Posts: 570
Threads: 37
Joined: Mar 2018
I have two 17rd Elander mags. Today I had both of them malfunction the same way. Loaded full (with two diff. types of ammo SST and American Gunner, one type in each mag) they ran perfectly fine until the 2nd from the last round.
It ejected the spent fine, but the 2nd from the last round would get hung up on the way into the chamber and be smashed by the bolt against the barrel extension.
I know the mags are finicky but they are both doing the same thing at the same point in the mag. What's the most likely fix? Bending feed lips?
Posts: 6,193
Threads: 170
Joined: Mar 2015
08-02-2018, 11:53 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-02-2018, 11:55 PM by A5BLASTER.)
Sounds like both of them having something catching the follower in the same spot inside the mag body.
Open them up and look at the weld spots to see if the follower is catching.
Whatever it is that's catching the follower you will see a rub mark on the mag and the follower.
You could check the lips but I doubt they would be the problem, if they were they would be doing it more then often.
I'm almost positive it's something inside the mag body that's grabbing the follower.
Posts: 570
Threads: 37
Joined: Mar 2018
how do you open them up? I'm only familiar with pmags... just unbend the tabs on the bottom?
Posts: 6,193
Threads: 170
Joined: Mar 2015
No don't bend the tabs.
Push the lil button that sticks throw the floor plate in and then slide the floor plate off.
Never bend the lil tabs.
Posts: 6,206
Threads: 50
Joined: Mar 2011
The ejector can cause a failure to feed and there is an easy modification you can do to the ejector to help determine if this a magazine issue or maybe the ejector. At least if you do the mod your eliminating one potential problem.
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2014...artridges/
Posts: 8,507
Threads: 241
Joined: Sep 2014
imaguy3 Wrote:I have two 17rd Elander mags. Today I had both of them malfunction the same way. Loaded full (with two diff. types of ammo SST and American Gunner, one type in each mag) they ran perfectly fine until the 2nd from the last round.
It ejected the spent fine, but the 2nd from the last round would get hung up on the way into the chamber and be smashed by the bolt against the barrel extension.
I know the mags are finicky but they are both doing the same thing at the same point in the mag. What's the most likely fix? Bending feed lips?
This is normally called a Bolt Over Base Failure To Feed Malf.
It is often a gas system problem, and since it happened with 2 mags in the same manner, it could be both gas system and mags.
Usually, it's a matter of the BCG not retracting enough due to insufficient gas, or excessive gas and too fast of a cyclic rate for the magazine spring to catch up with.
If you clean out the inside of the magazines, it could help with this issue.
Look for any burrs on the inside of the magazine and on the follower.
NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO
CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor
6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:
www.AR15buildbox.com
Posts: 1,691
Threads: 18
Joined: Feb 2013
^^one of mine intermittently did what the op describes. I change my leaky gas block and cured my problem. Look for gas leaks.
Another sign mine displayed was on the last round it locked back on the mag not on the bolt catch. If the mag doesn’t drop free after the last shot it may be undergassed. Not traveling back far enough.
Posts: 6,193
Threads: 170
Joined: Mar 2015
I don't think it's a gas problem but I could be wrong.
He said both mags had the same malfunction with different ammo but at the same round count leavt in the mag.
To me that sounds like both mags have a lil ruff spot are weld spot that is catching the follower and causing it to malfunction.
That's just how it reads to me, I have been known to be wrong though.
Posts: 1,230
Threads: 6
Joined: Jun 2016
I had a similar problem. Disassembled the mags and polished the inside of the feedlips and upper magazine with 0000 oiled steel wool. Problem solved.
Posts: 570
Threads: 37
Joined: Mar 2018
A5BLASTER Wrote:I don't think it's a gas problem but I could be wrong.
He said both mags had the same malfunction with different ammo but at the same round count leavt in the mag.
To me that sounds like both mags have a lil ruff spot are weld spot that is catching the follower and causing it to malfunction.
That's just how it reads to me, I have been known to be wrong though.
This thank you... each mag had a few hundred rounds of suppressed use... inside was a rough mess at the top of the mag where the follower was hanging up. Cleaned up and they are smooth again.
Posts: 6,193
Threads: 170
Joined: Mar 2015
imaguy3 Wrote:This thank you... each mag had a few hundred rounds of suppressed use... inside was a rough mess at the top of the mag where the follower was hanging up. Cleaned up and they are smooth again.
Hey no problem sir, glad we could help find the problem.
Posts: 65
Threads: 8
Joined: Nov 2017
I have 15 of the Elander 17rd mags ... I max load them to 15 rds. All of them have needed a brief "work in" period ... maybe 5 mags worth of shooting ... but then have not had any issues. But thanks for the tip. I have about 800rds total thru them all with most thru the first five, so I might be approaching the next issue, as described herein, for the 5 well used ones.
