.22LR Barrel face damage

Razzdogg · Mar 20, 2026

Good afternoon Gents,

Recently got what i thought was a cracking deal on a Spikes tactical .22 but the rifle has issues, constant Light or no strikes which i have narrowed down to the rifle being slightly out of battery every few shots

after thorough cleaning and inspection there is dings on the barrel face and scuff marks on the BCG - Normally i would put the barrel face damage down to dry firing but the position of the dings say otherwise however i cant fathom how they got there? a mark also lines up with the Ejector as well so maybe something was lodged in and the bolt slammed into it?

It was quite dirty inside and i havent tested it again since cleaning however im sure the ding on the barrel will be causing seating issues to some extent - is getting it re surfaced hopefully going to resolve my issue or am i down a rabbit hole of the ding being caused by the BCG and will end up in the same position again?

Any input will be great

bullet chucker · Mar 20, 2026

Does the bolt function correctly?

BC.

Razzdogg · Mar 20, 2026

The firing pin and extractor work when in battery, there is no noticeable damage other than the friction marks shown on the BCG

The action is relatively smooth though not buttery smooth if that makes sense, if a pull the charging handle all the way back and let go it goes into battery 100% of the time in my testing

I have ordered some new mags to try as well incase that has any effect

Razzdogg · Mar 20, 2026

As an optimist i am hoping the rifle needed a thorough clean but i have my reservations given the wear found, ultimately i will give it one more test fire with the new mags and post clean and see if there is any improvement

takbok · Mar 20, 2026

@Razzdogg are you using subsonic cartridges? Maybe a different rate recoil spring required? I've had to install a softer recoil spring for my Marlin semi auto to work with subs.

Razzdogg · Mar 20, 2026

Tried with cci blazer, mini mags and eley force, same results- No subsonics used

Tried with and without a mod too no difference

Klenchblaize · Mar 20, 2026

I know little about the function of semi-auto rifles but those marks/dents look positively grim to my eye. Put another way, it just doesn't look right or acceptable.

Hope you get to the bottom of it.

K

takbok · Mar 20, 2026

Razzdogg said:
Tried with cci blazer, mini mags and eley force, same results- No subsonics used

Tried with and without a mod too no difference

I would be looking at the spring - existing one is possibly a bit slack.

You don't want to be messing with the barrel face as that will affect the headspace.

Razzdogg · Mar 20, 2026

takbok said:
I would be looking at the spring - existing one is possibly a bit slack.

You don't want to be messing with the barrel face as that will affect the headspace.

Just to be clear which spring are you referring too, the one in the BCG that moves with the firing pin? the rifle did come with a mod on the rifle so maybe the last owner ran a lower rated spring

please note this is a full mill spec .22lr with a functioning buffer tube which is very uncommon if that makes any difference

EDIT: after using my brain you mean the long one that is part of the BCG i will check out a replacement they will be a cheap option if it works

Razzdogg · Mar 20, 2026

Klenchblaize said:
I know little about the function of semi-auto rifles but those marks/dents look positively grim to my eye. Put another way, it just doesn't look right or acceptable.

Hope you get to the bottom of it.

K

Makes me question the treatment of the rifle or knowledge of the previous owner, however not a cheap rifle when new at £2800 so i would of hoped he knew the basics!

As you can imagine a little disappointing when you buy something sight unseen.... lesson learned

takbok · Mar 20, 2026

Razzdogg said:
Just to be clear which spring are you referring too, the one in the BCG that moves with the firing pin? the rifle did come with a mod on the rifle so maybe the last owner ran a lower rated spring

please note this is a full mill spec .22lr with a functioning buffer tube which is very uncommon if that makes any difference

EDIT: after using my brain you mean the long one that is part of the BCG i will check out a replacement they will be a cheap option if it works

The first thing I would look at would be the recoil spring, which I assume would be the buffer spring in your case? You could try stretching it slightly and if it helped then you'd know that you needed a new/stiffer spring. There might be a way to pack some spacer in to avoid stretching spring.

First make sure everything is clean and dry and moving smoothly before trying anythingvelse. Don't apply oil or grease as this generally hinders 22lr semi auto operation.

Razzdogg · Mar 20, 2026

takbok said:
The first thing I would look at would be the recoil spring, which I assume would be the buffer spring in your case? You could try stretching it slightly and if it helped then you'd know that you needed a new/stiffer spring. There might be a way to pack some spacer in to avoid stretching spring.

First make sure everything is clean and dry and moving smoothly before trying anythingvelse. Don't apply oil or grease as this generally hinders 22lr semi auto operation.

Thanks man, ive got it as clean as possible no oil as most ar's prefer being run relatively dry

i think the recoil spring is going to be my first call as suggested, fingers crossed i see some improvement

rarms · Mar 20, 2026

I'd go with recoil spring. The one on the actual bolt. Whilst you have a buffer tube and buffer, it's not used with the .22 kit.

Are you sure the 'dings' on the breech face are not raised powder burn residue? The black parts look like built up burnt powder residue. Have you tried scraping it with a knife?

6mmarc · Mar 20, 2026

That barrel is toast matey
I bet that’s well over ten years old looking at that
There’s loads of older spikes tacticals out there that have been absolutely hammered as comp guns literally thousands and thousands of rounds every year through them

Razzdogg · Mar 20, 2026

6mmarc said:
That barrel is toast matey
I bet that’s well over ten years old looking at that
There’s loads of older spikes tacticals out there that have been absolutely hammered as comp guns literally thousands and thousands of rounds every year through them

That’s not exactly what I wanted to hear but I was expecting it

I got the rifle for £600 so a new barrel would still make it a good price especially with the extras included

The rifling is still decent but the face looks like it’s seen a war or two - I have ordered some new springs if they make no difference I’ll be on the hunt for a new barrel are they readily available?

Donkey Basher · Mar 20, 2026

What state is the bolt face in? - are there any marks that correspond with the impact marks on the breech face? I doubt there are as those look like they were made by a pretty heavy &/or continual impact.

Razzdogg · Mar 20, 2026

rarms said:
I'd go with recoil spring. The one on the actual bolt. Whilst you have a buffer tube and buffer, it's not used with the .22 kit.

Are you sure the 'dings' on the breech face are not raised powder burn residue? The black parts look like built up burnt powder residue. Have you tried scraping it with a knife?

The photo was before cleaning, definitely physical damage to the bolt face and can be felt ever so slightly by hand.

Had some input and its not looking good, i have a few replacement parts on order so will try those and then look to replace the whole lot

The rifle doesnt owe me much but thats also a sign ive bought a headache disguised as a bargain lol

You live and you learn!

Razzdogg · Mar 20, 2026

Donkey Basher said:
What state is the bolt face in? - are there any marks that correspond with the impact marks on the breech face? I doubt there are as those look like they were made by a pretty heavy &/or continual impact.

No The bolt face is in like new condition visually, i cant fathom how something would damaged a steel barrel like that.. brass it too soft and it cant be the firing pin due to positioning... im still at a loss for how it happened

rarms · Mar 21, 2026

Razzdogg said:
The photo was before cleaning, definitely physical damage to the bolt face and can be felt ever so slightly by hand.

Mine has exactly the same mark on the barrel/breech face. It looks to be the print from the front of the LH guide rail on the bolt carrier.

My gun has probably less than 2k rounds through it and functions fine with subs or anything I have run through it.

Razzdogg · Mar 21, 2026

rarms said:
Mine has exactly the same mark on the barrel/breech face. It looks to be the print from the front of the LH guide rail on the bolt carrier.

My gun has probably less than 2k rounds through it and functions fine with subs or anything I have run through it.

I think I’ll just give it some more function tests before i continue to speculate I’m begging to go around in circles but at least I have some info to go off thanks so much everyone

.22LR Barrel face damage

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