223 not firing

[rjtfroggy]

OK here goes my Here is your sign question. I have probably 500 rounds of 223 reloaded for plinking the other day I took a ammo box full to the range along with my Bushmaster and when loaded all it did was go "CLICK".
Now these are all full length resized and all have a col of 2.218, they are 63gr. sierra's with IMR 4895 23.8gr. cci 400 primers. In the bolt guns these all shoot to about .4@100 with never a skipped beat.
This Bushmaster is a Predator model with 20" barrel and with the factory match ammo usually shoots in the .3's @100.
Could it be that the Bushmaster is 5.56 chamber and just won't take 223 rounds which have been fl sized. If that is the case I now have to just neck size and segregate all my rounds and not take the Bushmaster when I go to the range with the bolt guns.
Should mention that I pulled a reload and a factory bullet when I got home and the factory round went off but the reload did not (just primer).
It has me stumped.

[trappst]

Should mention that I pulled a reload and a factory bullet when I got home and the factory round went off but the reload did not (just primer).
It has me stumped.

How much of a firing pin strike are you getting on the reloads? Are the primers going off or are you getting just a "click"?

FL sizing shouldn't be an issue if factory ammo is going boom. The factory ammo probably has a shorter head to datum length than your FL sized brass.

My first guess would be the CCI 400 primers. I use nothing but Rem. 7.5 BR in my AR.

[dcloco]

Hmm...clean the chamber area on your AR? IS IT locking up ALL the way?

...and quit using 400 primers in your AR...they are not designed to run in semi autos. Yeah.....they WILL fire....but wait until you have a pierced primer...or it starts to run in bursts....or you have to dig primer remnants out of your AR.

Use the 450's, 7.5's, or CCI 41's.

[rjtfroggy]

There is no strike on the reloads at all and the factory the strike appears normal and it goes off.
Forgot to mention the bolt gets stuck forward on the reloads, Had to tap it back with a small block of wood and hammer so I could clear the chamber.
And yes it has been cleaned front to back inside and out

[dcloco]

There is no strike on the reloads at all and the factory the strike appears normal and it goes off.
Forgot to mention the bolt gets stuck forward on the reloads, Had to tap it back with a small block of wood and hammer so I could clear the chamber.
And yes it has been cleaned front to back inside and out


There is something stuck in the upper. Disassemble it. Wear safety glasses if you blow it out with air.

Bet there is a piece of a primer in a lug. (sucks....!!!)

[rjtfroggy]

I will take it all appart in the morning and reclean and blow it out.Took it appart yesterday and didn't see any obstructions(my first thoughts also)but I guess it doesn't hurt to look again.
Oh by the way it won't fire rem.7 1/2"s either, using forward assist did nothing for it either.When the bolt locked up you couldn't break in half to clear the jam either, had to force the bolt to the rear(needed to get extractor over the rim in order to open up.
It has me completely baffled.

[dcloco]

Hmmm...broken firing pin may also be it.

Sorry bud.....this kind of sucks.

[rjtfroggy]

No firing pin is intact, it fires on a factory cartridge, just not a reload.

[Blue Avenger]

Forgot to mention the bolt gets stuck forward on the reloads, Had to tap it back with a small block of wood and hammer so


there is your problem, the bolt is not closing all the way. the base of your reloads is to large and the case is not fitting in all the way. You HAVE TO use "small base dies" when reloading for an AR. If you measure the outside dia of a new and a reload about 3/8" above the rim you will see where your problem is.

[rjtfroggy]

You know Blue that just may be it the box I grabbed were not done with the sb dies they were done on standard fl dies. I'll check first thing in the morning.
Thanks never even thought of that.

[trappst]

I'll have to agree. The AR isn't going into battery due to the cases.....before I got home, I figured it was that or your OAL jamming a bullet into the lands. I just checked the Sierra manual and you're under the published OAL if you're measuring base to tip. So, I'd almost bet you have a sizing issue.

Hope ya get her up and running!

[rjtfroggy]

Trappist that was my very first thought soon as I got home the caliper came out and so did the manuals to check. The 2.218 is perfect for both bolt guns with maybe a hairs worth of wiggle room.
The books and the AR reloading guide recommend 2.225 so I don't think .007 is making that much of a difference, or at least I hope not.
Going to check Blues idea later this morning and see the difference.If I can't find the problem I will either be ordering a couple hundred factory rounds or be calling Bushmaster for a possible answer, or just lock in safe and forget I have it, wouldn't sell a non functioning gun.

[rjtfroggy]

I resized the case this morning and all is well.
Now I have 500 rounds for the bolt guns and need to get more brass for the Bushmaster. Correction 498.

[Blue Avenger]

I could tell you how I knew, but I think you can figure it out for your self ;)

[tomme boy]

Of the 7 or 8 AR's I have had, I have NEVER HAD to use a SB die. Set up your die right and you dont have to use a SB die.

[rjtfroggy]

My dies are set up per the directions from the manufactures.I fl sized with a lyman die and they are fine for the bolt guns but as I found out will not work in MY Bushmaster.I resized with a RCBS sb die and now they work,so from now on the brass for the Bushmaster gets done with sb dies.
There is not much worse than getting to the range and have something go wrong when you are set up for a full morning of shooting and then not a shot gets fired.

PS Blue thanks for jarring my stagnant brain.

[tomme boy]

But your die is still bored too deep so it will not size right. Send it back to the maker and tell them to do it right.