How loose should the gas piston be?

[SinistralRifleman 0]

During regular maintenance cleaning my Saiga I noticed the piston is loose and wobbly in it's threaded extension. It's still staked in, but it had me wondering how normal this was? On my other gun I haven't shot as much it isn't so loose.

[WHITE NOISE 0]

I cleaned my new Saiga 12 yesterday after shooting two (2) boxes of trap loads. I noticed the same thing on mine. There were threads visible between the piston and bolt carrier assembly. The piston is pinned in, and has wobble to it. The shotgun performed with one FTF (was shooting light loads on #1 setting.) I will be getting a second S-12 some time late this week. I will let you know if the piston is loose on it too. FYI, I have a number of AK types and some of the pistons are loose (think it may be a Russian thing.)

[kmoore 3]

Had me worried for a second. Tony makes an arguement (and this has compliance ramifications) that the piston is the detached part that directly interfaces with the gas.

 

I don't remember what we are calling this connection rod?? Anyways, it is fairly loose on my S12. I can check 2 other shotties that don't get shot much here, but my gut feel is that some looseness is better than a rigid part, and that a lot of looseness doesn't hurt. Force on the part is straight back and forth, I don't see a way for it to break or work loose (if it overcame the staking).

 

But these are just guessing on my part.

[G O B 3,516]

Momma's S-.410 rattles but my S-12 dosent. The regular Saiga gaspistons (like my S-.308) have a concave face, the shotguns the same part has a flat face- the better to bear on the "loose " piston.

[random sylvester 0]

Mine's been loose since the day I got it (new) and only failed shooting 2 1/2 shells on setting #1

I wouldnt worry about it

Its a russian thing

Edited April 10, 2007 by random sylvester