HELP! What did I do wrong?

[MKALDRICH]

Hey ya'll so I recently did a deep clean on my AR-15. Put back together and the upper won't match up with the lower. I cannot find anything out of place and have no idea what I am missing and why it won't match up. Any things ya'll can think of the check would be great!

[peejman]

You mean it won't close fully?  Can't push the pins back in?  

Remove the BCG and try again. 

[Chucktshoes]

Pictures would go a long way to helping us help you figure out the problem. 

[DaveTN]

Pull the bolt out. If it closes now, you don’t have the bolt and charging handle properly seated.

If that isn't it, like Chucktshoes said; you need to post pictures.

[MKALDRICH]

I figured it out. I had tightened the buffer tube too far and it was rubbing the upper. I loosened a rotation cranked down the castle nut (of course lost a spring in the process of releasing the face plate back) and they fit like a glove. I still swear I had it that many rotations before I had cleaned but oh well.

[peejman]

I'll ask a silly question... why would one remove the buffer tube to clean it?  I don't shoot nearly as much as some, but removing the buffer tube for cleaning has never crossed my mind. 

[DWARREN123]

Never removed a buffer tube on M-16's to clean. Can not see the need to on a AR build.

Ah well what ever makes one happy!

[RED333]

2 hours ago, MKALDRICH said:

I figured it out. I had tightened the buffer tube too far and it was rubbing the upper. I loosened a rotation cranked down the castle nut (of course lost a spring in the process of releasing the face plate back) and they fit like a glove. I still swear I had it that many rotations before I had cleaned but oh well.

Good catch!!!

[Garufa]

I still wanna see pics, lol.  There’s only so far you can screw the thing in before the springy retainer catches it, right?  

[Capbyrd]

13 hours ago, Garufa said:

I still wanna see pics, lol.  There’s only so far you can screw the thing in before the springy retainer catches it, right?  

Well there should be.   This whole thing is terribly confusing. 

 

[DaveTN]

Shouldn't the Buffer Detent Pin stop the buffer tube from going in so far it won't close? 

[Capbyrd]

1 hour ago, DaveTN said:

Shouldn't the Buffer Detent Pin stop the buffer tube from going in so far it won't close? 

One would think.   Only way it wouldn't, that I can think of is if the buffer tube isn't made correctly. 

[Guest OMCHamlin]

I am intrigued, but fear we may never know the outcome...

[MKALDRICH]

Alright giving you all the update you deserve:

-It was probably about a centimeter too far.

-The actual buffer was being stopped by the pin but the tube was what caught, again just barely off

-I don't normally clean buffer tube but after every 2000 rounds I do a deep clean meaning replacing all little springs and just essentially completely take apart visually inspect all pieces and rebuild. This may be over the top but I would rather this every once and a while then have fails with no idea what happened.

[Magiccarpetrides]

I envy the fact you shoot that much I probably don’t have 2000 rds on any of my guns.

[Trekbike]

8 hours ago, Magiccarpetrides said:

I envy the fact you shoot that much I probably don’t have 2000 rds on any of my guns.

Sounds like you don't have the proper priorities... I actually shoot a lot less than I use to.    Some of that is due to being in conservation mode given today's climate.   

Edited May 29, 2020 by Trekbike

[E4 No More]

On 5/27/2020 at 6:01 PM, DWARREN123 said:

Never removed a buffer tube on M-16's to clean. Can not see the need to on a AR build.

In the Marine Corps we did.

[MKALDRICH]

Over all guns I shoot 1500 on average every month

[TomInMN]

34 minutes ago, MKALDRICH said:

Over all guns I shoot 1500 on average every month

I guess there's no little reaction icon for pure envy. But that's what I feel. I haven't done 1500 rounds total over the last 5ish years.

But, family time, work, projects around the house (one of which is the house) are taking precedence for now. And I'm okay with that.

[MKALDRICH]

3 minutes ago, TomInMN said:

I guess there's no little reaction icon for pure envy. But that's what I feel. I haven't done 1500 rounds total over the last 5ish years.

But, family time, work, projects around the house (one of which is the house) are taking precedence for now. And I'm okay with that.

It helps to live 6 minutes from my range and with right now being home every day I have been there 4 days a week. I just got a 22 cause I have been shooting through so much ammo.

[Sunfish]

Get yourself some firecrackers and you won't even have to go to the range. Just shoot them out the front door 

[Quavodus]

Wow, that's a lot of shooting. Just have fun, that's what its all about.

[Dirtshooter]

On 5/30/2020 at 2:22 PM, Sunfish said:

Get yourself some firecrackers and you won't even have to go to the range. Just shoot them out the front door 

Or live in the woods and shoot in your yard!! Killed a large carpenter bee yesterday with my .357 rice loads!!

[PoofNoEyeBrows]

On 5/29/2020 at 7:37 AM, E4 No More said:

In the Marine Corps we did.

Yeah and we also painted rocks and palm trees!!! 

[E4 No More]

22 minutes ago, PoofNoEyeBrows said:

Yeah and we also painted rocks and palm trees!!! 

I have no experience with that, but I do know that IG Inspectors would check to see if the buffer tube was clean.