Gun won't fire, upper and lower stuck together

[Hoop]

Alright, I put the lower together, then tried to combine the two and it doesn't work. Gun won't fire and I cant get them apart again. What did I **** up?

[Tweak338]

what do you mean by "I can't get them apart again" ?

Is the bolt carrier forward when you tried to seperate the lower and the upper?

[grammaton76]

No idea. I would try lightly hammering out the pins holding the upper onto the lower. Whenever I build a lower up, I work the pins back and forth about 20 times before installing the upper. It gives the brass detents a chance to round down a little, and makes it easier to remove the upper at a later date.

You won't hurt anything by gently hammering the pins back out (as long as you go from the correct direction!) with a cloth or something to protect them.

[Hoop]

Never mind, I figured it out. No buffer spring *duh*. Alright, now when I pull the charging handle back I can get an audible firing pin click, however I can't get the bolt to stay back when cocked. Is this normal?

[Fjold]

Never mind, I figured it out. No buffer spring *duh*. Alright, now when I pull the charging handle back I can get an audible firing pin click, however I can't get the bolt to stay back when cocked. Is this normal?

It is if you don't have a magazine installed.

[Tweak338]

can't get the bolt to stay back when cocked?
or do you mean the bolt wont hold open on an empty magazine?

[PLINK]

The bolt catch/ release should be the only thing that holds the bolt back.

You can do this by placing in EMPTY mag in the magwell and then pull back on the charging handle. The bolt should stay back.

Or

With no mag, pull the charging handle back and keep it back, then push down on the bolt catch/ release.

Does this help?

[Jicko]

Never mind, I figured it out. No buffer spring *duh*. Alright, now when I pull the charging handle back I can get an audible firing pin click, however I can't get the bolt to stay back when cocked. Is this normal?

"No buffer spring" <- that's exactly what I am planning to suggest, when I saw your original post...

"however I can't get the bolt to stay back when cocked" <- if you do not have an empty magazine, you would have to manually press the lower part of your bolt-catch.

[Jicko]

I recommend that you go to the *tips* thread (in my signature)

And go thru these links:

> First of all, M16A2 Operator's Manual and AR15 Operation and Safety Instruction Manual (by Bushmaster)

> A 6min video by Cavalry Arms: Basic AR-15 Operations and Firearm Safety

> Important: AR15 Safety Function Check

The "Basic AR-15 Operations" video is a good watch!!

[Hoop]

Got it figured out, thanks all. Next thing I'm gonna do is take it all apart and put in a better trigger, this stag is kinda heavy.

[SemiAutoSam]

Just curious where do you have brass detents in your AR ?

No idea. I would try lightly hammering out the pins holding the upper onto the lower. Whenever I build a lower up, I work the pins back and forth about 20 times before installing the upper. It gives the brass detents a chance to round down a little, and makes it easier to remove the upper at a later date.

You won't hurt anything by gently hammering the pins back out (as long as you go from the correct direction!) with a cloth or something to protect them.

[grammaton76]

Got it figured out, thanks all. Next thing I'm gonna do is take it all apart and put in a better trigger, this stag is kinda heavy.

Send a couple hundred rounds downrange first. The triggers do break in a lot more during the first hundred or two rounds, than they do throughout the rest of their service life.

[-hanko]

Got it figured out, thanks all. Next thing I'm gonna do is take it all apart and put in a better trigger, this stag is kinda heavy.

No criticism intended...check some remedial reading on assembly and operation on arfcom. You really want to do a safety and function check (and double check) before you feed her any bullets.

Glad you figured out the problem.

-hanko

[grammaton76]

Just curious where do you have brass detents in your AR ?

Forward and rear pivot pins. They're what stop the pivot pins at the 'in' and 'out' positions, and in the Stag LPK's at least, they're kinda pointy, which makes the pins hard to slide. They round off very quickly with use.

Basically, they're the little nubs you put in place at the end of the springs prior to installing the pivot pins. And the ones which folks keep launching and losing. That front one can be difficult.

[SemiAutoSam]

OK I know what your talking about now.

I replaced mine with .075 stainless steel ball bearings. works better from my perspective .

Thanks for the info.

Forward and rear pivot pins. They're what stop the pivot pins at the 'in' and 'out' positions, and in the Stag LPK's at least, they're kinda pointy, which makes the pins hard to slide. They round off very quickly with use.

Basically, they're the little nubs you put in place at the end of the springs prior to installing the pivot pins. And the ones which folks keep launching and losing. That front one can be difficult.