Blown AR-15 gas ring - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Walt · 12-01-2008, 03:58 PM

Long story short, I've somehow managed to blow one of the gas rings on the bolt of my M4. Its a DPMS bolt/bolt carrier in a LMT upper, sitting on a Wilson Combat lower if that makes a difference.

Ive been around M4's for a bit and have never seen this before, though I assume its not unusual. What causes this? How can I prevent it in the future?

Im thinking of replacing the three rings with the one-piece version Midway is selling. Does anyone have any experience with this?

No worries.

Plan9 · 12-01-2008, 04:50 PM

Far as I've witnessed: normal wear and tear. The flimsy gas rings go bad after the action abuse and temp flux: i.e. a lot of rapid fire G.I. Joe shit. Hell, I've busted more trying to put 'em on than actually breaking them with weapon use. They're like the backplate hex screw on the '203: screw it in once and get a new one when it fails (or so the manual says). The AR bolt's triple gas rings are craptastic and the care and superstition that surrounds them smells like poor weapon design like something off a Jap weapon from WW2. Can ya say "Nambu" with me?

Your gun: How many and what type of rounds does this thing have through it? I can make up all sorts of problems that might lead to this but I'll settle for "They're just cheap POS so get two of the single piece and carry on." See, we had M4s from the just-after-KFOR era that only started blowing rings (from the records I saw) like half-a-dozen-plus years later. Keep in mind, we were airborne... not high speed and thus only zapped out a 20-round mag once on the first Tuesday of the year if it wasn't raining. As a unit armorer, I was around 120+ abused M4s every day for nearly a year and only had to repair this particular problem like half a dozen times in line platoon weapons (some of these were probably attempts by PFC Dumbass to "really get down in there" with a dental pick).

I'd recommend Midway's single piece. Two less things to go wrong for you, two more ways to be sure in a high NVA body count.

...

Quality gun components failing is always surprising. I had the firing pin on my USP 45 just break off at the range mid mag. A fucking U...S...P. Cost an outlandish amount for the specially-shaped nail replacement part, too. I swear, I'd get rid of the old clunker if it didn't shoot like a movie gun for me.

Slims · 12-01-2008, 06:13 PM

Hmm, considering that you have yet to put 500 rounds through your weapon, you probably need to replace the operator while you are at it.

Plan9 · 12-01-2008, 06:57 PM

Wait... blown O-ring? What? Hell, you can get one of those Wilson Combat inflatable donuts with dual tac rails.

Walt · 12-02-2008, 08:49 AM

Have you two knuckleheads ever thought of taking your show on the road?

Walt · 12-03-2008, 03:09 PM

Went to the local gun shop and picked up a few new gas rings (regular kind). I really wanted to try the one-piece rings from Midway......but my shotgun is currently down due to my awesome gunsmithing skills and I dont want to wait two weeks for the new ring to get here.

I gotta have something ready incase the black helicopters come for me.

12-01-2008, 03:58 PM	#1 (permalink)
Walt I'm calmer than you are, dude Location: North Carolina	Blown AR-15 gas ring Long story short, I've somehow managed to blow one of the gas rings on the bolt of my M4. Its a DPMS bolt/bolt carrier in a LMT upper, sitting on a Wilson Combat lower if that makes a difference. Ive been around M4's for a bit and have never seen this before, though I assume its not unusual. What causes this? How can I prevent it in the future? Im thinking of replacing the three rings with the one-piece version Midway is selling. Does anyone have any experience with this? No worries. __________________ Calmer than you are... Last edited by Walt; 12-01-2008 at 04:08 PM..

12-01-2008, 04:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	Far as I've witnessed: normal wear and tear. The flimsy gas rings go bad after the action abuse and temp flux: i.e. a lot of rapid fire G.I. Joe shit. Hell, I've busted more trying to put 'em on than actually breaking them with weapon use. They're like the backplate hex screw on the '203: screw it in once and get a new one when it fails (or so the manual says). The AR bolt's triple gas rings are craptastic and the care and superstition that surrounds them smells like poor weapon design like something off a Jap weapon from WW2. Can ya say "Nambu" with me? Your gun: How many and what type of rounds does this thing have through it? I can make up all sorts of problems that might lead to this but I'll settle for "They're just cheap POS so get two of the single piece and carry on." See, we had M4s from the just-after-KFOR era that only started blowing rings (from the records I saw) like half-a-dozen-plus years later. Keep in mind, we were airborne... not high speed and thus only zapped out a 20-round mag once on the first Tuesday of the year if it wasn't raining. As a unit armorer, I was around 120+ abused M4s every day for nearly a year and only had to repair this particular problem like half a dozen times in line platoon weapons (some of these were probably attempts by PFC Dumbass to "really get down in there" with a dental pick). I'd recommend Midway's single piece. Two less things to go wrong for you, two more ways to be sure in a high NVA body count. ... Quality gun components failing is always surprising. I had the firing pin on my USP 45 just break off at the range mid mag. A fucking U...S...P. Cost an outlandish amount for the specially-shaped nail replacement part, too. I swear, I'd get rid of the old clunker if it didn't shoot like a movie gun for me. __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake." Last edited by Plan9; 12-01-2008 at 04:57 PM..

12-01-2008, 06:13 PM	#3 (permalink)
Slims Eccentric insomniac Location: North Carolina	Hmm, considering that you have yet to put 500 rounds through your weapon, you probably need to replace the operator while you are at it. __________________ "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." - Winston Churchill "All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dream with open eyes, to make it possible." Seven Pillars of Wisdom, T.E. Lawrence

12-01-2008, 06:57 PM	#4 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	Wait... blown O-ring? What? Hell, you can get one of those Wilson Combat inflatable donuts with dual tac rails. __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

12-02-2008, 08:49 AM	#5 (permalink)
Walt I'm calmer than you are, dude Location: North Carolina	Have you two knuckleheads ever thought of taking your show on the road? __________________ Calmer than you are...

12-03-2008, 03:09 PM	#6 (permalink)
Walt I'm calmer than you are, dude Location: North Carolina	Went to the local gun shop and picked up a few new gas rings (regular kind). I really wanted to try the one-piece rings from Midway......but my shotgun is currently down due to my awesome gunsmithing skills and I dont want to wait two weeks for the new ring to get here. I gotta have something ready incase the black helicopters come for me. __________________ Calmer than you are...