Had my first issue with the gas rings on one of my AR pistols yesterday. In about 50 years of shooting these things, this was something new.
Was cleaning the gun and went to take down the bolt, and the bolt would not move back in the carrier so I could get the cam pin out. It would move back and forth a short distance, but not easily. I ended up hammering it back into the carrier with a plastic screwdriver handle to get the pin out.
Turns out, one of the gas rings somehow got out of its slot and got wrapped around the back of the bolt and was tying things up.
Shot 100 rounds out of it and the gun was shooting fine with no sign or hint of problems. I clean and inspect them after every outing, and everything looked/felt normal at the last cleaning.
Luckily, I had some spares in my little backup kit, and it was an easy enough fix, took about 5 minutes to swap them out. If you dont already, may want to add a set to yours. Something small and "pointy" in there too, to help get them out, would be a good thing too.
Awhile back here, there was a discussion about cleaning your guns and a number posted that they normally didnt, and why bother. Those who dont are more than welcome to do as they see fit, but its things like this that emphasize why I think you should be cleaning and inspecting them, at least regularly.
If I hadnt done my routine maintenance, this would have gone undiscovered, and who knows when it would have choked the gun. I know how things go for me, and it would have done so at the worst possible moment.
Theres more to cleaning than just "cleaning", its inspecting everything as your doing it, looking for, and addressing things like this that might pop up.
Was cleaning the gun and went to take down the bolt, and the bolt would not move back in the carrier so I could get the cam pin out. It would move back and forth a short distance, but not easily. I ended up hammering it back into the carrier with a plastic screwdriver handle to get the pin out.
Turns out, one of the gas rings somehow got out of its slot and got wrapped around the back of the bolt and was tying things up.
Shot 100 rounds out of it and the gun was shooting fine with no sign or hint of problems. I clean and inspect them after every outing, and everything looked/felt normal at the last cleaning.
Luckily, I had some spares in my little backup kit, and it was an easy enough fix, took about 5 minutes to swap them out. If you dont already, may want to add a set to yours. Something small and "pointy" in there too, to help get them out, would be a good thing too.
Awhile back here, there was a discussion about cleaning your guns and a number posted that they normally didnt, and why bother. Those who dont are more than welcome to do as they see fit, but its things like this that emphasize why I think you should be cleaning and inspecting them, at least regularly.
If I hadnt done my routine maintenance, this would have gone undiscovered, and who knows when it would have choked the gun. I know how things go for me, and it would have done so at the worst possible moment.
Theres more to cleaning than just "cleaning", its inspecting everything as your doing it, looking for, and addressing things like this that might pop up.