Welcome back to the 31st installment of my blog, in which I don’t claim to be an expert, in fact the opposite. I’m a new user to the AR platform and want to share my findings and experiences as I go through and build rifles as well as being the Operations Manager at Tyrant Designs.

 

 

Do you know how your rifle works? This is a serious question. If you snarled at the question because you know, then great I’m happy for you. If not, then I think this is something that needs to be addressed. Whether you are a new user or just need a refresher course, I will dive into just how our favorite rifle works. Hold on to your butts!

 

 

The original concept behind the AR-15 was a semiautomatic weapon in which everything happened on the same axis. Also known as the in-line concept, everything happens on the same axis from the stock and all the way to the muzzle. What this accomplishes is allow all reactive forces from a rifle in use to be directed towards the operators shoulder, and no where else (more or less) which makes for a more accurate weapon. 

 

 

The AR-15 fires from a locked bolt position. Once a round is chambered, the bolt will rotate and close behind it. The lugs on the bolt head will then lock the bolt in place by coming into contact with the barrel extension. 

 

After the round is fired, the bolt ends up rotating again, but this time in the opposite direction so it can go back to its original position and the casing can be ejected. As soon as the bullet goes through the barrel, some of the hot gases generated by the combustion go into the gas tube and back towards the bolt carrier group (BCG).

 

Similar to your car, the BCG has gas seals on the piston. The pressure from the expansion of these gases will move the bolt backwards. The recoil spring is under compression by the BCG, and when it is engaged by this bolt being pushed back by the expansion of gases, it then pushes the bolt carrier forward. This is the process that then chambers a new round from the magazine and rotates the bolt into a locked position once again.

I didn’t realize how hard it would be be to explain this in a blog. So I decided to included a video so you can get a better visual on how your AR-15 works. Knowing the ins and outs of your rifle can only help you be more effective. If you know how the rifle operates, it will be that much easier for you to diagnose a problem and fix it.

Who learned something today? Tell me below!