Whats happening with my AR 15

[battleship]

It shoots just fine, it cycles just fine, however when the last round is fired and the cartridge is expelled, i assume when one reloads the mag and puts it back into the well, you just need to press the bolt release switch on the left side of the reciever to push the bolt forward, well in my case the switch never sets its self to do this it just stays close to the side of the reciever . so i have to charge the handle in order to push the bolt forward and put another round in the chamber, so just what is happening here to cause this, i have noticed a slight worn edge to the plastic bullet feed plate in the magazine could this becausing it to stop the bolt release switch from not cocking its self after the last round is spent. sorry if i have the wrong terminology for these AR parts but hopefully you can get the jist of what im trying to convey.

[sigsauer887]

Probably the magazine, did you try a different one?

[battleship]

No thats just it i dont have another magazine and this is a 7.62x39mm upper im trying to order a couple through a maufacture of the rifle but he has not got back to me yet, and i have not seen any in the brownells catolog for AR 7.62x39mm magazine.

[Rhomboid]

With the lower unhinged from the upper (and the hammer out of the way, cocked) you should be able to insert an empty mag into the well and see where the follower pushes on the the little lever part of the bolt catch. If its too worn to push it far enough, it should be evident. Also the spring pin in the bolt catch might be bent/rubbing/dirty/whatever causing too much rotational friction for the follower spring in the mag to overcome. If that's the case you can punch out the retaining pin and clean everything up.

[battleship]

Rhomboid, i shall run a check on it like you advise, the reciever is brand new and i clean it after every shoot so i doubt it is due to dirt.

[sardaukar]

Is your bolt catch broken? Missing the bolt catch spring and buffer?

[battleship]

No its not broken i have checked the magazine out and when i push backward on the plastic plate that places each bullet in the magazine then re insert it into the well, it cocks the bolt release lever, then i can press it and it then release the bolt to slide forward. that plate has a worn section to it plus it has some movement forward so its not catching and activating the lever. either i need a new plate or replace all internals on the magazine or buy a new complete magazine which is what i will probably do.

[bohoki]

aah the eternal stuggle of the bolt release spring vs the follower spring

try a .223 magazine loading just one x39