensitivity," a couple of high primers, or a combo of the two.
The occurance sure did shake his nerves though. Both rounds impacted 10-20 yds in front of the firing line.
JW

Posted 20 April 2009 - 12:02 PM


I had it a few years ago practicing off hand with winchester white box in my service rifle.

Second shot of the night, shot went into the ground in front of me. I put the rifle down and tracked down my 2 ejected brass. Looking at the primer strikes, one had metal flow out into the firing pin hole in the front of the bolt. So, instead of a primer srike like an innie belly button, one of the brass had an outie. No damage to the rifle.

Whats most amazing about your post PamF is the 199 to 200 part!

Ryan

Posted 20 April 2009 - 12:46 PM


I've had two slam fires and both of them scared the beejiminees outta me. One of the more experienced shooters in my club made the observation that slams seem to happen more often when the muzzle is depresseed as the bolt goes forward. He postulated that the firing pin is already lying forward from gravity almost as if it was preloaded. He figured that as the bolt rode forward with the pin already out, if the primer was gonna go that just gave it the extra opportunity to do so. Since that time I've never let the bolt go forward with the muzzle depressed. I have no idea whether his idea has any merit but it makes me feel safer. For what that's worth. LOL

Posted 22 April 2009 - 11:06 AM


We had at least 2 MIA's over the years at New Holland that had rounds go off when the bolt was closed.
The reason I am able to think of at least 2 is the severe damage to the rifles. In the 2 listed instances the rifles were damaged to the point the receivers were cracked and or broken.
We have an AR-15 do the same thing a time or 2 a year. We have not had rifle damage from the AR-15 slam fires.
My finding at the end of the M1A era and start of the AR-15 era was to completely ensure an AR-15 will not slam fire is to install a light weight firing pin.
Sincerely,
Paul




Posted 22 April 2009 - 12:31 PM


I had a slam fire several months ago. I was just at my regular local club's range doing slow fire standing practice. Put the round in the ejection port, sort of tipped my rifle forward very quickly to let inertia start the round in the chamber and dropped the bolt. Round went off about 10 feet in front of me. I make an effort to keep the rifle parallel to the ground when dropping the bolt, but get lax about it sometimes.

I was using handloads. Hornady 75gr HPBT, 24.0gr RL15, Remington 7-1/2, LC03 brass. I'm betting the primer was a bit high, because it was once fired brass from military source and I used a Dillon Super Swage tool to just barely swage the pockets (keeping them tight as possible, but still accept a primer).



Posted 23 April 2009 - 01:58 PM


I g=had a slam fire with a Garand in the first highpower match I EVER shot. Really unnerved my. I was a reloading greenhorn, but others found some issue with the dies a friend had loaned me. learned a lot that day. I've always remembered that.



Posted 03 May 2009 - 08:52 AM


We've had only one instance in the 11 years I've ran local matches. AR15, handload. The same gun has been used many times since w/o any problems. The round impacted the ground 15 feet in front of the line - not a big problem with me compared to having the muzzle raised and the bullet leaving the range.
Me, guess like most, load with the muzzle slightly depressed, drop it in, and hit the bolt release. Bent several rounds trying to drop 'em on the follower. Haven't lost 10 points to slamfire yet, although I have employ many other methods of losing points !


Posted 29 May 2009 - 11:46 AM


I saw two slam fires by the same shooter in the same offhand string.
He was a good shooter who posted a poor score for the day because of this.
I never found out what caused this in his rifle that day but it reinforced the absolute importance of having the muzzle ALWAYS pointed in a safe direction when closing the bolt on live ammunition. (in any firearm)
Both rounds impacted the ground a few yards ahead of him but later, in the same match, I witnessed him closing his bolt with the muzzle well above the horizon. ????????
Bullets impacting the ground will tumble and have a limited flight distance but ones angled above the horizon can pose a much more serious hazard.
Trying to close the bolt with the rifle aimed at the backstop is, in my opinion, asking for trouble. I always keep my muzzle down when closing the bolt and have never experienced a slam fire in my own firearms.
Most folks close their bolts sky high during their rapids and I wish that they wouldn't


Posted 29 May 2009 - 12:33 PM


I had mine to slamfire monday while chronographing some loads. It was completely horozontile on a front rest when I loaded and closed the bolt. I'm just glad it was pointed downrange and wasn't pointed at the chronograph when I closed the bolt. Scared the crap out of me though.


Slamfire, how is it scored?


http://www.usrifleteams.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13846&view=&hl=slamfire&fromsearch=1


Posted 21 July 2009 - 12:05 PM


How do you score or count a slamfire? Is it considered as a miss or are you allowed to fire over with another round and disreguard the slamfire? I am referring to having a slamfire while shooting slow fire 200 or 600. The reason I'm asking I have had 2 slamfires one was recorded as a miss at one range and the other one was disreguarded and I was allowed to fire another round in it's place at a different range. Just wanting to know the proper procedure. Tim

Posted 21 July 2009 - 04:05 PM


I never had this happen until I bought some CCI400 primers. The rem. 7.5 never slamfired on me. I'll be glad when the CCI's are gone.


Posted 25 July 2009 - 06:12 PM


I had it happen to me twice in the same stage of a match, standing slow fire, with the newer Winchester SR primers. I was able to borrow a friends extra amo and finish the match. I now only use Rem 71/2's at matches and have never had a problem since. The old Win SR's were harder. I have used CCI mil spec primers on my practice loads with no issues also





http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=650722






Join Date: December 24, 2002


Posts: 700


AR slamfire using CCI SR primer - pic included






Well, after loading thousands of rounds of .223 using CCI SR primers, I finally had a slamfire. I pulled the trigger once and two rounds fired. Here is a pic of two cases - the tiny firing pin mark is the round that slamfired, the other is a normal mark for comparison.

I picked up a ton of harder CCI Bench Rest primers to use in my AR from now on.

AR15 slam fire





http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=734959


post 1


I've had two slam fires in my last 100 rounds (two different outtings). Basically fires twice with a single trigger pull. The AR15 in question has fired roughly 1500 rounds total, with never a glitch.

I recently switched to CCI400 primers since I couldn't find any CCI450(magnum) primers. I've fired 300 of these, and the two slamfires were somewhere between shot 200 and 280.

Post 41


CCI replied to my inquiry the next day!
.......................................................
"the CCI 400 primer has a standard cup and the CCI-450 primer has a thick cup, this is the difference and if slam fires are a concern then you should be using the CCI #41 primer. It has a thick cup magnum priming charge and an anvil angle change to prevent slam fires

Post 36


I had a batch of CCI primers that were sensitive too. I had several slam fires out of one lot. One happened when I inserted a magazine and hit the bolt release. It put a decent sized hole in the concrete 2 feet in front of me. It happens. As a result I always keep the barrel pointed at the

 

[tarosean]

remove the dust cover till you feel comfortable with the gun???

 

[lysanderxiii]

1. It seems to me the first thing you should do when picking up a rifle is remove the magazine if you are going to check it. Then there is no chance of accidentally chambering a round and therefore impossible for an accidental slam fire.

2. Storing an AR with the bolt locked back, is not a good idea, and the catch is relatively sensitive and easily tripped, especially so if there is no follower pushing up on the bolt catch. Best stored bolt closed, with the dust cover closed.

 

[pintler]

"The second question is how do AR owners safely store their rifles?"

I like to use a thingy called 'Saf-T-Round':

http://www.safrgun.com/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=2

it's a combo dummy round/chamber flag. You insert it and close the bolt (I usually ease the bolt forward and use the forward assist to click the extractor over the rim). When you cycle the bolt it ejects like a normal round. It gives you an obvious visual confirmation of an empty chamber.

(I love the AR version. I dunno about other models - I've tried the mini14 model and never had any luck with them; it's very difficult to get the extractor over the rim)

 

[Jenrick]

Storage for me, is unloaded and cleared rifle, on safe, bolt forward, dust cover closed. There is no risk of anything happening, and the gun is in a condition that it can stay in indefinitely.

-Jenrick

 

[JohnKSa]

The issue of the AR bolt causing a slam fire is of some notoriety on the internet but never happens in the field.

Don't bet on it. I talked to a guy just last week who was present when an AR slamfired when the chamber was charged. The funny thing was that he had just warned the guy to keep the muzzle downrange while charging the chamber and got an eye-roll in response.

 

[jdc1244]

Storing an AR with the bolt locked back, is not a good idea…

It’s a perfectly good idea with a cable lock running through the ejection port and out of the bottom of the magazine well.

 

[Laphroaig]

How about just not closing the dust cover? Unless your safe is really dusty.

 

[Jackal]

"There seems to be no way to open the dust cover and check the open chamber without releasing the bolt in this state.
This should be safe to do if the gun is loaded and pointed in a safe direction, but I did have a mosin nagant slam fire a couple times are the range. We were in the middle of my apartment complex, so the safe place here was 6 inches from my foot."

Uh, just pull the magazine out...

 

[lysanderxiii]

It’s a perfectly good idea with a cable lock running through the ejection port and out of the bottom of the magazine well.

You kind'a have to if you are running a cable through the ejection port. But, then the cover has to be open.

 

[MistWolf]

The AR is what it is. Like any other firearm, it's got it's quirks. Take time to learn how to deal with them. Previous posters have already described how to deal with the dust cover. Doing so here would be redundant.

I store my ARs one of two ways-
- Empty mag in the well, chamber empty, bolt closed, dust cover closed, hammer down. Keeping everything closed helps keep out the dust bunnies and creepy crawlies. With the hammer down, the safety cannot be engaged and while it's not a suitable substitute for actually opening the action to verify the condition of the AR, it is an indicator.
- Loaded mag in the well, chamber loaded, bolt closed, dust cover closed, safety engaged. It's ready to go if needed.

You have to decide for yourself in what condition you are comfortable storing your firearms. I don't like chamber flags or cables because they are just another thing to fumble with when I want to load up for shooting. Other folks insist on using them

 

[chicharrones]

I store ARs similar to auto loading pistols. If the AR isn't meant to be kept ready: magazine out, empty chamber, bolt closed, dust cover closed, and safety on or off depending if I dry fired the gun or not.

Like mentioned, open AR bolts will close with just a bump on the buttstock if there is no magazine present.

I like the idea of a chamber flag for range use, but I don't use chamber flags in my safe.

 

[jmorris]

If your doing a safety check, first thing you should do is drop the mag. Then there is no round to strip and load when the bolt/carrier comes forward.

You can also grab the charging handle and pull it back to unlock it, slide it forward enough to pop the cover open then pull it back and relocated it if you want.

 

[Bill50]

Wow. This thread got long really fast.

The gun is now safely stored with the bolt locked back and the dust cover open.

If only I had ammo for it.

 

[Deaf Smith]

I keep my ARs, and all other guns (except loaded protection guns), unloaded, hammer or striker down, and empty mag in place. But then I have a safe where they sleep.

Deaf

 

[barnbwt]

The issue of the AR bolt causing a slam fire is of some notoriety on the internet but never happens in the field.

Considering it never happens, I saw it happen the last time I was at a public range on the adjacent bay; round shot into the dirt about a foot in front of the bench when the bolt catch was slapped. Guy had about the same 2-second reaction time as the shooter in the Tavor video, too

I will say, there seems to be a theme of the gun pointing down at the time of bolt impact that makes me wonder if the "floating firing pin doesn't pick up enough steam to set off a primer" conventional wisdom is more borderline than we'd like to believe. Bolt picks up an extra couple inches per second of speed owing to gravity I'd wager, maybe that's enough to light off some primers occasionally?

All the more reason to go with a spring-loaded firing pin, I say. Perhaps a different question is why so few rifles have any sort of firing pin or trigger safety to make them actually drop safe (or slam-fire safe as the case may be), seeing as it is taken for granted on pistols.

TCB

 

[Tirod]

I appreciate there are anecdotal incidents where there were negligent discharges of a weapon. To categorically state they WERE slam fires is something else. First lets address what Colt did when early testing caused it. They fixed it. The M16 isn't the only weapon with a floating firing pin, quite a few other designs have it, and they aren't universally trashed on the internet for the issue.

Secondly, the design of the bolt carrier, cam pin and bolt head require the bolt to be fully locked and closed before the firing pin can protrude. It can't stick out at all until the bolt finishes locking. In cases were someone investigated to see if the gun was initiating the primer when chambering a round, there were other mitigating circumstances. One was a firing pin out of specification - simply too long. That cause has existed for a long time among ALL guns and its not uncommon with aftermarket parts. The AR is most likely the most assembled homebuilt gun in America right now, and for some reason there's almost no discussion of the issue on those forums. Secondly, the industry itself has never recalled any of the 100,000's of AR built for slam fire issues. Unlike Remington's trigger, there have been dozens of makers over the last 15 years and none have shown any consistent defect.

Like pistols, the AR requires specific ammo and substitution can create an issue where one shouldn't exist. It's should be no surprise that certain makers require a grain weight or a certain named load for reliable functioning. In the atmosphere that an unreliable pistol can get you killed, what we are facing is intense microscrutiny of an issue addressed long before volume production started, and which has not shown to be a significant issue among the most populated user base - the American Military. There are no warnings to users for that issue - the services do warn about swapping bolts and bolt carriers, tho, with language that infers the gun will blow up if that is done. And in the same manual it tells you to 1) retract the bolt carrier, 2) insert magazine 3) release and let it slam home 4) warns you to never ride the bolt handle.

They don't have the issue. Over 7 million manufactured and used in numerous armies around the world, and quickly replacing the FNFAL, G3, and as we know, M14. That is the recommended practice. Unloading it? Remove the magazine as the OP failed to mention, and it is impossible to slam fire stored empty and chambered.

Now about all those anecdotal incidents. Were professional forensic firearms experts present to determine the exact cause of what happened? No. I will go to the bigger issue - shooters lie about their negligence in operation and will blame the gun every time. We've raised generations of people who can't and won't take responsibility for their actions and who will dissemble and distort reality when recollecting the events that transpired. That is a fact, it's been consistently demonstrated and proven time and time again. Because of that I give NO creedence to second hand reports of people because of it. There is also the factor than most AR owners today have NOT been nor ever will be trained and experienced veterans who served. That man is just 1 in 100 today. Therefore even given the propensity for more of them to own an AR15, the average owner - AS RELATED BY THE OP - has no clue how to properly operate the weapon.

Don't jack rounds thru the Remington 700 to unload it and you won't get a negligent discharge with it, either. What happens there? Trigger parts malfunction, it's been demonstrated with a small handful of weapons. Not tens of thousands. Again we tend to overreact when addressing reliability as evidence by Ruger with the LCP. Has there been a recall of AR15's due to firing pin issues? Nobody mentions them. But like the Rem 700 with it's adjustable trigger than can be set both too light and too short, AR's are built with triggers that have light hammer springs, which are the ones that control the amount of impact on the firing pin. And as a result light strikes and misfires are common ailments when they are installed. The AR is likely to fail safe more than slam fire and that is the actual situation.

I place this issue in the same class of complaint as the 1911 going off if dropped. It was a rare event and required a level of clumsiness of significant proportions. That CAN happen to any of us, just as using an AR with the wrong firing pin with soft civilian ammo and not following the four rules of safety. Don't take it out of it's operating envelope and it's entirely safe loading it in the prescribed manner - and has been for over 45 years. There are again no safety of use warnings over loading and operating the weapon in the prescribed manner. I see those trying to built that case as creating an issue where none exists, and then have to conclude there is some other agenda at work.

Frankly - Glock triggers are more dangerous in my opinion. Ask the number of cops who shot themselves in the hip. Same issue arises - did the shooter handle the gun improperly? Anyone trying to unload the AR15 without removing the magazine first might be at fault.

 

[Bill50]

Took it to the range. It worked. Much easier to do a safety check with the bolt and dust cover open. I think I'll just leave the dust cover open from now on.

 

[morcey2]

I'm still trying to figure out how to accomplish a slam fire on a Mosin.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

Back in the early '90s I had smoothly milled SKS that loved to slam fire (in battery) with soft Remington primers when it was clean and freshly lubed. It slowed down when dirty. There was nothing mechanically wrong with it. The disconnector and seer worked correctly and hammer stayed back. It was just that heavy floating firing pin. The only option was ammo selection. It was definitely exhilarating.

Mike