Tight AR-15's - How to adjust the Rifle ?

[kencha]

Chrome moly is the steel alloy used for the barrel. The chromium and molybdenum are throughout the steel, not a plating.

In addition, it could be chrome lined, but doesn't have to be. I have no idea if it is true, but I think RRA's current markings would be CL for chrome-lined, which would automatically be a CM barrel as well.

[dkf]

Looks like it is time to state that the Serial Number on my Rock River Arms AR is
CM 24####.

Chrome Molibidiunumbium !

Is that Plated into the barrel or is it a sleeve or what ?

How thick is the "Chrome Molibidiunumbium" ?

My spell checker just freaked out !

The weather is improving here....maybe...... !

DoctorBill

Thats a chromoly 4140 or 4150 barrel which is most likely chrome lined. The 4140/4150 barrels almost always get chrome lined or melonited.

[GT27]

Shoot it first,then evaluate,not before! The secret to reloading this caliber is getting your resizing/decapping die set correctly, then use a Wilson chamber gauge to verify, in my experience!

[tomme boy]

The serial # has nothing to do with if it is CL or not. They must have changed because they used to only have CL barrels in the past.

[mulespurs]

My experience on the sighting in distance for a flattop ar with scope is to sight in at 50 yds.
That gives me a 200 yd zero with my loads.

[WineMan]

I use RCBS X dies, standard base. A little klutzy at first as you have to size twice initially and trim pretty short. After that, no trimming has been needed. I try not to set the shoulder back more than 0.003". RCBS, Wilson or Forester make tools to measure the base to shoulder datum of the cases. Probably $50-70 all said and done. The AR-15's bolt and bolt carrier are pretty hefty for the size of the cartridge. We were shooting at 300 one day and a young man next to me starts screaming. He had one of the trigger guard bolt release levers and was trying to clear a jam when he tripped the BR. Talk about blood and guts. Those little lugs really do cut. M1 Thumb is usually just a lost nail and some bruising, but I had to pull out the 1st Aid kit and put some real compression on his finger. I doubt it has any issues putting that small case in its place regardless of the base size.

I would not sweat the AR, it is a well developed platform, with not much unknown about it. There are all sorts of U-Tube videos of people putting 800 rounds through one continuously until it fails, pretty rugged in my opinion. Even Curtis Lemay (of SAC fame) would be even more impressed today about his watermelon killer and how it has grown up.

Shooting 22 caliber cast will be another matter. I think the difficulty of an accurate cast bullet is directly related to its diameter. The bigger they are, the better they fly (probably because they are not as fast). I am not saying that 22-375 cal are inaccurate, but getting the smaller ones to cooperate has a greater level of difficulty than do the larger ones. Sometimes the fun is in the chase though, and I encourage you to give it a college try. Enjoy your AR, I love mine.

Dave

[popper]

I'd keep the SB die for range pickup reloading. Ya never know. It won't hurt anything.

[DoctorBill]

I have three Arisaka's. Plus a Jap made Italian Type I 6.5mm Arisaka.

The Japanese had chromed some barrels.

Was that a sleeve or was it done by electrolytic Chrome Plating ?

I understand that chromed Bumpers have to be copper plated,
then Nickel Plated, and finally chrome plated.

Did the Japanese do all that or use Chrome Steel Sleeves
that were pressed in ?

Things have sure progressed !

Maybe some day we will have inner barrel diamond coating.

Paper Patching allows one to shoot ANYTHING. The poor
man's Sabot. You could paper patch Tungsten Rods and shoot
them in your rifles w/o any damage at all. so called antiquated
methods....

DoctorBill

[tomme boy]

Hard chrome is not the same as chrome plating on a bumper.

[GabbyM]

As a 22 boolit shooter I'll have to disagree with WineMan about cast in 22's.
I've never had any issue with shooting 22 cast bullets in AR-15's, 223 bolt gun and for sure not my 14 twist barrel 222 Rem.
I don't weight sort or any other extra hurdles to make up my 22 bullets. Just cast them from good alloy, size in a Lyman 4500 and load.

[DoctorBill]

Gabby - who's mold are you casting the .224's with ?

Do you use Gas Caps ? Gas Caps are around 3.5 ¢+ each.

If you don't mind, what are you using for powder ?

Do the reloaded, cast boolit rounds cycle in the AR w/o any troubles ?

I might 'try' to get ahold of a mold, but with the FMJ bullets
as low as 10¢ a round, the .223 is fairly inexpensive to shoot.

Adding $100 for a mold (unfortunately LEE doesn't have one)
for this AR is not what I want to do.

DoctorBill

[GabbyM]

You have a good point about ten cent bullets. I am still working through seven thousand Hornadys I bought just a few years back for under six cents. For light loads in 223 bolt gun. Before my rifle casting days. I’d use 22 Hornet bullets over Unique. For a 22 RFM duplicate load. They shot good. Charge with 2400 for a 22 Hornet equivalent load.
My mold is a Lyman #225646 sized at .225”. I have a new NOE mold waiting to get used. It’s a 55 grain Egan. Have to use gas checks to reach over 22 rim fire velocity of about 1200 fps. Little under $20 per thousand or short of 2 cents. My alloy was 3% tin 6% antimony oven heat treated using low temp. I over heated a big batch of 22 bullets once in the gas oven so I keep a close watch on them now.
Powder charge on the ones I fired through the AR’s was 14.5 grains of H-4198. That’s a fairly fast powder to get function from an AR-15 with 20 inch barrel and rifle gas system. You get higher pressures from the carbine gas length system. On the newer rifle it ejected and loaded but would not hold back bolt on last shot. So was barely working. Most guys that have shot lots of cast through AR’s recommend 4895. In my 222 bolt gun I’ve been shooting 14.0gr AA 5744. I have some AA LT-32 in the mail now. It’s slower than 4198 by a bit and small grain so they say. Will of course be trying that out in the 222 with cast and it’s for 53gr J bullets in the AR.
If you have a NATO chamber with the .227” free bore diameter. NOE has some .227” bullet molds. You would need a large expander plug or neck bushing to prep brass for that big bullet. I bought an RCBS .224” expander for my .225” boolits.
　

[bdecker9]

Uh Midsouthss has Lee bator mold gc. They are cheap. You can buy gc from users here pretty cheap, but I 've always thought lead was a no no in an ar. But I'm gonna try it now. Worst that could happen is lead in the port

[DoctorBill]

Thank YOU, bdecker9 !

I had forgotten that MidSouth Shooter's Supply carries Special Order Bullet Molds !

Just got myself set up for Casting and shooting .224 boolits for less than $75

....ITEM...................DESCRIPTION............ ...........Each
000037010.........22 Caliber .224 Dia G.C's..........$25.52
0000622BATOR...22 Caliber 55 Grain Mold...........$18.31
0000690049.......22 Caliber Lube & Size Kit.........$18.27

Fedex costs as much as the mold !

Why can't MSSS ship the Lube Sizer in the mail ! (USPS).
Must be that LEE Bullet Lube they include with the sizing Die !

I have umpteen bottles of that stuff - came with every sizing die I bought
from LEE !

DoctorBill

[wlc]

Dr Bill, I don't think its the Lee lube. I just figure Midsouth has an account with FEDX and does ALL their shipping through them. I've ordered Lee lube and size kits from Titan Reloading and they ship them USPS. Living where I do I always ask a company first if they use or can use USPS. If they don't I usually take my business elsewhere. I have ordered a very few things that were pretty much gotta have or only source available at the time and had them shipped up UPS once and FEDX once. I'll never voluntarily do that again. Shipping was a good bit more than the product. ie. $10 product and $20 shipping...

[DoctorBill]

I worked for a German Corp's Allergy Division for 22 years in R&D.

They had a contract with UPS. They shipped only by UPS and got a percentage
cut of the shipping fee.

Dirty Rotten Shaderackin Blasted Fraderappers !

That kind of "Business" is rotten to the core...in my humble opinion.

The customers can go spit ! It may be Capitalism, but it is screwing
the customer over and only the Bean Counters get a bonus at year's end.

The world is run by Bean Counters.

DoctorBill

[Sticky]

I think it is the Lee Lube... I ordered a handful of things recently and among them (the only questionable item) was a sizer with Alox.... it had a haz sticker on the outside of the box.. not hazmat like powder or primers, but chemicals...

[Screwbolts]

Dr B, I know you asked someone else, but I cast and load for somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 different 22 cal center fire rifles. 22-Hornet threw 22-250s, many ARs, I have 22 cal molds from BRP, NOE, 5 Mihec molds , Ace, and Ideal. Go for gator Gas checks, IMHO they are the best if your not personaly making them from aluminum. I run cast almost exclusively threw my ARs, all with 5.56 chambers . I have listed my loads in many places elsewhere on this forum.

I size all my 22 cal cast at .226+. IMHO your listed .224 sizer will need to be opened up.

There are several suppliers of molds designed for the 5.56 chamber. IMHO if you want to find out what your rifle is capable of you need a good mold that will allow you to cast quality boolitz. The Bator may be just that. I choose to use 5,6 and 8 Cav molds to feed my habits.

Ken

[osteodoc08]

RRA produce quality products. I have one that hasn't given me any issues. To the OP- just go shoot it. It will likely be just fine. I use SB dies to originally size unknown brass. After it gets shot in my rifle, I use the regular dies. YMMV.

[DoctorBill]

Went to the Range today........Holy Moley !

I love this rifle ! Took me a long time to get the rounds on paper.
The range was 'crawling' with guys shooting !

Once I knew where the rounds were going at 25 meters,
I sighted in at 80 meters (the range is set up in meters).

Here is my 15 inch Pizza Round with a 9 inch Foil 'take-out lid'
with a 2 inch target Dot in the order of sighting adjustments
(1 thru 7). Remember, I am not a sniper......a 72 yrs old bozo.
I usually shoot old 'antique' military rifles using the open iron sights.

BTW - I make my own targets - I am "CHEAP"....



I then switched to my 100 meter homemade target and they went
right into where I aimed them (the orange Dot)!

Amazing for me !

I let my son's girlfriend shoot the AR....nice girl.
(any woman under 50 years old is a "girl" to me !)



The rifle ate all the reloaded ammo I fed it......about 110 rounds.

I shot at pieces of clay pigeon targets laying around - hit all of them.

Amazing rifle. Now to practice to become a sniper for the gubment....

DoctorBill