Problem With 8-round Enblocs?

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  • Greytguy
    • May 2012
    • 19

    Problem With 8-round Enblocs?

    Here is the situation: I ordered 10 8-round enblocs from a on-line vendor for my HRA Service Grade Garand that I recently received from CMP, loaded & shot them two weeks ago with absolutely no problems. After that session, I ordered 10 more enblocs from the same vendor, loaded and shot them last weekend. On about 1/2 of that lot, I experienced misfeeds/jams- 1 round per clip and ALWAYS the 7th round. The round was cross-wise, with the tip of the round ending up high & to the left of the chamber. In every case, I was easily able to clear the misfeed by pulling the bolt to the rear, pushing the misfed round back into the clip and then letting the bolt go forward. The round correctly chambered every time on the 2nd go-round. The manufacturer of both lots of clips appears to the same. The stamp says "AEC", which I believe is Aggressive Engineering- a quality product. The ammo in all cases was the same- new Hornady from CMP.

    Who can tell me what is going on? Are some of the enblocs bad or just new & "tight"? Something else?
  • islander47
    • Dec 2009
    • 315

    #2
    Some times loading your clips so the first round feeds off the opposite side makes a difference.

    Comment

    • lapriester
      • Oct 2009
      • 16980

      #3
      Brand of clips? If they are unbranded they are probably Chinese. If you got a good deal on them...they are probably chinese. If they are Chinese send them back because they will never be reliable. I had the exact malfunctions you are describing with the Chinese clips I bought after buying my first CMP Garand. I turn those ten into home made SLEDS I gave away to my friends.

      Aggressive Engineering are some of the only high quality current commercial clips available today. USGI clips, even rusted ones that you clean up, are better than you'll get from most cut rate commercial venders. CMP supplies AG clips with their rifles.

      A lesson well learned and learned by many of us in the past before we knew better.

      Larry

      Comment

      • normannewguy
        • Dec 2009
        • 897

        #4
        I had same problem but with Greek and USGI clips. Found out follower was worn in tracks and slightly bent. Replaced it and all is well now.

        Comment

        • Greytguy
          • May 2012
          • 19

          #5
          @islander47: I load with bottom round on the left, which puts the top round on the right.
          @lapriester: the stamp on the clip says "AEC". Is that Aggressive Engineering Corp? The vendor website says they are made in the USA. I paid $8.45 per five pack. Midway advertises Aggressive clips for $8.99/5-pack, but they have been out of stock for a while.
          @normannewguy: if it is a follower problem, would the problem happen every time, or intermittently? Remember, I have fired 21 clips over two sessions, with 5-6 misfeeds only during the second session. Can a visual inspection tell if the follower is bad? If it is the follower, will the problem get worse? And why only on the 7th round???

          Comment

          • KP49
            • Apr 2012
            • 64

            #6
            I have 10 clips a friend gave me that acted the same way in his Garand, they are marked 'AEC 3.' He bought them online somewhere, not sure where exactly.

            They work 100% in my rifle, haven't tried them all but the five he had problems with worked fine. I gave him the one that came with my rifle from CMP (dont remember how it was marked) but he claims it works fine in his.

            Comment

            • panther308
              • Mar 2011
              • 435

              #7
              Had the same issue with the Greek ammo I received, they were loaded in clips that on the 7th round would stumble evertime (not with the Greek ammo) so I had some wonderful Members here chip in and offer wonderful insight and even sent me some different clips to try and in the end I believe the clips contributated to the issue so I would suggest trying some different clips especially if the ones you have are stamped "SF"
              The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield and skill is more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.

              Comment

              • lapriester
                • Oct 2009
                • 16980

                #8
                Originally posted by Greytguy View Post
                @islander47: I load with bottom round on the left, which puts the top round on the right.
                @lapriester: the stamp on the clip says "AEC". Is that Aggressive Engineering Corp? The vendor website says they are made in the USA. I paid $8.45 per five pack. Midway advertises Aggressive clips for $8.99/5-pack, but they have been out of stock for a while.
                @normannewguy: if it is a follower problem, would the problem happen every time, or intermittently? Remember, I have fired 21 clips over two sessions, with 5-6 misfeeds only during the second session. Can a visual inspection tell if the follower is bad? If it is the follower, will the problem get worse? And why only on the 7th round???
                You may indeed have a follower problem if you are using AEC clips and are still having an occasional misfeed. My correct HRA I bought in 2006 had the same problem you are describing even with good clips. Way back then a Forum member suggested I replace the follower which I did. After that it never misfed again. I actually believe I put that follower in a different rifle a year or two later when I was building another rifle and in that other rifle it worked flawlessly. Go figure.

                To be perfectly honest the way you load the clip and which round is on top should make no difference on whether the rifle malfunctions and misfeeds rounds. That was, way back when, a means on minimizing the Garand malfuction know as the seventh round failure before they actually found the real reason and corrected the problem.

                The main reason you want the first round in the clip to be on the right is because it makes it easier to fully insert the fully loaded clip far enough with your thumb to release the bolt. Having the first round on the left can sometimes make it complicated. Leftys usually will load the clip with the first round on the left to facilitate making it easier for them to get the clip down fully. I know several left handed Garand shooters that do that and none of them ever have a misfeed because of it.

                If your Garand is misfeeding as you describe it's a rifle or enbloc problem (less likely if using AEC clips) you haven't found yet. It's unlikely an operator problem or the method of loading your enblocs.

                Larry

                Comment

                • Greytguy
                  • May 2012
                  • 19

                  #9
                  Larry,

                  Thanks for the info- it was very helpful. I didn't know there was a documented "7th Round Failure" issue. I guess with as many rifles as were built and the number of rounds fired through them over the decades, I shouldn't be surprised.

                  Where's the best place to get a replacement follower? CMP store doesn't appear to sell them. I see some on-line, but they either say they come from a manufacturer other than HRA, or nothing at all. Is is OK to put a Springfield follower in an HRA rifle?, or am I asking for more problems?

                  BTW, when I was investigating my enblocs, I noticed that the front edges of some in the "lot" of 10 where I had my misfeeds were significantly more "pinched" together than others- upwards of an 1/8th of an inch. Is that something I should be concerned about? Will they "stretch out" with use?

                  Brett

                  Comment

                  • lapriester
                    • Oct 2009
                    • 16980

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Greytguy View Post
                    Larry,

                    Thanks for the info- it was very helpful. I didn't know there was a documented "7th Round Failure" issue. I guess with as many rifles as were built and the number of rounds fired through them over the decades, I shouldn't be surprised.

                    Where's the best place to get a replacement follower? CMP store doesn't appear to sell them. I see some on-line, but they either say they come from a manufacturer other than HRA, or nothing at all. Is is OK to put a Springfield follower in an HRA rifle?, or am I asking for more problems?

                    BTW, when I was investigating my enblocs, I noticed that the front edges of some in the "lot" of 10 where I had my misfeeds were significantly more "pinched" together than others- upwards of an 1/8th of an inch. Is that something I should be concerned about? Will they "stretch out" with use?

                    Brett
                    I've been known to grab and "stretch" some of the excessive tension off some of my tighter enblocs. They will eventually loosen up some but I am an impatient person in that regard

                    If that lot of clips was the ones giving you problems work and stretch them a bit. You might also put a light coat of grease on the inner, upper lip of them. I do that with my match clips that feed without an op rod "bump" on the first round.

                    Larry

                    Comment

                    • Orlando
                      • Oct 2009
                      • 11971

                      #11
                      Larry
                      Cant a weak Op Rod spring also cause this issue?
                      "I am the master of my unspoken words, and a slave to those that should have remained unspoken. ...

                      Comment

                      • 78jeep
                        • Oct 2009
                        • 1729

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Orlando View Post
                        Larry
                        Cant a weak Op Rod spring also cause this issue?
                        I'm also thinking op-rod spring.
                        CMP GSM Master Instructor 2008

                        Comment

                        • Greytguy
                          • May 2012
                          • 19

                          #13
                          And the best place to get a new follower? Is it OK if the replacement isn't HRA?

                          Comment

                          • Greytguy
                            • May 2012
                            • 19

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Orlando View Post
                            Larry
                            Cant a weak Op Rod spring also cause this issue?
                            I don't need to bump my op rod after I load a clip, could this be related?

                            Comment

                            • Orlando
                              • Oct 2009
                              • 11971

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Greytguy View Post
                              I don't need to bump my op rod after I load a clip, could this be related?
                              This is my opinion:
                              Having to bump the Op Rod to close bolt is normal on a properly operating rifle. Out of the 24 Garands I have owned they all needed assistance closing except for one very well worn Rack Grade. I beleive I replaced the bullet guide on that one
                              Weak Op Rod spring "can/may " cause timing problems and the issue you are having.
                              "I am the master of my unspoken words, and a slave to those that should have remained unspoken. ...

                              Comment

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