Dented Primers

[trailthrasher 0]

I know this topic of "bolt face - raised areas stuff" has been done - but I got another question.

At the range - firing away - everything going smooth. Decided to fire a round, and then pull the live round out to just check it out (the next round that came up into battery, loaded into chamber, etc.)

Well, I see a slight dent in the primer. Like the firing pin had just slightly contacted it - bumped it a bit upon chambering the round. Using brass case Federal.

Any ideas?

Guy at the range said don't shoot it again until a smith checked it out.

[Agent Lemon 157]

lol @ smart guys at the range.

 

Its a free floated pin in the bolt. There is no spring keeping the firing pin back. AKs do this to rounds since the firing pin hits it a bit. It wont go off unless there is some SERIOUS gunk in the bolt keeping the firing pin stuck in the protruded position, which would cause a slam fire or something.

 

I do believe that my AR does the same thing. ETA: yes, my bushmaster does the same thing. No worries, its normal.

 

Tell the guys at the range that Mr. Lemon said that all is fine. Tell them to chamber a round on any of their AKs or ARs and then take it out to look at the primer.

Edited June 21, 2012 by Agent Lemon

[Bvamp 604]

The Lemon is correct.

 

post pics so that we can confirm the head lemon's statement.

[Brian M1 50]

Not all Saiga's are free floating. MINE for example (2012 223) is spring loaded, as are many.

[jbanzai 113]

My .223 is spring loaded too. I have an AR, AK, and SKS with a free floating firing pin and they all dent the primer. The SKS is the only one I'd really be worried about a slam fire with.

 

People love to give flipant advice on matters that don't concern them....medical, mechanical, life. Makes em feel wise I guess.

[jimdigriz 580]

Mine is spring loaded, as is the spare bolt I got from K-Var.

Edited June 22, 2012 by Jim Digriz

[trailthrasher 0]

So, what does this mean for the spring loaded .223 ( I checked, mine has a spring) - should I run for the hills since the

spring is not stopping the forward travel of the firing pin?

Do I need to get it down to the gunny?

Thanks for the info.

[trailthrasher 0]

Well, I can't get my junky camera to focus in close enough to see the primer dent, have to take my word on that one.

I dunno, it looks like the pin rides flush with the face of the bolt, or that strange firing pin sleeve thing anyway.

I guess it wouldn't take much to move it just a micro bit forward and contact the primer.

 

So, check out your .223 guys - does your rifle put a mark on the primers???

Have any of you felt the need to get this taken care of?

[Agent Lemon 157]

Really? First time hearing about spring loaded firing pins in AKs other than the S12.

 

Does that mean that you cannot dry fire your spring loaded stuff, since as with the spring loaded S12 it says in the manual not to dryfire?

 

ETA: are the 5.45 versions spring loaded? I think maybe only the non-Russian stuff gets this feature for whatever reason?

 

ETA2: So k-var advertizes all their Saiga rifles to have spring loaded pins, including the 7.62x39. I personally have NEVER seen a spring loaded 7.62x39. I think maybe either k-var adds them, or maybe the the factory started adding them. Either way this would only happen from whining, as traditionally there was never a spring in there due to hard military grade primers.

 

 

But yeah if it IS spring loaded and still dents the primers then you should disassemble the bolt and clean it very very well. Make sure that the spring is all good, and make sure that there is no gunk fucking with it. Make sure that the spring is not broken or old and worn out. I have no idea how a spring loaded pin can dent primers. Most importantly post some pictures.

 

SPRING LAODED they said, sheesh. Usually only hear this on chinese replicas of legendary design of mikhail kalashnikov, rant, etc.

Edited June 27, 2012 by Agent Lemon

[Brian M1 50]

Really? First time hearing about spring loaded firing pins in AKs other than the S12.

 

Does that mean that you cannot dry fire your spring loaded stuff, since as with the spring loaded S12 it says in the manual not to dryfire?

 

ETA: are the 5.45 versions spring loaded? I think maybe only the non-Russian stuff gets this feature for whatever reason?

 

ETA2: So k-var advertizes all their Saiga rifles to have spring loaded pins, including the 7.62x39. I personally have NEVER seen a spring loaded 7.62x39. I think maybe either k-var adds them, or maybe the the factory started adding them. Either way this would only happen from whining, as traditionally there was never a spring in there due to hard military grade primers.

 

 

But yeah if it IS spring loaded and still dents the primers then you should disassemble the bolt and clean it very very well. Make sure that the spring is all good, and make sure that there is no gunk fucking with it. Make sure that the spring is not broken or old and worn out. I have no idea how a spring loaded pin can dent primers. Most importantly post some pictures.

 

SPRING LAODED they said, sheesh. Usually only hear this on chinese replicas of legendary design of mikhail kalashnikov, rant, etc.

I'm guessing Saiga did this because they market thier rifles as "sporters" (and mark the 5.56 as .223 Rem as well). They probably figure, do to such, that people will assume to feed it "sporting" rounds (non mil grade) such as soft primered hunting loads generally made for more modern rifles.

Personally, I'm glad it has a spring loaded firing pins. Springs have been used for decades with no ill effects and only serves to prevent issues such as the OP's. If mine hadn't come with a spring firing pin, that's one mod to the original AK design I'd have gladly done myself.

Floating pins have been used for Eons, but with todays soft primered sporting rounds... it's not worth messing with floaters anymore (since a floater is not always safe with all rounds, but a springer is).

[Agent Lemon 157]

While true, I do believe that the majority (if not all) of the 5.45 being shot in the U.S. is military surplus, and would therefore have hard primers. I have read posts on this very board of spring loaded bolts having light strikes against hard primers, with the problem being fixed after the removal of the springs. And also personally, I would rather have my gun work with all kinds of ammo, surplus or not, since usually a free floated pin is NOT a problem in a well maintained weapon. AR15s apparently have them too with no ill effects.

 

I do not know about the 7.62x39 ammo though. I do believe that everything but the bullet itself is made to mil spec if you buy Russian. Could be wrong though.

 

But yeah I do agree that if it causes no problems, that a spring loaded FP could possibly save you from slamfires or something if your stuffs very gunky.

 

But OP should still post some pics and also clean his bolt very well to see if that solves his problem.

Edited June 28, 2012 by Agent Lemon