Saw a weird breakage at the range today.

[tv1217]

A friend of mine has an Armalite AR in 7.62x39. One of the locking lug "teeth" sheared off of the bolt. I wish I had my camera. Could steel cased ammo be the culprit?

 

[handgun]

Doubtful..

Ha ha on the tag line...that was from an epic thread...

 

[nick89302]

Not likely. The bolt in the AR is a notorious weak link.

I'm not a Colt fan boy, but this is one particular reason, you'll see people tout them as the pinnacle of off-the-shelf reliability. Their bolts have the following:

• HPT Bolt (High Pressure Test/ Proof)
• MPI Bolt (Magnetic Particle Inspected)

I'm not sure that anyone, in particular Armalite, MPT/HPT tests their 7.62x39 bolts. I will say that I have owned an Armalite AR in the past and it was a good gun with excellent fit and finish.

 

[shooter521]

The 7.62x39 bolts are notorious for this; they have thinner locking lugs in order to create room on the breechface for the larger case head.

 

[Mike.B]

Had this happen to me years ago during BRM. To that weapons credit it was a TRADOC rifle, it had probably seen hundreds of shooters and many many thousands of rounds. Freaked me out and stunned our RSO.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Not weird at all.

Guns break all the time.

 

[Hookeye]

I don't see the big deal, one lug broke. Change the bolt face and go back to shooting.

 

[tv1217]

I don't see the big deal, one lug broke. Change the bolt face and go back to shooting.

Just thought it was odd for something like that to break off after only a few thousand rounds. I would think the extractor would have broken first. Metal looked cheap too, like when you crack a Matchbox car in half.(Don't tell me you guys never blew up a matchbox car with M80s )


Something tells me I'm gonna be the one that has to put it together for him.

 

[Hookeye]

Your bud owns an AR and can't change the bolt face himself?

 

[tv1217]

I dunno, but I have a feeling the answer is no.

 

[Hookeye]

Then charge him good microbrew, don't accept any cheap "regular" beer

 

[loony1]

No

 

[sporter]

Replace the bolt with a Colt 7.62x39 bolt.

 

[indyk]

newest problem with my dads ar in x39

Here's a pic of the same situation on a Double Star set up in x39 this happened to my dad last month, His rifle is one expensive P.O.S! I sure hope he gets to fire at least 5 consecutive rounds before he reallllly freaks out on it...

He's since added MGI kit and is having more ftf's etc than ever before, going out to the range when he brings that rifle is guaranteed to be a stressful range trip.

 

[Ljungman]

i have heard of the 7.62 ar's breaking in the lugs before. Havent seen my self but thats only cause i havent had one to abuse for awhile.