Starting to hate my SU-16CA

[ericsjunk]

No matter what ammo I use, no matter which magazines I use, and even after a new factory extractor from Kel-Tec, my POS still cannot get through a magazine of ammo without having FTE's and/or FTF's. One of the guys out at the range said a local gunsmith has a mod to the gas system that he can do that will allow the SU's to use any ammo (cheap or expensive) and never have a problem again. They said its $100 for the mod.

Anyone else having this problem as frequently as I am? Kel-Tec told me if I'm having that many problems I should send it back to them and let them check it out. But the turn around time sucks.

Please, help!

[markster]

Gotta ask yourself, wanna pay the 100 and risk it not working or send it to Kel-Tec to be fixed for free......

[BuckeyeRy]

Slow turn around time for me would mean more if it were my regular carry weapon. Sure, it would stink if they had it for a couple weeks, but it would be well worth it for the thing to come back right, and you wouldn't even have to call it a POS anymore!
I'd definitely use the lifetime warranty that came with the gun rather than spend $ for a gunsmith. Just think, the money you save can be used toward buying another gun to fire while you're waiting for your KT to come back.

[hilljack]

Are you having extraction or ejection problems? If ejection, lubbing the ejector can help.

I would send it back to KT, before using an unknown smith.

[tedmug]

+1 Send it back! Save the $100. A penny saved is a penny earned. Waste not, want not. Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise and ready to ship his weapon to Florida!

[kage_genin]

If only I were back home.. I'd offer to help you out by buying the troublesome rifle from you

As hilljack suggested, try cleaning and lubricating the ejector. One drop of CLP on the ejector, then push it in-n-out a few times.

If the do-it-yourself fixes don't solve your problems, Kel Tec will do it for free. I hear they have a quick turnaround, and even ship it back to you at their cost.

[deadlychopstick]

sell it and get a bushmaster. i sold my alpha and got an m4. no regrets. you might have to get the 'top loader'.

come to think of it, in your situation i'd have kel tec honor their warranty. since it is a rifle and not a carry piece the turnaround shouldn't be an issue. patience is a virtue.

come to think of it again, i don't think any of the SU's are POS's. it's just unfortunate that you had a problem with yours. i'm sure that kel tec will make things right.

[BuckeyeRy]

Chopstick, it seems that as you went along you had a little conversation with yourself and re-thought your first response. I know exactly where you're coming from. To trade the SU for a Bushmaster, straight up, would, IMHO, be an easy thing to do. The problem is that you'd have to pay just as much as you already spent on the SU to cover the price difference. I bought my SU-16A even after firing my dad's Bushmaster (which is a sweet, sweet shooter). I did it because I wanted something to fire .223, I enjoy Kel Tecs, and I didn't have a grand to throw at a gun. There's some peace of mind that comes with the lifetime warranty that we ALL are talking about, and, as Flyer stated in his review of the SU, it is a nice gun. Hopefully our brother eric gets his straightened out and can enjoy it the way it's supposed to be enjoyed!

[deadlychopstick]

um, yea... i had to edit a few times. i realized where he was from and i guess the people who make the rules don't much care for real ARs.

the money is a small price to pay for peace of mind in a mil-spec firearm. not to say kel tec is unreliable, as i own the plr, sub2000, and the p32. i had the p11 and the alpha, but they weren't performing the way i would've liked them to. i initially bought the SU as an alternative to a $1000 firearm. but after a little saving and convincing i finally got one. i thank my lucky stars i had the opportunity and the resources to afford something like that. tough to beat an AR.

if kel tec keeps making firearms the way they do, i can only imagine i'd keep buying them. did i mention how much i like the plr?

[ericsjunk]

sorry for the late response. I have more failures to extract and feed than ejects. on the rare occasion it does extract, it usually ejects just fine (emphasis on usually, not always). the first time out to the range after getting the new extractor from KT, it appeared that the FTEx's were gone, but that was until the 2nd time back to the range (and yes, I did clean and lube everything properly). as for the feeding problem, i thought i could WECSOG the feed ramps with a file, but I couldn't get the file in there at the correct angle. so hopefully KT won't void my warranty if they see a few scratches from a file.

It is quite apparent that I'm either a complete jackass and have no business owning firearms, or I got a lemon from the factory. But my Glock and pump shotgun have no problems, so I'm going to venture to guess it's the later, but then again, Glocks and pump shotguns are definitely not rocket science.

So I guess it's time to ship it off to Florida, I have enough other toys to play with while it's gone I guess.

I would give anything to legally have a pre-ban AR in the PRK. Those top loaders are just not the same.