I posted a week or so ago about the bad safety selector detent on my new, unfired Colt LE6920. Today, was the first range session and it fired a grand total of 1 bullet out of 4 different mags. The rest were light primer strikes. Three different magazine brands (Lancer, PMAG, and USGI) and two different types of ammo. We even put the BCG in my buddy's BCM and 0% of rounds fired from light primer strikes. We put the light primer strike bullets in my other buddy's M&P15, and every round fired.

The identical LE6920 (purchased same day) firing the exact magazines and exact bullets was flawless today.

I guess it's getting a trip to Colt for them to go over it and actually do QC this time.

Did you try the bolt group from the trouble-free 6920 in the troubled 6920?

Take a picture of the trigger group. Preferably from above, with the hammer cocked, directly down so I can see the legs of the hammer spring.


If you can make the picture well lit, and in focus, I can probably tell you whether or not your lower was put together properly.


Probably a very simple fix that doesn't need to make you wait several weeks to send it back.

quote:

Originally posted by IndianaBoy:
Take a picture of the trigger group. Preferably from above, with the hammer cocked, directly down so I can see the legs of the hammer spring.


If you can make the picture well lit, and in focus, I can probably tell you whether or not your lower was put together properly.


Probably a very simple fix that doesn't need to make you wait several weeks to send it back.

I agree.

Could be an issue with the hammer spring, ( installed backwards, perhaps it has a bent or broken leg, etc. )

Or.. could be a bolt/firing pin issue. How's the firing pin look? How's the tip of the firing pin look? With the bolt removed from the bolt carrier, slide the firing pin into the bolt. Do you see the tip sticking out?

Please let us know what it turns out to be. As IndianaBoy said, it's probably a simple fix.

I don't know what your problem exactly was with the safety, but a friend of mine has a Colt and has told me of a number he has handled that have sloppy selector levers. Appears the detent divot is too shallow, allowing the lever to flop back and forth.

What was your problem?

quote:

Originally posted by 3/4Flap:
I don't know what your problem exactly was with the safety, but a friend of mine has a Colt and has told me of a number he has handled that have sloppy selector levers. Appears the detent divot is too shallow, allowing the lever to flop back and forth.

What was your problem?

No, that was not my issue (180 deg the opposite). It was solved with a Brownell's detent.

quote:

Originally posted by JoshNC:
Did you try the bolt group from the trouble-free 6920 in the troubled 6920?

No, I set it back in the case once it wouldn't fire out of my buddy's BCM and my other buddy's S&W fired all of the bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by ARMT Guy:

quote:

Originally posted by IndianaBoy:
Take a picture of the trigger group. Preferably from above, with the hammer cocked, directly down so I can see the legs of the hammer spring.


If you can make the picture well lit, and in focus, I can probably tell you whether or not your lower was put together properly.


Probably a very simple fix that doesn't need to make you wait several weeks to send it back.

I agree.

Could be an issue with the hammer spring, ( installed backwards, perhaps it has a bent or broken leg, etc. )

Or.. could be a bolt/firing pin issue. How's the firing pin look? How's the tip of the firing pin look? With the bolt removed from the bolt carrier, slide the firing pin into the bolt. Do you see the tip sticking out?

Please let us know what it turns out to be. As IndianaBoy said, it's probably a simple fix.

I'll post pics tomorrow and appreciate both of your feedback.

However, I'm a little frustrated with Colt's QC as they should've caught both. What's next after the light primer strikes?

This is my 6th AR (CMMG and PSA) and it's the first problem child.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: tatortodd,

Please bear with me, I am a bit dense.

If I read you correctly, you put the COLT BCG in the BCM and it still failed to fire. Is that correct?

You did not try another bolt in the rifle that was having issues. Is that a true statement?

You stated that you are getting light strikes. What makes you think that. Where the primers dimpled when they failed to fire?

Did you disassemble to bolt at any point?

did you verify that the firing pin was inserted all the way and then the retaining pin installed? An easy way to test is to hold the BCG with the bolt facing the sky and give it a shake. If the firing pin falls out, It was assembled in incorrect order.

If the firing pin is installed correctly it could be a bad pin, check the tip. You can also use a firing pin protrusion gauge to see if the pin is sticking out far enough to ignite the primer.

If it's not the pin, I'd disassemble the bold and inspect the path that the firing pin travels through. Then properly reassembly the bolt and inspect again.

It's also possible that your FCG was installed incorrect as mention above, but I think there is an issue with the bolt given that it did not work in a known good rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:


However, I'm a little frustrated with Colt's QC as they should've caught both. What's next after the light primer strikes?

This is my 6th AR (CMMG and PSA) and it's the first problem child.

I understand your fustration, but the bottom line is that it's a mechanical device. Anything man-made can and will fail at some point. Unfortunately, this one failed just out the gate. Could've been that a small piece of the tip of the firing pin broke off when it contacted and fired that first round. Then the firing pin wouldn't have the ability to fully strike the following rounds enough to detonate their primers. I'm just spit-balling here but I feel it's a good possibility.

So basically, a tiny defect in the metal of that firing pin could be the culprit. When you're talking about thousands or more of firing pins a month, ( along with all the other large and small parts that make up an AR ) it's easy for a tiny defect in one of these thousands of parts to escape notice. The best QC could miss this. Even if they test fire five rounds through all their weapons before going out the door, the sixth round that you fired could've been the point of failure for that flaw.

Personally, I wouldn't view this as the end of the world and that Colt's, ( or anybody else's for that matter ) QC is slipping. Now, if there were several issues with a weapon and/or obvious issues such as a loose flash hider or barrel, missing front sight post, obvious tool marks, etc, then I would begin to question their QC, but this was not the case.

The selector detent is more of an annoyance than a truly functional problem, but I can see were it probably could've been held back and looked over at the factory before going out the door. It probably came down to the fact that it worked, just not as smoothly as the others, but it was shipped anyways. I don't agree with this but it does happen unfortunately. Again, a selector detent is a tiny part that they probably receive in the hundreds of thousands or more.

quote:

Originally posted by CD228:
Please bear with me, I am a bit dense.

If I read you correctly, you put the COLT BCG in the BCM and it still failed to fire. Is that correct?

You did not try another bolt in the rifle that was having issues. Is that a true statement?

You stated that you are getting light strikes. What makes you think that. Where the primers dimpled when they failed to fire?

Did you disassemble to bolt at any point?

did you verify that the firing pin was inserted all the way and then the retaining pin installed? An easy way to test is to hold the BCG with the bolt facing the sky and give it a shake. If the firing pin falls out, It was assembled in incorrect order.

If the firing pin is installed correctly it could be a bad pin, check the tip. You can also use a firing pin protrusion gauge to see if the pin is sticking out far enough to ignite the primer.

If it's not the pin, I'd disassemble the bold and inspect the path that the firing pin travels through. Then properly reassembly the bolt and inspect again.

It's also possible that your FCG was installed incorrect as mention above, but I think there is an issue with the bolt given that it did not work in a known good rifle.

Exactly. OP, try the bolt group from your trouble-free 6920. Strip the bolt group from the troubled 6920, inspect and see if it appears to be be out of spec. Reassemble and see if you continue having issues.

I misread your initial post
Sounds like the problem is in the BCG. Start with the firing pin. If that isn't the problem, send it to Colt.

Tator,
any updates or new questions?

quote:

Originally posted by CD228:
Tator,
any updates or new questions?

On the 10th, I spoke on the phone with a Colt customer service rep who spoke in 3 word sentences, followed up immediately with an e-mail containing the requested photos, and didn't hear a peep after a week. I called back yesterday, the same customer service rep answered, he found my e-mail in his inbox, and sent me a RMA and shipping label. They asked for the entire rifle be sent to them (not just the BCG) so I'm hoping they find other gremlins waiting to pop up. I'm heading out now on my way to FEDEX.

On a positive note, I'm glad they use FEDEX as UPS is in a really crappy part of town.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:

quote:

Originally posted by CD228:
Tator,
any updates or new questions?

On the 10th, I spoke on the phone with a Colt customer service rep who spoke in 3 word sentences, followed up immediately with an e-mail containing the requested photos, and didn't hear a peep after a week. I called back yesterday, the same customer service rep answered, he found my e-mail in his inbox, and sent me a RMA and shipping label. They asked for the entire rifle be sent to them (not just the BCG) so I'm hoping they find other gremlins waiting to pop up. I'm heading out now on my way to FEDEX.

On a positive note, I'm glad they use FEDEX as UPS is in a really crappy part of town.

Ouch. I'd dell you to ask them to send the repair sheet or notes when you get the Rifle back. It'll be interesting to see what they find.

FEDEX just returned my Colt. No repair sheet or notes. Look forward to shooting it.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
FEDEX just returned my Colt. No repair sheet or notes. Look forward to shooting it.

Have you taken it down and looked the rifle over?

quote:

Originally posted by ARMT Guy:

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
FEDEX just returned my Colt. No repair sheet or notes. Look forward to shooting it.

Have you taken it down and looked the rifle over?

be sure you take it down and clean it, BCG as well, then lube it up before you shoot it,

sounds obvious, but had a guy with a similar issue, as in it would only fire one round,, then nothing,

when I asked him if he cleaned it when he took it out the box he said no, literally out of the box at the range, mag in , pull trigger,,

no worky,

suggested he clean it well and lube, then go back to the range, call me and let me know,

never heard from him again