ar15 feeding issues.

[Avery87]

I am having issues with my rifle feeding sometimes. Sometimes the first couple rounds go in fine. After that the next round(s) either jam, double feed or get stuck on the feed ramp. Could it be a mag issue? I also cycled a few rounds by hand and noticed on those there was some noticeable scratching on the bullet and casing.

[keokeboy]

I been having the same problem with my bushy carbon ar 15, but no other makes

[skizzums]

scratches on your bullets are your feeding ramps being rough(or in my case, they were still practically square), i used a dremel and polished mine and no more gouged bullets or cases

as for feeding, i would try a new mag before trying to diagnose other problems, but most likely your feed ramps are at the wrong angle or just not finished properly as was in my case with a cheap omni AR

[FtrPilot]

A couple of months ago, I was having the same problem, however without the scratches. I cleaned the chamber with an AR15 chamber brush, and that fixed the problem.

[Palmetto-Pride]

As others have posted first try a different mag, but I haven't seen a AR yet that doesn't put scratches on rounds when they are manually feed.

[nemesiss45]

AR can be picky... you have to consider ammo, feeding, gas system and extraction. it could be the mag, it could be a dirty or improperly lubed action/chamber, could be a fouled gas tube.... could be a little of each.

Is this a new gun? Has this happened with more than one ammo? Did you get good cycling with this ammo before? Have you tried other mags?

Id say clean an lube it well first, see if that helps. then think about the questions I asked and decide if the ammo could be an issue, if so, try another brand and see if it helps. If not, maybe it is the mag... what brand is it? Some poor follower designs have a tendency to nosedive rounds and that will happen more as spring tension decreases on a partially empty mag.

[Boncrayon]

I agree the chamber needs some attention with a good cleaning/lube (ballistol or similar). Also, some firearms just don't like some brands of ammo. See if a higher brand (Federal, etc.) has the same problem. Scratching could indicate a burr or residue that has formed in the chamber opening. Brass-brush this opening.

AR's are typically manufactured to minimal military specifications or better. I'd take the action apart and clean everything, add some light lube over all moving parts (except the gas tubes which need to stay dry...clean them with a pipe-cleaner or dry patch). Reassemble and try the shoot again and see if this is corrected.

[Brotherbadger]

I'd start with polishing the chamber. That will most likely be your culprit.

[odugrad]

Is it common to have issues with feed ramps? Do they require much maintenance?

[Sweet Shooter]

Several people have just recommended you polish and/or lube the chamber. That is poor advice and doing so is a dangerous practice in any platform. By all means polish feed ramps (hopefully they are M4 ramps - that never hurts), but a polished or lubed chamber will increase bolt thrust. Don't do it. The sealing of the case to the chamber walls is essential and is momentary it requires something of a key/grip. If your chamber is rough or has significant imperfections get it fixed by a professional. What kind of feed ramps does it have?

-SS-

[odugrad]

I've got M4 feed ramps. I generally just wipe them down with a patch, use a chamber brush in the chamber, and run a boresnake down the barrel.

After reading this thread, I didn't know if feed ramp issues were common.

[Ben Towe]

After reading this thread, I didn't know if feed ramp issues were common.

They aren't necessarily, but if they are rough they could cause an issue. Magazine problems are generally the #1 cause of malfunctions.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Anytime you have a feeding problem in any semi-automatic weapon, the magazine is the first place to look. Either try a known "good" magazine or if possible (since everyone has ARs), try your magazine in someone else's rifle to see of the problem transfers aling with the mag.

[g.willikers]

Avery,
You only have one mag for your AR?

[Boncrayon]

I had said nothing about "feed ramps" that are typical an some semi-auto pistols. The AR15 doesn't use a ramp to feed the next round. It's the chamber opening with a "direct feed" that could have an abrasion or residue that could hinder the next round. A thorough cleaning of internal action parts would serve you well.

[doglegarms]

What make is your AR? Is it new? Or did you build the upper? There's more than one thing that can cause feeding problems.

[Sweet Shooter]

Boncrayon I had said nothing about "feed ramps" that are typical an some semi-auto pistols. The AR15 doesn't use a ramp to feed the next round. It's the chamber opening with a "direct feed" that could have an abrasion or residue that could hinder the next round. A thorough cleaning of internal action parts would serve you well.
Yesterday 06:58 AM

Not sure I understand. Are you saying that the AR15 does not have feed ramps? Forgive me if I'm misunderstanding, but this platform has two feed ramps and the round contacts them about half an inch before it hit's the chamber. M4 style ramps were developed to prevent the rounds nose diving under high rates of automatic fire. They also help out on semi autos to. That's where I'd be looking for problems, if the magazine situation had been checked out.
-SS-

[skizzums]

no feed ramps? what do you call the angled channel the the bullets slides up to seat into the chamber? im no gunsmith, but i was pretty sure those were feed ramps

[tirod]

AR's have feed ramps, two styles, they are cut into the barrel extension. The barrel can't be drilled for the gas port until headspacing is done and we know what side is "up."

If there is a feeding problem, the #1 cause is magazines, and that is the whole point of Pmags. If the flimsy issue mags were any good, there wouldn't be feeding issues much at all. It's precisely the reason the AK is considered so reliable - the mags are nearly indestructable with seriously overdesigned feed lips.

The reason we have cheap flimsy magazines is that they were meant to be thrown down in combat and left along with the brass. New fully loaded magazines were the intent, but when somebody costed that system, it didn't happen. And nobody went back to change it. With the AK, each soldier in uniform got three mags issued for the duration of his enlistment, so they were made practically abuse proof.

The result is that if you drop a fully loaded M16 mag on the feed lips, it's toast in many cases, but you can drive over an AK mag and it will still feed properly. Nice to have, but they add a lot of weight to carry.

If there's a feeding problem, always go to another mag, preferably a completely different maker. Only if you have shot quite a few different, new, undamaged magazines can you consider it to be an action cycle problem. And that also includes ammo. If you don't try other loads, it's just repeating the same mistake - the #2 problem is ammo. The M16 is designed to use full power military loads, the makers emulate that, but we shove cheap economy loads or reject into it. Then the problems start.

That's why you have to switch it up and prove it really is the gun. Too many other things cause it, the mags and ammo are #1 and 2.

[bfoosh006]

Try a PMag ....

[Baddakota11]

I have polished the feed ramps, tried different mags, using reloaded LC brass w/hornaday 68gr. COL 2.25, PSA lower Bravo co upper Olympic arms barrel w/M4 feed ramps. Every time I try to rack one in it locks up and I have to slam it out. I have also tried my upper on my loading buddies lower. Same results.

[Road_Clam]

You want to try and isolate the problem to either a mechanical feeding issue or a gas piston issue. Try some different styles of ammo and if your only experiencing feeding issues with a specific ammo, then it is what it is seek alternate ammo. Try a few different mags, possibly you have a bad mag. My Bushmaster M4 will cycle everything but cheap steel case. I did however have a very frustrating random feeding issue a few years ago, and after a lot of aggravation, initially thinking I had feed ramp issues, it turned out that the plastic buffer weight bumper insert broke and the broken piece was jammed in the end of my buffer tube causing incomplete buffer cycling. Another situation is what's called "short stroking" and this is when you try to shoot mild velocity ammo or ammo with a very fast burn rate powder which causes the piston to not fully cycle.

[10-96]

Baddakota- Welcome aboard, glad to have you amongst us.

With your ammo, what happens when you drop a round into the chamber by hand with the upper off, BCG out, and pointed downwards?

Also, when you say "Racking"- do you mean hitting the bolt release and releasing the bolt from it's full rearward position? A lot of newer AR's wont correctly chamber a round if the BCG doesn't have it's full momentum when slamming forward.

[stagpanther]

You built the upper? Anyways--might be an issue with the bolt properly locking up with the extension. Maybe swap the BCG with a friend and see if problem repeats itself with their BCG in your upper--and see if your BCG cycles properly in a friends upper. Even minute variations in how a free-float rail is attached and nut torqued down--or even where the gas tube is clocked can put a slight offset that could conceivably cause problems. Assuming a cartridge freely drops in and out of the chamber and the problem still occurs with other mags, I'd guess there's possibly something wrong with the alignment of barrel extension to bolt face.

[Mobuck]

The OP mentions "double feed" and none of the answers have addressed that issue. Double feed of what? Two loaded rounds or an empty still in the chamber and a loaded round jammed behind it?

I agree with not "polishing" ANYTHING until the problem is correctly diagnosed.