Occam’s razor would indeed fix this problem. The nut of said proverb is the “simplest explanation is usually the correct one” and the nut of most problems in semi-auto failures to feed are magazine issues, and failures to extract are usually ammunition problems. Most ammunition problems stem from the fact that the ammunition is out-of-spec in relation to chamber dimensions. That’s taken across the whole of semi-auto firearms, not just the AR platform.
Right.
If my problem had been that every round had exhibited the same issue, I’d probably have started by measuring the steel cased ammunition (or just throwing it out altogether). When I noticed that the problem only occurred after a certain number of rounds (more or less, about 50 rounds or so), regardless of any other factors, then I knew that it had to be a result of some condition changing with the gun.
When my buddy stated it was a dirty chamber issue and suggested I run a brass round every so often, I almost dismissed it as being “too simple”, therefore ignoring Occam’s Razor altogether. I had considered checking chamber dimensions, and perhaps even changing the chamber dimensions with a reamer if necessary, but to my surprise, mixing in the brass seemed to work. I still need to do more testing, though.
The more input and suggestions the better, though, especially for people who might be experiencing problems that aren’t exactly like the ones that happened to me.
That’s the cool thing about opening a gun thread on Free Republic. There are a bunch of knowledgeable people here. Every time I’ve shared information about something I’ve discovered, I end up picking up more new info that what I shared.
Thanks.