PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-566
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 566
JANUARY 2000
PS 566
51
PS 566
50
JAN 00
our M16 rifle needs gas to push its
bolt back to the lock position after a
round is fired. If it doesn’t get enough
gas, either rounds won’t chamber or
the rifle will suffer short recoil and
your rifle stops firing.
Bad gapping of the bolt’s gas rings
is often the cause of a gas shortage. If
the ring’s gaps are lined up, too much
gas escapes. The gaps must be stag-
gered. If those on your bolt aren’t, stag-
ger them.
M16-Series Rifle . . .
Clean the outside of the receiver end
of the gas tube with a bore brush and
CLP (or RBC). But do it carefully. If
you bend the tube, it won’t mate with
the carrier key. Then gas can’t push
the bolt back.
When the handguards are off, keep
your hands off the gas tube. It doesn’t
take much pressure to bend the tube.
If the carrier key is dented,
loose, or worn, it probably needs
replacing. Tell your armorer.
Hands off gas tube
Carrier key
loose or
dented?
Cleaning
carbon out of
the gas system
is also
important. If
the gas
system’s
plugged, gas
can’t go where
it’s supposed to. Clean the carrier key
thoroughly with an old bore brush, CLP
(or RBC), and a pipe cleaner. To get
out every bit of carbon, work the bore
brush all the way back in the key.
But never use a cotton tip instead of
a pipe cleaner. The cotton comes off,
mixes with lube and carbon, hardens,
and plugs the gas port.
Does bolt
fall out of
carrier?
probably need to be replaced. Tell your
armorer.
what's
wrong
with
you?
i'm
out
of
gas
! i just feel
all
plugged
up
!
now
i'm all
gassed
up
and
ready
to do some
serious
firing
!
A good test of the condition of the
gas rings is to stick the bolt in the bolt
carrier. Turn the bolt carrier upside
down. If the bolt falls out, the gas rings
Stagger bolt ring gaps
Use pipe
cleaner—
not cotton
tip—on
carrier key
Back to Top Back to Top
