[Gohab]

Hello, I recently purchased a Century Arms R1A1 Sporter from a co-worker. He told me prior to the purchase that the rifle was malfunctioning(I got a great price). Please help me solve the problem.

I am getting failure to feeds approx every 3-5 fired rounds. Sometimes the next round will hang up on the breach/feed ramp as the bolt carrier moves forward & sometimes the bolt carrier will just pass over the next round in the mag & slam closed on an empty chamber. Both of the mags are 20 rounders & have no markings on them. Is this common & how do I fix it?

Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

[iwannausername]

Most likely mags. Is it cut for metric or inch, and are you using metric or inch?

Also, check your feed ramp - it should be 2 grooves, not a single one.

 

[Promoted Pawn]

My first thought would be the mags also. I have a mag that always does this on the first few rounds.

I've seen this problem with too low a gas setting. If the bolt isn't blowing all the way back it can come home weakly and miss-feed. So check that out too.

 

[Gohab]

I was kinda thinking mags as well, but wanted to consider every option. I'm gonna buy a couple of new mags, one each in US & metric. I was also thinking of a little dremel work on the feedramp for the hang ups??? Any thoughts or guidance?

Hey username, when you say 1 or 2 grooves on the feedramp, what does it mean if there is 1 or 2, & what do I do about it? It looks like I have 1.

Hey Pawn, how do I check those gas settings?

Thanks again to both of ya! Any other ideas out there are warmly welcomed!!!

 

[iwannausername]

re: the feed ramps, the unibrow (one) is a tad inferior to the twin peaks one, since the tips of the bullets come in slightly left or right depending on what side the mag is feeding from for that particular shot. The one big ramp sorta lets 'em wobble around more. Not much you can do to fix it, but you may be able to fill with jbweld or similar and re-dremel the twin ramps.


Before buying new mags, make sure of what your mag well is cut for - some L1A1 pattern Centurys are actually cut for metric only mags. Definately check, 'cause a metric mag is just a few dollars (up to about 10 for lniw) vs. $20-30 for an inch mag...


Here's my Century R1A1 that came "new" with an all-metric config - beer barrel charging handle, etc.

 

[Promoted Pawn]

the gas setting is the dial under the front sight. If you're tough you can adjust it by hand. It goes from 1 to 7. I'm pretty sure 1 is to lowest (weakest) setting and 7 is the highest.

 

[Gohab]

Thank you both very, VERY much!!! Now if I can only figure out how to tell if this rifle or the mags are US or metric! Again, preciate u both!

 

[iwannausername]

On the gas setting, lower number means more gas into the action.

Metric vs. Inch mag cut, look at your mag. If it has a small dimple at the front to lock in with, it is metric. Square block is inch. In the mag well, the inch has a larger square hole to match up with the block on the mag, the metric is more of a scalloped cut, arched at the top. On some Century FALs, the word "metric" is stamped on the inner side of the metal flap on the right side of the mag well.

Inch guns can use metric mags, but they may be sloppy fitting and have feeding issues. Metric guns only use metric mags. Inch guns don't have a last shot bolt hold open.


On adjusting the gas, if it is metric, start by screwing the gas all teh way closed - max gas to action. Then unscrew to position number 7. Put one round in the mag, fire. If the bolt holds open, add 2 more clicks worth of gas and you are done. If it doesn't hold open, add one more click of gas, load one round in the mag, fire, repeat. For an inch gun, start with the gas full closed so max gas goes to the action. Load a full mag, fire a shot. The action should cycle completely. Turn the gas up so less is going to the action by one notch, repeat. Keep going until the rifle short strokes or doesn't cycle/eject properly. Then close gas by 2 more positions.

 

[Gohab]

My rifle is an inch(US), one of the mags is a metric. Thanks for the advice on the gas. Gonna buy a couple more mags & then head to the range, and see what happens. I'll post the results! Thanks again to both of you!!!

 

[gregg877]

My rifle is an inch(US), one of the mags is a metric. Thanks for the advice on the gas. Gonna buy a couple more mags & then head to the range, and see what happens. I'll post the results! Thanks again to both of you!!!

Gohab,

I realize this is an old post, but you're partially wrong about your above comment. FAL's come in 2 flavors(as you know) metric, and inch. Inch FALs were produced by the UK, Australia, India and Canada, not the U.S. The R1A1 is a Metric rifle, that was built on Imbel Receivers from Brazil. Century also produced an L1A1, that was supposidly done on imbel receivers(as marked). If your original post was a typo and you actually have an L1 instead of an R1, then ignore my post.

Nonetheless, Century has a long history of producing out-of-spec crap. Ive owned more than a couple of their rifles, and not for too long before I finally said the hell with it and built my own on an Imbel Gear Logo(Metric) receiver.

See the below link:
http://www.arizonaresponsesystems.com/notes/falcai/pagefalcai.htm

I'd say the problems you were having were the result of one of the many errors in the construction of the receiver illustrated in the above page rather than the mags. I honestly don't know if Imbel did the entire fabrication on the receivers, or sent castings up to century to be finished here in the US, but I do know the receiver I used in my build was made to FN spec and runs like a swiss watch.

Hope this helps.

Gregg

 

[Mountainman]

FTF every 3-5 rounds, seems like more than just a little outa spec here and there. I'd say mags. Unibrow shouldn't be such a problem. test your gas setting by inserting only one round in every magazine and when you don't have bolt hold back engaged after fire, check for teh problem. Sometimes there is a lot of gas blowing from bad gas tube to gas block match up ( need to silver solder).