WE 416 Problems

[Smintheus]

Ok, so, I picked up a secondhand WE 416 from these forums not so long ago. The rifle itself is beautiful, has been fitted with a Magpul PTS CTR stock, and a Magpul trigger guard, and... sod it. I bought this..

http://forums.zeroin.co.uk/showthrea...k416-open-bolt

Now, I haven't had any major problems with it as supplied, which is why I'm not PMing the seller, but. One of my mags started behaving weirdly, leaking from the top valve. Like a good little Boy Scout I stripped it, soaked the O-rings and rebuilt it. But now, every time I fire a shot from that mag, the bolt locks back, and won't come forward without some serious wiggling and swearing. Eventually I scrapped the mag - but now it does it with -every- mag. After a great deal of digging, I've discovered why it keeps doing this, and it seems to be a fairly repeatable issue with WE rifles fitted with new stocks.

The bolt, for one reason or another, is going too far back into the buffer tube, so far that it goes past the hammer, and locks against it. This is repeatable both when firing from a mag, and when using the charging handle. On the advice of another thread I found using the Search Function (go me), I've removed the buffer and tube, glued a pair of pennies to two circles of cardboard to keep them together, and placed them into the back of the tube, on the understanding that the the buffer was coming too far back, allowing the bolt to come in turn, too far back, and jam.

It's still not working. Do I just keep shimming the back of the buffer tube and hope, or have I broken some small part in the trigger box?

I should also note that now, with the gun fully assembled, if I strip it normally without removing the buffer tube, the buffer spring is quite happy to pop out of it's containment, unless I'm very careful. There's a pin holding it in at the bottom, but it doesn't seem sufficient (Another thing which tells me I might have broken a part somewhere.)

Thoughts? I can provide any pictures requested.

Josh

[Jez Armstrong]

Put spacers in the back of the buffer tube, I used a socket piece

[tisane]

Yep Jez had exactly the same issue with his, just keep placing items into the end of the buffer tube until the bolt no longer rides far enough back for the hammer to pop up at the front.



If it helps that's how much of my bolt shows once cocked.

Make sure you use something that isn't going to deform over time too.

[Smintheus]

Re: WE 416 Problems

So just keep going with the spacers... kewl. More pennies it is :D. Before this whole problem started, it was struggling with firing on automatic - the bolt would cycle, but not feed. Is that likely to have been an early symptom of the same issue?

Josh

[tisane]

I'd say the feeding issue would more likely be a problem with the part of the nozzle that pushes the BB out of the mag being worn or damaged.
It's most likely riding over the BB instead of removing it from the mag.

[Smintheus]

Re: WE 416 Problems

It -was- feeding fine on single though. Just on auto, the bolt didn't seem to travel far back enough to collect the BB before coming forward again. I'll re-assemble and test tomorrow in the light, see how we go .

[tisane]

That could be a trigger mech problem.

If you can get a vid up that would be a great help.

[Smintheus]

Re: WE 416 Problems

Vid and pics to follow tomorrow in the light, but... having now got the appropriate amount of shimming, how do I deal with the fact that if I screw my buffer tube all the way in, to as tight as possible, my stock is pointing off at 90 degrees..? This little thread cap thing that I can screw up and down the thread doesn't seem to make a difference..

[tisane]

There should be a locking ring on the stock.

Screw in the stock tube so the stock is at the right angle them lock it into place with that ring.

[Smintheus]

Re: WE 416 Problems

Even with the ring as tight as I can get it, the buffer tube can still turn.. .

[tisane]

That's got me stumped mate

That's the rings only purpose in life, to lock the stock tube into position.

[krowz]

Re: WE 416 Problems

]

how do I deal with the fact that if I screw my buffer tube all the way in, to as tight as possible, my stock is pointing off at 90 degrees..?

don't screw the buffer tube as far as it can go it will damage the little pin that stops the buffer from flying out. here is a photo of mine.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]71040[/ATTACH.
i dont have the proper tool to tighten the ring but i use a punch and the handle of a big screwdriver. i also filled the stock alu buffer with .177 air gun lead to add weight and streched the spring a bit which helped mine to cycle better. (seemed to work)