AK mag release causing feed failures?
I've been doing some trouble shooting on a WASR-10/66 AK Type rifle. Its the standard Century Arms model with fixed stocks and the TAPCO G2 trigger group.
Its getting a unique malfunction I've never trouble shot before. I'm getting a failure to feed. Not a double feed, but a failure to feed.
I do the basic trouble shooting, using different magazines from TAPCO 30rd to Bulgarian 40rds. After several magazine, and ammo combinations and the same malfunction on every one of them I determined its the gun.
What I've noticed is that if the magazine has pressure pushing its bottom forward or even just trying to function the action with the muzzle down, it get the failure to feed. But if I have pressure holding the magazine back or have the muzzle up, it feeds fine.
I started looking in the gun with a flashlight trying to figure out what was happening, and what I see is there is a little play in the magazine above the magazine release. If the lip on the back of the magazine is resting on the top of the magazine release shelf, the back of the cartridge isn't high enough for the bolt face to grab, and it grabs the case in the grove just behind the case head rim. But if I hold the magazine right lifting the lip off the shelf basically just pushing the back of the magazine into the gun, it functions.
So could the problem be with the magazine release itself. From what I see the magazine release is basically a folded piece of sheet metal, that has a hole in it on which it has a pin that it rotates against spring tension. Oh now the more it rotates the lower the self gets of which the magazine lip rests. There is a ground stop on the back of the magazine release that limits its rotation where it rests against spring tension. It doesn't rest straight up, but rather low, which is what I think is causing my problem.
Obviously I really suck at trying to explain things and if I could I would post pictures to make things alot easier, but just don't have the ability to do so. And honestly I really just appreciate anyone who read it.
I actually got stupid and tried to fashion a wedge using an aluminum coke can and some EMT shears to limit the rotation of the mag release to see if I could get a temporary hold so I could test fire it, but of coarse it fell out. How hard and expensive would it be to replace the magazine release. Where do I get the parts and tools. Would it be a waste of time, is there another problem that I'm misdiagnosing that could be common and I'm just to stupid to see?
Its getting a unique malfunction I've never trouble shot before. I'm getting a failure to feed. Not a double feed, but a failure to feed.
I do the basic trouble shooting, using different magazines from TAPCO 30rd to Bulgarian 40rds. After several magazine, and ammo combinations and the same malfunction on every one of them I determined its the gun.
What I've noticed is that if the magazine has pressure pushing its bottom forward or even just trying to function the action with the muzzle down, it get the failure to feed. But if I have pressure holding the magazine back or have the muzzle up, it feeds fine.
I started looking in the gun with a flashlight trying to figure out what was happening, and what I see is there is a little play in the magazine above the magazine release. If the lip on the back of the magazine is resting on the top of the magazine release shelf, the back of the cartridge isn't high enough for the bolt face to grab, and it grabs the case in the grove just behind the case head rim. But if I hold the magazine right lifting the lip off the shelf basically just pushing the back of the magazine into the gun, it functions.
So could the problem be with the magazine release itself. From what I see the magazine release is basically a folded piece of sheet metal, that has a hole in it on which it has a pin that it rotates against spring tension. Oh now the more it rotates the lower the self gets of which the magazine lip rests. There is a ground stop on the back of the magazine release that limits its rotation where it rests against spring tension. It doesn't rest straight up, but rather low, which is what I think is causing my problem.
Obviously I really suck at trying to explain things and if I could I would post pictures to make things alot easier, but just don't have the ability to do so. And honestly I really just appreciate anyone who read it.
I actually got stupid and tried to fashion a wedge using an aluminum coke can and some EMT shears to limit the rotation of the mag release to see if I could get a temporary hold so I could test fire it, but of coarse it fell out. How hard and expensive would it be to replace the magazine release. Where do I get the parts and tools. Would it be a waste of time, is there another problem that I'm misdiagnosing that could be common and I'm just to stupid to see?
0
-
There must be a dozen variations of these Romanian AKs. The first question is whether or not the receiver came from the factory with the magazine well cut for double stack magazines or if the good folks at CAI took a single stack receiver and opened it up? 0 -
Ah good question, I do not see any rough grinder marks at the grider well, and looking at some of the other CAI workings I would assume thats something that would be easily noticed. I could be wrong but I'm assuming the receiver was originally stamped out for double stacked mags.
The receiver is marked GP WASR-10/63 Cal 7.32x39mm on the left and MADE BY CN FOMARM SA/CUGIR IN ROMANIA IMPORTED CAI GEORGIA, UT on the right.0 -
Man I wish I had my camera. Ok here is something else I notice. The bolt has alot of play in the carrier. I took off the dust cover, and removed the mainspring, and when I push the bolt carrier into position just behind where it should catch the case rim, I notice the bolt itself can easily move up and down maybe 1-2 milimeters. 0 -
You didn't say how much space there is above the mag catch with the mag forward. There should be about 1/32". If there is more, either the mag catch is too short or the hole in the frame is too low.
In any event the mag catch needs to come out and either be built up by welding or replaced. Drill out the riveted portion and push out the pin.
I suspect catches come oversize and are ground to fit being it's a riveted assembly.
Since it feeds when the mag is held back that's your answer.
The bolt, while it has up and down movement in the carrier when out of the gun, rides in guides riveted in the receiver. They align the bolt with respect to the chamber and magazine..0 -
Here is definitely more than 1/32" movement. The bolt movement I was mentioning was actually in gun. I put the bolt carrier with the bolt in the gun without the recoil spring. The rails in the receiver keep and hold the bolt carrier on top and bottom, but don't contact the actual bolt lugs on top, just the bottom.
I took out the firing pin, and the mainspring to do some cartridge feed testing and this is what I'm seeing, between the bolt and magazine movement, there is enough play to cause the bottom of the bolt face to miss grabbing the cartridge rim and grab the base of the case on the wall causing these malfunction. If I manipulate the back of the magazine to bring it into the mag well at its maximum, and don't hold the gun upside down so the bolt stays low it will feed fine. But funny enough, if I hold the gun upside down, the bolt wont grab the cartridge.
Kinda drives me nuts. I'm an honest guy so I couldn't sell it off on someone else knowing it has this problem, and I'd pretty much only be able to sell it for parts. So I'd take a loss on the $600 (after sales tax) I spent on the gun. But its useless to me not working. Its a frustrating delima.
I've been looking online at rivet and parts kits. I'm thinking about replacing the whole bolt carrier and bolt (and installing the US compliant gas piston) and replacing the trigger guard all together with a new mag release. Or maybe I'll just take it to a gunsmith and dish out the cash to have him fix it. I can't really find anywhere online that sells just the separate parts without buying a whole parts kit. And Century Arms doesn't have any type of warranty, all their guns are pretty much sold as-is guns...0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
5 comments