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Bad upper and lower fit

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Bravo6lima

Operator
Hi folks,
Just bought a Saint .308 pistol. Got home, started to clean it so I could zero it tomorrow and discovered that the upper and lower have a gap of about 1 to 1.5 mm at the rear/buffer tube end. I also noticed that the charging handle belly is rubbing against the upper and removing coating. I haven’t fired it yet. Think I should call Springfield? Thank you for any input.

p.s. Scratches and gap don’t bother me. I just want to make sure that it’s not so out of spec that it woold dangerous to shoot.
 
What Anni said. I certainly wouldn’t shoot it until you get a response. Problem is right now is Springfield’s computer systems are down hard. If the guys in here think it needs to be looked at I’ll take your info and pass it along to our Springfield contact and see if he can work something out.
 
Here you go.
67FB64F7-A587-4A4D-A81E-7AB3523FA8C9.jpeg
 
I've had my Saint .308 pistol for several months now. Holding it up to the sun, I have a very minuscule line of light, but it is even along the whole length, and not gaps like you are showing. No kind of play between upper or lower receivers, still very "tight", and absolutely no kind of wear on the charging handle, or where it might rub. Still has the factory coating with no wear marks. I wish I could tell you if that was a concern or not, but I'm not sure. My AR-15 that is almost 30 years old shows a lot more light between the receivers, but still shoots like a champ. In my time in the Army and Marine Corps, issued M-16A1s, M-16A2s, and M-4s had a lot more "slop" in them, and they worked fine for me. At least document what you have, so if there is a problem down the road, S.A. can hopefully help you with warranty issues.
 
chrisjohnson65 said:
I've had my Saint .308 pistol for several months now. Holding it up to the sun, I have a very minuscule line of light, but it is even along the whole length, and not gaps like you are showing. No kind of play between upper or lower receivers, still very "tight", and absolutely no kind of wear on the charging handle, or where it might rub. Still has the factory coating with no wear marks. I wish I could tell you if that was a concern or not, but I'm not sure. My AR-15 that is almost 30 years old shows a lot more light between the receivers, but still shoots like a champ. In my time in the Army and Marine Corps, issued M-16A1s, M-16A2s, and M-4s had a lot more "slop" in them, and they worked fine for me. At least document what you have, so if there is a problem down the road, S.A. can hopefully help you with warranty issues.
Click to expand...
I’ve owned a ridiculous amount of AR pattern rifles the last 30+ years. I’ve never seen a receiver gap like this. The gap is only on the rear inch and half of the receiver. I expect some play in the build, but I believe this is out of spec. The upper won’t sit in the lower properly to the degree that the rear of the upper is a teensy bit higher than the front, if the rifle was sitting perfectly level.
 
Definitely document your issues, and when S.A. is back online, check with them. My Saint .308 pistol is nowhere near that kind of gap. I haven't shot it as much as I would have liked, but it's been flawless since I've had it.
 
chrisjohnson65 said:
Definitely document your issues, and when S.A. is back online, check with them. My Saint .308 pistol is nowhere near that kind of gap. I haven't shot it as much as I would have liked, but it's been flawless since I've had it.
Click to expand...
Do me a favor. Look at your saints rear takedown pin and compare it to my pics while looking at the same side of your pistol. I’m wondering if the rear pin hole is too high.
 
chrisjohnson65 said:
I've had my Saint .308 pistol for several months now. Holding it up to the sun, I have a very minuscule line of light, but it is even along the whole length, and not gaps like you are showing. No kind of play between upper or lower receivers, still very "tight", and absolutely no kind of wear on the charging handle, or where it might rub. Still has the factory coating with no wear marks. I wish I could tell you if that was a concern or not, but I'm not sure. My AR-15 that is almost 30 years old shows a lot more light between the receivers, but still shoots like a champ. In my time in the Army and Marine Corps, issued M-16A1s, M-16A2s, and M-4s had a lot more "slop" in them, and they worked fine for me. At least document what you have, so if there is a problem down the road, S.A. can hopefully help you with warranty issues.
Click to expand...
Yes, all of my AR’s have generally the same “fit” that you describe. My major concern is the possibility of very uneven wear at the rear upper/lower juncture. Cosmetics are nice, but not a deal breaker. Durability is my concern. By the way, thanks to everyone for their responses. This is clearly a good group.
 
Bravo6lima said:
Do me a favor. Look at your saints rear takedown pin and compare it to my pics while looking at the same side of your pistol. I’m wondering if the rear pin hole is too high.
Click to expand...
Just looked at mine again, no gap as big as you have, mine is very slight. I also noticed the difference in heights between your upper and lower receiver where they meet up, at the top, where your charging handle would cover that area up. I took off my charging handle, and while there is a minuscule height difference, it is not as much as you have. I don't think your rear take down pin is off, or you would have a gap along the bottom, between the upper and lower receivers. Maybe too much was milled off of one or both of the receivers during production? Like I mentioned before, I'm not sure if this is a real concern, or not. Supposedly, but not for sure, it should have been test fired with one round from the factory. Not for sure if they still do this or not. Keep us updated on what you find out, once you can get a response from S.A. I'm curious myself now.
 
chrisjohnson65 said:
Just looked at mine again, no gap as big as you have, mine is very slight. I also noticed the difference in heights between your upper and lower receiver where they meet up, at the top, where your charging handle would cover that area up. I took off my charging handle, and while there is a minuscule height difference, it is not as much as you have. I don't think your rear take down pin is off, or you would have a gap along the bottom, between the upper and lower receivers. Maybe too much was milled off of one or both of the receivers during production? Like I mentioned before, I'm not sure if this is a real concern, or not. Supposedly, but not for sure, it should have been test fired with one round from the factory. Not for sure if they still do this or not. Keep us updated on what you find out, once you can get a response from S.A. I'm curious myself now.
Click to expand...
Thank you very much for looking. Looks like I have to call my ffl. Thankfully, the ffl also covers the pistol for one year due to mechanical issues,etc. I will definitely keep you posted.
 
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