Looking for AR-15 help

Derek Zeanah · October 1, 2002, 03:39 PM

I've been wanting an AR-15 since I got out of the service (wanted to know if I could still disassemble/reassemble in EIB time

) and finally found (what I thought was) the right rifle at the right price. Picked it up today and had some questions.

The gun's history is as follows: has 400 rounds through the lower, an additional 100 rounds through the upper, and the seller apparently didn't know much about AR-15's (I never knew they'd actually fire if they were this dirty!!!

). Anyway, any help with the following would be appreciated.

1) Dust cover. It's not a big deal, but the spring is sprung wrong. Both ends of the spring are on the same side of the cover, and the smaller one isn't pushing against the upper as it should. What's the easiest way to remedy this?

2) The bolt doesn't go forward like I'd like. Releasing the bolt after pulling the charging handle most or all the way to the rear works fine, but IMHO I should be able to pull it back enough to see if there's a round in the chamber, release the handle, and have the bold slide all the way forward again. Maybe I'm being picky though -- the M16's I have experience with were FN's (new) and Colts (well maintained).

3) The markings on the (A2) sight base are off. I'm thinking this is as easy as finding the right allen wrench and loostening it to where I can move the dial, but would like assurances before I start taking everything apart.

4) The rear take-down pin (for lack of a better word) isn't as tight as I'd like. Easy fix?

5) The barrel was nasty, and while I cleaned it up a lot with CLP, a bore brush, and some cleaning pads, there are still a few stubborn specks in there. What works better than CLP for cleaning a barrel?

That's all for now. Would be happy to illustrate with pics if that would help. Thanks.

Dfariswheel · October 1, 2002, 06:01 PM

In order:
1. You will need to remove the TINY little "C" clip on the front of the cover hinge pin. (Don't loose it, it's easy to do).
Remove the pin to the rear enough to allow you to reset the spring. The pin can be completely removed if necessary, even though it looks like you can't because of interference with the forward assist housing. Trust me, you can.
replace the pin and "C" clip.

2. Bolt and carrier could be dirty and dry, but many civilian AR's won't go forward if opened slightly. Probably nothing to worry about.

3. For rear sight adjustment, check a newer GI manual. They are on-line at: http://www.biggerhammer.net/manuals/ among other places.

4. Take down may be under sized or have a weak spring. Check the manual for disassemble to inspect. If you mean the pin allows some looseness in the upper and lower, most civi AR's do.

5. CLP is a good field general purpose bore cleaner, but for real cleaning get some regular bore solvent like Hoppe's, Shooter's Choice or whatever you find at the nearest gun store. This is specifically meant for removing bullet jacket fouling.

October 1, 2002, 03:39 PM	#1
Derek Zeanah Senior Member Join Date: March 30, 2000 Location: South GA Posts: 267	Looking for AR-15 help I've been wanting an AR-15 since I got out of the service (wanted to know if I could still disassemble/reassemble in EIB time ) and finally found (what I thought was) the right rifle at the right price. Picked it up today and had some questions. The gun's history is as follows: has 400 rounds through the lower, an additional 100 rounds through the upper, and the seller apparently didn't know much about AR-15's (I never knew they'd actually fire if they were this dirty!!! ). Anyway, any help with the following would be appreciated. 1) Dust cover. It's not a big deal, but the spring is sprung wrong. Both ends of the spring are on the same side of the cover, and the smaller one isn't pushing against the upper as it should. What's the easiest way to remedy this? 2) The bolt doesn't go forward like I'd like. Releasing the bolt after pulling the charging handle most or all the way to the rear works fine, but IMHO I should be able to pull it back enough to see if there's a round in the chamber, release the handle, and have the bold slide all the way forward again. Maybe I'm being picky though -- the M16's I have experience with were FN's (new) and Colts (well maintained). 3) The markings on the (A2) sight base are off. I'm thinking this is as easy as finding the right allen wrench and loostening it to where I can move the dial, but would like assurances before I start taking everything apart. 4) The rear take-down pin (for lack of a better word) isn't as tight as I'd like. Easy fix? 5) The barrel was nasty, and while I cleaned it up a lot with CLP, a bore brush, and some cleaning pads, there are still a few stubborn specks in there. What works better than CLP for cleaning a barrel? That's all for now. Would be happy to illustrate with pics if that would help. Thanks.

October 1, 2002, 06:01 PM	#2
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	In order: 1. You will need to remove the TINY little "C" clip on the front of the cover hinge pin. (Don't loose it, it's easy to do). Remove the pin to the rear enough to allow you to reset the spring. The pin can be completely removed if necessary, even though it looks like you can't because of interference with the forward assist housing. Trust me, you can. replace the pin and "C" clip. 2. Bolt and carrier could be dirty and dry, but many civilian AR's won't go forward if opened slightly. Probably nothing to worry about. 3. For rear sight adjustment, check a newer GI manual. They are on-line at: http://www.biggerhammer.net/manuals/ among other places. 4. Take down may be under sized or have a weak spring. Check the manual for disassemble to inspect. If you mean the pin allows some looseness in the upper and lower, most civi AR's do. 5. CLP is a good field general purpose bore cleaner, but for real cleaning get some regular bore solvent like Hoppe's, Shooter's Choice or whatever you find at the nearest gun store. This is specifically meant for removing bullet jacket fouling.