Yes, I know that. I attempted to pull the BCG out to check it, and it was a problem and suddenly it dropped out. Well, the way it happened, I didn’t get to see how it came apart. So I had to do a lot of eyeballing and comparing. So it took a bit for me to get the bolt carrier to match to that handle and slide in. And they aren’t kidding that you have to have the “forward bolt” correctly positioned.
So I have been wondering about this and if this could be the cause. Not having enough experience, I wasn’t going to start blindly “accusing”.
I’m trying to think of all the errors I have seen new AR owners make, and suggest those corrections, in order to eliminate any user error since you are relatively new to the platform.
For gun-smiths & machine shops looking for new customers - there are a lot of people who have done 80% lowers, who would benefit from a professional measurement of their finished lower.
Measure the hole locations etc.
I would also like to see a local gun shop offer Saturday classes in lower assembly. Charge $20 each, people bring their bare lowers and assemble the trigger mechanism with some experienced help.
Just for S & G’s, have you tried running the bolt lugs and chamber lug recess dry and the rest of the bolt carrier wet? If the bolt lug tolerance is extremely tight, lube might compound the problem, hence running that part dry. Gunblue has a very lengthy video on youtube describing the cleaning of the AR bcg and keeping the bolt lug dry.
Thought you all might like to read what the guy who worked on it at PSA had to say:
"The following repairs were completed on your Palmetto State Armory product:
“My initial concern was that the bolt was not extracting and ejecting the spent cartridge but when I test fired with a new bolt, the malfunctions still occurred. I then moved forward and replaced the gas block and gas tube. Once replaced the pistol fired with no malfunction both .223 and 5.56.”
So, running a rod through it (which I did as a diagnostic), lubing it (which I did as a diagnostic) was not addressing the problem. It was a mechanical fault with the barrel assembly. Any time I’ve had to use that kind of force to get something to move that should have easily moved, I know we have a serious problem.
Was going to ask for pictures to see where it’s hanging up.
On a build I did, the gas tube was either a few thousandths too large on the OD, or the gas key on the BCG was a few thousandths small on the ID.
The BCG would slam in and bind up, and would require a LOT of force to get it to come out. I had to remove the tube and sand on its OD a little, and reamed the gas key a little until they fit together smoothly.