As it was said, "the firing pin never touched the primers"... here is something that will need to be checked.
1. Check the firing pin tip for damage or pitting.
2. Check the firing pin hole in the bolt face to make sure it is still in a circle.
2. Check the firing pin retarding spring for free movement.
After that, while you have it apart, give it a good cleaning inside the BCG.
As the rifle had worked fine a few days prior, it leads me to belive that there was fouling or thickend oil on the firing pin spring preventing it to go forward.
Did you look in the lower receiver to make sure a primer did not fall under the trigger.
It can give the illusion of being fired and not allow the hammer to go forward. But with the hammer somewhat released, it would puch against the bottom of the carrier itself causing problems in pulling it back. A stuck primer would not allow the trigger to move completly out of the way to release the hammer.
With the hammer pushing against the carrier it makes you think it was haveing a problem extracting. And with something under the trigger, it would not allow the hammer to reset properly making it hit the disconnector hard until it moved.
So now more things to add to the list...
4. Check inside lower for obstruction under trigger.
5. If possible, check old brass for missing primers.
My first thought was that the firing pin was not forward enough when the firing pin retaining pin was inserted in the Bolt Carrier group. I made that mistake once with an AR15. And same thing happened.
Hey I had the same problem with both my AR-15s and my AR-10. I just keep a round in the chamber and have my safety on. Silent charging is a finicky issue, some guns do it better than others. Mine don't silent charge very well, I lost a coyote two months ago because of it.
foxhunter wrote: I was thinking about my misfire issue when hunting and why it hadn't happened during any target practice, when it hit me. On the range, I let the bolt slam home(which is noisy). I was trying to be quiet in the woods and eased the bolt closed, not letting it slam. That had to be it.
First rule of thumb, never ride the bolt or slide home on a semi!!! This is why I never use any of my military guns in the woods for deer hunting. They are too noisy!!! Heavy also. :dance:
Don't know about ya'll but when I'm in the stand, my gun is already loaded. I load it when I first get in it and yeah it makes some noise. But where I hunt you would never get a deer loading it while looking at one.
All content of this site is copyright 2003 - 2017 AR-10(T)™, AR-10™, are trademarks of ArmaLite, Inc.® AR10T.com is NOT endorsed or affiliated with ArmaLite, Inc.®
About AR10T.com
AR-10(T) is a community focused on rifles, optics, scopes, gear, accessories, and components used by the professional operator and skilled marksman. Enthusiasts, shooters, and gunsmiths alike contribute to our gallery, articles, and reviews Thank you for visiting!