Saiga jamming question

[ymg200 0]

My Saiga-12 is jamming and I noticed that when the gun cycles, and bolt/extractor is dragging the empty shell to the back, shell sometimes engages ejector and gets ejected at point 2 (see the picture below), but more often it passes above 2, and ejects upon engaging ejector at point 1.

I noticed that the ejector's edge at point 2 is just a tiny fraction higher than a would-be path of the cycling shell moving to the back. Most of the times shell passes above this point and engages ejector at point 1, but sometimes it gets caught and ejected at point 2.

 

Question:

1. Should the shell engage point 2 at all, or should it always pass above, and get ejected at point 1?

2. Should I file ejector's corner at point 2 a little down to make sure that shell never engages at this point and always passes above it to point 1 and gets ejected there?

 

Please see the picture at:

http://www.geocities.com/bfgyan/saiga_question.html

 

Thank you.

[SaltPeter 6]

I'm a little confused. If the shell is ejecting either way, what exactly is the problem? I take it that it is somehow jamming when it ejects at point 2. Here's the answers to your question, in that case:

 

1. Mine always ejects when it hits point one.

 

2. In my opinion, maybe you should try a veriety of ammo to see if you get the same problem before you permanently alter parts of your gun, however, it wouldn't be unheard of that it would need modification. I have had to do some fitting and filing on both of my magazines before they would work 100%, and some folks have had to file a little off of the bottom of their bolt so it wouldn't drag across the next shell in the magazine, causing jams.

[Bvamp 604]

mine never ejects at point 2. I agree with SaltPeter, try a variety of ammo. also check your case bases and see just how much of the ejector at point 2 is catching the shell. also, my ejector at point 2 IS slanted like yours, so the part was not milled crooked.

[ymg200 0]

> If the shell is ejecting either way, what exactly is the problem?

> how much of the ejector at point 2 is catching the shell

SaltPeter and Bvamp,

Ejector just slightly catches the shell at point 2. Maybe it is .5mm, or 1mm.

Sometimes it does catch, and then lets it go further to point 1. However, even if it doesn't eject at 2, I suspect that it slows down the bolt, and then it might have not enough energy to eject at point 1.

I am struggling with jams. From what I see, jam is a result of failure to eject properly. My jams look like the following: An empty shell stands vertically (looks like it is almost ejected), and smashed by the bolt agains the front of the receiver.

I suspect that the problem is either early ejection attempt at point 2, or the fact that ejection didn't happen, but the bolt got slowed down at point 2, and didn't have enough energy to eject at point 1.

It seems like it will take just few passes of the file to remove that .5mm at point 2, but before I do any alterations to the gun I want to make sure that point 2 should never engage the shell. If I file that corner (point 2) off, there is no way I can put it back.

Please let me know what your thoughts are.

Thank you.

Yan.

[Integratedj 1]

How many shells have you fired? Mine jammed all the time until I hit about 150-200 shells, then broke in and fires perfect. Just keep shooting, it will probably work itself out.

[Bvamp 604]

firearm parts and components are heat and carbon treated to be extremely hard. this gun is no exception. it wont take a few passes with a file, is my bet, but more like 100+. my thoughts are to take a case of shells out, and fire em off in a session and see if it works itself out, and if not, to trim it down SLOWLY until the problem goes away. also, if you take a spent case and chamber it, and slowly retract the bolt, can you actually SEE it hitting the ejector at point 2. also, when you get your jam, are you checking the shell base for the point of impact from the ejector, and are you SURE its hitting point 2? that point of the ejector IS slanted on mine.

 

also, do you have your gun's gas setting set correctly? have you cranked the gas plug all the way in, then backed it out to #1 and fired a magazine of slugs through it yet to see if that might be the problem? also, that would definately mark your shell bases clearly and show you where its catching, and if its hitting both parts of the ejector or not.

[G O B 3,516]

ymg200 The shell should eject a point 1. I looked carefully at mine, and there is a worn place at point 2 ,on the front corner (towards the center) of the ramp.If yours is a RCH tight at that point, it can cause a failure to eject-jamb due to shell trying to eject too soon. try a snapcap/proof round. Massage point 2 to clear.(maybe only a RCH) Dremmel should work fine.

 

G O B

Edited October 21, 2004 by G O B

[ymg200 0]

> Bvamp: that point of the ejector IS slanted on mine

I also have my ejector slanted at point 2. It seems like the shell catches just below the slant starts. I would need to make the slant a little steeper to make sure that it doesn't catch at point 2 anymore.

[Bvamp 604]

if yer sure thats the problem without a doubt, do it I say. at point 2 its supposed to have a slant to it. try what GOB said first, then if that dont do it, take the whole #2 edge down a hair, but remember, the bolt head rides on that part, so dont take too much off of it, because the bolt head wont align properly with the ejector and ejection port then.

Edited October 22, 2004 by Bvamp