The magazine exploded out of my AR!!

[aka108]

Sounds to me as if the round was chambered far enough so that the firing mechanism would function but was not fully chambered resulting in a out of battery firing. Happened to me on a Rem 597 22 rf. Big butt surprise.

 

[Nick5182]

I'm like Taurus 617. The only reloads I shoot are done by a friend of mine who's been reloading his own cartridges for over 20 years. I buy factory ammo, and supply him with the spent casings, and he reloads them for me. He marks on the side with a permanent marker to show how many times that piece of brass has been reloaded and if it's been reloaded 3 times, he throws it out. I never buy gun show ammo.

It made that last round look like a belted magnum case, lol.

 

[GrimmLV]

That hole looks like it is blown INTO the case.... weird!

 

[JDGray]

Did you check the barrel for obstructions? It sounds to me like you had a squib round. The barrel doesn't appear to be split but I am curious if there is a round still trapped in there.

When he rodded out the stuck case, he would have hit a lodged bullet first

Glad no one was hurt!!

 

[Quickdraw Limpsalot]

I've fired many, many proof rounds and the second round case isn't necessarily an example of out of battery fire (although it could be.) Fully locked up 5.56 proof (overpressured) rounds sometimes develop this same "belt" at the base as you've shown due to the pressures still building as the action begins to open.

The first case with the obvious hole in it? ...Only scenario I can imagine producing these results is that the brass was damaged almost to the point of puncturing the case prior to it being chambered - possibly producing a squib load that lodged the bullet in the barrel and caused an overpressure on the next round... causing it to vent through the mag well (like they're supposed to do.) It's completely possible that the second round pushed the obstruction out the barrel along with it's own projectile. I've witnessed (and created) this situation several times myself. (I love my job.)

 

[Maverick223]

Ouch, little doubt in my mind that was a OOBD (but could still be overpressure from a squib) from looking at the last case. Hate that it happened, but glad you're okay. Sending it back to DD is the right course of action. You'll find out how good their CS is, if they have exceptional service they will take care of it, despite the fact that it isn't entirely, or even mostly, their fault (but the action should fully close if back far enough to pick up a round).

 

[nwilliams]

Good first experience with Daniel Defense CS!

I called them today and talked to a very nice man in their customer service department. I told him that I believed the gun fired out of battery and that the mag exploded out the bottom. He apologized and wanted to know if anyone was hurt. I told him that was very happy with my rifle and that this is the first failure of any kind I've had with it. I told him it was probably a result of bad ammo and not the gun itself, he agreed and asked that I ship the rifle back to have it inspected and repaired. He said that even if the failure was ammo related that they would take care of any damages that might have occurred to the gun.

I was very impressed with the professionalism and courtesy of the person I talked to at DD. He apologized over and over for what happened and assured me that they would take care of any problems with the gun and make sure I got it back in safe working condition.

 

[Maverick223]

He said that even if the failure was ammo related that they would take care of any damages that might have occurred to the gun.

I was very impressed with the professionalism and courtesy of the person I talked to at DD. He apologized over and over for what happened and assured me that they would take care of any problems with the gun and make sure I got it back in safe working condition.

Now that is good service. Good to know that they will take care of you.

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

Damn, now I kind of want to go buy a DD rifle.

 

[Owen]

that round hole is weird.

 

[Slamfire]

I told him that I believed the gun fired out of battery and that the mag exploded out the bottom.

I don't believe your gun fired out of battery.

I am familiar with slamfires in AR's. Unlike M1's and M1a's, which will slamfire out of battery, all slamfires I have heard of, or seen were in battery.

The AR bolt retracts when it goes into battery. Unless your firing pin is abnormally long, it will not be long enough to touch the primer until the lugs are engaged.

Your case failed while the bolt was locked, and it was due to high pressure.

If it had fired while out of battery, I expect that bolt would have knocked the buffer through the buttplate.

 

[FlyinBryan]

I don't believe your gun fired out of battery.

I am familiar with slamfires in AR's. Unlike M1's and M1a's, which will slamfire out of battery, all slamfires I have heard of, or seen were in battery.

The AR bolt retracts when it goes into battery. Unless your firing pin is abnormally long, it will not be long enough to touch the primer until the lugs are engaged.

Your case failed while the bolt was locked, and it was due to high pressure.

If it had fired while out of battery, I expect that bolt would have knocked the buffer through the buttplate.

i would agree with this. about the only way i can think of an ar firing out of baattery would be a broken firing pin (which yours is obviously not) or a cam pin being sheared off allowing the bolt to be depressed into the carrier without having to rotate into battery.

otherwise the firing pin simply cannot reach the primer

 

[KodiakBeer]

I hope you start a new thread when you get your rifle back. I'd like to hear the appraisal from the manufacturer.

DD sounds like a quality outfit!

 

[gasteffens]

Interesting story here. Glad you are okay and that DD is helping you get your rifle back in order. I have read a handful of stories to the note of bad ammunition causing issues with ARs, and I will be sure to buy good ammunition for mine.

 

[nwilliams]

I don't believe your gun fired out of battery.

I am familiar with slamfires in AR's. Unlike M1's and M1a's, which will slamfire out of battery, all slamfires I have heard of, or seen were in battery.

The AR bolt retracts when it goes into battery. Unless your firing pin is abnormally long, it will not be long enough to touch the primer until the lugs are engaged.

Your case failed while the bolt was locked, and it was due to high pressure.

If it had fired while out of battery, I expect that bolt would have knocked the buffer through the buttplate.

The more I think about it the more I think you are right. I think the scenario you're describing makes a lot more sense. When you look at the whole picture the conclusion that it fired out of battery just doesn't seem to explain everything.

 

[Gordon]

After seeing how the gas was handled I have new respect for the AR system!

 

[Maverick223]

When you look at the whole picture the conclusion that it fired out of battery just doesn't seem to explain everything.

Yep, I retract my previous statement. Seeing the bulge at the base of the brass led me to believe that a OOB event was responsible. in hindsight that is not necessarily the case, or even likely the case, as the receiver is seemingly intact. I think a squib was the culprit. This led to a blocked, or partially blocked barrel, unfortunately plugged past the gas block, thus allowing the action to cycle and chamber the round that damaged the rifle. The overpressure caused the case to split, and the timing to be off, creating the bulge at the base of the case (there was still high pressure when the action opened). That being said, make sure that they (or you) check that barrel for bulges.

 

[Boba Fett]

Just one more example of why everyone should wear safety glasses.


Sorry to hear it happened, but glad to know no one was injured.

Have the entire gun checked out by a gunsmith who specializes in ARs before you even think about chambering another round in that rifle!

+1000

 

[Still 2 Many Choices!?]

I'm almost positive that AR's can not fire out of battery, as the bolt does not seat itself around the case rim until the round s fully chambered. As an example, if you slowly chamber a round by riding the charging handle, you still have to seat the bolt around the rim with the forward assist. I can't imagine how the bolt would have seated itself to the case, but not be fully forward unless it was an early unlocking of some sort? Maybe if your chamber was blocked(really dirty/debris) or the round was severely deformed, but my money is on a squib load causing early unlock of the next round, causing the bulged case, and hole.

I had something similar happen with my FAL last time at the range. I believe mine was either a double/over charged reload though, as I did not here a pop, or have a round with less or no perceived recoil prior to the kaboom!! Magazine dissentigrated! But DSArms makes a beastly rifle, as after a check up, I went back to firing without a hitch! The rifle fired about 1/4" OOB, and blew the side of the case out through the magazine(path of least resistence).
The quick check for blockage of bore, visible cracks in he bolt, then back to firing was not the brightest thing I've ever done, but rifle is fine, and so was I. DSA rifles, and uppers in particular, are built like tanks!!!

Glad you're okay, and I would have that rifle checked as a squib load is orders of magnitude worse than a simple(but still very dangerous) out of battery firing, especially with the AR's sensitive to over pressure gas system.

Still 2 Many Choices!?

 

[Art Eatman]

For sure, let's have a followup thread about the findings at DD.