BAD lever...no bolt hold open?

[El_flasko]

I just tossed a BAD lever on an old light weight build. I ran a few hundred rounds of freedom munitions 55gr thru it and noticed several times the bolt would not stay open after the last round. This has never been an issue with this rifle or with these rounds in this rifle. I've read up online and seen it "could" be the issue (and I assume logically it is).

I want to know if anyone personally has seen his and if I should just ditch the BAD lever. I have a phase 5 one piece on another build and it functions flawlessly. Any thoughts from all the uber smart AR guys out there?

TIA

Ryan

 

[SWO Daddy]

Never used one, but I've read of others with the same issue.

 

[K.C.Dean]

I put one on a build and it wouldn't work. it was a tactical innovation lower.

 

[ibanez320dx]

I've herd of this before but haven't experienced it myself. Both of my AR's have them and they work fine.

 

[El_flasko]

I heard they didn't work with the EA billet lowers so I went with a phase 5 on the EA build and it's been great. I grabbed a bad lever for my light weight (with a aero forged lower) and figured it would work fine. It functions great other than the issue with the bolt hold open. I'm debating on ditching it and trying another phase 5 or just going without. Hmmm.....

 

[mesmithwesson]

http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=2&f=124&t=188830

Folks on AR15.com are saying its the bolt catch, mag spring, or an interference with the lower.

 

[Numidian]

Never had an issue before installing the bad lever with that lower? I would take the lever off and see if it still has that issue. Make sure to use the same ammo and mags, just to isolate the change.

It could be something as stupid as weak ammo not running the bolt back far enough to lock back, although you'd think it would have other issues probably in that case.

 

[mesmithwesson]

Here's another company that makes a BAD.

http://www.tacticallink.com/Battery_Assist_Lever.html

 

[rouchna]

I have them on 2 ARs and never had an issue. The only time I had the same issue is when I had it on my pistol that had a forged lower with a billet upper. Does the back plate of the BAD lever touch the lower? If so, try to remove it and reinstall.

 

[Batu]

phase 5 period.

 

[El_flasko]

I'm taking it back out this weekend with same ammo and mags to be sure I guess. I've never had it happen prior, but I'm going to run some different ammo as well so I can compare.

 

[El_flasko]

http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=2&f=124&t=188830

Folks on AR15.com are saying its the bolt catch, mag spring, or an interference with the lower.

I read that and figured I would ask fellow mds'ers as well. I guess Numi is correct in trying to recreate the situation to isolate the change then go from there. It seems way to coincidental to be anything else but we shall see I guess.

 

[Terphunter]

No experience with the BAD...but i did put a cool Seekins billet bolt catch on and while i thought i had it figured out it just would not hold back all the mags 100% the time.

Function > cool....back to the Stag original...works like a charm!!

 

[photoracer]

Never had an issue with the BAD lever on any of my ARs but did have an issue with one on one of my S&W 15-22s. Sometimes it would close the bolt before I could get a new mag in and sometimes it would close when I popped the mag in. The latter would be great but it did not happen every time. I think the weight of the BAD assembly was causing the latch to drop so likely a stiffer spring would solve it. I just might put one on my tactical carbine to see if that happens on mine.
Since the BAD lever is not what initially works the BHO in your case it could be that the BCG is not going back far enough on all your ammo to lock the bolt open when the mag goes empty. Have you found any instance when it is not locked open after the last round with no BAD lever mounted? If so it might require a change in buffer spring or weight.

 

[snavematt]

I have experience it, i chalked it up to my left hand position touching the BAD somehow on the last shot. if I changed my hand position, it did not happen

 

[sailskidrive]

I put one on a build and it wouldn't work. it was a tactical innovation lower.

This doesn't surprise me at all. I have one of these lowers and had to modify the mag catch to get it to function properly. The external dimensions on the TI billet lowers are a little funky.

As far as the BAD lever, I really don't like them. They catch on gear if your using a sling and I have a tendency to bump them at inopportune times.

 

[chale127]

Never an issue on my two AR's

 

[jrumann59]

SOme of the LPK have a "weak" spring on the bolt release and when you throw a BAD on the bolt release the distribution of the weight can be enough that the bad compresses the spring enough in that it doesn't catch the bolt.

 

[Numidian]

SOme of the LPK have a "weak" spring on the bolt release and when you throw a BAD on the bolt release the distribution of the weight can be enough that the bad compresses the spring enough in that it doesn't catch the bolt.

A weak spring would make the bad lever easier to engage. The magazine follower pushes up on the bolt catch, which compresses the spring (which the rest of the time is holding the bolt catch down away from the bolt)

 

[jrumann59]

A weak spring would make the bad lever easier to engage. The magazine follower pushes up on the bolt catch, which compresses the spring (which the rest of the time is holding the bolt catch down away from the bolt)

With the added mass on some bad levers not necessarily. if the spring is soft it just may compress and without lube their may be too much friction causing the spring to compress and bind.