Slight doh! moment, creeping senility (AR15 trivia)

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  • traveller

    The one with two L
    Nov 26, 2010
    18,266
    variable
    I am a noob to the AR world. Last night I decided to strip and clean all my regular shooters including handguns and ARs. First I disassemble the bolt on my 9mm AR and line up everything in front of me. Bolt, firing pin, firing pin spring, retaining pin etc. After I have everything cleaned and back together, I take apart the bolt-carrier on my 5.56 AR. Bolt, piston, firing pin, and dang, I must have dropped the firing pin spring...... :mad: So I start crawling around on the floor, looking for this little spring. After a while, I give up and decide 'what the heck, I'll just order one'. Started to look, of course there is no such part. The regular AR with the locking bolt uses a floating pin. The 9mm bolt is the exception, not the rule. If you look on places like AR15.com, and M4carbine.net there are some epic tales of internet knuckleheadedness revolving around that question.
     

    Mdeng

    Ultimate Member
    Industry Partner
    Nov 13, 2009
    8,568
    Virginia
    I can't tell you how many mall ninjas I have told they can make their standard AR select fire by simply adding a firing pin spring.
     

    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,564
    Harford County, Maryland
    We've all had those moments. There was a time I was called away after cleaning a pistol just ready to insert the empty mag and stow it in the safe. I returned and didn't see the mag. I was looking for the magazine about two minutes when I realized it was in the opposite hand I normally use to insert into the pistol. Duh...
     

    johnnyb2

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 3, 2012
    1,317
    Carroll County
    Been there, done that.

    We've all had those moments. There was a time I was called away after cleaning a pistol just ready to insert the empty mag and stow it in the safe. I returned and didn't see the mag. I was looking for the magazine about two minutes when I realized it was in the opposite hand I normally use to insert into the pistol. Duh...

    :lol2: Yeah, been there done that!! :D
     

    protegeV

    Ready to go
    Apr 3, 2011
    46,880
    TX
    We've all had those moments. There was a time I was called away after cleaning a pistol just ready to insert the empty mag and stow it in the safe. I returned and didn't see the mag. I was looking for the magazine about two minutes when I realized it was in the opposite hand I normally use to insert into the pistol. Duh...

    I've searched for my.phone while it was in my hand:facepalm:
     

    Kman

    Blah, blah, blah
    Dec 23, 2010
    11,988
    Eastern shore
    Oh where to start. :o

    Several times have taken an AR or mini to the range in a double case with a bolt gun and then realize I didn't pack any magazines.
    Rode ATV to neighbors, talked a while and then walked home.
    Have spent an hour looking for my cheaters and they were propped up on my head.
    Can't count the number of times I was working on the road, went by wife's place of work, she gets in my car and we go out to eat. Drive back home and we don't realize we left her car at work.

    I really need a handler. :sad20:
     

    davsco

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 21, 2010
    8,607
    Loudoun, VA
    well what's worse would be if you did shoot a spring across the room and lost it. happened to some guy at a match on Saturday, he disassembled it outside and lost some part that shot out. bummer.
     

    traveller

    The one with two L
    Nov 26, 2010
    18,266
    variable
    well what's worse would be if you did shoot a spring across the room and lost it. happened to some guy at a match on Saturday, he disassembled it outside and lost some part that shot out. bummer.

    The key point was: There IS no spring.


    Cleaning that 5.56 BCG gave me a new appreciation for the genius of Eugene Stoner. Could have probably built a small fire with the carbon I scraped out of that piston :lol2:
     

    Mdeng

    Ultimate Member
    Industry Partner
    Nov 13, 2009
    8,568
    Virginia
    The key point was: There IS no spring.


    Cleaning that 5.56 BCG gave me a new appreciation for the genius of Eugene Stoner. Could have probably built a small fire with the carbon I scraped out of that piston :lol2:

    Stoner's design doesn't use a piston:sign07: You were probably scraping the bolt, which many say is unnecessary and likely to cause premature wear.
     

    traveller

    The one with two L
    Nov 26, 2010
    18,266
    variable
    Stoner's design doesn't use a piston:sign07: You were probably scraping the bolt, which many say is unnecessary and likely to cause premature wear.

    There is most definitely a gas operated piston that forms the back end of the bolt and rides inside of the bolt carrier (that forms the cylinder). The genious was to allow the piston to remain stationary while the cylinder starts moving.

    Of course I didn't scratch the piston rings but the shaft that had the built up carbon. If it relieves you, I used a piece of plastic to do the scraping so no metal parts were harmed in this cleaning.
     

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