Howdy Appleseeders,
I was out at the range today exercising a new 5.45x39mm upper receiver on a previously purchased lower to take advantage of the 16 cent/round Russian surplus ammo that's available. Nothing like the same platform at 1/3 the ammo cost (assuming you can even get .223/5.56 locally).
I had heard of the cartridge above the bolt carrier jam before, but never personally experienced one. It certainly hasn't been something that I've ever set up for practice clearing at training events that I've participated in before.
The situation developed when I had a failure to extract followed by a double feed. While removing (forcibly) the magazine, I suspect that the round trying to feed into the chamber got sprung up from spring tension into the area where the charging handle (locked forward) has its hollow portion. The bolt was far enough back that it captured the live round with the nose of the bullet getting into the hole in the charging handle where the gas tube normally comes through, and thus probably into the gas tube itself a bit.
The magazine was out but the round was now locking the charging handle and the bolt carrier together in such a manner as to prevent full retraction of the combination. Also prevented was the complete disassembly of the upper and lower receivers from each other because of the carrier's protrusion into the buffer tube.
What to do....
MULTI-TOOL to the RESCUE!
With a multi-tool up through the mag well, I was able to push backwards on the bolt/bolt carrier combination, compressing the buffer spring, while the charging handle was still latched forward. With a move similar to a three-handed monkey I then rotated the rifle over to normal orientation, allowing Newton's contribution of gravity to help out in pulling the jammed cartridge out the bottom of the mag well.
The bolt went forward and, upon another retraction of the charging handle, the case that had failed to extract came right out and the AQT was on its way again.
Thank goodness it was the 4th stage :)
Just a note about a rare event with ARs that I hadn't personally experienced before in hopes that it can come in handy in the future.
AZG
adapt
improvise
overcome
type on the internet afterwards
;D O0