[jkpz28]

So here is a quick background in to my issue and train of thought. I played competative paintball for years and if I ever got a new gun that had any issue on reliability it was gone usually within that week, lol. I bought a DPMS Panther Arms Mod A15 back in 06 and had it up until Jan of this year. The gun never had a single issue but we went to a Mobile gun show and I stumbled accorss the MSAR STG 556 (Aug Clone) and I decided to sale off the DPMS and snag an MSAR after looking online and seeing that the kinks seemed to be out of the system on the newer MSARs.

I got the MSAR last tuesday and took out to the range on Sat. Right off the bat the charging handle is way to close to the sight rail, I tore up my knuckle on both hands, lol. That is solved though I ordered a manticore charging handle extender. Then the FTF problems started. I have 5 mags for it, four 30rd mags and one 10 rnd mag. 2 of the 5 mags (both 30rnd) worked flawlessly and the other 3 were a nightmare. I looked up the mags online and it seems to be a common issue with some mags to break in and they recommended setting my gas pressure to High. So with all that I still have the nagging feeling to dump it and get another AR. Should I put more rounds through it and give it a chance or say to hell with it and get rid of it while its still practically new with only 100 rounds through it?

Is it common for other rifles to have issues like this and Im just jumping the gun (no pun intended, lol)?

 

[Rw]

I dont know a lot about that gun, but i have seen a nato surplus kit that converts the aug to standard ar mags. Maybe that would solve your issues.

 

[jkpz28]

Yeah there is E4 stock upgrade for it from MSAR but I havent seen anything other than that and its expensive as hell.

 

[Rw]

If i remember right this one was $199

 

[jkpz28]

The one I found was $300 the only one I saw for $200 was for the actual Steyr Aug and wont work on the MSAR

 

[Dock Rocker]

I have an MSAR that is a customers and it is a big pile of junk. It has been a problem from day one. The reason I have it is he tried to take his flash hider off to attach his suppressor to it and he broke the flash hider. He did not know that it has a left hand thread. This is what hurt me. The flash hider to replace it from MSAR was $53.00. I would dump that thing so fast it hurts!

 

[jkpz28]

lol, thanks

 

[Dock Rocker]

I just read my post again and it sounds kind of jerky. I dont mean to be but I am frustrated with this gun in particular. 1 I have a cut knuckle from the sight rail. 2 I am sick of looking at it because it is like a bad nickle. I send it home and the dang thing keeps coming back.

I think that a normal AR platform would be more dependable over the long haul as well as cheaper. For the cost of the MSAR you could do an AR-15 short barreled rifle. It would be a good compromise, really cool and easily serviceable as well as dependable.

 

[jkpz28]

no no I did not take it that way, lol. It was more of a heartbroken thanks, lol. I was hoping for some reassurance but from what I can see and the more and more I read these things are picky and can have issues. Im trying to trade a fellow on gunbroker for another DPMS with some add ons. My only problem is that 90 rounds still is used and they want to take a ton off for that.

 

[smoffett]

{snip}My only problem is that 90 rounds still is used and they want to take a ton off for that.

Seems to me you answered your own question there -- because you can go ahead and put another couple hundred rounds through it and it will be worth the same amount it's worth right now. So you might as well see if you can get it to run right. Just my opinion there though...

 

[JMS39339]

I feel for you. I too would agree that I think the AR platform will serve you better in the long run. It has more customizable options, is cheaper and has a larger knowledge base to draw from. I've looked at these MSAR rifles several times myself over the years and just never could find enough solid good reviews to feel good about buying one. I actually had a guy try to sell me one at the last gun show in Jackson at what would have been a SUPER deal and I went ahead and passed on it. After reading your experience, I'm glad I did. I hope you can get yours running well or if not at least not have to take too much of a loss on it.

 

[jkpz28]

hmmm just read up on some interesting news. Apparently alot of the last few shipments of monarch ammo from academy are having issues which makes since. I had some older monarch ammo that I ran with some that I bought just recently. Maybe the clips with the newer ammo were apart of the crappy batches that are out there. Going to grab some quality rounds and give it another whirl.

 

[jkpz28]

The good part is I have 20rnds of the older rounds and 20 rounds of the newer stuff left over to test this Friday.

 

[mstrophyhunter]

on the msar get a dremal tool push magazine follower down are just remove and remove some material from underside of magazine lips to let rounds come up a little higher witch does two things
1- slows bolt recoil down just a little so bolt does not hit so hard to rear
2- lets round in magazine come up a little higher so on bolt return makes it easier to strip and chamber also helps to kick out shot case
i have had a few of these and this always helps with ejection problems take a little at a time to much and magazine is scrape real fun guns when they are running

 

[jkpz28]

Thanks I look into it, should I use fine grit paper or break out the dremel?

 

[mstrophyhunter]

i use a 3/8 diameter dremel tool drum sander to me thats the easiest i have taken a stainless 3/8 rod faced off eend left a sharp edge and just run that back and forth under lips removing material also can take a hair dryer heat lips and bend out each side this is the hardest to get exact right magazines are plastic but pretty darn tough fine grit sand paper would take a while

 

[jkpz28]

ok, thanks. After I test this weekend if I still have load issues and it turns out not to be the ammo I will give this a try.

 

[jkpz28]

Just got the Manticore charging handle extension in for the MSAR and wow it makes a world of difference, no more bloody knuckles.

 

[Free_Stater]

I have an AUG A3, and I've had virtually no trouble with it. Of course it's much more expensive, but I heard some bad mojo from folks who had owned the MSAR, so I went with the real deal.

One of the first things you do with either the MSAR or the AUG is cut a finger about halfway off. That's why they make an instruction manual, which in my case clearly states that you should grasp the handle from below, not from above. The first AUG I handled (in a store), ended up with a significant amount of my blood on it. But even though I've mastered the manual of arms for the AUG, I've installed a Manticore just to be on the safe side.

As I said, my Steyr has given me almost zero trouble so long as I stuck to bullets of 55 grains or above; the 50-grain Federal hollow points caused many FTF issues, but then they didn't work in my AR either.

PS: DO NOT waste your time on Russian steel case ammo. Doing so is asking for trouble.

 

[jkpz28]

Well good news on the msar problem. I took it to the range today and ran almost a hundred rounds through it of 4 different types of ammo and did not gave a single jam. I think adjusting the gas pressure to high and not packing the mags full seemed to do the trick.