New upper and bcg

PSA Products AR-15
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Hey guys,
First post, Sam here and I bought a psa 16in mid length moe upper(No bolt carrier group or charging handle) and a psa nitride bcg and 10 pmag package, I chambered a round and noticed it was tough to seat into battery. Do I need to have the headspace checked or is it just a stiff ejector and extractor?

Thanks
Sam

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Welcome Sam.
I will assume that you are familiar with the AR.
From what you have described……it’s very difficult to offer a solution.

If you are pulling the charging handle back to its rearward most point….and “Releasing” it……the bolt should be chambering the ammunition easily.

  1. Ensure your ammunition is correct for this rifle….( it wouldn’t be the first time the wrong ammo was introduced.
  2. Ensure that there are no obstructions in the chamber area.
  3. Ensure that the BCG is assembled correctly and that the bolt “cams” correctly within the carrier.
  4. Remove the lower receiver from the upper……and just use your fingers to move the BCG back and forth…(NO ammunition) …Does the bolt lock into the lugs…smoothly ? Are you feeling the same resistance that you feel when chambering a round of ammo?
  5. If your feeling resistance….examine all of the BCG components….looking for evidence of where it is binding. Closely examine that “gas tube”. The gas tube is one of the most vulnerable parts working with the BCG…it is easily bent. Even a slight bend is enough to cause difficulty chambering & extracting….because the gas tube will be rubbing inside the gas key.
    It’s unlikely that the head spacing is wrong….(possible, but unlikely).
    A very good starting point for you to evaluate what is happening (or not happening) is to use your phone or tablet and make a video recording of the failure to chamber. Focus on the ejection port area……and if you have “SLO-MO” mode on your camera…use it. That video will be able to reveal a lot of information. ……
    Let us know what you learn.
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The bolt will close fully on its own if I pull it back and release as you would in normal operation, but if you slow that down any I have to use the forward assist to go into full battery, and then when you eject the round you can see marks where the extractor hit the rim of the round. I have not fired the rifle as of yet. I Think after a good cleaning and some use that will loosen up. Still wondering if I should have the headspace checked since the bcg and the upper were purchased separately?

Thanks for the quick reply
Sam

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How much lube are you using?

As for headspace, some folks insist it should be done on every barrel/bcg. Me personally? I have never done it.

Also, you should never ride the bcg to chamber a round. Pull it back and let it fly home.

Edit: the extractor mark is because when you ride it the bullet jumps in front of the extractor rather than the rim seating under it. So the extractor has to make contact, and be forced open. The contact and friction are what leave the mark. Keep doing that and it will eventually break.

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That’s your issue, pull the bolt back and release. Riding it forward will prevent the round from going into battery. Like guitar guy said the mark is from using the forward assist. If the round was hard to get out of the chamber then I would worry about headspace.

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Okay so I’m gonna guess I’m probably safe, if I just sling shot it, it chambers fine, and it extracts the rounds (unfired, as I haven’t shot the rifle yet) smooth and easy

Thanks
Sam

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If it does that you are good. Use excessive amounts of lube also, don’t run it dry.

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This happened to me too because I was a new guy when it came to the AR. And then I just let it fly, and it never damaged another round. Cuz it did the same to me. You need to let that BCG and CH do there job by letting it hit hard and shoot fast! Best of luck! Make sure you pull it apart and lube it too. Until then, don’t shoot it. And if you do just clean it and lube it up afterwards.

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yup sling shot it

also welcome to the forum

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Thank you guys for all the quick answers! I’ll be able to get to the range in a couple of weeks after work slacks up and I’ll pour the lube to it and let you know how the new rifle runs

Thanks
Sam

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You can always Google videos on these subjects. How to Use an AR-15 - Bing video

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Lube it and let it eat some rounds. ARs are proven to be tough …so dont baby it. My first AR was treated softly until my step dad grabbed and slung it around. Still shoots great after numerous bumps… a lot of BANGS!! and a couple of drops

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Concure … Let’r Rip Tater Chip.

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One of my finest instances of taking good advice was “don’t ride the charging handle”. Every cell in my body told me to ride it. I can only guess because compared to the tools I’ve used in work and at home, an AR feels kind of delicate. I reasoned that it has internal detonations, so that feeling must be crushed underfoot! THEN I had to help the wife override HER need to baby the CH.

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Grip it an’ Rip it.

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This is shameful. Fourteen posts and NO ONE knows that brand new AR piston rings are stiff? New stamped rings will take one or two mags to smooth out and the friction will drop. Yes, don’t ride the charging handle.
You should have cleaned and inspected all new parts and by cleaning I mean use a solvent like mineral spirits to remove the packing oil before using or switching gun oils. Switching lubricants can cause strange chemical reactions.