AR malfunctions

[Shemp]

It seems the majority of people here are AR people. This isn't to spark any gun war, I just want honest answers.

How many malfunctions have you had with your ARs? Who made it and what was the malfunction? What is your average round count between malfunctions?

 

[NWS]

My ARs are my most reliable guns. Short of mag malfunctiona from worn out usgi mags I don't really recall having problems with an AR.

 

[freedom]

I've never had an issue. I'm not very good about cleaning them either. I don't run them especially hard but I've had a number of 5-800 round weekends without a failure.

 

[Leshaire]

Core 15 AR with 1200 or so rounds fired:
Plenty of FTEs
3 times it FTF and the chambered bullet was LODGED in so tight the charging handle was impossible to move. Had to disassemble the gun and pry it out smh... (A friends core 15 also did this same thing)
1 mag spring failure
Two mag follower failures

Colt LE AR w/ 400 rounds or so fired:
Nada

PSA AR9 with something like 1100 rnds fired (400 or so suppressed):
3 cases split ion half during break in, nothing since then

Arsenal SLR AK with 800 maybe ish round fired then another 1500 while in DougieMacs possesion:
nada

Century Arms C39 V1 w/ 700-800 rounds fired:
nada

Century Arms C39 V2 w/ 700-800 rounds fired:
nada

Zastava M92 w/ 0 rounds fired: no malfunctions!! lol...

I know im forgetting a gun or two but here it is.....

 

[Willy Leadwell]

Every malfunction I've ever had was operator induced.

 

[Leshaire]

needless to say im becoming partial to the ak platform

 

[Jake]

Rock River AR, over 3,000 rounds (90% of that was steel case) and not one malfunction. Hardly ever cleaned it either.

 

[Laufen]

Bushmaster XM15 E2S Purchased sometime around 2001. Zero malfunctions of any variety. (approx 1000 rounds fired)
DPMS A3 Purchased 2003ish. Zero malfunctions of any variety. (approx 500 rounds fired)
Rock River Standard A3 Zero malfunctions of any kind (approx 5000 rounds fired)
Del-Ton Custom 16" lightweight A3 Zero malfunctions of any variety (approx 1000 rounds fired)
Spike$ Tactical A3 lightweight 16" Purchased 2008ish Zero malfunctions of any variety. (approx 2000 rounds fired)

 

[Thenut]

ive seen a few mess up, not often and never when i was firing one

never had an ak jam though

 

[coach482]

Bad mag has been my only issue 3000 + rounds.

 

[Shemp]

Bad mag has been my only issue 3000 + rounds.

Mags are part of the system right?

 

[Wallace]

• PSA Premium Carbine: 3,500+ rounds, no malfunctions
• PSA budget bench rest 20" home build: ≈500 rounds, no malfunctions
• PSA/Bushmaster 20" CMP rifle home build: 300 rounds, no malfunctions
• Spikes/PSA 10.5" home build: ≈250 rounds, no malfunctions
• (probably 10-12 other rifles I have built for myself and traded off), misc round counts, no malfunctions
• Unknown qty of rifles I have helped others build or built for them, no malfunctions that I know of
• KAC SR-15 Mod 2: ≈300 rounds now. Broken bolt catch, and it just will not cycle anything but XM193 or better worth a damn. Continues to have issues feeding commercial pressure ammo, and will not feed steel case for shit. Seriously disappointed in the rifle at this point. It has a CAR weighted buffer, so I may send the upper back to KAC to see if they can check it out as the gas block uses a proprietary tool for removal as well as the hand guard. I would just buy the tools to tear it down and inspect further myself, but I will let KAC do that for as much money as the damn thing costs.

 

[1776]

I've got somewhere close to 20k through my AR. In that time, I've changed everything but the receivers, not because if failures, but because I'm ADD.
I've had a handful of minor BS failures, one seriously stuck cases and a failed gas tube. The gas tube was the weirdest. The roll pin that holds it had sheared and there was a seared hole opposite the port where gas enters..

Also: I use any and all mags and almost any ammo.

 

[Waterguy]

S&w m&p approx:1k no malfunctions.
Two PSA probably somewhere between 1 and 1 million no malfunctions. I use pmags, troy mags and the old metal mags. Oh and another PSA 308 appox, 500 rounds no malfunctions. 20 round pmags.

 

[Willy Leadwell]

90% of that was steel case

I see people qualifying their failure rate by stating whether they do or don't use steel ammo. I don't differentiate. If I have a gun that won't function 100% reliably with any(properly manufactured) ammo, then it's broken and I fix it or get rid of it. If an AR doesn't perform as reliably with steel cases as it does with brass, then the AK is a better battle rifle, in my opinion. I love my AK, but I'm balls deep in the AR platform and love the versatility and have had zero reliability issues that weren't a direct result of my own ignorance.

 

[Shemp]

I see people qualifying their failure rate by stating whether they do or don't use steel ammo. I don't differentiate. If I have a gun that won't function 100% reliably with any(properly manufactured) ammo, then it's broken and I fix it or get rid of it. If an AR doesn't perform as reliably with steel cases as it does with brass, then the AK is a better battle rifle, in my opinion. I love my AK, but I'm balls deep in the AR platform and love the versatility and have had zero reliability issues that weren't a direct result of my own ignorance.

Good point.


I'm really just trying to get a feel for the average users failure rate.

I'd start a thread on AK failures but I don't think there's a big enough sample group here to matter.....AK operators just aren't as common.

 

[Willy Leadwell]

Good point.


I'm really just trying to get a feel for the average users failure rate.

I'd start a thread on AK failures but I don't think there's a big enough sample group here to matter.....AK operators just aren't as common.

You can't operate with an AK. If you attempt to operate with an AK, you are officially a terrorist.

 

[Shemp]

You can't operate with an AK. If you attempt to operate with an AK, you are officially a terrorist.

 

[Jake]

I see people qualifying their failure rate by stating whether they do or don't use steel ammo. I don't differentiate. If I have a gun that won't function 100% reliably with any(properly manufactured) ammo, then it's broken and I fix it or get rid of it. If an AR doesn't perform as reliably with steel cases as it does with brass, then the AK is a better battle rifle, in my opinion. I love my AK, but I'm balls deep in the AR platform and love the versatility and have had zero reliability issues that weren't a direct result of my own ignorance.

I agree...but to say that steel case isn't dirtier/harder on ANY weapon system than brass would be a lie. I too won't own any weapon that doesn't cycle any kind of ammo. For example, I had a high end 1911 that I spent a pretty penny on having a 'smith customize it(I did that before I ever even shot it). It wouldn't reliably cycle 200gr ammo. I never really shot 200gr, mostly only 230gr, but I had picked some 200gr up when I found a deal on it. I got rid of the gun and took a hit on it, even though I loved that gun. I just never really trusted it after that. It cycled perfectly with 185gr and 230gr, but because it wouldn't reliably cycle 200gr I dumped it.

 

[Shemp]

I agree...but to say that steel case isn't dirtier/harder on ANY weapon system than brass would be a lie. I too won't own any weapon that doesn't cycle any kind of ammo. For example, I had a high end 1911 that I spent a pretty penny on having a 'smith customize it(I did that before I ever even shot it). It wouldn't reliably cycle 200gr ammo. I never really shot 200gr, mostly only 230gr, but I had picked some 200gr up when I found a deal on it. I got rid of the gun and took a hit on it, even though I loved that gun. I just never really trusted it after that. It cycled perfectly with 185gr and 230gr, but because it wouldn't reliably cycle 200gr I dumped it.

Honest question: are there any NATO countries that use/supply steel case 5.56?
I know there was a mix of steel and brass case 7.62x51 NATO ammo in use by NATO.