Stove pipe issue with 2 50beowolf AR's

**Truck** · May 1st, 2023, 10:04 AM

Hello all, I have 2 - ar15parts.com 50 beowolf uppers on 2 Palmetto state armory lowers. Im also using Alexander arms 50 beo mags. From day one they would fire but not eject, bolt never came out of battery after the shot and id have to manually use the charging handle to extract and load next round. I sent the uppers back and was told they tuned them and they now work. I was also told to use a heavier spring and buffer, which i did. Now they both stove pipe 99% of the time and occasionally cycle a round or two properly. When they stove pipe, they stove pipe with the bullet end of the case out and the next round is still in the magazine suggesting the bolt didn't come back far enough? Any thoughts as to what might be happening here? My initial thought is to put the original lite Buffer springs and buffer back in and see if that helps. TIA

**Rural Ruger** · May 1st, 2023, 10:27 AM

Assuming that ammo isnt the issue (you didn't say if factory or hand loaded)....under gassed due to ports, over sprung, or change brand of mags. Not necessarily in that order.

I'd probably start testing with whatever is cheapest ...likely swapping recoil parts if you still have the old ones, as you said. Then maybe another type of mag as step #2.

**85MikeTPI** · May 1st, 2023, 12:05 PM

So many variables. Do they eject a round without a mag installed. What Ammo is being used like RR asked. Is the gas system clean/clear. Is the BCG gas key tight and staked. Is everything broken in and lubricated.

**oldengineer** · May 1st, 2023, 12:30 PM

I'm far from an expert but it seems to me that using a heavier spring and buffer tube would restrict the backward movement of the bolt and cause the problem you're now experiencing. I'd try using the old ones if I were you.

**JoshIronshaft** · May 1st, 2023, 02:15 PM

If you have an iphone with a slow motion video camera you can record the gun firing with that and see what is really happening. I have seen guns stovepipe because of low BCG velocity and I've also seen it happen due to high BCG velocity.

**guncollector** · May 6th, 2023, 03:07 PM

I had some very similar issues as you plus some. It took a bunch of constant trial and error before I figured out and could correct the problems, so the gun functioned properly. Replaced the recoil spring, adjusted the gas block and on & on. Part of the issue is that you may need to fire enough rounds to break the gun in. Lube the heck out if the moving parts before you start shooting. I know its irritating, but what I did was load one round in each magazine and fire it that way until I had about 100 rounds through it. After that it started feeding semi reliably. It took another 200 rounds before it finally worked like it's supposed to. I also had a line scratched down the side of each ejected case. It was caused by the fired cases being scratched by the front edge of the magazine so I dremeled the front lip of the magazine down a bit further and eliminated that issue. I had 2 Alexander arms mags and some standard AR mags I dremeled down on the front edge to make them 50 Beowulf compatible. I was so close to scrapping this gun but it became a challenge and I just wouldn't give up. I'm glad I stuck with it because now I have a gun I can use for pigs, deer whatever! Good luck getting your gun figured out I hope some of this helps.
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PS: The punisher sticker reminds me of how punishing it was to get this damn gun to work right!!!!!!

**Rural Ruger** · May 6th, 2023, 03:39 PM

OP, you didnt happen sell them to Roll Call did you? Two identical 50 Beowulfs came up there the other day. Thought of this post when I saw them

**Truck** · May 7th, 2023, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by Rural Ruger

OP, you didnt happen sell them to Roll Call did you? Two identical 50 Beowulfs came up there the other day. Thought of this post when I saw them

I got the rifles 90% of the way to working perfectly, lighter buffers and buffer springs, cleaned and lubed the hell out of them, etc., but they were still a little temperamental depending on ammo, mags and such. My self taught armorer skills are lacking when it comes time to tweaking gas systems and I prefer a gun that just works no matter what you feed it, so I brought them up there and re-homed them with some people that can get those rifles the last 10% of the way. I'm gonna just put some money away and get myself a pre-built Alexander arms 50beowulf that's 100% out of the box.