AR15 owners, who has broken what?

SVTCobra306 · January 3, 2014, 08:49 AM

Over and over I see posts about what to buy/not buy based on durability and reliability.. I am curious as to first hand experience who has used what, broken what, at what approximate round count, and what brand of part or rifle it was. I'm not looking for ones that have been ran over or beaten by a hammer or dropped from an airplane (seen all of the above), I'm looking for stuff that broke from relatively normal use, including high round count training.

TnTnTn · January 3, 2014, 10:29 AM

Buffer retaining pin in RGuns lower. It was hammered out of its seat because the buffer kept hitting it. I relieved the bottom of the buffer so the buffer would come to rest on the rear of the bolt carrier and not against the retaining pin. Evidently the pin hole was out of spec as to proper location.

5whiskey · January 3, 2014, 01:06 PM

Honestly the worst rifle I had was an Armalite. The hammer and trigger pin walked bad, the front hand-guard cap would bend if I looked at it, and of course I had to stake the gas keys because they kept backing out (they were staked from factory, but not adequately). It held pretty good groups and there were no major failures... it just nickel and dimed me to death with minor annoyances. I only had around 1k or so rounds through it before I finally sold it (needed the money). Oh, I almost forgot. The buffer tube was rough with machine marks. Every time I charged the bolt it sounded like running a wood rasp against a cheese grater... very annoying.

Others I've had, or had experience with, were fine. My issued rifle at work is a Colt lower with a LMT upper on it. Shoots pretty good, but it hasn't had a ton of rounds through it (maybe 1500 to 2k). I have a CMMG right now... it's put together way better than the Armalite was, but I haven't shot it that much. Oh, the S&W rifles are pretty good too. I never owned one but I shoot with friends that have them. I've seen several with 5k rounds or so through them without much trouble. I've seen a few minor things like a takedown pin retainer detent wearing out, but nothing crazy. And of course Colts are GTG, had a Colt that was trouble free back in the day. I put several thousand rounds through it with no issues. Wish I would have kept it.

car · January 3, 2014, 02:11 PM

I have owned several Colt AR-15s over the past 32 years or so (I currently own 6 Colt AR-15s). Never had an issue with any one of them other than an occasional bad magazine (not Colt made).

tahunua001 · January 3, 2014, 02:21 PM

I personally have broken nothing except furniture.

I guess there probably was a reason why RRA discontinued their wood furniture.

my brother has broken extractors, detent pins, worn springs, all blackthorn parts.

semi_problomatic · January 3, 2014, 02:26 PM

Magazines get dented/cracked/squeezed pretty often giving lots of problems. My buffer tube wasn't aligned just right and missed it's first kiss. Got a nice scar from it.

Tangentabacus · January 4, 2014, 01:27 AM

I've put a lot of rounds out of my 6721 (surplus Russian and high end brass) and haven't had a single failure of components. It's forged rivers, climbed mountains, gone swimming, been caked with mud and washed out in a river, dropped, fallen on top of it, and been used and abused in the same way in -20F and I've never had an issue with it.

I've actually used the rifle so much I'm starting to think it needs a new barrel... The only failures I've had I was able to clear in a moment or two and with a cleaning rod and my Leatherman at worst, but all in the field. Never had to take it home and break it down. I bought my AR-15 and all my friends at the time had AKMs and they all laughed saying my rifle was flimsy, fragile, and would never stand the use and abuse they put their rifles through and mine is the only one out of a group of 3 other AKs that hasn't needed any parts replaced.

Don't really understand what the hype about AR's being fragile is all about to be perfectly honest.

globemaster3 · January 4, 2014, 09:49 AM

I've bent a firing pin retaining pin... Still not sure if that was user error or not.

Other than that, I've had nothing else break on my personal, or issued rifles, and that includes a number of GAU-5s which had seen better days that we used for OPFOR on readiness inspections.

10Ringmagic · January 4, 2014, 10:18 AM

I have had a Colt AR for 25 years or longer with no problems.

My 5 year old Bushmaster has been 100% reliable, with no broken parts.

CTS · January 4, 2014, 01:30 PM

I bent a firing pin retaining pin once as well but I know exactly the cause. It was a mixture of Jim Beam and RCBS 5-0-5 powder scale. Blew a primer, jammed case in the chamber, never drink while reloading.
Otherwise, I have never had a broken part either. I have seen some worn out buffer springs, worn out extracters and extractor springs, stuck ejector springs from brass shavings but that has been about it. And most of those were while serving as an armorer for a CG unit that only got the hand me downs from the other branches.

chris in va · January 4, 2014, 01:38 PM

The gun itself didn't break, but I had a blown primer that jammed the action in my M&P Sport. It has 3000 reloads through it.

Quentin2 · January 4, 2014, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Honestly the worst rifle I had was an Armalite. The hammer and trigger pin walked bad, the front hand-guard cap would bend if I looked at it, and of course I had to stake the gas keys because they kept backing out (they were staked from factory, but not adequately). It held pretty good groups and there were no major failures... it just nickel and dimed me to death with minor annoyances. I only had around 1k or so rounds through it before I finally sold it (needed the money). Oh, I almost forgot. The buffer tube was rough with machine marks. Every time I charged the bolt it sounded like running a wood rasp against a cheese grater... very annoying...

Sorry to hear that, Whiskey. I try to like ArmaLite but have been disappointed with the ArmaLite upper I bought years ago. No failures but the chamber is loose so that brass has to be resized more than any other AR I have. I would have returned it except that it gobbled up steel case with no trouble, better than tight chambers.

Anyway, no major failures in any AR, just little things replaced because I found something better. I have damaged GI mags but not the rifle.

5whiskey · January 4, 2014, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Sorry to hear that, Whiskey. I try to like ArmaLite but have been disappointed with the ArmaLite upper I bought years ago. No failures but the chamber is loose so that brass has to be resized more than any other AR I have. I would have returned it except that it gobbled up steel case with no trouble, better than tight chambers.

No skin off my back. I still *WANT* to like Armalite rifles myself. It's hard not to be a fan of the original and I haven't given up on them... I may have another Armalite one day. I hope it's better than my first. At least your rifle has a somewhat "functional" defect.

CTS · January 4, 2014, 10:53 PM

In case anyone is not aware, Armalite is not the original. It is just the original company name that has been bought and sold several times since the days when Eugene Stoner worked there and they were a subsidiary of Fairchild Engine and Aircraft Corporation.

SVTCobra306 · January 5, 2014, 04:32 PM

^That's old news. I've owned a pair of them, first one was an M15A4 midlength with a rifle stock, ban compliant that I bought back in the early 2000's, I can relate to the scratchy sounding bolt/buffer tube from that rifle. That one was significantly different though, it had a single stage trigger that was pretty close to the military issued rifles I was using a lot at the time. It was very accurate and I had zero function issues with it. It only went away due to a financial situation I had at the time, and I got my money back out of it after six or seven years owning it so no complaints..

My current one is a midlength M15 with a collapsible stock, I have shot about 500 rounds through it in all kinds of weather with zero issues, I reload for it using brass from it without troubles and have done so without a small base sizing die, though I normally use the SB sizer due to having more than one semi-auto 5.56 platform. I actually checked the gas key the other night after the other comment, the bolts are staked well and are still torqued properly.

The only real breakage I've ever incurred was a broken hammer spring, it was on an FN M16A2 I had at Ft. Polk. I also had a newer Colt M4 at Bragg that wouldn't eat offshore ammo.. when I first arrived there we had some strange issue with supposedly British ammo that not all of the M-4's would digest well, and mine was one of them. It was fine for about 20 rounds, basically a warm-up, then it would fail to extract repeatedly. Later on we got supplied with regular Lake City M855 again and had no issues with it at all.

9x19 · January 5, 2014, 05:44 PM

Armalite - I had an AR10 that ran great... have never owned a .223 gun of theirs... need to remedy that I guess.

Broken parts - I've been shooting ARs off and on since the late 80s (Colt SP1 was my first), and the only parts I've ever had break were hand-guards (cracks) and one safety lever (thumb-piece broke off) on a Bushmaster (made during "The Ban").

Ritz · January 5, 2014, 05:50 PM

I had a Colt Sporter for many years (original one from the 70's with classic A1 upper) that probably saw 4-5000 rounds through it and a Bushmaster Carbon-15 that I bought recently with about 800 rounds through it. I have yet to break anything. I'm pretty anal about keeping my guns clean and properly oiled. Knock on wood.

Best,

hodaka · January 5, 2014, 06:13 PM

I have had 2 Colts and 5 DPMS rifles. The only thing I have broken is an extractor on a DPMS 6.8 bolt. This was only after about 200 rounds. The replacement is going strong after over 1000 more. I have sold one of the Colts and two of the DPMS rifles after firing over a few thousand in each. I only shoot my reloads.

dean1818 · January 5, 2014, 07:10 PM

Im surprised more people havent had extractor breakage or a firing pin break with how much steel case ammo is being used

SVTCobra306 · January 5, 2014, 07:16 PM

Extractors are ones I was expecting too.. I forgot about that, I did break an extractor spring once upon a time too.. same FN M16A2 that the hammer spring broke on. It had a LOT of blanks shot through it.. LOL

Ritz · January 5, 2014, 07:26 PM

Who in their right mind uses steel cased ammo?

Just curious how that would lead to extractor breakage since those cases are still likely of much softer steel than a tool steel extractor.

ranchito457 · January 5, 2014, 08:48 PM

Like a fool-I broke the trigger guard installing it..I know thats not what you mean't but I like to kick myself in the rear every chance I get.I still get sick every time I see it..

cryogenic419 · January 6, 2014, 03:55 AM

I had to replace a firing pin on a Bushmaster once. I was young, stupid, and more than willing to throw any and all ammo into that barrel and that firing pin paid the price.

dean1818 · January 6, 2014, 06:45 AM

I keep an extra extractor and firing pin in the pistol grip of the AR......

Maybe I should use that space for beef jerky...........

Destructo6 · January 6, 2014, 09:30 AM

Bolt Lug(s) broken
Hammer Spring broken
Extractor pin broken
Extractor spring broken
Loose barrel

All were factory Colt parts in Colt rifles.

January 3, 2014, 08:49 AM	#1
SVTCobra306 Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2013 Posts: 434	AR15 owners, who has broken what? Over and over I see posts about what to buy/not buy based on durability and reliability.. I am curious as to first hand experience who has used what, broken what, at what approximate round count, and what brand of part or rifle it was. I'm not looking for ones that have been ran over or beaten by a hammer or dropped from an airplane (seen all of the above), I'm looking for stuff that broke from relatively normal use, including high round count training. __________________ Former US Army Paratrooper (1/509th PIR and 2nd BCT 82nd ABN DIV) 2 time OIF Veteran NRA Certified RSO/CRSO NRA Certified Pistol Instructor

January 3, 2014, 01:06 PM	#3
5whiskey Senior Member Join Date: October 23, 2005 Location: US Posts: 3,657	Honestly the worst rifle I had was an Armalite. The hammer and trigger pin walked bad, the front hand-guard cap would bend if I looked at it, and of course I had to stake the gas keys because they kept backing out (they were staked from factory, but not adequately). It held pretty good groups and there were no major failures... it just nickel and dimed me to death with minor annoyances. I only had around 1k or so rounds through it before I finally sold it (needed the money). Oh, I almost forgot. The buffer tube was rough with machine marks. Every time I charged the bolt it sounded like running a wood rasp against a cheese grater... very annoying. Others I've had, or had experience with, were fine. My issued rifle at work is a Colt lower with a LMT upper on it. Shoots pretty good, but it hasn't had a ton of rounds through it (maybe 1500 to 2k). I have a CMMG right now... it's put together way better than the Armalite was, but I haven't shot it that much. Oh, the S&W rifles are pretty good too. I never owned one but I shoot with friends that have them. I've seen several with 5k rounds or so through them without much trouble. I've seen a few minor things like a takedown pin retainer detent wearing out, but nothing crazy. And of course Colts are GTG, had a Colt that was trouble free back in the day. I put several thousand rounds through it with no issues. Wish I would have kept it. Last edited by 5whiskey; January 3, 2014 at 01:19 PM. Reason: Had to describe the sound of the Armalite buffer tube ;)

January 3, 2014, 02:21 PM	#5
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	I personally have broken nothing except furniture. I guess there probably was a reason why RRA discontinued their wood furniture. my brother has broken extractors, detent pins, worn springs, all blackthorn parts. __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

January 3, 2014, 02:26 PM	#6
semi_problomatic Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 2009 Location: Ft. Polk Posts: 883	Magazines get dented/cracked/squeezed pretty often giving lots of problems. My buffer tube wasn't aligned just right and missed it's first kiss. Got a nice scar from it. __________________ Freedom's just a word. If I'm gonna die for a word, my word is jello...

January 4, 2014, 09:49 AM	#8
globemaster3 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2006 Posts: 1,482	I've bent a firing pin retaining pin... Still not sure if that was user error or not. Other than that, I've had nothing else break on my personal, or issued rifles, and that includes a number of GAU-5s which had seen better days that we used for OPFOR on readiness inspections. __________________ NRA Life Member "We have enough gun control. What we need is idiot control."

January 3, 2014, 10:29 AM	#2
TnTnTn Senior Member Join Date: June 2, 2013 Location: Middle TN Posts: 140	Buffer retaining pin in RGuns lower. It was hammered out of its seat because the buffer kept hitting it. I relieved the bottom of the buffer so the buffer would come to rest on the rear of the bolt carrier and not against the retaining pin. Evidently the pin hole was out of spec as to proper location.

January 3, 2014, 02:11 PM	#4
car Member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 60	I have owned several Colt AR-15s over the past 32 years or so (I currently own 6 Colt AR-15s). Never had an issue with any one of them other than an occasional bad magazine (not Colt made).

January 4, 2014, 01:27 AM	#7
Tangentabacus Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2010 Location: Alaska Posts: 276	I've put a lot of rounds out of my 6721 (surplus Russian and high end brass) and haven't had a single failure of components. It's forged rivers, climbed mountains, gone swimming, been caked with mud and washed out in a river, dropped, fallen on top of it, and been used and abused in the same way in -20F and I've never had an issue with it. I've actually used the rifle so much I'm starting to think it needs a new barrel... The only failures I've had I was able to clear in a moment or two and with a cleaning rod and my Leatherman at worst, but all in the field. Never had to take it home and break it down. I bought my AR-15 and all my friends at the time had AKMs and they all laughed saying my rifle was flimsy, fragile, and would never stand the use and abuse they put their rifles through and mine is the only one out of a group of 3 other AKs that hasn't needed any parts replaced. Don't really understand what the hype about AR's being fragile is all about to be perfectly honest.

January 4, 2014, 10:18 AM	#9
10Ringmagic Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2010 Location: MI Posts: 315	I have had a Colt AR for 25 years or longer with no problems. My 5 year old Bushmaster has been 100% reliable, with no broken parts.

January 4, 2014, 01:30 PM	#10
CTS Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2011 Location: NE Georgia Posts: 1,070	I bent a firing pin retaining pin once as well but I know exactly the cause. It was a mixture of Jim Beam and RCBS 5-0-5 powder scale. Blew a primer, jammed case in the chamber, never drink while reloading. Otherwise, I have never had a broken part either. I have seen some worn out buffer springs, worn out extracters and extractor springs, stuck ejector springs from brass shavings but that has been about it. And most of those were while serving as an armorer for a CG unit that only got the hand me downs from the other branches. __________________ 01 FFL, NRA, NAGR, GOA.

January 4, 2014, 01:38 PM	#11
chris in va Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 13,806	The gun itself didn't break, but I had a blown primer that jammed the action in my M&P Sport. It has 3000 reloads through it.

January 4, 2014, 10:53 PM	#14
CTS Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2011 Location: NE Georgia Posts: 1,070	In case anyone is not aware, Armalite is not the original. It is just the original company name that has been bought and sold several times since the days when Eugene Stoner worked there and they were a subsidiary of Fairchild Engine and Aircraft Corporation. __________________ 01 FFL, NRA, NAGR, GOA.

January 5, 2014, 04:32 PM	#15
SVTCobra306 Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2013 Posts: 434	^That's old news. I've owned a pair of them, first one was an M15A4 midlength with a rifle stock, ban compliant that I bought back in the early 2000's, I can relate to the scratchy sounding bolt/buffer tube from that rifle. That one was significantly different though, it had a single stage trigger that was pretty close to the military issued rifles I was using a lot at the time. It was very accurate and I had zero function issues with it. It only went away due to a financial situation I had at the time, and I got my money back out of it after six or seven years owning it so no complaints.. My current one is a midlength M15 with a collapsible stock, I have shot about 500 rounds through it in all kinds of weather with zero issues, I reload for it using brass from it without troubles and have done so without a small base sizing die, though I normally use the SB sizer due to having more than one semi-auto 5.56 platform. I actually checked the gas key the other night after the other comment, the bolts are staked well and are still torqued properly. The only real breakage I've ever incurred was a broken hammer spring, it was on an FN M16A2 I had at Ft. Polk. I also had a newer Colt M4 at Bragg that wouldn't eat offshore ammo.. when I first arrived there we had some strange issue with supposedly British ammo that not all of the M-4's would digest well, and mine was one of them. It was fine for about 20 rounds, basically a warm-up, then it would fail to extract repeatedly. Later on we got supplied with regular Lake City M855 again and had no issues with it at all. __________________ Former US Army Paratrooper (1/509th PIR and 2nd BCT 82nd ABN DIV) 2 time OIF Veteran NRA Certified RSO/CRSO NRA Certified Pistol Instructor

January 5, 2014, 05:44 PM	#16
9x19 Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 1998 Location: Sherman, TX USA Posts: 3,750	Armalite - I had an AR10 that ran great... have never owned a .223 gun of theirs... need to remedy that I guess. Broken parts - I've been shooting ARs off and on since the late 80s (Colt SP1 was my first), and the only parts I've ever had break were hand-guards (cracks) and one safety lever (thumb-piece broke off) on a Bushmaster (made during "The Ban"). __________________ Make mine lean, mean, and 9x19!

January 5, 2014, 05:50 PM	#17
Ritz Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2013 Location: Virginia Posts: 283	I had a Colt Sporter for many years (original one from the 70's with classic A1 upper) that probably saw 4-5000 rounds through it and a Bushmaster Carbon-15 that I bought recently with about 800 rounds through it. I have yet to break anything. I'm pretty anal about keeping my guns clean and properly oiled. Knock on wood. Best,

January 5, 2014, 06:13 PM	#18
hodaka Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,010	I have had 2 Colts and 5 DPMS rifles. The only thing I have broken is an extractor on a DPMS 6.8 bolt. This was only after about 200 rounds. The replacement is going strong after over 1000 more. I have sold one of the Colts and two of the DPMS rifles after firing over a few thousand in each. I only shoot my reloads.

January 5, 2014, 07:10 PM	#19
dean1818 Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2009 Location: Frisco Texas Posts: 844	Im surprised more people havent had extractor breakage or a firing pin break with how much steel case ammo is being used __________________ An imperfect servant of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Buying American made, wherever I still can

January 5, 2014, 07:16 PM	#20
SVTCobra306 Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2013 Posts: 434	Extractors are ones I was expecting too.. I forgot about that, I did break an extractor spring once upon a time too.. same FN M16A2 that the hammer spring broke on. It had a LOT of blanks shot through it.. LOL __________________ Former US Army Paratrooper (1/509th PIR and 2nd BCT 82nd ABN DIV) 2 time OIF Veteran NRA Certified RSO/CRSO NRA Certified Pistol Instructor Last edited by SVTCobra306; January 5, 2014 at 07:23 PM.

January 5, 2014, 07:26 PM	#21
Ritz Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2013 Location: Virginia Posts: 283	Who in their right mind uses steel cased ammo? Just curious how that would lead to extractor breakage since those cases are still likely of much softer steel than a tool steel extractor.

January 5, 2014, 08:48 PM	#22
ranchito457 Senior Member Join Date: April 2, 2013 Location: Manhattan,Illinois Posts: 179	Like a fool-I broke the trigger guard installing it..I know thats not what you mean't but I like to kick myself in the rear every chance I get.I still get sick every time I see it..

January 6, 2014, 03:55 AM	#23
cryogenic419 Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2009 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 569	I had to replace a firing pin on a Bushmaster once. I was young, stupid, and more than willing to throw any and all ammo into that barrel and that firing pin paid the price.

January 6, 2014, 06:45 AM	#24
dean1818 Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2009 Location: Frisco Texas Posts: 844	I keep an extra extractor and firing pin in the pistol grip of the AR...... Maybe I should use that space for beef jerky........... __________________ An imperfect servant of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Buying American made, wherever I still can

January 6, 2014, 09:30 AM	#25
Destructo6 Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 1999 Location: Nogales, AZ USA Posts: 4,001	Bolt Lug(s) broken Hammer Spring broken Extractor pin broken Extractor spring broken Loose barrel All were factory Colt parts in Colt rifles. __________________ God gave you a soul. Your parents, a body. Your country, a rifle. Keep all of them clean.