I have an old AR7, and I can shoot the first shot out of it without incident, but the second round jams up, consistently. When I pull the bolt back, the cartridge, unfired, is bent, at about a 15 degree angle, close to the actual slug. Can you tell me what is wrong with it?
Thanks,
handsomeharry
That’s called stove piping I believe. Your barrel is worn out. Put an empty casing in the breach and wiggle it. It should fit tightly. Yours is too loose and allows the casing to move when fired.
You should no longer shoot this gun. It’s dangerously worn.
Not a gunsmith but a semi experienced shooter.
Sounds to me like the round is failing to feed fully and the bolt is slamming into the case before its lined up to the chamber.
If so weak magazine springs or magazine feed lips that are a little too curved inward might be the culprit. Bending the magazine feed lips out a bit might help. Does it do this with all magazines?
Well, I only have one magazine. I shall give it the empty casing test, and I shall also try to bend the mag feed lips.
Thanks for your input, and I’ll welcome any others!
handsomeharry
The AR-7 is still being made, this time by Henry Repeating Arms.
According to my user’s manual, a new barrel is $29.95. The complete barrel assembly is $39.95. A new magazine is $12.95.
My guess is that the magazine is at fault; but you’d have to try to duplicate the failure with more than one magazine to test it.
A stovepipe is a failure to eject. The ejected brass will be caught by the closing action, sticking out so it looked like a stove pipe. The OP is experiencing a failure to feed. I’d try different mags before replacing the barrel.
All I know is from cartoons – when it doesn’t shoot, don’t turn it around and peer down the barrel with one eye.
Your gun does not sound dangerous, just annoying. I have a Charter Arms that I really like, but it can be super frustrating with all it’s feed problems, but I think that is one of the things that has kept my interest in this rifle, trying to get it firing right. Mine came with 5 magazines, and one works perfectly, the rest having the same 2nd round jam problem you described, and some jam far beyond that. www.ar-7.com is a great source for parts and accessories, they have magazines, and barrels too if you really want a new one. I bought their target barrel last year, and despite needing to slightly modify it and my receiver with a dremel tool, it fits fine now and with a scope I can actually put a full magazine through the same hole @ 100 yds. Never expected that! Sportsman’s Guide also has 8 & 15 rd magazines available. I haven’t tried their 15 rd yet, but it looks different than those 15 rounders floating around at the gun shows, which are total junk. I bought one of those and couldn’t even fit it to the receiver, and after several hours of grinding, sanding, adjusting feed lips, building up feed ramp w/ jb weld, etc. the best I’ve done with it is made a very long functioning 5 rd magazine. I think these rifles are great for people who like to tinker, and can be very accurate as well as easy to bring along when you want to tramp around, but if you can’t stand the frustration, I’d say move on to something more reliable, Marlin, Ruger, etc. If I ever figure out what’s up with that 2nd round jam I’ll post it right away. Good luck!