Gas Piston replacement?

[Ol'smokie 0]

Is there a after market gas piston replacement that does not need "dislodging" after a few rounds? Or a solution for the exsiting piston..... it's starting to cause jams on ejection because it siezes up after a few rounds.... I clean it after use and it needs to be disloged with a malet and a rod.....bummer (I don't ever oil it)

 

thanks,

 

smokie

[random sylvester 0]

does it cause the gun to jam? if it doesnt then its pretty normal just wack it with a wood dowel or punch it out with the bolt carrier

[psyched 0]

does it cause the gun to jam? if it doesnt then its pretty normal just wack it with a wood dowel or punch it out with the bolt carrier

 

 

???I thought these were indestructo AK guns that never ever stopped running...?? Its normal to have this on the gun?

[Ol'smokie 0]

Did have some FTEs where the hull was sideways and jammed against the bolt face, shooting LEA Remington 1oz slugs, gas setting on #1. I have heard there are some after market pistons or a way to burnish the existing piston to make it travel smoother...... this is the first time this has happened. It's a Tromix conversion with all the requisite adjustments made by Tony..... maybe I'll just give it an old fashioned cleaning and try it again.

 

Spaciba,

 

smokie

[hoop762 0]

try some really fine grit snadpaper on the outside of the gas piston (plug) and also on the inside of the gas cylinder...and make sure you clean out the gas ports real well. That sometimes causes stovepipes for me, thats usually after a few thousand shells of not cleaning, but it does happen

 

The AK is an extemely reliable design, but no machine is completely without fault

[twinhairdryers 2]

Smokie- any fix on this one? I have the same issue with my gas piston. Not after that few shots, but after 30 rounds, mine sticks good, so much that I have to rubber mallet strike it out with a wooden dowel. I tried a dremel buff of the inside of the gas chamber, but that only worked for about 3 weeks or so.

 

I have tried cleaning, completely dry running it, then oils and even a slide grease. It seems that dry was better than the others - IE it wouldn't stick as fast. Anyone try Miltec-1 or other on their piston?

[psyched 0]

Interesting thread. How common is this problem among S-12 owners out there in forum land? Does this gun stick after so many rounds or is this a rare occurrence? It might be interesting to hear from other owners whether they have experienced this problem too (or not).

[kmoore 3]

Did have some FTEs where the hull was sideways and jammed against the bolt face, shooting LEA Remington 1oz slugs, gas setting on #1. I have heard there are some after market pistons or a way to burnish the existing piston to make it travel smoother...... this is the first time this has happened. It's a Tromix conversion with all the requisite adjustments made by Tony..... maybe I'll just give it an old fashioned cleaning and try it again.

 

Spaciba,

 

smokie

 

Smoke,

 

Hard to diagnose these things on the net, but your symptoms don't really point to a gas piston problem (IMO). IOW, there are lots of reasons to see the jams you have. Certain amount of carbon build up is normal and expected. And there are plenty of reason to have fte's.

 

mickporno, (doesn't check in here much anymore) mentioned a time that he cleaned his shotgun because it was jamming. He literally had to hammer it piston out, it was completely siezed. That means just before that, it was pretty gunked up and still working.

 

Couple of suggestions.

Let us know the config of your shotgun. BBL been shortened? Any work on the ports? Buffer?

 

Double check your gas setting. Good shoulder mount?

 

Try some other shells.

 

But the best advice would be to try and find another owner with a working Saiga. Shoot it a bunch, then check on the condition of that piston and see how it compares to the one in your gun.

 

For me, after a cleaning, you can here the piston slide back and forth on it's own. Doesn't take too many rounds for that to stop. I don't have a cleaning schedule, sometimes often, sometimes thousand or so shells. In between, I know mine piston doesn't move "freely", but runs fine.

 

HTH,

 

-K

[cscharlie 107]

Some folks have reported lead/plastic build up in the gas port in the past.

 

I believe Tromix had a stainless replacement piston they were offering. Don't know if they still do. I've yet to have that problem. If I did, I'd take a look at the inside of the gas cylinder and the outer diameter of the piston. I'm curious if something like the piston fiting too loose, or being out of round ect..., could lead to it seizing. If the piston fits tight I'd be tempted to try using some diamond paste like is used to hand lap barrels,or polishing the piston with some jewler's rouge .

Edited December 19, 2006 by cscharlie

[Ol'smokie 0]

Thanks, folks. I'ts a Tromix conversion and Tony shortened the barrel to the legal minimum and did a job on the gas ports. It has one of his Tromix folding stocks and flash supressor. Has always had a Blackjack buffer in (the black one). Gas adjustment is set to #1...It has been cycling fine with light tatget loads (Wally world). The rounds it seemed to be having the occasional jams with were Rem. slugger reduced recoil 1oz. slugs, and Federal LE 127 1oz. slugs, both reduced recoil rounds. All are 2 3/4 hulls. I'll give it a good cleaning and do some smoothing on the piston and tube and see how it does next time out. I've been using a recoil pad and Blackhawk cheek pad to help with the weld on the Kobra sight.

 

thanks again,

 

smokie

[TonyRumore 1,332]

I would definantely try some different shells. I had one gun come back with the complaint of crap clogging up the gas system. I test fired the crap out of it and had no trouble. After returning the gun, the customer continued to complain so I replaced his gun with another one. I tested the gun again and it was fine. I then sold it to a local dealer (for personal use) and told him what had happened. He has had the gun about 6 months and came in the shop the other day to tell me it's been running perfectly and he never cleans it.

 

For whatever that is worth.

 

Tony

[Ol'smokie 0]

Thanks, Tony.... will do.

 

S

[rebelyell76t 0]

Thanks, folks. I'ts a Tromix conversion and Tony shortened the barrel to the legal minimum and did a job on the gas ports. It has one of his Tromix folding stocks and flash supressor. Has always had a Blackjack buffer in (the black one). Gas adjustment is set to #1...It has been cycling fine with light tatget loads (Wally world). The rounds it seemed to be having the occasional jams with were Rem. slugger reduced recoil 1oz. slugs, and Federal LE 127 1oz. slugs, both reduced recoil rounds. All are 2 3/4 hulls. I'll give it a good cleaning and do some smoothing on the piston and tube and see how it does next time out. I've been using a recoil pad and Blackhawk cheek pad to help with the weld on the Kobra sight.

 

thanks again,

 

smokie

 

 

Have you tried putting the gas setting on #2? Maybe you have to on the reduced recoil slugs.

[shotgun_lobotomy 0]

i actually didnt even clean the inside of mine for months, at least 2-3000 rounds and never had a hiccup at all

[kmoore 3]

FWIW, I'd remove the buffer and see if it goes away. If so, I'm guessing the bolt is bouncing back a bit too fast? Helped for me.

 

Also, are you seeing anything other than carbon build up?

[GTwannabe 1]

You're not oiling the gas piston, right?

[THE_HUNTER 2]

I have 2 Saiga 12's and have never had a problem.

[Cesiumsponge 0]

Never had an issue either but I replaced my gas piston with a Tromix one anyhow (it was just one more thing I could swap out!) and put on about an 8 microinch finish to help prevent crap from sticking to it in the future. My old one would get caked to the point of not being able to solvent the crap off but it still ran fine.

[G O B 3,516]

I clean mine with dry scotchbright and then Hoppe's #9. Never had a problem.

[Ol'smokie 0]

Thanks, all, will do the cleaning and polishing and probably remove the buffer (but not all at once) and see how it works....now, if the NM weather will cooperate for bit.........

 

smokes