Thought I'd make a quick dash to the range again today. I fired five rounds of my handload w Barnes 55TSX/27.0 CFE223. No failures. Then I fired five of my original handload that has given me no failures of any kind, ever. It started double feeding immediately. Thought it might be my Caldwell brass catcher so removed it...didn't help. Tried five Hornady 55SP factory load with no problems. Shot a few more of the original handload (2nd group above) and went back to double feeding. That load has been nothing but reliable and extremely accurate (as it was today...5 rounds about 3/4" 100 yards). I'm now convinced this isn't a pressure problem. Cleaning the gun now but chamber looks fine, see nothing wrong with BCG and extractor is tight enough I can't budge it by hand. Other than one round that stayed in the chamber last time out when feeding them single I'm suspecting magazine. This particular mag is a Magpul but until yesterday at the range has never given any troubles. Also, yesterday was only the second time I've had it to the range with this lower receiver I built. Other than the fact that it holds the mag I can't see how it could be affecting this. It has an AR Stoner mil spec buffer tube and spring. I can try another mag ( next time out will no matter what just to rule it out) but wondering what else I might look for. Thanks,

rob

If you think there is something wrong with the gun or magazine I would try different powders first. On Hodgdon's burn rate chart CFE223 is slower than any powder that is normally associated with 223. Of course like I wrote before it somewhat depends on barrel length.

but the load and mag.

--
Of the Troops & For the Troops

You change every variable you're dealing with, and since the gun works with factory ammo, and the same magazine (which could also be suspect anyway) You should be abpe to pin down the problem.

Never had a problem with factory ammo, never had a problem with my original handload. All my original loads are loaded in Federal brass and they have done great. However, the ones that gave me trouble today were my original load loaded in once fired Barnes Vortex brass. I figured it would be higher quality brass than the Federal bulk stuff I have the majority of my original load loaded in. I've never fired this brass reloaded before until today. The second handload I've been working on with CFE223 and Barnes 55TSX I originally loaded in some once fired Winchester nickel cases-no problem. Second time through I used Remington once fired brass and it double feeds. So maybe there is something going on with Remington and Barnes cases that upon reloading is giving me trouble. Every handload I've fired has been in once fired brass, fired out of this rifle and full length resized. No problem with first handload in Fed brass but in Barnes-double feeds. No problem with second handload in Win nickel cases but switching to Rem cases and double feeds. It'll probably be next week before I can see if this proves out.

Remington brass is usually thicker and heavier, so you're probably getting higher pressures.

I shoot the exact same bullet except I use 26.1 grains of H-4895 recommended by Barnes as the most accurate 5.56 Nato load with this bullet. (Barnes Nato load data)

It works superb in all of my evil black rifles. One in particular is a 16 inch pencil barreled R-guns upper with a Rock River lower and A-1 buttstock with rifle buffer. This is using Magpul 10 round mags.

What do you mean by double feed? Exactly what it says? Two rounds feeding at once? or One round stays in the chamber and another butts up against it?

Bob

I have never worked on an AR. But, the statement you made about the extractor being so tight you can't move it with your hand sent up a red flag. In a Marlin lever action the quickest way to leave a round in the chamber when cycling the action is to have an extractor that is too tight or misshaped. It simply will not ride up over the rim to extract the cartridge. You might look there if all else fails. Good luck.

Spent round isn't getting out of the gun and its stacking the live round in beside it like a V. Smashes the heck out of the nose of the spent case too. My original handload isn't that hot at 24.3 H335/Hornady 60 SP so I don't think it's a pressure issue. I'm gonna put a BCM extra power extractor spring and o'ring in it and see if that helps. I cleaned it good last night but I don't think I fired more than 50 rounds or so before cleaning it so I don't think it was that dirty. I can't budge the extractor but maybe some heavier tension might help. Mine already has an o'ring set up in it though.

Extractor tension is very important and you shouldn't be able to pull out on it by hand.

My Marlin Guide Gun and bolt rifles!

...not counting the occasional one due to having to use worn out 30 year old pre-ban mags. was a 10" carbine barrel with a mock moderator on it.

The extractor seemed just fine and worked just fine in anything else I tried it in, so I swore it was a pressure/dwell issue. Played around with fat gas tubes etc to changes things with no luck. I put an upgrade kit in the bolt (spring, o-ring, rubber do-hickiee) and the problem went away.

hoping for the best:) I love this rifle and I can't tell you how distressing this is...it's like my crap hits the fan anti ISIS haji rifle took a dump on me! Until it's back on line we have a Marlin Guide Gun and a .30-06 both ready to go with plenty ammo.

Directly on the flat surface that's exposed when the buffer is in the tube.

No mark?

H?

Sometimes for certain loads to work, you have to tailor the buffer weight, heavier or lighter, since it's basically impossible to change spring tension.

Buffer it comes with. I just looked and there was no mark. Yellowish gold color. That's why I asked about whether it might be something related to my lower. I built that lower and before all this FTE stuff this week I think I've only test fired the gun with that new lower with some factory Barnes Vortex loads. It's hard to remember because it's getting rare to find time to shoot these days (you'd think once your kids are all grown and out of the house you'd have more time not less!). It's a Spikes lower, Geissele SSA-E, buffer tube mentioned above, Magpul butt stock, Daniel Defense grip and CMMG LPK. If it's not related to the buffer it almost has to be the brass (because both failures were from a brass change) or it needs a stronger extractor spring but I can't budge mine. I've ordered the BCM upgrade and I'm gonna install it but I'd actually like to diagnose this and know what fixed it rather than throwing a bunch of changes all at one time...it's the technician/gear head in me.

The extractor upgrade parts installed, the original lower in tow, and both hand loads loaded each in the brass they have been reliable with and the brass each one has failed with. If it runs fine with the Spikes lower with the rounds loaded in the brass it's failed in ill know it was the extractor. If it still fails I'll try each load in the brass that has not (as of yet) failed and see if it does ok. If so I'll know it's related to the brass. Then, I may swap lowers and try the loads with the brass that's failed to extract and if it straightens out I'll know it's the buffer. I'll take a different mag but I can't see a mag causing FTE. The bolts coming back and picking up a new round and trying to feed it and the partially extracted rounds both back in. But, I guess anything' possible so I won't rule it out.

nothing personal, it's just that way.

Also unfortunate is that '.mil' troubleshooting doesn't deal with handloaded ammo and it's attendant peculiarities.

The list of things that could be causing the problem are:

The extractor is not holding the round tight enough & the case is coming loose from the bolt face before the ejector can do it's thing.

The buffer is too light causing the bolt carrier to travel too fast and open the gas path inside it too early, causing short stroking.

The buffer is too heavy causing the carrier to travel too slowly and not provide enough rearward thrust to overcome the action spring tension.

1 is unlikely as you say the gun works just fine with factory ammo, but problems with once fired cases you're handloading.
I assume most of these once fired cases you're handloading are from the factory ammo the gun had no trouble firing.
Also, an extractor problem is not usually a problem with 16" barreled, standard carbine length gas system semi-auto guns.

2 or 3 are what you may be dealing with with the particular components and powder load of that handload.
I've seen 2&3 both ways when using the different .mil rounds available being shot through different 5.56 rifles.

You buffer is unmarked, which means that it's probably the original standard weight.
So, the buffer being too heavy should not be the problem.

When Johnboy tagged along for range support, or tripped to the range for test firing after I'd worked on a gun, I always carried assorted spare parts.
$$ was not a concern to me, but is to you since what parts you can't use will just be sitting in a drawer.

That should give me enough to go on to sort this out. I really appreciate it!