[SOLVED] AR-15: Live round jammed in chamber

ColdBore116

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This happened yesterday; we were shooting some targets and I brought the AR out. It had been sitting in the shade for about ten minutes so the barrel was about 80 degrees. I've been shooting steel cased for over a year with no issues, although I had heard about problems. Anyway, I chambered the first round, pulled the trigger, and there was just a click. Assuming it was a misfire, I tried ejecting the round. The bolt moved a centimeter, no more. I dropped the magazine and took it over to the sidewalk. I tried the butt-on-the-ground trick to eject the round. The bolt moved a half a centimeter and that's where it has stayed. I popped the buffer tube off and looked in there after an hour, I noticed the firing pin looked off. Has anyone ever had this happen with a cold rifle and an unfired cartridge? Should I just take it to a gunsmith?
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tagged, but not able to help much. If it was mine I would tear down the upper before I'd take it to a smith.
I want to see what you find when you get it apart.
 
tagged, but not able to help much. If it was mine I would tear down the upper before I'd take it to a smith.
I want to see what you find when you get it apart.
I tried to take off the upper but the bolt carrier is just far back enough to block it.
 
Did the firing pin retainer break?? In your pics, it looks like the bolt has rotated out of battery so the case is probably stuck...

Confirm the firing pin retainer and if it is GTG, WD40, PB Blaster, or KROIL it, let it set in the hot sun for about 2 hours and then mortar the pi** out of it..
 
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after you get it out you probably should get a .410 bore mop and some good cleaner and spin clean that chamber. I use a 1 piece rod and rechargeable drill on low speed.

Great Advice!! Once you get the problem fixed, go ahead and service the whole gun. When you go back on the range, you have a "clean slate" right from the get-go.
 
One of mine started doing that crap after shooting about 100rds of tulammo. I had been alternating brass and steel but just shot 3 or 4 mags of straight steel and voila, jamomatic. Cleaned the chamber with a mop and hoppes and looked like I had serviced a diesel engine with that mop. Hasn't jammed since (but I am conscience of cleaning it a bit better now)

BTW you can spray down the bolt and chamber and LIGHTLY tap your BCG back into battery so you can remove the upper to do further fixinating. Get a cut-up broom handle or a 3/4" dowel rod and it works wonders for this application.

Honestly the worse thing that can happen is you break your extractor which is no big deal. You need a Nitride or NIB BCG anyhow :)
 
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i had this happen to a ar 10, I did not motor it. I put in a led sled, got a mallet and a hunk of wood and hit the CH and it extracted to the round
 
Have you tried taking out front takedown pins and sliding it up and forwards to get it off?

Probably have but just throwing it out there.
 
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Have you tried taking out front takedown pins and sliding it up and forwards to get it off?

Probably have but just throwing it out there.
I was going to say that too.

Also, if you do mortar it, be sure and collapse your stock all the way down first.

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i had this happen to a ar 10, I did not motor it. I put in a led sled, got a mallet and a hunk of wood and hit the CH and it extracted to the round

Well that’s just a lumberjack mortaring.
 
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UPDATE: Took out the takedown pins and tried to remove the upper by sliding it. It came up a bit to reveal the firing pin loose in the carrier. I removed it and dropped the upper back down since it wouldn't come completely off. The bolt ejected the round effortlessly, but the firing pin is flat-tipped and slightly bent. So, now I just need to buy a firing pin.

I don't know how this would've happened. Other than some freak malfunction with the holding pin, I can only think that this was human error. I could see myself mistakenly putting in the holding pin without the firing pin completely pushed forward.

Thanks to everyone for your help and suggestions.

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I have one of these if you want to borrow it. Quick and easy!

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Uhhh, there is more to what’s going on. What is this?
 
Looks like you did not assemble the bolt correctly. I assume the firing pin retainer pin is broke off in two pieces
 
The BCG with the bolt extended. I have the bolt out of the gun right now since I need a new firing pen. Let me know if you need more specific pictures.
Nope, if you got it out then all good. Don’t have a gun in front of me and the recess milled in the bolt just looks very long. Been thinking about it a little and can’t imagine that it matters...or I could be remembering it wrong.
 
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