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Posted: 2/21/2008 4:38:46 AM EDT
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In the winter, I shoot at an indoor range that requires you to use their frangible ammunition for .223 so we don't shoot through the building and kill the neighbors. Not the greatest but at least you get some shots in over the winter. I just built my first AR and it seems to operate fine except when I use this ammo. It seems to be a super light load with a super light crimp. The problems I get are things like failure to feed where the bullet gets hung up someplace and pushed back into the cartridge, failure to fully drive the bolt all the way home when you hit the bolt release so I have to jab the forward assist once and sometime after I fire a round and press the trigger for the next, nothing happens and I have to pull the bolt back half way and it fires fine. It seems like it all has to do with how weak the case and crimp is and it can't seem to handle the jostling and pathing from the magazine into the chamber. Anyone else have simmilar problems with frangible? Any suggestiongs how I might be able to improve my rifle for the winter? Maybe a lighter buffer spring? Polish the feed ramps? Thanks in advance. |
Thanks to both of you for the response. I guess I'll just have to deal with the problems during the winter and go nuts in the warm weather when I can get outside and use real ammo. I've been thinking about getting into reloading just for the cost savings but unfortunatly they won't even let you use frangible that you create yourself. It has to be theirs. Their own special stuff is like copper sawdust pressed bullets, light powder and tin foil thin cases due to the velocity of .223 and the backstop they have installed. I guess it's better than nothing. |
| Is there no areas you can shoot outside in the winter? Are you only able to shoot ad designated ranges in your part of the country? I guess out here in the west as we are only a short drive form the desert were we can play until are hearts are content, it may be cold but nit ammo restrictions. |
There are but we have about 4-5' of snow pack on the ground in northern new england this time of year. Not very fun to go set up a target so we stay inside :-) |
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Ah frangible ammo, a favorite topic of mine.  Where do I want to start with this one. How about the M-4 I blew up while at CATM school using fangible? Over-pressure round blew out the magazine, locked the bolt half-ways back, bulged the reciever, and scorced my trigger finger and weak forearm. Yeah, that was a fun night! Then there is the time we had a couple operators from one of our special ops squadrons that were working with the locals of a foreign country and managed to blow apart not one but two M-4s using...you guessed it frangible ammo. They brought the weapons back to our shop and gave them to "the gun guy" to salvage what I could. In both weapons, the extractor had blown out and wedged in the locking lugs (who says you need a special wrench to remove the barrel extenstion!  ) leaving that squadron with a complete lower but the only thing I could salvage from the upper was the compensator and the BUIS. Then there's the shop I currently work in that won't allow frangible ammo to be used in the M-4s at all although they still allow it for use in the A2s for some reason. Shooters are also required to roll their sleeves down to protect from shrapnel or blast in the event another weapon blows up from frangible ammo. I've got guys I know in CATM shops all around the country and I have yet to hear any of them say one good word about the stuff. I avoid shooting it at all costs through .mil weapons and absolutely refuse to shoot that stuff through any of my personal weapons no matter what! But hey, that's just my opinion on the subject!
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| We have an indoor range that has the same restrictions. Use their frangable if you want to shoot. I had problems with cycling in my 10.5. Ran fine in my 11.5 after I put a standard carbine buffer in it. I usually run a 9mm buffer. At least I got my laser dialed in at 25. After reading the last post I don't know that I'll shoot it again. |
Yeah... The U.S. Dept. of Energy is using frangible no-lead bullets for nearly all of its training with about the same results as you report. I haven't heard of a Kboom yet, though. Most of the complaints are about weapons that won't cycle... and of rounds that frange before hitting the target. I think part of the problem is rate of twist.
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