Warning

 

Close
Confirm Action

Are you sure you wish to do this?

Cancel Confirm
AR15.COM
AR Sponsor
8/29/2026 11:29:58 AM EDT
My PSA AR15 10.5 inch barrel 556  semiauto started shooting 2 to 4 shot bursts. It does it 3 to 4 bursts per 30 round magazine.
What's the cause ?
What do I need to replace to make it stop.
I've shot about 2,000 to 3,000 rounds through it , then today it started shooting bursts.

Glock Derangement Syndrome > Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Plastic Fantastic Fanatic.
I love my little pro gun Viking wife.
She has the world's bluest eyes.
8/29/2026 11:31:48 AM EDT
[#1]
What trigger is in it?
Is it stock or have you modified it?
8/29/2026 11:32:27 AM EDT
[Last Edit: runguns][Edited] [#2]
wanna sell it? check that your trigger is installed correctly
8/29/2026 11:33:11 AM EDT
[#3]
Quote History
Originally Posted By NTXGlocker:
What trigger is in it?
Is it stock or have you modified it?
View Quote
Regular OEM trigger that comes in PSA lower.

Glock Derangement Syndrome > Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Plastic Fantastic Fanatic.
I love my little pro gun Viking wife.
She has the world's bluest eyes.
8/29/2026 11:35:48 AM EDT
[#4]
Quote History
Originally Posted By TW200:
Regular OEM trigger that comes in PSA lower.

View Quote
Have you taken the trigger parts out recently?  Sometimes an upside down disconnector spring can cause it to hang up and cause hammer follow and bursts.

I would take out the whole FCG, clean everything and relube, reinstall and check the springs and interfacing surfaces on the hammer, trigger, and disco.
8/29/2026 11:38:28 AM EDT
[#5]
Is this a build you put together?

The first thing I would check would be for an upside down, a weak, or a broken disconnctor spring.
Now with more political fatigue.
8/29/2026 11:38:43 AM EDT
[#6]
Quote History
Originally Posted By D_Man:
Have you taken the trigger parts out recently?  Sometimes an upside down disconnector spring can cause it to hang up and cause hammer follow and bursts.

I would take out the whole FCG, clean everything and relube, reinstall and check the springs and interfacing surfaces on the hammer, trigger, and disco.
View Quote
I've never removed the trigger assembly.

Glock Derangement Syndrome > Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Plastic Fantastic Fanatic.
I love my little pro gun Viking wife.
She has the world's bluest eyes.
8/29/2026 11:42:00 AM EDT
[#7]
Quote History
Originally Posted By osprey21:
Is this a build you put together?

The first thing I would check would be for an upside down, a weak, or a broken disconnctor spring.
View Quote
I didn't build the lower, bought a complete PSA lower.
I've shot thousands of rounds through it with no problem. then suddenly, out of the blue it started shooting bursts.
Glock Derangement Syndrome > Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Plastic Fantastic Fanatic.
I love my little pro gun Viking wife.
She has the world's bluest eyes.
8/29/2026 11:46:02 AM EDT
[#8]
Quote History
Originally Posted By TW200:
I've never removed the trigger assembly.

View Quote
Well, there's a first time for everything. It's ezpz.
8/29/2026 11:48:35 AM EDT
[#9]
Disco spring might be broken or have debris in there. Upside down is another culprit as mentioned.

Another possibility is a chipped disconnector.
"Who would deprive men of the use of fire for fear of their being burnt" - Cesare Beccaria's Essay on Crimes and Punishments
8/29/2026 12:22:12 PM EDT
[#10]
Make sure the trigger pins haven't walked. I had a rifle do that due to the pins walking.
8/29/2026 12:31:45 PM EDT
[#11]
Had a dpms build once with a bad disconnector. Mysterious full auto went away with a new disconnecter.
8/29/2026 12:40:15 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote History
Originally Posted By hoody2shoez:
Make sure the trigger pins haven't walked. I had a rifle do that due to the pins walking.
View Quote
Had a RRA do that once. The trigger pin had moved enough to barely have the end inside the trigger housing.
I hated going to weddings. All the grandmas would poke me and say "You're next". They stopped that when I started doing it to them at funerals.

Sic semper evello mortem tyrannis
8/29/2026 4:14:02 PM EDT
[#13]
Had an ALG ACT randomly start doing that. Replaced the disco and went away.
8/29/2026 4:28:33 PM EDT
[#14]
Good excuse to upgrade the trigger!

Can you take photos of the trigger group in the lower? Maybe we can spot something. I would say it probably had the disconnector broke or chipped and it’s doing a hammer ride because the hammer can’t catch on the disconnector.
8/29/2026 4:31:54 PM EDT
[#15]
It’ll be an ez fix man.  You need to learn how to pull that anyway if you don’t already know how.  Super ez would be one of the cassette style fire control units.
If life was easy nobody would quit.
8/29/2026 4:35:16 PM EDT
[#16]
Soft primers and a dirty firing pin channel might do that. Could have an out of battery detonation if so. Check the spent brass for swollen necks.
8/29/2026 4:35:24 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote History
Originally Posted By dalle0001:
Good excuse to upgrade the trigger!

Can you take photos of the trigger group in the lower? Maybe we can spot something. I would say it probably had the disconnector broke or chipped and it's doing a hammer ride because the hammer can't catch on the disconnector.
View Quote

I'll take some images of the trigger group in the lower
when I get back home
Glock Derangement Syndrome > Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Plastic Fantastic Fanatic.
I love my little pro gun Viking wife.
She has the world's bluest eyes.
8/29/2026 4:49:34 PM EDT
[#18]
Check the disconnector and make sure it's free of debris.
8/29/2026 5:23:45 PM EDT
[#19]
Here are the images of lower.


Glock Derangement Syndrome > Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Plastic Fantastic Fanatic.
I love my little pro gun Viking wife.
She has the world's bluest eyes.
8/29/2026 5:33:33 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote History
I don't see anything immediately concerning, could use with a cleaning though, in case some bit of a case or primer cup/anvil is stuck somewhere down there causing it.

Do you know some basic function checks you can do with the upper off?  Like testing the disco function by holding the trigger back, cocking the hammer with your thumb and letting it snap over the disco hook, then release the trigger and make sure the hammer jumps off the disco but is caught by the sear.  If the hammer falls all the way down when you do this, it could be something with the disco or sear surfaces.
8/29/2026 5:43:16 PM EDT
[#21]
Possible broken firing pin.
"A true friend stabs you in the front" - Oscar Wilde

"We the Willing, Led by the Unknowing, Do what is Necessary, For the Ungrateful" - Unknown
8/29/2026 5:47:35 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote History
Originally Posted By rgrprib:
Possible broken firing pin.
View Quote
Glock Derangement Syndrome > Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Plastic Fantastic Fanatic.
I love my little pro gun Viking wife.
She has the world's bluest eyes.
8/29/2026 5:48:42 PM EDT
[#23]
Remove, clean and inspect the FCG and BCG. If you find anything broken, replace it.
8/29/2026 6:03:38 PM EDT
[#24]
Well that does look pretty punked up.

It's most likely an issue with the disconnector.  Either it's worn, it's hanging up/not moving freely, or the disconnector spring is worn, broken, or installed wrong (by PSA, not you, obviously.

A disconnector and spring are cheap.  I'd just replace both, for good measure.
8/29/2026 6:34:56 PM EDT
[Last Edit: dalle0001][Edited] [#25]
Yeah that looks okay to me. I’d replace it though just for the heck of it. I’m about 80% certain that it’s the disconnector though. Assuming you cleaned it and made sure nothing else is wrong it is definitely the trigger group being the culprit.

I see you also posted about the fire pin. Here’s another possibility though and it happened to me once as well a debris got stuck in the fin pin channel of the bolt. What I would do is verify the fire pin and drop in and out of the bolt. It could be something is stuck in there.

Also I vaguely remember Psa doing a recall about their triggers misfiring but I think that might have been Colt.
8/29/2026 6:41:28 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote History
Originally Posted By dalle0001:
Yeah that looks okay to me. I'd replace it though just for the heck of it. I'm about 80% certain that it's the disconnector though. Assuming you cleaned it and made sure nothing else is wrong it is definitely the trigger group being the culprit.

I see you also posted about the fire pin. Here's another possibility though and it happened to me once as well a debris got stuck in the fin pin channel of the bolt. What I would do is verify the fire pin and drop in and out of the bolt. It could be something is stuck in there.

Also I vaguely remember Psa doing a recall about their triggers misfiring but I think that might have been Colt.
View Quote
Firing pin was tight inside bcg due to dirt and dry.
Could be slam firing.
The burst cyclic rate was super fast.
Glock Derangement Syndrome > Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Plastic Fantastic Fanatic.
I love my little pro gun Viking wife.
She has the world's bluest eyes.
8/29/2026 6:58:04 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote History
Originally Posted By TW200:
Firing pin was tight inside bcg due to dirt and dry.
Could be slam firing.
The burst cyclic rate was super fast.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Quote History
Originally Posted By TW200:
Originally Posted By dalle0001:
Yeah that looks okay to me. I'd replace it though just for the heck of it. I'm about 80% certain that it's the disconnector though. Assuming you cleaned it and made sure nothing else is wrong it is definitely the trigger group being the culprit.

I see you also posted about the fire pin. Here's another possibility though and it happened to me once as well a debris got stuck in the fin pin channel of the bolt. What I would do is verify the fire pin and drop in and out of the bolt. It could be something is stuck in there.

Also I vaguely remember Psa doing a recall about their triggers misfiring but I think that might have been Colt.
Firing pin was tight inside bcg due to dirt and dry.
Could be slam firing.
The burst cyclic rate was super fast.


Ah that might be it. The fire pin should be able to drop in and out of the channel freely. It shouldn’t stick.
8/30/2026 8:51:46 AM EDT
[#28]
I love how years ago everyone would be saying "hope you got a stamp for that lower" and "I'd delete this post if I were you" and now no one gives a crap
Isaiah 1:18 - "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD: "though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow"
8/30/2026 10:00:49 AM EDT
[#29]
Do a disconnector test.

Remove upper.
Cock hammer.
Pull trigger and hold…,catch with other hand
With trigger pulled, push hammer back into disconnector.
Release trigger.
Did sear catch?

Reconfirm multiple times looking for ways this could be defeated or uneven wear.

Common issues are excessive dirt, excessive wear, uneven wear, sticking disconnector, damaged sear/hammer sear interface, damaged disconnector/hammer interface, sticking hammer or trigger.
8/30/2026 10:15:21 AM EDT
[#30]
Quote History
Originally Posted By TW200:
Firing pin was tight inside bcg due to dirt and dry.
Could be slam firing.
The burst cyclic rate was super fast.
View Quote


Watch out for brass shrapnel flying out of the ejection port. Mil spec primers should help.
8/30/2026 11:36:23 AM EDT
[Last Edit: bigbore][Edited] [#31]
Originally Posted By TW200:
My PSA AR15 10.5 inch barrel 556  semiauto started shooting 2 to 4 shot bursts. It does it 3 to 4 bursts per 30 round magazine.
What's the cause ?
What do I need to replace to make it stop.
I've shot about 2,000 to 3,000 rounds through it , then today it started shooting bursts.

View Quote


Odds are most likely that you are unintentionally bump firing.  Make sure you have a firm grip and hold the trigger back for reset and it will stop.
I'm no good at telling people what they want to hear when I dont believe it myself :)
8/30/2026 11:39:06 AM EDT
[#32]
Quote History
Originally Posted By TW200:
Could be slam firing.
View Quote



no
I'm no good at telling people what they want to hear when I dont believe it myself :)
8/30/2026 11:46:19 AM EDT
[#33]
Quote History
Originally Posted By Karankawa:
Soft primers and a dirty firing pin channel might do that. Could have an out of battery detonation if so. Check the spent brass for swollen necks.
View Quote


No, that's not how an AR bolt/carrier works.
I'm no good at telling people what they want to hear when I dont believe it myself :)
8/30/2026 11:48:23 AM EDT
[#34]
Quote History
Originally Posted By rgrprib:
Possible broken firing pin.
View Quote



ARs have floating firing pins to begin with.  A broken firing pin in an AR wouldn't cause multiple shots to be fired.
I'm no good at telling people what they want to hear when I dont believe it myself :)
8/30/2026 3:55:01 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote History
Originally Posted By bigbore:


Odds are most likely that you are unintentionally bump firing.  Make sure you have a firm grip and hold the trigger back for reset and it will stop.
View Quote

I've had this happen before with my SSP triggers if I'm really concentrating on shooting tight groups.
8/30/2026 4:04:47 PM EDT
[#36]
Fortunately there are many videos out there covering removal and installation of AR lower parts and it never hurts to know how to take apart and assemble one al you wil need is a punch or something to push the pins out.
If you function check don't let the hammer hit the rear of the mag well!, an easy way to trash a lower.
Think of how stupid the average person is and realize half of them are stupider than that.
8/30/2026 10:34:16 PM EDT
[Last Edit: LeviBarAlphaeus][Edited] [#37]
Quote History



Your hammer sear surface is fucked. See pic and circle 1.

Also, your gun is cycling hard. The hammer hook is slamming back with enough force to impact the top of your disco and start damaging/deforming it. See circle labled 2.



As an armorer, we simply replace the entire fcg (trigger/hammer/disco and all associated springs) as a normal course of action to eliminate problem chasing with no drama. Cheap amd easy fix all things considered.
8/31/2026 7:09:26 AM EDT
[#38]
Quote History
Originally Posted By LeviBarAlphaeus:



Your hammer sear surface is fucked. See pic and circle 1.

Also, your gun is cycling hard. The hammer hook is slamming back with enough force to impact the top of your disco and start damaging/deforming it. See circle labled 2.

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/601279/1000008297-3819871.jpg

As an armorer, we simply replace the entire fcg (trigger/hammer/disco and all associated springs) as a normal course of action to eliminate problem chasing with no drama. Cheap amd easy fix all things considered.
View Quote
Ah, I see... thanks.
I noticed the wear points you circled earlier.
This AR15 has been rode hard by me.
I shoot real fast transitions on two 10 inch steel plates at 50 yards 30 round magazine after 30 round magazine.
This AR15 gets real hot.
Round count is probably closer to 5.000 to 6.000.
Glock Derangement Syndrome > Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Plastic Fantastic Fanatic.
I love my little pro gun Viking wife.
She has the world's bluest eyes.
8/31/2026 2:33:16 PM EDT
[#39]
Originally Posted By TW200:
My PSA AR15  does 3 to 4 round bursts....

View Quote


I'll buy it from you.....

8/31/2026 7:01:56 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote History
Originally Posted By TW200:
Ah, I see... thanks.
I noticed the wear points you circled earlier.
This AR15 has been rode hard by me.
I shoot real fast transitions on two 10 inch steel plates at 50 yards 30 round magazine after 30 round magazine.
This AR15 gets real hot.
Round count is probably closer to 5.000 to 6.000.
View Quote


I would also replace your action(buffer) spring at this time as well as your gas rings just for shits and giggles. Since you're performing invasive maintenance,  might as well do a full refurb. If you want to go whole hog, change extractor and ejector along with new springs as well and give your bolt lugs onneither side of the extractor a good inspection for cracks at the rear of the roots. A 10x jewelers loupe will make this easier.

If you are still getting that disco impact wear with a new action spring, you may also consider switching up to the next heavier buffer weight or throwing in a sprinco red/white spring to slow the bolt speed a tad.
9/4/2026 4:55:09 PM EDT
[#41]
I would replace the disconnecter, spring, hammer and trigger. They kinda all interact, they've all got the same number of rounds, I would replace the entire FCG as a unit.
I've met cats and dogs smarter than Cory and Trevor.
9/6/2026 10:11:24 AM EDT
[#42]
You're 'riding it hard' but not 'cleaning it hard'. You could probably solve your problem by blasting out the lower with carb cleaner, but the FCG must be replaced in order to be sure. Also, heating up the rifle like that, you're going to need a barrel soon. Basically you are using it up fast and you should already be thinking about buying a new one or building a new one on the old lower, assuming the pin holes are in-spec. But yeah, you should remove the FCG, clean the lower and install a new FCG as the minimum needed to restore correct function.
9/6/2026 11:49:17 AM EDT
[#43]
Quote History
Originally Posted By LeviBarAlphaeus:


I would also replace your action(buffer) spring at this time as well as your gas rings just for shits and giggles. Since you're performing invasive maintenance,  might as well do a full refurb. If you want to go whole hog, change extractor and ejector along with new springs as well and give your bolt lugs onneither side of the extractor a good inspection for cracks at the rear of the roots. A 10x jewelers loupe will make this easier.

If you are still getting that disco impact wear with a new action spring, you may also consider switching up to the next heavier buffer weight or throwing in a sprinco red/white spring to slow the bolt speed a tad.
View Quote

^^Listen to this guy, he knows what he's talking about^^
A good cleaning, teardown, and inspection isn't really hard and there are tons of YouTube videos out there.  It'll really help the gun and will also help you learn more about and respect your gun more.  Make sure you pay attention to spring positioning.  You can get punches from Harbor Freight if you don't have them.    
BTW, KAW Valley H3 buffer is only $50.  You can often find them from vendors at $40.
9/8/2026 6:33:08 PM EDT
[#44]
Replace trigger with G, SSA-e. Problem solved.
" Don't cry, nobody shoots Glocks anymore."

"But the new Admin. is a Master in IDPA"
"MASTER in IDPA..."

"is like C Class in IPSC!"

Sign up to continue the discussion

Create a free account to share your thoughts, follow topics, and connect with the AR15.COM community.

Already a member? Sign In

AR Sponsor