Saiga-12 FTE woes

[dc2bar 0]

So, I took my saiga out to the range, along with a 100 box of wallyworld Federal 7 1/2. She spit every shell beautifully. I took it home, and heard rattling in the gas piston, so I opened it up and dumped out a bunch of black soot, and the piston also fell out. I figured it'd be a good opportunity to go ahead and scrub that out too, so i took the brush and cleaned the gas tube out, and gave the piston a wipedown with some hoppes since it was dirty and there was some weird banding on the sides of the piston.

 

2 days later, I head back to the range with the saiga, and the same ammo. no more than 2/5 would every successfully eject. WTF. So, I take it home, and read up on the forums. It's a 3 hole gun, all unobstructed. I grab some emery cloth and polish to a near mirror shine the hammer face, as well as giving the underside of the bolt carrier a good slicking up. As a bonus i polished up the bottom of the unlocked bolt as well. The gas tube is opened up again and cleared of all the soot that built up in it, and interestingly the piston edges have the bands on them again, though this time they won't come off.

 

today, same results; only 2/5 on average would properly eject. After triple checking that the plug is at #2, I get frustrated and basically give up on the gun. I stop trying to make things work, and simply out of frustration fire every round, then clear the spent shell that's lodged, then repeat. After I finished my first 100 box, I noticed I was getting 3/5 to eject. After the 200 round mark, i was getting 4/5 to eject. 200-300 were holding steady at 4/5 properly ejecting. Sometimes she'd spit 20 in a row, then jam for an entire 5rnd mag, but overall I was running at 80%; much better than the 40% I started with.

 

Any suggestions? I'm thinking my gas piston is screwed. I read on here that many people say it's difficult for them to get their pistons out...mine falls out freely if i turn the gun upside down. I am thinking the crap that builds up on the piston and the gas tube is what's sealing my piston in, has anyone heard of this happening? What about the banding on my piston? If I put in a KA tappet would it solve my problem?

 

Sorry about all the questions, i'd love to make this gun work out for me...in my opinion anything less than 100% is unacceptable!

 

Pics of the piston banding attached. These bands go all the way around the piston.

[Spartacus 1,619]

My guess is that the bore has tool marks in it and the gas blows

by the piston and deposits that pattern due to the tool marks.

 

Make sure you clean the plastic and carbon out of the gas holes.

That may be why you're getting the FTE's now. I use a simple

paper clip to clean them out.

 

The KA tappet is a good part. It's a few thousandths larger than

the stock part I believe. You'll have less blow-by with it.

[hobbyshooter 59]

I've noticed with my 3 port gun that it likes the gas cam to be UNSCREWED to setting 2. If I screw it in all the way until it stops it'll go to setting 2 again, but I then click it out to setting 1, then screw it out again to setting 2 and it eats that same ammo you are using like a kid on candy.

 

Also, as stated above: Take a pick and poke through the gas ports to ensure they are clear.

Edited July 10, 2009 by hobbyshooter

[VanKiller 322]

Good call HobbyShooter, with some of the three port guns the holes are so far forward the gas plug adds to the restriction when screwed in as far as it can possible be twisted, by backing out to the setting 2 as you describe, the bevel on the gas plug is more inline with the ports and will allow better functioning. Also as some people have noted before, some Saigas are dirty girls so to speak, they just run better when they are a little dirty.....

[mollysman420 19]

dirty girls!!!

 

Thats how I like em!!

[dc2bar 0]

I've noticed with my 3 port gun that it likes the gas cam to be UNSCREWED to setting 2. If I screw it in all the way until it stops it'll go to setting 2 again, but I then click it out to setting 1, then screw it out again to setting 2 and it eats that same ammo you are using like a kid on candy.

 

Also, as stated above: Take a pick and poke through the gas ports to ensure they are clear.

 

This worked very well today.

 

When I pulled the cam out yesterday, I noticed there was a blob of buildup on the beveled edge near the end. I scraped that off, cleaned/scrubbed the cam clean, and went to the range. Slight improvement, but still FTE, 2 out of each of the first 2 mags (40%). Then, I screwed the cam in as far as it would go. It bottomed out about 1/4 turn away from locking into the 2 position...the tightest position it would click into is 1. I usually unscrew back to 2, and it has been failing. SO, I unscrewed it even further, back out to 1 again, then again to 2.

 

Result: 188 Federal Bulk perfect cycle, 2 last round FTFs due to shell nosing up and catching on the top of the barrel. I am going out with a fresh 100 box on thursday with the same settings, and if it works 100% i'll be happer than a kid on christmas!

[hobbyshooter 59]

I've noticed with my 3 port gun that it likes the gas cam to be UNSCREWED to setting 2. If I screw it in all the way until it stops it'll go to setting 2 again, but I then click it out to setting 1, then screw it out again to setting 2 and it eats that same ammo you are using like a kid on candy.

 

Also, as stated above: Take a pick and poke through the gas ports to ensure they are clear.

 

This worked very well today.

 

When I pulled the cam out yesterday, I noticed there was a blob of buildup on the beveled edge near the end. I scraped that off, cleaned/scrubbed the cam clean, and went to the range. Slight improvement, but still FTE, 2 out of each of the first 2 mags (40%). Then, I screwed the cam in as far as it would go. It bottomed out about 1/4 turn away from locking into the 2 position...the tightest position it would click into is 1. I usually unscrew back to 2, and it has been failing. SO, I unscrewed it even further, back out to 1 again, then again to 2.

 

Result: 188 Federal Bulk perfect cycle, 2 last round FTFs due to shell nosing up and catching on the top of the barrel. I am going out with a fresh 100 box on thursday with the same settings, and if it works 100% i'll be happer than a kid on christmas!

Excellent. I'm glad to hear you are making progress. To address those FTF I would suggest giving the bolt face a light smoothing. I have used 600 grit sand paper with good results. You don't need it to be a mirror, and you don't need to smooth out every little crevice, but just make the middle of the bolt face shiny and shoot it some more.