Last week we talked about Buying Your First AR and Disassembling an AR. Whether you have been around them for a while or the system is brand new to you, there are a lot of little moving parts in there. Making sure you put the rifle together right will save you from embarrassment and hassle.
A function check is something I was required to know and do every time I put my rifle back together. I’ve never seen anyone teach or use the technique in civilian life, but you should. It’s simple and will ensure your trigger and bolt is working properly. It’s super simple and I still do it when I mess with one of my rifles.
First, and really necessary for this one, make sure the rifle is unloaded. Then hold the rifle so you can pull the trigger and charging handle at the same time.
I just put the stock on the ground or table and point the rifle up, makes it easy.
Follow these steps and listen;
- Remove the Magazine
- Double check to make sure the rifle is Unloaded and you have no ammo around
- Put the rifle on “Safe”
- Pull the trigger, nothing should happen
- Put the rifle on “Fire”
- Pull the trigger and hold it to the rear, the rifle should click
- Cycle the bolt by pulling the charging handle all the way back and letting it go while still holding down the trigger
- Release the trigger and there should be a pop
- Put the weapon on safe and you are done.
The rifle will make a really weird noise if something is broken or put together wrong.
If you are lucky enough to have a rifle with a fun switch (AKA burst or full-auto), repeat steps 4 to 8, but you need to cycle the bolt multiple times. If you have a 3-round burst trigger, cycle the bolt three times. If you have a full-auto rifle (besides being lucky), cycle the bolt multiple times and then release the trigger. You’ll get the same pop.
Stay Safe,
Ben