Ok to drop bolt on ar15 with a empty magwell?

[Bruce3]

ok so i just got done putting my stag upper onto my lower and i was wondering if its ok to drop the bolt without a mag in place. i know it could bad for some handguns to drop the slide without a mag i was wondering if its the same thing for AR15s

[REDHORSE]

Nope, your good to go. Slam the bolt as often as you would like.

[moulton]

Dont close the bolt on an empty chamber, harmful to the bolt

[USN CHIEF]

Dont close the bolt on an empty chamber, harmful to the bolt

You can drop that bolt as many times as you want. They were designed to take the abuse.

[ocabj]

I'll have to counter the counter-reply and say it's fine to let the bolt drop on an AR with an empty chamber and no magazine.

[moulton]

You can drop that bolt as many times as you want. They were designed to take the abuse.

I'd rather not abuse my bolt, thank you very much. If someone else was fliping the bill for a repair only then I would do it

[SanSacto]

Your post got me thinking about releasing the slide on my handgun without a mag in.

[Shane916]

Dont close the bolt on an empty chamber, harmful to the bolt

It doesn't have feelings.

I say drop it likes it hot!

Your post got me thinking about releasing the slide on my handgun without a mag in.

Hehe... that one has been so many times on these forums!

[ocabj]

I'd rather not abuse my bolt, thank you very much. If someone else was fliping the bill for a repair only then I would do it

1. Nothing's going to happen to your bolt by letting it slam close on an empty chamber. You do realize that letting it close on an empty chamber isn't producing the same amount of force as it experiences when you actually fire a round, right?

2. If your bolt ever 'breaks' by slamming it closed on an empty chamber, it would have broken during live fire.

3. If your bolt does break, replace it. A complete bolt is only about $40-$45. I have two complete spares in my range cart. If you're serious about your AR (competitive), then you definitely should have a complete spare bolt, if not a complete BC+bolt. Otherwise, just order one if it does break.

I've personally witnessed one 'broken' bolt in my life so far and that happened on my friend's rifle during an informal XTC match. Bolt lug sheared off the bolt. I vaguely remember him telling me that bolt had over 10K rounds of life on it (plus countless dry fires).

[uscbigdawg]

I'd rather not abuse my bolt, thank you very much. If someone else was fliping the bill for a repair only then I would do it

That's probably about the lamest excuse I've heard yet. It's not going to do an ounce of damage and if it does do ANY, then you bought crap to begin with.

As for dropping say the slide on an empty chamber on a pistol, a bit of a different story, especially on 1911 based pistols. It can degrade a nice trigger job and basically is not good juju on your hammer & sear. Bad? Eh...that's subjective. A good idea? Eh....

Rich

[Richieboy]

It can degrade a nice trigger job and basically is not good juju on your hammer & sear. Bad? Eh...that's subjective. A good idea? Eh....

Rich

How so? Does this apply to all pistols or were you refering specifically to 1911s?

[scfast]

I always flinch when the guy at my local gun shop drops the slide after dropping the mag on a handgun...should know better

[Richieboy]

Why? It won't hurt most modern handguns. The steels used and their finished hardness care little weather or not a round is in the chamber. I have many broken titanium and cobalt drills and milling cutters that can attest to their hardess...

[bobfried]

I drop the slide on any empty gun, if it can't take that I throw it away like a bad gallon of milk.

Your talking about a FIREARM. I will drop the slide on my 1911's too even the ones that cost thousands of dollars. Call me crazy but it's sorta like saying I can't rev the engine on a sport car when it's in neutral. If I can't even rev an engine on a sport car in neutral I call that car a POS and laugh in the face of it's owner. Now I wouldn't drop the slide on brand new guns I do not own or does not have permission to do so, but if it's mine and my friend, SLAM AWAY.

[dwtt]

It's a known fact that dropping the bolt on an empty chamber of the AR-15 design without a magazine in the receiver will lead to bolt failure. It's also true that you shouldn't shoot ammo with muzzle velocity 3000 fps or greater in a 1:9 or 1:7 twist barrel, it was designed for the 1:16 twist of the original M16. Also, if you go to war, don't use the 5.56 round, use .308, because there have been many instances in the Vietnam war where the 5.56 round was deflected by underbrush and grass. And if by some miracle you hit the enemy, you'll need to shoot him 3-4 times before he goes down. Really, it's all true.