DPMS AR-10 Don't Like Reloads or Me

[badbob85037]

I have reloaded for 25 years and up till now have never had a problem with the rounds going bang. But this .308 is being a real B. I gave it another try today. These rounds today I made sure were right at every dimension. At the top was a Russian round followed by the reloads. The Russian round went bang, ejected, and the reloaded round fed into the chamber. I pull the trigger and click. The firing pin fell and nothing. I ejected the round and could see no mark on the primmer but know the firing pin fell. I'm no gunsmith and as all weapons it says no reloads but come on! The price of ammunition today is a long way from 1440 rounds of 7.62 x 39 for $75 . What is causing this weapon not to fire? A good gunsmith cause it sure ain't my reloads. Anybody had this problem or have any idea of where the problem is coming from? The primmer was setting flush to the bottom of the cartridge.

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[ersthree]

Are you positive it is going fully into battery/bolt is closed completely? Do you have a forward assist so you could make sure? Have you tried the first round being one of your reloads?

 

[billdeserthill]

Damn, that sucks--
also remind me not to buy a used AR-10 from BadBob

 

[11Charlie]

Are you positive it is going fully into battery/bolt is closed completely? Do you have a forward assist so you could make sure? Have you tried the first round being one of your reloads?

Second this! Make sure your rounds are going into battery.

 

[badbob85037]

I'm pretty sure the bolt was fully closed but not 100%. I will double check the next time I'm out. Maybe this weekend. It hit 100 degrees today but it's suppose to cool down by the weekend. Don't believe in Global Warming but I do believe in Climate Change only I call it Summer, Winter, Spring, and Fall. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Belevolk]

I bought an AR10a used and had the same issue. Pulled my hair took it back to the gunsmith that sold it to me and they found nothing wrong. Finally I called the mother ship Armalite and explained my problem. They sent me a RMA and back it went. I know they replaced, the barrel, the bolt and one of the other springs. Works on everything that I throw at it. I reload and have problems with necking the .308. They tend to stick even when lubed in my Dillon 550 and I am using carbide dies. Are you doing a two step reload or 3? I use the 3 step it seems to work better for me.

I suggest that you check your dies with a micrometer. I know the feeling when I had the problems everyone but one person told me it was my reloads. He is the gunsmith at the store and he said I know you to well. You have checked and double checked every measurement. I agreed.
If the shell is not in contact with the striker, then it may be to far in the chamber/breach. Do you have a way to check your chamber?

 

[11Charlie]

What brass are you using? When you reloaded did you make sure that you swaged the primer pocket? Could it be that your primers aren't seated all the way?

 

[billt]

Are you checking your reloads in a gauge? This is VERY important when you're reloading for a semi auto. Case gauges are worth their weight in gold, and are not that expensive. I'm willing to bet if you do you'll find they're not fully seating in the chamber. You can get them in most any caliber. Dillon has them as well. If it goes in the gauge, it will go in the gun.

Hornady Cartridge Ga 223 Remington

Hornady Lock-N-Load Cartridge Gauges allow the user to check their cases and ammo to ensure a correct fit in SAAMI chambers. Cut to SAAMI maximum...

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[11Charlie]

Gentlemen lets keep it nice and help the OP out. We are not here to be mean or rude. We are here for the love of guns and all the glory that they bring. None of us are perfect and we learn together!

Cheers

 

[Ura-Ki]

I think you got issues with the feed, maybe a out of spec buffer and spring not fully driving the bolt fully into battery! Don't think it's a primer seating issue unless your some how seating them too deep! May have a look at the Firing pin and see if it's worn too short from using those HARD mil primers!

 

[11Charlie]

I think you got issues with the feed, maybe a out of spec buffer and spring not fully driving the bolt fully into battery! Don't think it's a primer seating issue unless your some how seating them too deep! May have a look at the Firing pin and see if it's worn too short from using those HARD mil primers!

I had it happen to me where the primer didn't get seated deep enough first try nothing. Second try goes bang. Guessing the first shot seated it all the way. Learned the lesson the hard way.

 

[badbob85037]

I bought an AR10a used and had the same issue. Pulled my hair took it back to the gunsmith that sold it to me and they found nothing wrong. Finally I called the mother ship Armalite and explained my problem. They sent me a RMA and back it went. I know they replaced, the barrel, the bolt and one of the other springs. Works on everything that I throw at it. I reload and have problems with necking the .308. They tend to stick even when lubed in my Dillon 550 and I am using carbide dies. Are you doing a two step reload or 3? I use the 3 step it seems to work better for me.

I suggest that you check your dies with a micrometer. I know the feeling when I had the problems everyone but one person told me it was my reloads. He is the gunsmith at the store and he said I know you to well. You have checked and double checked every measurement. I agreed.
If the shell is not in contact with the striker, then it may be to far in the chamber/breach. Do you have a way to check your chamber?

This makes the most sense so far. The 2 die set were bought used, something I have never done before and won't do again. I'll get out my micrometers and check what I can again. To check the chamber I will need to buy some kind of tool to get those measurement or take it to a gunsmith. i have had a lot of trouble neck sizing even with Dillon lube. Thanks, a lot of information.

 

[badbob85037]

Damn, that sucks--
also remind me not to buy a used AR-10 from BadBob

I will repair it if it's the rifle. I haven't had to sell a gun yet. If I ever do it won't shoot and I'll be selling it at some gun buy back with the rest of the gunsmiths and criminals.

 

[old4570guy]

I feed my Ruger SR 5.56 everything that I can throw together. Never a Hiccup!
Factory, reloads, loaners etc. some of these guns aren't high on quality.

 

[billt]

If the Russian round loaded, fired, ejected, and loaded your reloaded round behind it, there is nothing wrong with the gun. It has to be the ammo. To be absolutely sure, buy a box of .308 Ball ammo. Run all 20 rounds through the gun. That will prove the weapon is operating correctly. If that's the case it has to be the reloaded ammo. As I said, start by gauging them.

You might want to think about getting a small base resizing die. They full length resize the brass slightly smaller for semi auto guns. Places like Midway USA sell them.

RCBS Small Base Sizer Die 224 Valkyrie

RCBS Small Base Sizing Dies are useful for reloaders loading for semi-automatic, pump action and lever action rifles to help ensure that proper...

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[billdeserthill]

I will repair it if it's the rifle. I haven't had to sell a gun yet. If I ever do it won't shoot and I'll be selling it at some gun buy back with the rest of the gunsmiths and criminals.

I was only joking,
I have yet to sell an unworking gun myself, but I have unknowingly purchased bunches of them.
In fact any gunsmith ability I have I got from fixing the broken guns I bought--most of them from the gun shows too, I def got the majority of my broken sh1t from gun show purchases

 

[Belevolk]

I have upper necking problems as well. The first two die set I bought, not knowing any better. Drove me nuts. The carbide 3 die set is better but not like a straight case reload. I bought a lub pad and have tried several lubes, it is insanely hard without the lube but I have found no real difference with any of the lubes.
Idea for you, you know the spec on the chamber take a resized unloaded case and insert it. Close the bolt. Open and slowly and see where the shell is in relation to what the mfg says. The simple way is to get a .308 headspace gauge. ~$30 on Amazon.

I just had a wild bubblegum thought. Is your rifle set up for both .308 and 7.62? Are your brass a mixture? There are rifles out there that are good for only one of the rounds. My AR10a is dual and my Browning lever BLR .308 is not. I stick with .308 brass to keep it all the same for both rifles.


I sure hope you figure it out, it is tough to have stuff wrong with your history of reloading.

 

[11Charlie]

Is your rifle set up for both .308 and 7.62?

That is a great thought!! I usually have those either driving or sitting on the thrown!

 

[billt]

Another thing is make sure you are applying enough lube to the INSIDE of the case neck. If you don't, when you pull the expander plug through it on the down stroke of the press, it can pull the shoulder of the case forward. This can cause the bolt to improperly lock up, or not lock up at all. Again, a cartridge gauge will show this.

 

[nvshooter]

I found that I had to turn my .223 resizing die down an extra one-sixth of a turn after the mouth of the die had come into contact with the shell holder on my Rockchucker press. That little bit of extra turn makes dam-ned sure the shoulder is in exactly the right place. Have never had the BCG not go fully forward and not fully lock into place after I added that extra one-sixth of a turn.