Need Recommendation for Gunsmith for AR-15 help in Crestview

[PensacolaEd]

Couple of months ago, I was at a local Gun Range trying to sight in my S&W M&P15 AR, and while I was downrange (cold range) putting out a target, I believe one of the Range employees forced my bolt really hard to try to open the action and the dust cover. When I came back to the shooting line, he gave me kind of a funny look, and when I tried to load, the bolt went forward, but a round didn't chamber, then it wouldn't open. I brought the gun home and separated the upper and lower receiver, and tried to remove the BCG, and the bolt was stuck. After spraying it with silicone and tapping on it, with no luck, I eventually (carefully) tried to pry the Bolt back with a screwdriver. After a couple of tries, it finally came loose, and 2 live rounds were crammed together at the breech. One round had the bullet forced into the brass, and powder was spilling out of it.

I cleaned everything thoroughly, inspected it and everything looked OK, so I reassembled it. Went back to the range today, and it seems to chamber a round fine, but when I try to fire, it just goes "click" - no impression on the primer, and no "pew". I need to take it to someone to see if the firing pi is damaged, and make sure it's OK before I try again. Just moved to Crestview from Cantonment a year ago, so I am looking for a recommendation for a local gunsmith to take a look. ANy recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

Ed

 

[RussSurfs]

I’m sure there is one closer to you, but Eric at Oakridge near the Gulf Breeze Zoo does great work at fair prices.

 

[Hand Cannon]

Chappy Tactical Firearms, in Navarre could probably help you as well.

 

[TackleberryMCS]

You may also want to try Precision Tactical. They are on Hwy 85 just about 2 miles south of I-10 on the left.

 

[JWlineman]

All the above choices should help you out. Here's my question though...What was the RSO doing messing with your firearm while you were down range? Or at all for that matter when you weren't there?

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[fl57caveman]

nobody should touch another man's weapon when the man isn't there....tell the RSO to keep his hands off, or you will walk down range with it.

give the RSO the bill

 

[PensacolaEd]

As I mentioned, the gun was laying on the shooting bench, dust cover side down. I suspect he wanted to make sure it was empty and open, and forced it..

I went to AA Tactical today, and was very impressed! Very helpful staff, nice store and the gunsmith on duty figured out what it was. Apparently, despite my best efforts to clean the powder out of the breech, there was still powder from the damaged cartridge that was preventing the bolt face from closing fully, and the firing pin didn't reach the primer - we're talking maybe 1/32". He cleaned it with a chamber brush (which I don't have) and blew out the residue with compressed air. Looks like it fixed the problem. Thanks for the advice!

 

[JWlineman]

Glad you got the issue fixed, still can't believe the RO would mess with a firearm while someone was downrange.

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[USAF Sarge]

You'll always run into a RSO that is an idiot, Had one locally that when we were in cease fire time, started giving everyone a history lesson on the MilSurps I had on the line. Getting a lot of the information wrong. Like the GEW 88 I had out there, he told everyone it was a Mauser rifle and how Paul Mauser came up with the concept etc, anyways.

He picked up some of the ammo, and managed to put two rounds in the wrong place. I always take the last 2 or 3 lanes depending on how busy it is. I might have a M91, M91/30 and M44, several different 8 mm rifles, Enfield, MAS 36, etc. I group the rifles by caliber and have an ammo can with the appropriate ammo with the appropriate groups.

Well I learned a lesson that day, was doing single rounds and letting people fire the different guns. I picked up the round from the box, inserted it, and started to slide the bolt forward, and it jammed. Had to knock the round out from the muzzle end, and discovered it was the wrong caliber. After going through all the ammo cans, I discovered that two cans had a single round that was wrong. While he put the rounds back in the boxes, he put them in the wrong boxes. Now I double check everytime, just because of that.

Lesson learned, keep an eye on the RSO and your weapons, you never know what might happen.

 

[SAWMAN]

Like JW states in his aboves. I would have some extremely harsh words for him if I expieranced this.
On two different levels. - - -> #1. NEVER,EVER, touch a mans gun unless you have gained EXPLICIT permission and the owner is standing right there.
#2. From a safety standpoint.if I were his boss,he would be fired on the spot. If he were an unpaid volunteer,he would not be allowed to do the RSO job again.
In my club,fiddeling with a firearm,even touching,yours or anybody elses,is a strict NO-NO after the range has been declared "COLD".
For full disclosure - - -> I have been guilty of trying to make a final "click" of a target turret while the range was "cold" and was reminded against it. Understood and the gentleman was thanked by me. ---- SAWMAN

 

[Jdcujo]

You may want to ask the folks who run the range why the hell dudes touching a firearm while the range is cold. Isnt the check supposed to be done prior to calling it ?

 

[RHINOWSO]

I'd slap the fucking taste out of an RSOs mouth (or anyone, really) if they touched any of my firearms without asking, much less during a cold range with people beyond the red line.

Part of the reason I shoot during the weekday and always try to be alone in a range bay.

 

[Plinker]

Left gun with loaded magazine in rifle and on shooting bench while walking downrange?

Am I reading this right or did RSO plug that loaded magazine in your weapon and jimmy it up?

Facepalm.....

 

[fl57caveman]

insert touch my weapon in place of don't you ever try to get in my car again...…

 

[PensacolaEd]

Left gun with loaded magazine in rifle and on shooting bench while walking downrange?

Am I reading this right or did RSO plug that loaded magazine in your weapon and jimmy it up?

Facepalm.....

Magazine was out of the weapon, but the dust cover was closed (I think). When I came back, magazine was iut of weapon, and dust cover was open.

 

[Dewayne G]

Have you contacted the range manager or club board about this occurrence. It can't be fixed on this forum only stirred into a larger pile of dog doo

 

[SAWMAN]

WHICH LOCAL GUN RANGE ??? ---- SAWMAN

 

[RHINOWSO]

Magazine was out of the weapon, but the dust cover was closed (I think). When I came back, magazine was iut of weapon, and dust cover was open.

Even IF the rifle was loaded, I'm personally FAR more comfortable with a loaded and untouched rifle pointing downrange than some fucktard picking it up and trying to clear it. Leave a loaded rifle on a bench for a week, a month, or years and it isn't going to fire.

YES, weapons should be unloaded and locked open (per range rules), but that is just one of the many chain rules to prevent a mishap when some asshole is fingerbanging their gun with people down range.

Again, all the more reason to not shoot at public ranges or with idiots. When I shoot with close friends / family, we always leave someone at the benches while putting up targets to watch the idiots on the line. Pretty much every time out someone starts playing with a firearm when they shouldn't and someone has to correct them.

 

[USAF Sarge]

I had just re-loaded my old Marlin 39M when they called cease fire, I dropped the lever to safe it. The RSO as he was checking to see if the rifles were safe, cycled the lever until the rifle was empty. Since I was shooting longs he sent 15 rounds bouncing around, and just gave me a look.

Some can be anal SOBs at times. Both my incidents took place at the Bay County FWC range off Steelfield road in Panama City. Don't know if the idiot is still there, haven't been able to shoot since 2017. I tend to shoot in the cooler months.

First it was having a new ICD implanted 2018, followed Hurricane Michael repairs in 2018, then back surgery 2019, then COVID-19, has prevented me from getting in any range time.

 

[John B.]

So what range was this so I make sure I avoid it?

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