My new Bushy is a bolt-action AR - HELP!!!

[imanaknut]

Today I took my brand new bushy XME15-E2S 20 incher out for the first time. My normal check of any semi-auto is to load one round to make sure it shoots, then two in the clip to make sure it is not full-auto.

The first round fired nicely. I was impressed by the soft touch, as compared to the brutish SAR-1 I enjoy. Then the two round check. First round o.k., pull trigger - click. Dropped mag to find the round still inside. This is the mag that came with the rifle. Loaded another for two in the mag. Same thing, only this time I manually cycled the bolt, fired o.k.

Loaded the mag with 5 and had fire, click, pull handle, fire, click etc. for the full 5. I tried a different mag (O-kay) and had the same problem.

Took the upper apart, it appears that the gas tube is causing the bolt carrier to hang up. A canted gas tube in an AR? I am not sure how to fix this.

Thanks!!!

AK-nut

___________________

Live long and shoot!!!

[Circuits]

A canted gas tube is either caused by a canted front sight base, or an improperly indexed barrel nut. Mostly likely it's the barrel nut not properly indexed, but it would also be a bent gas tube.

Take off the handguards and look at the gas tube's alignment relative to the barrel. Visually inspect where it passes through one of the barrel nut notches and through the handguard retaining assembly.

If it's an improperly indexed barrel nut, send it back and let bushmaster fix it - you can't do it by yourself unless you've got a barrel wrench or armorer's combo wrench, and you might as well get some use from your bushmaster factory warranty.

[imanaknut]

Thanks for the tips. I checked the tube, nut and front sight post. Everything was as it should be. I then checked the "key" on the top of the bolt carrier and found that it was not on straight. After careful adjustment and tightening of the key screws, it hand cycled much smoother.

A trip to the range this AM proved that was only part of the problem. The AR fired fabulously now 1st with the Bushy mag and then with a 30 round USGI preban. I then tried an aftermarket steel mag and had all kinds of feed problems. I retried another USGI mag and had no problem. Guess I'll stick with Gov issue and dump the aftermarket steel stuff. Live and learn.

Thank you again.

AK-nut

_______________________

Live long and shoot!!!

[PBR]

Send the carrier back to Bushmaster and have them Stake the Key screws.

[imanaknut]

Thanks, I was able to do that myself. It's nice to have access to a machine shop.

The unfortunate part is that I will be out of town on business for the next week and a half and will not be able to get to the range to shoot for two weeks. ARGHHHHH!!!!!

AK-nut (now with an AR)

____________________________

Live long and shoot!!!

[WyrTwister]

Originally posted by imanaknut
Thanks for the tips. I checked the tube, nut and front sight post. Everything was as it should be. I then checked the "key" on the top of the bolt carrier and found that it was not on straight. After careful adjustment and tightening of the key screws, it hand cycled much smoother.

A trip to the range this AM proved that was only part of the problem. The AR fired fabulously now 1st with the Bushy mag and then with a 30 round USGI preban. I then tried an aftermarket steel mag and had all kinds of feed problems. I retried another USGI mag and had no problem. Guess I'll stick with Gov issue and dump the aftermarket steel stuff. Live and learn.

Thank you again.

AK-nut

_______________________

Live long and shoot!!!




Good to hear you got the gas key fixed . :-)

I have not heard a lot of good reports about after market AR mags . The USGI mags work . They are not really any more expensive than the others , especially if you keep your eyes open .

Wyr
God Bless

[imanaknut]

USGI mags are the only way to go. Went out about three weeks ago just to blast a hillside on a friends farm. Ran 300 rounds flawlessly through the AR. Dug an nice hole with the AR and blasted a crater with one of my AKs. Fun fun fun!!! :jump:

[gun papa]

Wait a minute---Bushmaster doesnt stake its carrier key? Is this true? Papa

[Circuits]

99% of the time they do - this one musta slipped by :(