Century import AP5 package from MKE (The good, the mostly bad)

[AndyAK]

Update on the AP5.

I'm now having regular malfunctions with this gun. Once every mag or every other mag it will fail to eject and leave a case in the action.
It's extracting fine, it's stripping a fresh round fine, but it chambers the fresh round and closes the empty case between the carrier and the trunnion.

In slow motion you can see a trend of ejection that is
•Several cases eject strongly at a high ark far right and slightly forward of the gun
•A case will eject nearly horizontal at a 90° from the ejection port straight to my right
•One or two good strong ejections
•Several cases will practically dribble out of the gun and fall back towards me
•Finally one case will fail to leave the gun entirely
Clearing the malfunction will return good, strong high and forward ejection like nothing happened.

Happens completely regardless of ammunition type, today it was doing it with S&B and SAR 124gr brass case factory ammo, as well as federal 147gr American Eagle. It does it with Blazer Brass 115gr as well.

I've checked the extractor spring, it's still very strong, holds a live round securely. I've checked bolt gap, also within spec. I also checked the ejector, it engages at the right time in the cycle and carbon removal from contact indicates it is riding centered in its track in the bolt as well as striking the brass with the right part of the "blade" or whatever you would call it.

I called Century Arms and got transferred to a "technician" but it immediately went to voice-mail.

 

[AGG]

Keep us updated.

Tony

 

[ghoulardi]

from the description you wrote about the ejecting issues you are having and the "stove piping" issues, to me it sounds like the ejector.......
as the empty casing aren't hitting the ejector with enough force to eject it out of the gun, and it just barely hit the bottom of the empty casing causing that case to "stove pipe" or just barely kicks the case out the gun.

that could be caused by the ejector either being a bit low so it's hitting the empty not dead center bottom, ot it's s a bit left or right. you got to take into account that the ejector has to hit the very bottom of the case by just millimeters, if the ejector is just 1 or 2 millimeters too low it doesn't hit the empty shell with enough force to kick it out of the gun. or if is bit left or right from center it's hitting the very edge of the casing

in any event I would contact CENTURY to send it back for warranty repair

 

[AndyAK]

from the description you wrote about the ejecting issues you are having and the "stove piping" issues, to me it sounds like the ejector.......
as the empty casing aren't hitting the ejector with enough force to eject it out of the gun, and it just barely hit the bottom of the empty casing causing that case to "stove pipe" or just barely kicks the case out the gun.

that could be caused by the ejector either being a bit low so it's hitting the empty not dead center bottom, ot it's s a bit left or right. you got to take into account that the ejector has to hit the very bottom of the case by just millimeters, if the ejector is just 1 or 2 millimeters too low it doesn't hit the empty shell with enough force to kick it out of the gun. or if is bit left or right from center it's hitting the very edge of the casing

in any event I would contact CENTURY to send it back for warranty repair

Well, I'm waiting on Century to respond to my voice-mail (they're not answering the phone), or my email I sent them last week.

In the meantime is there anything non-permanent I can try to get this thing running? I heard something about shimming the front of the trigger pack to raise the ejector.

 

[ghoulardi]

yeah, I wouldn't mess with it at all, wait for CENTURY to respond and send it back. but if you want to mess with shimming the trigger pact, to see if that fixes it, that's your call, just use a very thin shim, like a couple pieces of construction paper

 

[AndyAK]

yeah, I wouldn't mess with it at all, wait for CENTURY to respond and send it back. but if you want to mess with shimming the trigger pact, to see if that fixes it, that's your call, just use a very thin shim, like a couple pieces of construction paper

Century finally picked up the phone this afternoon and decided it's best I just send the gun in for service. Just waiting for a return shipping label.

 

[Guyanaman1963]

Century finally picked up the phone this afternoon and decided it's best I just send the gun in for service. Just waiting for a return shipping label.

Thats good news!
Hopefully they can address it completely and also give it a once over to preemptively catch any other underlying issues.
Good Luck and keep us in the loop!
M.

 

[AGG]

Century finally picked up the phone this afternoon and decided it's best I just send the gun in for service. Just waiting for a return shipping label.

Keep us updated on their response.

Tony

 

[AndyAK]

Update, I've shipped the AP5 back to century under a warranty service ticket, they just got me a prepaid shipping label the 9th through FedEx. We'll see how long it takes to be looked at, and what they do to resolve the issues it has.

 

[AGG]

Thanks for the update--- let us know what they find.

Tony

 

[AndyAK]

Update: Century is shipping it back to me today, they claimed there's no abnormal wear on the gun, they replaced the extractor and spring, and "reprofiled" (did not even replace) the ejector lever.

I'm already not happy about this, the bolt was clearly dragging on the trunnion and had wear on the side, the guide rails inside the receiver also clearly had abnormal wear for still being so low round count. I'll test it and report back but I'm not optimistic, looks like it's going to be a classic three month process of back and forth with Century.

 

[AGG]

Update: Century is shipping it back to me today, they claimed there's no abnormal wear on the gun, they replaced the extractor and spring, and "reprofiled" (did not even replace) the ejector lever.

I'm already not happy about this, the bolt was clearly dragging on the trunnion and had wear on the side, the guide rails inside the receiver also clearly had abnormal wear for still being so low round count. I'll test it and report back but I'm not optimistic, looks like it's going to be a classic three month process of back and forth with Century.

Thanks for the update--- I would not be happy either--- report after test fire.

Tony

 

[AndyAK]

Update: jammed first mag, same exact problem. Some rounds eject strong and high to the 2-3 o'clock, some dribble out, some stovepipe.

Interestingly, if you limp wrist it without shouldering the brace, it gets MUCH better. Like 80's under the armpit action hero style. Ejection improves dramatically. This is with the brace still on, just not held against the body.

(Sorry for the delay in updating, bought my first manual transmission car and that has been a much more fun use of my time than a ganked up MP5 clone from an importer that doesn't care about customers)

 

[Brad4065]

Update: jammed first mag, same exact problem. Some rounds eject strong and high to the 2-3 o'clock, some dribble out, some stovepipe.

Interestingly, if you limp wrist it without shouldering the brace, it gets MUCH better. Like 80's under the armpit action hero style. Ejection improves dramatically. This is with the brace still on, just not held against the body.

(Sorry for the delay in updating, bought my first manual transmission car and that has been a much more fun use of my time than a ganked up MP5 clone from an importer that doesn't care about customers)

Dude that sucks, and I can say that we've all been there.

Unsolicited advice: Put the damn thing on GB, sell it, get rid of it and contact Ralph at RDTS. The one in my avatar, he built
for me from a MP5 kit.....has the serial number of MP5, German markings everything. I've probably got 1000-3000 rounds
through without a jam. It runs like a Rolex.

Cheers and good luck!!!!!!

PS: Yes....you'll pay more, but as the saying goes......"buy once, cry once".

 

[AGG]

Update: jammed first mag, same exact problem. Some rounds eject strong and high to the 2-3 o'clock, some dribble out, some stovepipe.

Interestingly, if you limp wrist it without shouldering the brace, it gets MUCH better. Like 80's under the armpit action hero style. Ejection improves dramatically. This is with the brace still on, just not held against the body.

(Sorry for the delay in updating, bought my first manual transmission car and that has been a much more fun use of my time than a ganked up MP5 clone from an importer that doesn't care about customers)

That is ridiculous--- update with any response from the manufacturer.

Tony

 

[AndyAK]

That is ridiculous--- update with any response from the manufacturer.

Tony

Century just finally replied to my emails and voice-mails (a month later??) And basically said "it worked when we fired one mag through it"

 

[Brad4065]

Century just finally replied to my emails and voice-mails (a month later??) And basically said "it worked when we fired one mag through it"

Seriously???!!!!!!

How about an offer to remedy the problem???? Again....I'd sell it, and go RDTS. You'll thank me later,
and if you're married your wife will curse me.

 

[AGG]

Century just finally replied to my emails and voice-mails (a month later??) And basically said "it worked when we fired one mag through it"

What?
Do they not want you to return it for testing?

Tony

 

[AndyAK]

What?
Do they not want you to return it for testing?

Tony

When I called them a month ago (after getting it back from them ""servicing"" it and it promptly jamming at the range) the lady said "well that's unfortunate, but we try to fix them before replacing them" and she transferred me to their (only) service technician with a phone extension, a guy named Sam.

I left multiple voice-mails and an email with him, as well as a service request through their web-form (which is just an email generator from what I can tell.)
Sam finally got back to me and implied it was an ammunition related problem, ending his email with "it was test fired for 30 rounds successfully without any malfunctions."

And he hasn't answered my reply email yet so I don't know what will happen next.

Seriously???!!!!!!

How about an offer to remedy the problem???? Again....I'd sell it, and go RDTS. You'll thank me later,
and if you're married your wife will curse me.

I've got a parts kit to build my own SD lol, I just wanted a cheap non-NFA for travel since I work all over the country.
I am definitely wishing I'd gone with a reputable builder or an SP5 now.

I have an MKE HK93 clone imported by Zenith and it's incredible, I can't believe the difference between it and this century imported 9mm. Guess I expected to get lucky twice.

 

[AndyAK]

Update: after a few more emails they have agreed to replace the AP5. I sent the old one off today, I'll post an update when the new one arrives.