Stag Arms Model 15 Failing to Feed

[AlphaFreeze]

Recently acquired a Stag 15 Retro. I took it to the range and encountered a consistent issue with feeding. I was using 4 Bushmaster metal magazines and 1 factory metal magazine from Stag.

I noticed that if I loaded the rifle with bolt closed and attempt to loading the rifle via the charging handle, the bullet gets stuck when leaving the magazine. I'd have to pull the charging handle again to load the rifle. It will then shoot fine with this problem rarely repeating until I load a fresh magazine. Even if I have the bolt locked back and hit the bolt release, the round will get stuck.

You can see what it looks like copper shavings on the feedramp. If you look you can see scratches all along the casing and tips of the bullets. I'm thinking that maybe the feedramp was cut too slim for the bullets and now its catching. If that were the case I think it'd be a consistent issue throughout the whole magazine, not just when I'm loading the first round from the magazine.

Had some people on Reddit say it was possibly the buffer spring. Took it to my LGS and he agreed that it does sound like the buffer spring is weak when cycling the rifle. Before I ordered a new buffer spring I wanted to get another opinion from you guys here.

Kind of pissed seeing as how I spent damn near $1000 expecting a high quality and functioning rifle from Stag Arms just to see that it can't even feed right. Here's a video below of me demonstrating the issue.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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[HB of CJ]

Magazines. Try some USGI aluminiumium.

Or .... and the video is not quite detailed enough for me to see clearly ... it might be a bolt stop issue. Again, respectfully, not enough info at this time.

Or .... like others said, wrong buffer group in the gun. It happens. Retro rifle buffers and springs are different than the usual used today carbine groups.

I love retros. It should run 100%. We will get you going. I wish it was a Leftie.

hundreds of builds uncounted rebuilds

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

you dont have 31 rounds in the mag do u?


(assuming theyre 30rnd mags)

 

[HB of CJ]

v0lom13n0w: Thank you. I had not thought of that.

 

[AlphaFreeze]

Or .... like others said, wrong buffer group in the gun. It happens. Retro rifle buffers and springs are different than the usual used today carbine groups.

I love retros. It should run 100%. We will get you going.

Yeah, I'm guessing that Stag accidentally dropped a carbine spring into the gun instead of the rifle spring. Gonna strip it down tomorrow and check. If it's the buffer spring then sweet. If not then I don't know. This is the first AR I've had in a few years so my memory has faded.

you dont have 31 rounds in the mag do u?


(assuming theyre 30rnd mags)

Nope. 30 rounds. I counted as I put them in both magazines. Even if I load the magazines with 20-25 rounds it still occurs.

 

[ItsLunchBOX]

I'm going to say either magazines or buffer spring. Have you tried a pmag to see if it behaves any differently?

 

[AlphaFreeze]

I'm going to say either magazines or buffer spring. Have you tried a pmag to see if it behaves any differently?

Well I've tried 2 different brands of magazines (4 Bushmaster magazines and 1 factory STAG one), and all 5 magazines have the same issue occurring. Also, I just removed my buffer tube and saw that the spring is measuring 12 3/8's inches in length. I think that rules out the buffer tube thing.

 

[HB of CJ]

Do you have access to another AR15 rifle or carbine? EMPTY. Safely rack each. You might feel a distinct difference in the charging handle resistance ... IF the retro rifle has the wrong buffer and spring.

 

[AlphaFreeze]

Do you have access to another AR15 rifle or carbine? EMPTY. Safely rack each. You might feel a distinct difference in the charging handle resistance ... IF the retro rifle has the wrong buffer and spring.

Just disassembled and checked. It has a rifle buffer and spring. Cycled some rounds on some magazines and it seems that the only time it would load successfully was if the magazine had <5 rounds in it.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

does it do this when shooting or is it just on the 1st round?

 

[AlphaFreeze]

does it do this when shooting or is it just on the 1st round?

Just when loading the first round. Then it will shoot fine with the problem only occurring when shooting every 100 rounds or so.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

is this a low round count rifle?

i would take it down and lube it, insert the charging handle in the upper without the bolt and see if you can push it back and fourth with little to no resistance...check feed ramps with a q tip for burrs and see if it snags any cotton. make sure the mag catch is installed correctly. make sure the bolt catch isnt hanging up...

install bolt carrier, feel for any roughness going forward and back. rack the charging handle a hundred times. take apart. lube.

re-try with loading the 1st round.

sometimes coated parts have too thick of coating on them and can cause resistance/hang ups given the right circumstances...

just a thought.




also, if you have the ability to, i would make a bunch of dummy rounds with no primer or powder, load them up, and cycle them a whole bunch, clean the feed ramps

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

i want to say, only 1 time ever have i seen a lower be out of spec causing this or causing the bolt to ride over the 1st round

ive also seen a bolt catch be out of spec causing something similar.

 

[AlphaFreeze]

is this a low round count rifle?

Brand new out of the box. Took it out and put a little over 500 rounds through it with the problem persisting throughout shooting all 500 rounds.

Thinking of just covering the bolt and feedramp with lube then just manually cycling the bolt a few hundred times. Then I think I'll cycle a few hundred rounds through it after that and see if it persists. Also, I already ran a Q-tip along the feedramp but had no cotton get hung up.

Anyhow, heading to work now. Gonna cycle it a whole bunch when I get home. Will report back tomorrow.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

sounds like time for a call to the MFG.

 

[HB of CJ]

v0lcom13sn0w: Nailed it and thank you. Make sure the gun is empty. No mag. Lube up everything very heavy. Place the muzzle between your shoes to stabilize. Hand rack and dry fire 100 times. Keep the trigger depressed. Then release. Listen for the distinct disconnecter re connect. You will not hurt the gun drying firing it.

Open the rifle. You will see gray paste and you will smell hot aluminimiumm. Normal. You have just lapped in your rifle. Remove the gray sludge and re lube heavy. Hand rack the retro rifle. You may feel a distinct improvement. Also I would try to find some USGI 30 rd aluminum mags to try. Safety first. Have fun doing this. It still might be the mags?

Dunno yet. Respectfully.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

v0lcom13sn0w: Nailed it and thank you. Make sure the gun is empty. No mag. Lube up everything very heavy. Place the muzzle between your shoes to stabilize. Hand rack and dry fire 100 times. Keep the trigger depressed. Then release. Listen for the distinct disconnecter re connect. You will not hurt the gun drying firing it.

Open the rifle. You will see gray paste and you will smell hot aluminimiumm. Normal. You have just lapped in your rifle. Remove the gray sludge and re lube heavy. Hand rack the retro rifle. You may feel a distinct improvement. Also I would try to find some USGI 30 rd aluminum mags to try. Safety first. Have fun doing this. It still might be the mags?

Respectfully.

new parts smell like sh!t when they get lapped into a grey slurry...

its an aquired smell

 

[308]

I've had ARs behave like this when there was not enough lube on the bolt carrier. Out shooting in the forest once I had to use oil off the truck dipstick...it just needed a bit more and it ran fine afterwards.

I think I read here someone said add enough lube that it wet but not dripping off...messy
for a while, but it will work.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

I've had ARs behave like this when there was not enough lube on the bolt carrier. Out shooting in the forest once I had to use oil off the truck dipstick...it just needed a bit more and it ran fine afterwards.

I think I read here someone said add enough lube that it wet but not dripping off...messy
for a while, but it will work.

"you might be a redneck if youve ever had to use oil from your truck dipstick to lube your AR15"


i love it

 

[nwslopoke]

Do you have another AR to swap the upper and lower to see which part the problem follows?