AR problem

M

madmike

New member
Not visible when I bought it:

assorted junk parts in lower. Looks like the guy improvised most of the springs to save himself $3---need a good source for quality, not necessarily namebrand, parts.

A-2 upper...windage adjustment so damn tight I have to use a screwdriver. Advice?

Elevation not much better.

A LOT of play between upper and lower. New upper? New pivot and takedown pins?

It's built on an old PWA preban lower.

thanks
 
Rock River Arms

Take note of the top right corner of the page - you can an entire lower 'kit' for $60. You know the name and quality of Rock River, I shouldn't have to explain.

As for the play, you're probably going to need a machinist to make you a pin and fit it to the upper/lower assemblies. That may require re-drilling of your upper/lower. Bad part of AR's - the pin is stronger than what it's pinning. Keep in mind that a new, specially made pin will negate any future purchases of uppers that are assembled.

You might be able to have the machinist simply fix the holes by filling the holes with a weld and re-drilling them to spec. Refinishing would, of course, be necessary.


My ultimate advice - re-drill to Colt 'big-hole' specs and use a Colt pivot pin.

Good luck.
 
For the play in the receivers you might want to try the accu wedge. Its only $5 and is suppose to take care of that problem.
 
The pins seem to fit snugly enough. THe upper and lower just seem to have a slight gap, bigger than I'm used to on previous ones.

Any advice on the tight sights?
 
possible locktight or stripped threads in the sight?
there is a tiny allen wrench that holds the elevation wheel to the screw, maybe that is FUBAR

i would get quality springs from DPMS or Bushmaster or Fulton

the lower upper fit can be tricky to fix
jamming up the action with a rubber wedge will work but doesn't solve the actual issue

i would get ahold of a buddies upper and try a swap to see where the problem lies

what is the configuration of the present rifle?
what is your desired configuration & utility?
 
It's an A-2 CAR. I want an A-2 or A-3 combat rifle, standard silhouette with heavy barrel and a trigger job and good sights.

The A-2 rear sight elevation is jsut stiff...the windage needs a screwdriver to turn. Mechanism works fine, just very stiff.

The whole assembly cants to side when adjusted.
 
Have you tried to strip down the A2 sights and dowse them with oil? My preban SP1 A1 got a little stiff after some safetime, and a quick strip and oil did the trick. Makes for a god excuse to go shootin too - "Honey, I gotta go re-sight this AR in again....":D

As for the upper/lower fit - if it shoots, I'd leave well enough alone unless it's messing up your long-range shots. The machining required for a good fit should only be done by a brave man or an AR specialist.

The accu-wege is a good solution for a cheap fix and long-range shooting.

If you send it out, make sure it's the upper you truly want. You can, quite possibly, spend more money on the upper/lower retrofit than if you just bought a new one that fit the gun in the first place. A better fix might be to go to the next gunshow and try some uppers on your lower and find one that fits satisfactorily.
 
Don't need an excuse to shoot...lots of ammo and I can shoot on the range for free.:D

Just drive out the pins on the sites to disassemble?

I'll be trying a few uppers at the Jan show. We'll see if that helps. Thanks.
Any other input?
 
the canting of the rear sight is a design "feature"

i would CLP it overnight and run it through its adjustment range

the HBAR barrel is enhanced by a weight reduction trip to a lathe
 
Windage screw

Take the sight apart, noting the leaf spring under the sight. If the spring is installed incorrectly or has dirt underneath, it will make adjustment difficult. I'd recommend replacing this spring. You can find the -23 repair manual on the AR15.com site.

Parts source? Brownells has good stuff but its quite pricey. Great service so you get what you pay for. The AR15.com site has links to many parts sources.

The JP rear pin will tighten the receivers better than the wedge. The real fix is to off-center drill the holes in the UPPER by the receiver play (feeler gage) and install 0.251" ID bushings with the correct OD. Uppers are a dime a dozen. Pre-bans are not.
 
All minor stuff, but sheesh:
no peel washer on flash suppressor--used oversize lockwasher, leaving gap between muzzle crown and suppressor crown, and cranked too tight. Probably shot for $#!+.

elevation just needed oiled, but windage still needs scredriver to turn. Turns well enough, just stiff, but I'll bet he "improvised" a spring from his garage.
Haven't ever NEEDED to take one apart before...do I just push out pin on drum?

_plastic_ delta ring.

A-1 post with A-2 rear sight.

Takedown pin retaining pin and spring improvised.

good, heavy barrel.

bolt was FILTHY.

He improvised his own charging handle catch. Didn't see THAT earlier.

hammer and disconnect cut down from M-16...threw those out and replaced with real AR parts, just to be safe.

two revolutions of thread stripped on buffer tube.
plastic shorty stock---knew that.

Cut rate job.

Sigh. And I was TOO bloody eager to replace my stolen one.

Okay, given that, and that it's a heavy barreled 16" carbine with shorty stock, otherwise in well-kept condition, what SHOULD I have paid?
 
Sounds like the only thing worth anything on that rifle is the lower. I would scrap the upper, and unless you really like the barrel, totally strip the lower and buy a complete CAR kit from a reputable manufacturer/distributor. I am getting ready to order my second CAR kit from JT dist. They have excellent products as well as customer service.

If the previous owner did that much to the weapon, I wouldn't trust anything on it. Hopefully you didn't pay more than $800 or so for the weapon considering the problems and the short cuts taken. If you've got old M16 modified parts in the weapon you probably also have an M16 bolt carrier in it also. Sounds like it was built from a surplus M16 kit like the ones from Tapco.

Good Shooting
RED
 
The fit between the upper and lower has absolutely nothing to do with the function or accuracy of the AR15 since both sights are on the upper. Accu Wedge will give it a more firm feel if that is what you want.
 
AR trigger and bolt carrier.

Lower functions okay, but I'll be scrapping/sparepiling the parts and putting a new kit in.

The upper seems sound now. Still got to mess with that sight. I will be trading out the upper at the next show.

Thanks.
 
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