Charging Handle and Ejecting Rounds

[Soli]

Noob shooter with decades of experience here. Meaning I've been shooting forever, but know so little about firearms it's embarrassing. So on the learning curve.

Built an AR9. Took it to range and put 50 rounds through it. Sweet! Failed to close fully on literally the first round out of the also new magazine, but other than that worked like a champ. Chalked it up to having to be broken in. Cases ejected just fine, hot brass out on the floor everywhere!

At home I've doing exercises with snap caps. And my question is this: when I rack the charging handle (standard AR type, not side) the snap cap in the chamber sometimes doesn't eject. And when it does it's because I've quickly yanked the charging handle back. Even then it's a really low energy ejection, just goes a few inches out.

Is this normal, or is it an indication that there's something wrong with the ejector? I can imagine that the blowback is much more powerful than any racking I wan do, but with some of my handguns racking the slide really catapults them. So any enlightenment appreciated.

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[Member 34319]

When the snap cap doesn't eject are you referring to:

1) Snap cap comes out of chamber, rides in bolt reward staying in bolt, and returns into chamber after fully cycling charging handle by hand.

2) Snap cap stays in chamber, bolt goes back without it when pulling charging handle.

3) Charging handle and bolt don't budge unless you really pull hard.

 

[Soli]

Number 1, except bolt going forward will start to strip the next round out as well.

First snap cap just flops around in the bolt.

 

[Member 34319]

Pictures?

Which upper, lower, bolt?

Lots of variables.

Chances are, it's fine, and that you are overthink it since it isn't performing "by hand" but it does when using live ammunition at a range.

If the rounds are just sort of dropping out of the gun during live fire, there may be an issue. Or if the pattern is erratic.

 

[titsonritz]

Jerk it harder and faster.

 

[ma96782]

I'm thinking (forget about the snap caps for now).......

Ammo......quality, re-loads, brass cases or steel?

Good quality barrel used? Chamber condition?

Good quality extractor (and ejector) used in the build?

Aloha, Mark

PS.....a "break-in period" is just that.

 

[Koda]

"snap caps" are kind of analogous to "kleenex"...

What brand of snap cap are you using?

I have some A Zoom brand made of aluminum that seem to work ok. I have some Magpul plastic rounds that totally jam up in the chamber badly.

 

[Soli]

The lower came rather 'pre assembled', the ejector was already in. It's a Spike's 9mm lower, with Spikes trigger set. What few parts needed that weren't in the lower and the fcg already came from a CMMG lower parts kit. The upper and bcg w/extractor is from Always Armed . The snap caps are Tipton.

Here's a pic revealing my great pic skillz; it shows how it ends up after racking. lol after putting the picture in it's actually not that bad. On the camera it looked terrible.

 

[Member 34319]

I'm gonna go with overthinking it.

Reading the original post again, sounds like it runs fine. Just doesn't like snap caps and being manually cycled. All parts sound of good build quality.

 

[gmerkt]

Snap caps are different weights and composition than "real" ammo. Rim cut specs might differ a bit. I'd say the real test is whether it works with real ammo, ejecting real empty cases.

 

[Soli]

Thanks for the word all. The cap is not a casing makes sense.