Please keep in mind, I am not AR savvy at all. So if I call something by the incorrect name, please just work with me on this. I'm writing this thread for help. Thank you.
Few months back, I invested in an Alexander Arms 50 beowulf. Beast of a round, crazy damage. Finally took it out to a friends ranch so I could see what it could really do. After a couple rounds, the bolt seemed like it picked up the round but caught it half way up the casing and wedged it. So I'd pull the charge handle back so the bolt would grab the rear and the round would go in just fine. I was having to do this every couple of rounds or so. Thought maybe something was wrong with the metal mag Alexander arms sent with the AR so I tried my buddies plastic 223 clip. (If you'r not familiar with the 50 beowulf, the rounds, although being casing in a 50 AE, the primer is the same size as a 223. This allows them to be shot in a ar-15 platform. The rounds fit in any 223 mag for an ar.) That seemed to feed a little better, but even after a time the bolt would do the same or not pick up the next round at all. It would discharge the case but not pick up the next round causing me to pull the charge handle back to grab the next round. Some times it would cycle 6 out of 7 in the clip, some times 3 out of 7. It wasn't consistent. Thought maybe the gun just needed to be broken in a bit. Ran 100 rounds through it, issue continued.
So, did a little digging online, the only similar issue people were having with the 50 beowulf were mag related. We had already ruled that out by trying 3 different mags. Decided to pull the bolt carrier out and have a look. We worked the bolt head back and forth. My buddies said it seemed a bit stiff compared to theirs. They pulled theirs out and showed it slid back an forth much easier. Suggested maybe it just needed to be broke in, hence the 100 rounds that went through it. loosened up a little but still not as much as theirs and was still having the same issue. Cleaned it and lubed it real good, no improvement. We did not take the bolt carrier completely apart. just cleaned it as is and worked the head back and forth while dropping lube in. Thought about trying a different bolt from one of their AR-15s. Although the BCG are the same, the face on the bolt head has a bit less meat than the the one for a 223.
I plan on calling Alexander arms tomorrow to see what they think about it. Till then, I'd like to see what others think.
I asked my buddies if they thought maybe the weights in the buffer tube were possibly to heavy and causing the bolt to short stroke, (this is something that had happened to a friend and his 300 black out). The rifle came as is from alexander arms, I have change nothing. They didnt believe this was the problem. So, is it possibe the bolt head is to stiff, or could the buffer tube weights be off? Could there be an issue with the gas block or gas line?
Few months back, I invested in an Alexander Arms 50 beowulf. Beast of a round, crazy damage. Finally took it out to a friends ranch so I could see what it could really do. After a couple rounds, the bolt seemed like it picked up the round but caught it half way up the casing and wedged it. So I'd pull the charge handle back so the bolt would grab the rear and the round would go in just fine. I was having to do this every couple of rounds or so. Thought maybe something was wrong with the metal mag Alexander arms sent with the AR so I tried my buddies plastic 223 clip. (If you'r not familiar with the 50 beowulf, the rounds, although being casing in a 50 AE, the primer is the same size as a 223. This allows them to be shot in a ar-15 platform. The rounds fit in any 223 mag for an ar.) That seemed to feed a little better, but even after a time the bolt would do the same or not pick up the next round at all. It would discharge the case but not pick up the next round causing me to pull the charge handle back to grab the next round. Some times it would cycle 6 out of 7 in the clip, some times 3 out of 7. It wasn't consistent. Thought maybe the gun just needed to be broken in a bit. Ran 100 rounds through it, issue continued.
So, did a little digging online, the only similar issue people were having with the 50 beowulf were mag related. We had already ruled that out by trying 3 different mags. Decided to pull the bolt carrier out and have a look. We worked the bolt head back and forth. My buddies said it seemed a bit stiff compared to theirs. They pulled theirs out and showed it slid back an forth much easier. Suggested maybe it just needed to be broke in, hence the 100 rounds that went through it. loosened up a little but still not as much as theirs and was still having the same issue. Cleaned it and lubed it real good, no improvement. We did not take the bolt carrier completely apart. just cleaned it as is and worked the head back and forth while dropping lube in. Thought about trying a different bolt from one of their AR-15s. Although the BCG are the same, the face on the bolt head has a bit less meat than the the one for a 223.
I plan on calling Alexander arms tomorrow to see what they think about it. Till then, I'd like to see what others think.
I asked my buddies if they thought maybe the weights in the buffer tube were possibly to heavy and causing the bolt to short stroke, (this is something that had happened to a friend and his 300 black out). The rifle came as is from alexander arms, I have change nothing. They didnt believe this was the problem. So, is it possibe the bolt head is to stiff, or could the buffer tube weights be off? Could there be an issue with the gas block or gas line?
