Loading and Correcting AR-15 Malfunctions
Loading and Correcting AR-15 Malfunctions
Here is just a quick reminder on how to load an AR-15/M4 series rifle.
It can be done two ways essentially but I wanted to concentrate more on the correction of malfunctions that will be on the bottom of this article.
1. Insert Magazine into the magazine well, the rounds business end facing away from you. Slap the bottom of the magazine and pull the charging handle back all the way and release it. Your bolt and carrier will then compress the buffer/spring and then slap forward a round into the chamber. Tap the bolt assist just in case. Weapon on business. You're ready to go.
2. With the bolt and carrier locked in the rear position, insert the magazine into the well. Press down upon the bolt release, it will release the bolt to strip a round into your chamber. Tap the bolt assist. Weapon on business. You're ready to go. Simple.
Don't forget about the safety.
In regards to the correction of a malfunction, there are a few areas in the AR-15 that may cause a malfunction. Here are the most common problems;
1. The weapon is dirty. Clean the damned thing. They are a self fouling system that does need maintenance.
2. The rounds are seated incorrectly in the mag. Seat your rounds properly first. Check your mag's lips as well and overall serviceability.
3. The bolt gas rings are aligned together as "one hole". Inspect the bolt. It doesn't happen often but it does and can happen.
4. The rounds double feed consistently. It is a magazine problem usually, or your slapped it way too hard. Try a different magazine maybe.
There are a plethora of reasons for any weapon to jam. Just make sure you do preventive maintenance on your AR. It is essentially a self-fouling weapon since it uses a gas diversion system. Even if you have a piston driven one, it's like an AK or AK variant with a gas piston rod. That piston rod will develop carbon buildup. So proper inspection and maintenance is recommended.
Regarding the correction. The simple way to remember this is something I got from Ft. Benning over 25 years ago. Remember the acronym of SPORTS. This is essentially a Class I malfunction drill. Class II's will require you to remove your magazine and it will take more time to get back on target. So with that in mind...SPORTS.
S - Slap the Magazine
P - Pull the Charging Handle back
O - Observe that the casing or round ejects from the chamber
R - Release the Charging Handle, it will automatically chamber the next round
T - Tap the Bolt Assist, this will ensure that your bolt will be against your chamber
S - Shoot the damned thing.
That will be essentially everything you need to know for a Class I malfunction for an AR-15 series rifle. For either that $1500 Wilson Combat to that $500 Century or that $350 rebuild kit (God help you).
Just a few techniques that are fieldcraft skills I've picked up over the years...
While cleaning your bolt carrier, take your standard cleaning rod and stick it in the area where the bolt would normally rest in the carrier and twist it along that lip/retention groove area for a few minutes. You will notice a large deposit of carbon buildup and it will ensure that your bolt will work more smoothly in the carrier when it twists around. Don't believe me? Place a sheet of white paper down on a table and then do it for a bit and then tap the carrier downwards on the paper. You will see that there is a lot of carbon.
A little oil goes a long way, especially at the cam pin and your bolt's outside surface as it twists within the carrier. Don't soak it. A light coat will do. Try doing that in a desert environment and you'll have a dust and sand magnet.
Whenever possible, keep the ejection port cover closed. Develop a habit of closing it whenever you're finished shooting it.
All the little field assembly areas where pins are concerned; your firing pin can push out the extractor retention pin. Just do it carefully. You can use it for other pins but I'd rather not have you break the part.
If you've ever zeroed your sights, be it the A1 rear sight drum or the front sight to the A2-4 series or BUIS system where they only have a knob, you can use the tip of a round to adjust them. Some folks insist on using a nail or pen, why deviate from the original engineering design? You can adjust your sights with just the tip of a bullet.
You can also use the tip of a round to open the trigger guard. You will notice that there is a push retention pin at the front of your trigger guard. Once that is flipped down, one can still use the rifle using oversized gloves or trigger finger mittens. It's what it was designed for.
If you combat zeroed your AR, then you will know that everyone's sight picture is essentially different. So mine would be 4L, 5U. Meaning four clicks to the left and five clicks up. I encourage you to write it down on a small label and stick it in the hollow pistol grip. You'll always be able to see it and if your sights are ever mucked with, you can combat zero the sights and then re-enter your specs and you're back on target.
For those whom don't know what a combat zero of your rifle's sights, it is basically the OEM neutral setting and it doesn't swing in any direction. It awaits your adjustments. How one gets their rifle to combat zero is simple;
To adjust windage, either rear sight drum or knob. Adjust the rear sight all the way from one direction to the edge. Then crank it the other way as much as possible and count the clicks. When you're on the absolute limit, divide the clicks by half and click your sights back the other way. It will be in the middle as much as it can get.
Example: From Left side to Right side is; 34 clicks...I then move the sight back by half which is 17 clicks.
To adjust elevation; the simple thing is to just click the sight up or down until the front sight post base edge is equal to the front sight housing. It's like putting the sight's at factory default.
Once you do those two things and do what I said, it will be easier to zero. Do it at ten meters and your rounds (three shots) with the Night or "O-2" sight, they should be approximately two inches below your sight picture. The reason is that the bullet's flight trajectory will be exact at 300 meters which will be more beneficial too you in the long run. Just make sure to adjust your rifle after three shots.
If you can't get a group of three shots with the diameter of a quarter at 10 meters then I advocate that you need more practice and it's not the rifle's fault.
If you've got a fancy Aimpoint M2 or EOTech, sight you simply shoot a three shot group at 10 meters. Your point of impact should be adjusted approximately a half an inch below your point of aim. The reason why is that the two will meet up at 300 meters. Remember that your sightline is straight but your bullet flies in a parabolic arc. Same thing when working with a magnifying rifle scope. We're matching a parallel sightline to a parabolic flight line. Just remember that electronic sights such as the ones listed above to the C-More or Trijicon 4x systems are only as good as you train with them. Up to about 150 meters, it's kind of like a laser. They can be used for very accurate shots but they are a fast acquisition sight. Don't get too picky about your shot group being a little off. It's so you can get lead onto your target medium very quickly. Besides, in that type of dynamic environment, your target medium will be shooting back and moving as you should be. Think of a small scale dogfight in the air where you have to lead your target sometimes. Hence why some sights incorporate an outside bracket or ring. It helps you lead your target like passing a basketball to another player. Same principle. These sights will not magically make rounds tack drivers. YOU are the primary tack driver, the rifle and the sight are merely extensions to your body.
Here is just a quick reminder on how to load an AR-15/M4 series rifle.
It can be done two ways essentially but I wanted to concentrate more on the correction of malfunctions that will be on the bottom of this article.
1. Insert Magazine into the magazine well, the rounds business end facing away from you. Slap the bottom of the magazine and pull the charging handle back all the way and release it. Your bolt and carrier will then compress the buffer/spring and then slap forward a round into the chamber. Tap the bolt assist just in case. Weapon on business. You're ready to go.
2. With the bolt and carrier locked in the rear position, insert the magazine into the well. Press down upon the bolt release, it will release the bolt to strip a round into your chamber. Tap the bolt assist. Weapon on business. You're ready to go. Simple.
Don't forget about the safety.
In regards to the correction of a malfunction, there are a few areas in the AR-15 that may cause a malfunction. Here are the most common problems;
1. The weapon is dirty. Clean the damned thing. They are a self fouling system that does need maintenance.
2. The rounds are seated incorrectly in the mag. Seat your rounds properly first. Check your mag's lips as well and overall serviceability.
3. The bolt gas rings are aligned together as "one hole". Inspect the bolt. It doesn't happen often but it does and can happen.
4. The rounds double feed consistently. It is a magazine problem usually, or your slapped it way too hard. Try a different magazine maybe.
There are a plethora of reasons for any weapon to jam. Just make sure you do preventive maintenance on your AR. It is essentially a self-fouling weapon since it uses a gas diversion system. Even if you have a piston driven one, it's like an AK or AK variant with a gas piston rod. That piston rod will develop carbon buildup. So proper inspection and maintenance is recommended.
Regarding the correction. The simple way to remember this is something I got from Ft. Benning over 25 years ago. Remember the acronym of SPORTS. This is essentially a Class I malfunction drill. Class II's will require you to remove your magazine and it will take more time to get back on target. So with that in mind...SPORTS.
S - Slap the Magazine
P - Pull the Charging Handle back
O - Observe that the casing or round ejects from the chamber
R - Release the Charging Handle, it will automatically chamber the next round
T - Tap the Bolt Assist, this will ensure that your bolt will be against your chamber
S - Shoot the damned thing.
That will be essentially everything you need to know for a Class I malfunction for an AR-15 series rifle. For either that $1500 Wilson Combat to that $500 Century or that $350 rebuild kit (God help you).
Just a few techniques that are fieldcraft skills I've picked up over the years...
While cleaning your bolt carrier, take your standard cleaning rod and stick it in the area where the bolt would normally rest in the carrier and twist it along that lip/retention groove area for a few minutes. You will notice a large deposit of carbon buildup and it will ensure that your bolt will work more smoothly in the carrier when it twists around. Don't believe me? Place a sheet of white paper down on a table and then do it for a bit and then tap the carrier downwards on the paper. You will see that there is a lot of carbon.
A little oil goes a long way, especially at the cam pin and your bolt's outside surface as it twists within the carrier. Don't soak it. A light coat will do. Try doing that in a desert environment and you'll have a dust and sand magnet.
Whenever possible, keep the ejection port cover closed. Develop a habit of closing it whenever you're finished shooting it.
All the little field assembly areas where pins are concerned; your firing pin can push out the extractor retention pin. Just do it carefully. You can use it for other pins but I'd rather not have you break the part.
If you've ever zeroed your sights, be it the A1 rear sight drum or the front sight to the A2-4 series or BUIS system where they only have a knob, you can use the tip of a round to adjust them. Some folks insist on using a nail or pen, why deviate from the original engineering design? You can adjust your sights with just the tip of a bullet.
You can also use the tip of a round to open the trigger guard. You will notice that there is a push retention pin at the front of your trigger guard. Once that is flipped down, one can still use the rifle using oversized gloves or trigger finger mittens. It's what it was designed for.
If you combat zeroed your AR, then you will know that everyone's sight picture is essentially different. So mine would be 4L, 5U. Meaning four clicks to the left and five clicks up. I encourage you to write it down on a small label and stick it in the hollow pistol grip. You'll always be able to see it and if your sights are ever mucked with, you can combat zero the sights and then re-enter your specs and you're back on target.
For those whom don't know what a combat zero of your rifle's sights, it is basically the OEM neutral setting and it doesn't swing in any direction. It awaits your adjustments. How one gets their rifle to combat zero is simple;
To adjust windage, either rear sight drum or knob. Adjust the rear sight all the way from one direction to the edge. Then crank it the other way as much as possible and count the clicks. When you're on the absolute limit, divide the clicks by half and click your sights back the other way. It will be in the middle as much as it can get.
Example: From Left side to Right side is; 34 clicks...I then move the sight back by half which is 17 clicks.
To adjust elevation; the simple thing is to just click the sight up or down until the front sight post base edge is equal to the front sight housing. It's like putting the sight's at factory default.
Once you do those two things and do what I said, it will be easier to zero. Do it at ten meters and your rounds (three shots) with the Night or "O-2" sight, they should be approximately two inches below your sight picture. The reason is that the bullet's flight trajectory will be exact at 300 meters which will be more beneficial too you in the long run. Just make sure to adjust your rifle after three shots.
If you can't get a group of three shots with the diameter of a quarter at 10 meters then I advocate that you need more practice and it's not the rifle's fault.
If you've got a fancy Aimpoint M2 or EOTech, sight you simply shoot a three shot group at 10 meters. Your point of impact should be adjusted approximately a half an inch below your point of aim. The reason why is that the two will meet up at 300 meters. Remember that your sightline is straight but your bullet flies in a parabolic arc. Same thing when working with a magnifying rifle scope. We're matching a parallel sightline to a parabolic flight line. Just remember that electronic sights such as the ones listed above to the C-More or Trijicon 4x systems are only as good as you train with them. Up to about 150 meters, it's kind of like a laser. They can be used for very accurate shots but they are a fast acquisition sight. Don't get too picky about your shot group being a little off. It's so you can get lead onto your target medium very quickly. Besides, in that type of dynamic environment, your target medium will be shooting back and moving as you should be. Think of a small scale dogfight in the air where you have to lead your target sometimes. Hence why some sights incorporate an outside bracket or ring. It helps you lead your target like passing a basketball to another player. Same principle. These sights will not magically make rounds tack drivers. YOU are the primary tack driver, the rifle and the sight are merely extensions to your body.
11 年 前