Jump to content

Stupid Newbie Question, floating a shell


occomsrazor

Recommended Posts

Okay, Ive been gleaning info from this forum for a few months. Finally got the M4 after a 7 month wait.

 

Put the magazine extension on...

 

Installed the collapsible stock (**** stupid nut :mad: that I was working on very hard to remove until I read a timely post)...

 

So now I have a 7+1. smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif

 

But, how do I get the 7+1+1 :confused:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Load up your mag tube. Empty shell carrier, empty chamber.

 

Rack it back, and allow it to come forward enough that the shell carrier pops up. Move the bolt forward a few more milimeters, so that it is beyond the shell carrier pop up point.

 

Now push the shell carrier down with your finger, while holding the bolt in that position. If you work it right, you can fit a shell, rimmed end first, through the side of the reciever and onto the shell carrier.

 

Keep the bolt in place to prevent it from popping out.

 

Once its in, the bolt above it keeps it from coming up. You should still have a few inches left before the bolt closes. Fit a shell into the chamber, and close the bolt.

 

You've now floated a shell.

 

Now, for some reason I haven't really looked into yet, it won't load the floated shell like, 1 out of 20 times I'd say. When this happens, after the first shot, the bolt flies back into lockback, and does not come back forward to chamber the floated round. When this happens, you have to just hit the bolt release button, and blast away.

 

I don't know if this is just me, or the light 9 shot target ammo I've been using, or the position I put my shell in, but it happens once in awhile.

 

For this reason, if your life is on the line, I wouldn't reccomend floating a shell.

 

Oh, and I always keep my hand near the bolt release button when floating shells, so I can recover quickly if it does fail to chamber the round I floated.

 

But most times it works flawlessly.

 

Maybe someone else will know why this happens, but I'm not sure.

 

[ 04-13-2006, 01:42 PM: Message edited by: Duggan ]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try this: full mag (7), empty chamber, empty carrier.

1) SAFTEY ON!

2) pull the bolt all the way back to "charge" (my other term was censored) the hammer, load a shell in the chamber and ease the bolt back to engage the shell.

3) pull the bolt back slowly and carefull until the end of the shell has ALMOST cleared the chamber, then with your left hand thumb push the shell onto the carrier.

4) do not pull the bolt back so far as to engage the carrier loading cycle.

5) with the bolt still held percariously open, insert another shell into the chamber and follow the bolt home.

6) hold the weapon vertical with the barrel pointed at the sky and press the bolt release button (this will make sure the floating shell on the carrier is fully seated rearward)

 

The key to all of this is makeing sure the bolt does not go far enough back to engage the carrier, if it does (even if the carrier is pushed back down) the bolt will try to pick up the shell and slow down the action (I do not know a better way of 'esplaing it but I have looked at this very carefully and I took my method from the U.S. Marine Corps. technical manual TM 10698A-10/1. Exerpt follows:

 

carrierloading.gif

 

If you google 'TM 10698A-10/1' you should be able to download and print a copy from somewhere. It is a good thing to have smile.gif

 

[ 04-16-2006, 09:45 PM: Message edited by: deasmuth ]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...
Is the general consensus that carrier loading or ghost loading is indeed unrealiable, or has this been worked out over the years? Want to use this technique for home defense ONLY if it is reliable as regular loading.

 

Try it out.

 

It is reliable, I was just doing it wrong back when I wrote this.

 

So long as you don't bring the bolt back too far, you can ghost load with the same reliability as anything else ... in my testing, at least.

 

I don't do it often anymore, but whenever I do it has been flawless.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...