Was shooting with some cheap reloads last weekend, and all of a sudden my AR 15 stopped ejecting casing. I spent the rest of the day shooting my AR15 like a bolt action rifle.
Back home I inspected the rifle back and forth. Ran a rod through the whole gas chamber to look for dirt or debris, checked every nook and cranny, and it seemed that the BCG was seating correctly.
As I was giving the bolt carrier group a thorough cleaning, I finally found the culprit – a primer popped out off a spent casing and lodged itself inside the gas port of the carrier key. It was seated 3/4 inch inside, and no pliers could reach inside.
The only tool that can reach inside is a drill bit. Starting with the 11/64 bit, I shaved out most of the primer, then I switched to a 1/8 drill to break open the base of the primer to loosen it up.
What’s left of the primer after a lot of drilling (and patience)
Now it’s time to hit the range!
Fun on the workbench 