Most AR-15s are excellent firearms right off the factory line, but they sometimes need some fine-tuning to work their best. The good news is that you can solve many common issues with simple troubleshooting and adjustments by upgrading your components.
If your rifle is performing under par, your first step is to follow the symptoms. Diagnosing your concern will help you discover whether you can solve it with immediate action, like changing out your magazines or using different ammunition, or if you need to start thinking about taking your gun apart and learning how to fix an overgassed AR-15.
Signs You Have An Overgassed AR-15
If you changed your mags and ammo and are still malfunctioning when firing, your next place to check is your gas system. AR platforms create pressure in the chamber using a cyclical system. If part of that cycle is over-pressurized, the timing can fall out of sync and cause multiple issues. The signs of an overgassed AR-15 can include:
- Ejection issues: When the gun functions as designed, the bolt carrier group pulls the spent shell casing from the chamber and ejects it. If the timing is off, this process can fail, causing shell casings to get stuck in the breach and create a feeding issue, resulting in an overgassed AR-15.
- Feeding issues: The bolt needs free movement to eject spent brass and collect a new round from the magazine. When the bolt is moving too fast to pick up the next round, it will drive home on an empty chamber.
- Low-Round Velocity: The gas system in an AR creates pressure in the barrel during firing, helping to propel the round. If an AR is overgassed it can cause the bolt to unlock early, releasing pressure meant for the barrel and reducing bullet velocity.
- Dirty operation: The reason ARs have high gas pressure settings is so the bolt has enough pressure to keep working as the gun gets dirty. Sometimes, however, this allows more carbon to gather than necessary, leading to excessive buildup and a filthy gun.
- Excessive recoil: With more pressure in your gas system, the bolt pushes harder against your buffer and transfers that force into the recoil. Your AR may be overgassed If you notice it is kicking abnormally hard, although thankfully, it can be fixed.
How to Fix an Overgassed AR-15
In an AR-15, the gas block controls gas pressure. When you fire a round, the explosive reaction creates pressure that travels down the barrel toward the gas block. The length of your gas system determines where the block is mounted, with the rifle length being furthest down the barrel. The gas block collects some of this gas as it passes by, and prevents then pushes it back to the upper receiver and bolt carrier group. At the bolt, it helps create the force necessary to extract the casing and load the next round.
Fixing an overgassed AR-15 means adjusting your gas pressure, but most factory guns come with gas blocks that have only one pressure setting. The good news is that you can swap yours out with an adjustable gas block. With an adjustable gas block, you can change your gas pressure at any time to achieve the ideal setting. An adjustable block creates better timing, prevents excess carbon buildup, and places less stress on your components, eliminating unnecessary wear.
Fix an Overgassed AR by Upgrade to an Adjustable Gas Block
If you have an overgassed AR-15, fix them by upgrading to an adjustable gas block. At Wing Tactical, we carry a wide selection of gas blocks for AR-15s, including low-profile options. As a veteran-owned company, we know how important it is to trust in your equipment, and we only sell parts we would use on our own firearms.
Visit our website to view our gas blocks and other components, and get your new gear fast with next-day shipping on all orders. To learn more, please contact us today.