Bolt is hard to pull back with safety "on" on my M4

[mkat72]

Have any of you noticed this issue? If my gun sits for a while with the safety on, the bolt is very hard to pull back. It only goes about half way easily. If I push back and forth a few times, it works fine. It also works fine if I turn the safety off. This seems very strange to me. I'm not sure if it's normal. The gun operates flawlessly while shooting.

[truckcop]

Do you pull the trigger to release the hammer and then put the safety on before putting it up? Then you pull it out, pull the bolt back and it's hard after the first half? But once you've done that once, the bolt moves freely? That's my guess as to what you're experiencing.

Take your trigger mechanism out of the receiver and you'll see what's happening. Release the hammer, i.e., pull the trigger, and then re-engage the safety. Now try and cock the hammer all the way back. Watch as the hammer comes into contact with the trigger/sear mechanism and you'll see there's no "give" to the sear, making it hard to cock the hammer all the way back. Once you've cocked the hammer, there's no more resistance at the sear and the bolt can move back and forth freely.

Now do the same with the safety disengaged. The trigger/sear can move now that the safety is off and the hammer can be cocked without any resistance at the sear.

I don't know if additional stress is put on the hammer or the trigger/sear when cocking it with the safety engaged but I don't operate the bolt while the safety is engaged if the hammer isn't cocked.

Edited May 1, 2015 by truckcop

[mkat72]

Do you pull the trigger to release the hammer and then put the safety on before putting it up? Then you pull it out, pull the bolt back and it's hard after the first half? But once you've done that once, the bolt moves freely? That's my guess as to what you're experiencing.

 

 

This is exactly what I'm experiencing. So is this normal then? Is it bad to be doing this?

[RoadDad]

So is this normal then?

Yes

 

Is it bad to be doing this?

I wouldn't do it.

[mkat72]

Thanks for your help guys.

[les_garten]

I was just reading this and it would be nice if we could get something official on this. I would prefer to be able to leave the safety on for most any manual of arms things, especially charging the weapon.