The rifle has never functioned correctly since I've had it. In my efforts to find the problem I found the cracked gas plug. I replaced it to no avail. Maybe a marginal improvement since it cycled itself a few times after replacement. I see this as further evidence of blowby. I am a newbie and was just asking in the hopes that there was a clear answer. I guess it is just because I bought this particular rifle on an impulse, at a premium price, and I want to minimize the amount of $$$$ I'm throwing at it! I bought it from an individual as well, so there is little to no recourse.