New ACR Slam Fires .223 rounds

IXLR8 · September 9, 2010, 05:11 PM

I sent the following email to Bushmaster a week ago and they have not responded. If you have an ACR I would not shoot it, and if you do, be aware that it may fire any time the bolt is closed with live ammo.

Email:
I was very very happy to receive my new Bushmaster ACR Enhanced this week, I waited a year to get it. Today I took it to the range to sight in the weapon. I loaded 1 round of Parvizan 5.56 and shot it, no problem. A precaution I take with all new firearms. I then loaded a full clip of the PRVI Parvizan 5.56 BT ammo and shot the full clip without incident. I changed stations from the 50 to 100yd benches. It setup and fired 4 more boxes of PRVI 5.56 ammo without incident.

The problem started when I loaded Hornaday .223 ammo. I released the bolt from the open position using the release button. The rifle fired from an open bolt. After releasing the bolt with the button, the bolt chambered a round and fired it in a single action. I was very surprised by this and immediately unloaded the rifle. I then removed the bolt and examined it to see if there was a stuck firing pin, or some other malfunction. Everything seemed to operate freely and properly. There was almost no gunpowder residue on the bolt, and I examined the locking rings in the barrel and they were clean and clear. I thought that this may have been a single unusual event. I loaded another single round and tried it, and it loaded and fired as expected. I loaded up 15 rounds of Hornaday .223 ammo and l loaded a round into the chamber using the bolt release button. No problem. I fired 6 rounds and no problem was detected. On the 7th round, I pulled the trigger and 3 rounds fired in quick succession. I was very surprised to fire 3 rounds with 1 trigger pull. I immediately unloaded the weapon and again disassembled the bolt assembly and did not find anything unusual. I was curious about the ammo being a problem so I loaded first a single round, then 3 clips of 10 rounds of the PVRI 5.56 ammo. There was not any malfunction or misfire through the 31 rounds.

I have the 3 spent cases from slam fire, the original ammo boxes for the Hornaday, and some examples of PRVI cases fired. Upon examining the slam fired cases, there is an indention from the firing pin, but it is not crisp and deep like the 5.56 cases, or the .223. In addition I have 3 unused .223 Hornaday rounds from the box I was shooting from.

I will wait for your reply before touching this firearm again. Please let me know what action you would like to undertake? I am very disappointed that I received a firearm with an obvious defect, after all of the fine articles I have read about the ACR. I actively blog on a number of online gun forums. I will give Bushmaster a chance to respond, before I start posting this information online. I am a fair individual, and it is possible that something I did caused the slam fire, since it is a brand new weapon to me, and the first time that I shot it. I have used both types of ammo in my Bushmaster Varminter for the 2 years that I have owned it without a single problem.

Technosavant · September 9, 2010, 05:13 PM

Very few manufacturers respond to email. It's a pain in the rear to those of us in modern times, but it's the way it is.

Call their customer service number.

IXLR8 · September 9, 2010, 05:21 PM

I know that my previous post was kind of wordy.

If you Google the Bushmaster ACR and slam fire, you can read about a guy who shot his big toe off with a 15 round burst, and the safety was on!

If I would have heard about these things, I would not have purchased it.

Technosavant · September 9, 2010, 09:35 PM

Quote:

If you Google the Bushmaster ACR and slam fire, you can read about a guy who shot his big toe off with a 15 round burst, and the safety was on!

Ouch.

Yeah, sounds like they're having some issues- I don't blame you for being ticked; for what they're asking for these things they ought to be chiseled from a single block of aged stone cold awesome and blessed by an aged priest.

But you'll have to give them a call to get anything done.

Idempotent · September 9, 2010, 09:51 PM

What do you even do if you dump a full mag in unintended automatic slam-fire? The range I frequent is always very careful to say "no rapid fire" every time before the line goes hot. I cannot imagine how they might respond if someone dumped a 30-round mag in a few seconds.

And geez, that would be scary, trying to maintain enough control of the weapon so that rounds don't go stray and kill anyone. And having to do that when you totally weren't expecting it, as well.

Slam-fires are scary, and it looks like Bushmaster has a problem.

Slamfire · September 9, 2010, 10:34 PM

Interesting, this is a gas piston rifle and it is supposed to have a spring loaded firing pin which would reduce impact energy off a primer.

And it is slamfiring.

stubbicatt · September 9, 2010, 10:40 PM

Perhaps it is an ammo issue. Perhaps the culprit is the Hornady primer. Were any of them standing proud of the case head?

LaserSpot · September 9, 2010, 11:02 PM

You could have a broken part. Maybe the firing pin broke in half or the firing pin return spring is broken. It could also be excessive wear on the sear.

Does it have a light trigger pull?

Danny45 · September 10, 2010, 12:06 AM

Quote:

What do you even do if you dump a full mag in unintended automatic slam-fire?

If you're quick enough, reach up and dump the magazine. More than likely, it'll be empty by then. If it should ever happen, just explain to them what happened and that you have no intention of shooting the gun on their range again until the issue can be looked into. They shouldn't have too much of an issue as long as you keep it pointed downrange when it happens.

Slamfire · September 10, 2010, 12:11 PM

Quote:

If you're quick enough, reach up and dump the magazine.

I think this is dangerous advice.

First and foremost you must retain control of your weapon. Releasing one hand while the gun is firing will result in you losing control of your weapon.

There are accounts of people who were killed when their SKS when full auto, without a doubt the gun revolved in their grasp and shot them.

I would say if your gun goes full auto you must prevent the muzzle from sweeping yourself or others. After the event is over, then you can drop the magazine, rack the bolt to empty the chamber, and sit down to calm yourself down.

Warchild · September 10, 2010, 01:13 PM

Quote:

then you can drop the magazine, rack the bolt to empty the chamber, and sit down to clean yourself.

Fixed.

IXLR8 · September 10, 2010, 02:24 PM

I don't know what the cyclic rate is, but it is damn fast. The first time it happened I thought that I shot at the same time as the guy next to me. the recoil is amazingly light on the ACR, and the rounds that I did shoot were 1 MOA all day.

I have shot the same Hornaday ammo in my other Bushmaster for years. This is part of a batch that I have shot out of other rifles. I have 6 magazine fed rifles, and I have not experienced a slam fire in any of them in more than 5000 rounds.

I was waiting to hear from Bushmaster before I disassembled the BCG, to see if there was anything special they wanted to look at first. I have not heard any response.

thesheepdog · September 10, 2010, 02:49 PM

Don't wait for an email response-speaking from experience.

Call them ASAP

IXLR8 · September 10, 2010, 06:25 PM

ACR 223 Slam Fired.JPG
.223 rounds that slam fired

ACR 223 unfired.JPG
Unfired .223 from same box

ACR 556 Fired.JPG
5.56 fired before and after slam fire

What do you think?

fishluv · September 10, 2010, 06:37 PM

how old is that ammo ? not that it should matter

Zak Smith · September 10, 2010, 06:54 PM

I recommend you have this thread removed and call Bushmaster immediately.

IXLR8 · September 10, 2010, 07:25 PM

I attempted to contact Bushmaster for a week before I posted anything, and did not receive any reply. This is a legitimate warning to other ACR owners, to be aware of a possibly dangerous operation of their firearm.

I plan to fully update this post and provide the solution when available.

Please bear with me.

Zak Smith · September 10, 2010, 07:28 PM

I recommend strongly to remove this thread to reduce your legal risk and call Bushmaster immediately.

LaserSpot · September 10, 2010, 07:29 PM

Quote:

I recommend you have this thread removed and call Bushmaster immediately.

Who would benefit from removing the thread, Bushmaster?

Quote:

I was waiting to hear from Bushmaster before I disassembled the BCG, to see if there was anything special they wanted to look at first.

It would be interesting to check for broken or worn parts before sending it back. Also, it would be interesting to fire it a couple more times to check for light dimples on rounds that don't slam fire. To check for this, manually eject every other round.

If you do get light dimple marks after every shot, eliminating them would give extra confidence that the problem is resolved after repair.

LaserSpot · September 10, 2010, 07:41 PM

Quote:

I recommend strongly to remove this thread to reduce your legal risk

Zak, I'm not sure what the concern is; do you think Bushmaster is going to file a SLAPP suit and try to cover up the problem, or do you think the ATF is going to identify him and get a search warranty to look for an unlicensed full-auto weapon?

IXLR8, if you do fire it again be sure not to load more than two rounds. You could have legal trouble if you rip off a burst. I doubt that anyone would associate the sound of a double with full-auto.

Zak Smith · September 10, 2010, 07:46 PM

I'm not concerned about Bushmaster.

LaserSpot · September 10, 2010, 08:20 PM

Quote:

I'm not concerned about Bushmaster.

You do have a good point, but it could already be too late. If this thread is suddenly locked, it would be safe to assume that the ATF is on the way. IXLR8, you may want to store that defective BCG at an undisclosed location until Bushmaster contacts you.

fishluv · September 10, 2010, 08:27 PM

so you suggest hiding the defective firearm from the ATF. LOL

I'll never tell even if you shove bamboo under my fingernails!

I suggest retaining a lawyer and cooperating fully if contacted by the ATF

srkavanagh6621 · September 10, 2010, 08:30 PM

I personally think you will be ok! its a defective firearm that you are trying to get fixed the heat isnt on you! you asked for opinions to try and resolve your problem I dont see what the problem is! But getting a hold of bushmaster to resolve your problem might be your only option. Good luck!

IXLR8 · September 10, 2010, 08:36 PM

I think it would be reckless to operate my ACR in a public forum like a range until the problem, if one exists has been identified.

I love Bushmaster rifles. I bought the best one I could find. This is in no way a bash on the ACR, or the company that made it. But if said nothing and someone else was injured, in a similar incident, then I would worry about the legal ramifications.

There is no way that it made it into production with a fault like this. There must be a simple, logical explanation. I look forward to a solution, because I would love to return to the range and squeeze off a few more tight groups.

With the 5.56 ammo it was shooting a nice 1 MOA group. I like 1 MOA groups!

Stay tuned. The explanation will be posted, and everyone can feel more secure about the proper operation of an excellent rifle.

ACR Enhanced IXLR8.jpg
My rifle.

September 9, 2010, 05:11 PM	#1
IXLR8 Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2009 Posts: 107	New ACR Slam Fires .223 rounds I sent the following email to Bushmaster a week ago and they have not responded. If you have an ACR I would not shoot it, and if you do, be aware that it may fire any time the bolt is closed with live ammo. Email: I was very very happy to receive my new Bushmaster ACR Enhanced this week, I waited a year to get it. Today I took it to the range to sight in the weapon. I loaded 1 round of Parvizan 5.56 and shot it, no problem. A precaution I take with all new firearms. I then loaded a full clip of the PRVI Parvizan 5.56 BT ammo and shot the full clip without incident. I changed stations from the 50 to 100yd benches. It setup and fired 4 more boxes of PRVI 5.56 ammo without incident. The problem started when I loaded Hornaday .223 ammo. I released the bolt from the open position using the release button. The rifle fired from an open bolt. After releasing the bolt with the button, the bolt chambered a round and fired it in a single action. I was very surprised by this and immediately unloaded the rifle. I then removed the bolt and examined it to see if there was a stuck firing pin, or some other malfunction. Everything seemed to operate freely and properly. There was almost no gunpowder residue on the bolt, and I examined the locking rings in the barrel and they were clean and clear. I thought that this may have been a single unusual event. I loaded another single round and tried it, and it loaded and fired as expected. I loaded up 15 rounds of Hornaday .223 ammo and l loaded a round into the chamber using the bolt release button. No problem. I fired 6 rounds and no problem was detected. On the 7th round, I pulled the trigger and 3 rounds fired in quick succession. I was very surprised to fire 3 rounds with 1 trigger pull. I immediately unloaded the weapon and again disassembled the bolt assembly and did not find anything unusual. I was curious about the ammo being a problem so I loaded first a single round, then 3 clips of 10 rounds of the PVRI 5.56 ammo. There was not any malfunction or misfire through the 31 rounds. I have the 3 spent cases from slam fire, the original ammo boxes for the Hornaday, and some examples of PRVI cases fired. Upon examining the slam fired cases, there is an indention from the firing pin, but it is not crisp and deep like the 5.56 cases, or the .223. In addition I have 3 unused .223 Hornaday rounds from the box I was shooting from. I will wait for your reply before touching this firearm again. Please let me know what action you would like to undertake? I am very disappointed that I received a firearm with an obvious defect, after all of the fine articles I have read about the ACR. I actively blog on a number of online gun forums. I will give Bushmaster a chance to respond, before I start posting this information online. I am a fair individual, and it is possible that something I did caused the slam fire, since it is a brand new weapon to me, and the first time that I shot it. I have used both types of ammo in my Bushmaster Varminter for the 2 years that I have owned it without a single problem.

September 9, 2010, 10:34 PM	#6
Slamfire Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2007 Posts: 5,261	Interesting, this is a gas piston rifle and it is supposed to have a spring loaded firing pin which would reduce impact energy off a primer. And it is slamfiring. __________________ If I'm not shooting, I'm reloading.

September 10, 2010, 06:25 PM	#14
IXLR8 Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2009 Posts: 107	Pictures of the actual .223 slam fire rounds ACR 223 Slam Fired.JPG .223 rounds that slam fired ACR 223 unfired.JPG Unfired .223 from same box ACR 556 Fired.JPG 5.56 fired before and after slam fire What do you think?

September 10, 2010, 06:54 PM	#16
Zak Smith Senior Member Join Date: December 12, 1999 Location: Fort Collins, Colorado, USA Posts: 2,682	I recommend you have this thread removed and call Bushmaster immediately. __________________ Zak Smith . DEMIGOD LLC . THUNDER BEAST ARMS CORP . COLORADO MULTI-GUN *My PM inbox full? Send e-mail instead.*

September 10, 2010, 07:28 PM	#18
Zak Smith Senior Member Join Date: December 12, 1999 Location: Fort Collins, Colorado, USA Posts: 2,682	I recommend strongly to remove this thread to reduce your legal risk and call Bushmaster immediately. __________________ Zak Smith . DEMIGOD LLC . THUNDER BEAST ARMS CORP . COLORADO MULTI-GUN *My PM inbox full? Send e-mail instead.*

September 9, 2010, 05:13 PM	#2
Technosavant Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 4,040	Very few manufacturers respond to email. It's a pain in the rear to those of us in modern times, but it's the way it is. Call their customer service number.

September 9, 2010, 05:21 PM	#3
IXLR8 Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2009 Posts: 107	I know that my previous post was kind of wordy. If you Google the Bushmaster ACR and slam fire, you can read about a guy who shot his big toe off with a 15 round burst, and the safety was on! If I would have heard about these things, I would not have purchased it.

September 9, 2010, 09:51 PM	#5
Idempotent Member Join Date: April 22, 2010 Posts: 32	What do you even do if you dump a full mag in unintended automatic slam-fire? The range I frequent is always very careful to say "no rapid fire" every time before the line goes hot. I cannot imagine how they might respond if someone dumped a 30-round mag in a few seconds. And geez, that would be scary, trying to maintain enough control of the weapon so that rounds don't go stray and kill anyone. And having to do that when you totally weren't expecting it, as well. Slam-fires are scary, and it looks like Bushmaster has a problem.

September 9, 2010, 10:40 PM	#7
stubbicatt Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2007 Posts: 1,707	Perhaps it is an ammo issue. Perhaps the culprit is the Hornady primer. Were any of them standing proud of the case head?

September 9, 2010, 11:02 PM	#8
LaserSpot Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 311	You could have a broken part. Maybe the firing pin broke in half or the firing pin return spring is broken. It could also be excessive wear on the sear. Does it have a light trigger pull?

September 10, 2010, 02:24 PM	#12
IXLR8 Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2009 Posts: 107	I don't know what the cyclic rate is, but it is damn fast. The first time it happened I thought that I shot at the same time as the guy next to me. the recoil is amazingly light on the ACR, and the rounds that I did shoot were 1 MOA all day. I have shot the same Hornaday ammo in my other Bushmaster for years. This is part of a batch that I have shot out of other rifles. I have 6 magazine fed rifles, and I have not experienced a slam fire in any of them in more than 5000 rounds. I was waiting to hear from Bushmaster before I disassembled the BCG, to see if there was anything special they wanted to look at first. I have not heard any response.

September 10, 2010, 02:49 PM	#13
thesheepdog Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2010 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 1,996	Don't wait for an email response-speaking from experience. Call them ASAP

September 10, 2010, 06:37 PM	#15
fishluv Member Join Date: March 31, 2010 Posts: 74	how old is that ammo ? not that it should matter

September 10, 2010, 07:25 PM	#17
IXLR8 Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2009 Posts: 107	I attempted to contact Bushmaster for a week before I posted anything, and did not receive any reply. This is a legitimate warning to other ACR owners, to be aware of a possibly dangerous operation of their firearm. I plan to fully update this post and provide the solution when available. Please bear with me.

September 10, 2010, 07:46 PM	#21
Zak Smith Senior Member Join Date: December 12, 1999 Location: Fort Collins, Colorado, USA Posts: 2,682	I'm not concerned about Bushmaster. __________________ Zak Smith . DEMIGOD LLC . THUNDER BEAST ARMS CORP . COLORADO MULTI-GUN *My PM inbox full? Send e-mail instead.*

September 10, 2010, 08:27 PM	#23
fishluv Member Join Date: March 31, 2010 Posts: 74	so you suggest hiding the defective firearm from the ATF. LOL I'll never tell even if you shove bamboo under my fingernails! I suggest retaining a lawyer and cooperating fully if contacted by the ATF

September 10, 2010, 08:30 PM	#24
srkavanagh6621 Senior Member Join Date: May 1, 2010 Location: South Dakota Posts: 190	I personally think you will be ok! its a defective firearm that you are trying to get fixed the heat isnt on you! you asked for opinions to try and resolve your problem I dont see what the problem is! But getting a hold of bushmaster to resolve your problem might be your only option. Good luck!

September 10, 2010, 08:36 PM	#25
IXLR8 Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2009 Posts: 107	I think it would be reckless to operate my ACR in a public forum like a range until the problem, if one exists has been identified. I love Bushmaster rifles. I bought the best one I could find. This is in no way a bash on the ACR, or the company that made it. But if said nothing and someone else was injured, in a similar incident, then I would worry about the legal ramifications. There is no way that it made it into production with a fault like this. There must be a simple, logical explanation. I look forward to a solution, because I would love to return to the range and squeeze off a few more tight groups. With the 5.56 ammo it was shooting a nice 1 MOA group. I like 1 MOA groups! Stay tuned. The explanation will be posted, and everyone can feel more secure about the proper operation of an excellent rifle. ACR Enhanced IXLR8.jpg My rifle. Last edited by IXLR8; September 10, 2010 at 08:42 PM.