[Lee123]

I went out to try my new XCR yesterday afternoon and was very impressed except for one minor problem. Out of 80 rounds fired it got 4 stovepipe jams. I loaded the mag that came with it 4 times, each time with a box of 20 and I got one jam in the middle of each mag. Once it was after the tenth round, once it was after the eighteeth. It was never on the first or last round. Three types of ammo were tried, American Eagle, Federal XM193, and PMC Bronze. Other than when it jammed it functioned perfectly and threw the empty brass well out to the side. Each time it jammed, the bolt came back and picked up the next round from the mag and then trapped the empty case from the previous shot with the mouth sticking straight out the ejection port. All I had to do was pull the bolt back ¼”, pull the empty out, and let the bolt close and it was ready to shoot.

The ejector is tight and the rifle is brand new. The gas setting is on 4, and ejection and feeding was very positive except for the 4 times it didn’t eject. I only had the one magazine, but it doesn’t seem like a magazine problem, since it had no problem feeding and locked open properly on the last round every time. I’m planning to call Robinson on Monday, but if this is a common problem and it just needs to be shot a little more I’ll wait. They were very helpful when I called them last week trying to find a dealer here in Phoenix that would have one in stock, and I hate to bother them if it is just a break in issue. On the other hand with the price of ammo what it is, I hate to go out and shoot 300 hundred rounds hoping that will fix it if it needs a new part.

I’ve been shooting for many years and can usually figure things out and fix them, but this one has me stumped because it worked so well on 76 of the 80 shots. I’d sure appreciate any information anyone could provide.

Thanks for your time.

 

[Mike]

Lee123,

I have had the same problem. In the "technical updates" section on the RA website the following explanation is given:

IMPORTANT BREAK IN PROCEDURE!!!

The XCR is one of the most reliable rifles money can buy. However, they must be "broken in" properly before they are reliable. The break in period is approximately 300 rounds. During this period parts slightly wear against each other until they glide smoothly.

If you use weak ammunition such as Wolf during the break in period, you may experience malfunctions which are caused by the bolt not moving back far enough when the rifle is fired. Here's a list of these malfunction:

1) The bolt does not go back far enough to pick up the next round and forces the round forward by the middle of the cartridge case. (We refer to this as a "short feed"). Many think this is a failure to feed; it is not.
2) An empty case gets caught between bolt and receiver such that the empty case is sticking out of the ejection port. (This is referred to as a "stove pipe".)
3) An empty case is not ejected and an empty case is shoved back inside the chamber. (Note: sometimes the empty case has swollen and it's hard to pull back on the charging handle.) And
4) An empty case and an unfired case get stuck in the action.

These malfunctions are all caused by the same thing - The bolt carrier and bolt are not traveling far enough to the rear of the rifle when fired. All these malfunctions will go away as soon as the rifle is broken in.

I have approximately 600 rounds through mine and still have this problem. The gas setting is on 4. I just sent the bolt in to have the edges of the firing pin hole broken in order to fix other problems. When I get the bolt back I will probably move the gas setting down to 3 or 2 and try again.........

 

[ny32182]

Doesn't really sound like a magazine problem, but, might as well try a couple more just to be sure.

After that, RA does want the break in period, so, I'd probably wait till 300 rounds were down the pipe before contacting them.

All sounds good except you don't mention lube... do you have a lot of lube in there during the break in period? If not, get some, and don't be shy when applying it.

 

[MrChem]

Well, I just put 200 rounds of M193 through my new XCR and didn't have a single malfunction. Maybe I am just lucky. I would avoid the low pressure stuff and lube the heck out of the bolt. If it continues, even with good ammo, I would contact RA.

 

[Lee123]

Thanks for all the responses, although I must say I'm a bit disappointed. The fact that the factory says you can expect it to malfunction when new is very discouraging. I quite sure that neither XM193 or American Eagle is considered "weak ammunition" and I experienced the problem with both of those. Although I've shot mostly handguns, a number of rifles have come and gone over the years. To list a few 2 Springfield M1A's, 3 or 4 various AR's, an AUG, an FS2000, an MSAR STG-556 and a PS90. Every one of them worked flawlessly from day one. The only ones I've ever had reliability problems with when new have been off brand pistol caliber carbines and I sold those quickly. I'm very impressed with the design and simplicity of the XCR, but I have to wonder how they planned to sell these to the military if they announce that a 300 or so round break in period is required before they work reliably. I don't know what the procedures are these days, but I serously doubt that every M16 is fired 300 rounds upon delivery before being issued to make sure it will work.

I like the design enough that I'll give it a good cleaning, lube it thoroughly, shoot it some more and hope it gets better, but the fact that Mike has 600 rounds through his and it's still doing this is not encouraging. If mine doesn't straighten up well before then, it will be sold and replaced with a traditional AR. Ease of maintenance doesn't make up for unreliable performance.

 

[TerraShrewsbury]

It has a lot to do with all the little tolerances on each part. Ever rifle fits together a fraction different. Some guns break in smoother than others. Some have a bit more hiccups. Once all the parts are worn in, however, the problems should stop. Yes, cheap ammo will make the break-in more difficult - but minor malfunctions can indeed occur even with the better ammo. Don't lost heart. If it has any issues at all after break in, we'll have you send it in to me and I will cure its ills.

 

[gr8santini]

Don't worry. Terra will take care of you.

 

[gunner69]

Buy some Militech1, read the directions and lube hell out of it. At the range, while the piece is hot, lube and reshoot. Clean when you get home, and relube. Do that three (3) times and you should be O.K. :2cents: ;D

P.S. If you haven't had the $49.99 super trigger job you need to do that. ;D ;D ;D Read the "trigger" posts for info. :toast: arty:

 

[Lee123]

Thanks for the encouragement. And thanks for the offer of help, Terra. I'll try the Militec1 and shoot it some more. I had one of the early XCR's that needed to be sent in for the bolt recall and the service was excellent. Got it back really quick and it worked perfectly after that. Unfortunately I had to sell it last year and I've regretted it ever since. Hopefully this one will be every bit as good soon.