Issue with my late 1980's Colt M4 Sporter .223

[DMas]

Posted this in the other forum, seems like it fits better here.

Recently my dad handed down to me a late 1980's Colt M4 Sporter Match HBAR .223.
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I am running into some feeding issues. Sometimes the bullet will not chamber correctly into the barrel and the tip of the round will hit slightly below the barrel (See below)
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It will cause the bolt carrier/bolt to dent the round like this.

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At first it was happening when it was close to the end of the mag, I was using some ASC stainless steel mags, and the guys at my local range suggested poly mags, so I got a poly mag and I am still having the same issues, and not just when it is close to the end of the mag. I read up on poly mags and it seems that the consensus is online that the Magpul poly mags are the best so I recently purchased a few of the gen 3 ones online. I haven't received them yet so hopefully I made a good choice.

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Any ideas/tips would be appreciated!

-D

 

[EMC45]

Get some Brownells or Magpul mags then report back...

 

[RamRoddoc]

Clean the chamber really good with a chamber brush, try a variety of ammo, check the gas rings on the bolt-staggered, if you still have issues check for a blockage of the gas tube.

 

[rOmiLaYu]

To me it sounds like a magazine feeding issue or a tilted follower. Either way it sounds like the round is nosing down while being stripped off. I've never been a fan of Ramline mags and I have no experience with the brand of steel mags you have. If the rifle is still mis behaving after using Pmags, it's another issue.

However, I suspect that mags are to blame.....although RamRod's advice is still solid.

 

[Wallace's]

I would also clean up those feeding ramps. Is the rust/corrosion on them?

 

[DMas]

Thanks for the advice, when I get the Magpul's and try them out I'll report back, also I'll give the feeding ramps another clean but I think its just discoloration doesn't appear to be debris on them. I have been 2 different types of ammo, was using some older UMC ammo, and also some newer Remington UMC bulk packs.

 

[mtdawg169]

That damage is usually indicative of short stroking. However, those mags are crap. Let us know how it goes with the Pmags and we can go from there.

 

[rOmiLaYu]

...those mags are crap.

That's what I was going to say, but I was kind.

 

[mtdawg169]

That's what I was going to say, but I was kind.

Sorry, I probably should have been a little more polite about it.

Nice Colt though!

 

[Benhad]

That's the problem we had in Vietnam..