Slipstream Precision 0 Posted December 12, 2013 Report Share Posted December 12, 2013 I recently got a Saiga .308 from a friend of mine and had some issues at the range. I had some misfires and light firing pin strikes then a primer blew on some Tula I was shooting. I took the gun apart and put shims between the bolt face and a couple of rounds to try and get an idea about headspace since I don't have .308 HS gages. I could put about .030" worth and still chamber a round. This is a huge gap and my next question is about the bolt. I think that this either has the wrong bolt or it has been modified from a different version or caliber. Can anybody look at these pictures please and let me know if this looks like a factory bolt or has someone "rigged" it??? Thanks in advance. -Justin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sdustin 578 Posted December 12, 2013 Report Share Posted December 12, 2013 Ill look at my bolt later and see if it looks drastically different but does it appear to have been Modified even polished. If someone wanted to polish it they could really screw it uo if they didn't know what they were doing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
csspecs 1,987 Posted December 12, 2013 Report Share Posted December 12, 2013 Kinda looks like a vepr .308 bolt. Check the numbers on the bolt vs the last three numbers of the serial on the gun. Also head spacing is done with the main spring removed but with the bolt carrier, I'd suggest either getting the gauges or going to a smith that has them. Also find out if your friend owns other AKs in .308... It would be very easy to have swapped bolts while cleaning. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Slipstream Precision 0 Posted December 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2013 AK Monty, its wear unfortunately instead of polished.. Csspecs, The serial numbers are different. I was going to order gages but it was so far off I didn't think I needed them. My buddy has no other guns similar it was the way he bought it. I'm fairly sure it's the wrong bolt but cannot find one anywhere. Do you guys have any leads on one? Thanks again for the help. I just bought a Saiga 12 and ran about 250 rounds thru it yesterday. Cool guns…. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
haugpatr 972 Posted December 13, 2013 Report Share Posted December 13, 2013 Find out what your buddy paid for it and where he bought it, that might provide a clue. A saiga 308 bolt is almost impossible to find right now. I think Legion has stated they will be bringing parts in after the start of the year but I don't think they have clarified that yet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sdustin 578 Posted December 13, 2013 Report Share Posted December 13, 2013 could you correct the head space with the barrel placement in the trunnion? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nsnate02 32 Posted December 13, 2013 Report Share Posted December 13, 2013 It looks dramatically different than the 308 Saiga I had. The bottom lug is entirely different. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
csspecs 1,987 Posted December 13, 2013 Report Share Posted December 13, 2013 I actually remembered I have a picture of the vepr and saiga bolts. Yours looks like a Vepr .308 bolt. Some poor soul has a vepr that won't lock up due to overly tight head space.... Also where is your extractor? Its not in the picture. A gun smith that has built AK pattern rifles should be able to fix your head space issue, and make corrections to the bolt if needed. Correcting head space on an AK requires a shop press and resetting the barrel pin.. Its not easy, but its not impossible. Some back tracking could find you the match for the rifle. Which is what I would try.. Its not like vepr .308 bolts are falling from the sky. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Slipstream Precision 0 Posted December 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2013 Here is another shot of it. It resembles both in the picture above but is not identical to either one. Wonder if it could be a 7.62X 39 with some bolt face work? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Slipstream Precision 0 Posted December 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2013 Oh I forgot. The extractor came off when that last round blew the primer and blew the magazine apart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sdustin 578 Posted December 13, 2013 Report Share Posted December 13, 2013 Oh wow ill bet the bolt is no good after going through that. Id get on the Phone with importers abd beg for mercy. I think we have a few members that live in russia maybe a PM and some cash his way would get him to look and you might get lucky. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
csspecs 1,987 Posted December 13, 2013 Report Share Posted December 13, 2013 Have any pictures of the magazine? It actually does look like a 7.62X39 bolt now that you mention it. The third lug is missing. Your lucky it did not do something more interesting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HB of CJ 1,263 Posted December 19, 2013 Report Share Posted December 19, 2013 DO NOT FIRE THE RIFLE!! You may in fact be the most lucky SOB in the world. That bolt does NOT look like a Saiga 7.62x51 bolt. My opinion only here. I will try to find the time to pull my Saiga 7.62x51 out of the safe and confirm that you have the correct bolt. Yep...already answered better than me....find somebody who has the mimimum number of needed head space gages and find out what your head space is. You MAY have been very lucky here. My read only. Opinions will vary. Damage? Dunno. HB of CJ (old coot) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Slipstream Precision 0 Posted December 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 Csspecs, It didn't actually break the mag it just blew the follower and spring out from the bottom of the floor plate. Landed about 15ft away Hb of CJ, I'm pretty lucky because I had already ran about 150rnds thru it the first time I shot it with no trouble at all. Nothing looks damaged but I can guarantee you I won't shoot it again til I get the problem sorted out. I was going to modify the bolt and machine it to the correct headspace but finding the correct bolt is my first choice. Thanks again for everybody's opinions. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cerephim 3 Posted February 14, 2014 Report Share Posted February 14, 2014 OP, if you can't locate the original bolt that came with the rifle, (serial numbers match) you'll have to get the rifle headspaced. Even if you find another Saiga bolt, you'll *still* have to get the rifle headspaced. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rhodes1968 1,638 Posted February 15, 2014 Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 Have any pictures of the magazine? It actually does look like a 7.62X39 bolt now that you mention it. The third lug is missing. Your lucky it did not do something more interesting. I wondered how a pierced primer could harm that big sob. That 308 bolt is one solid bastid. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
macbeau 902 Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 I'd say you have the wrong bolt (either a 7.62x39 or a VEPR or something else) and, if that's true, the head-space is possibly completely in question. I would check the firing pin length after I had it head spaced and the front trunnion checked out by someone who knows AK's The Ruskies put that extra lug on Saiga and VEPR rifles for a reason and if the bolt was replaced with something else, I'd wanna know why, or at least, that the replacement could handle the pressure of a .308/7.62x51.... Macbeau... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
csspecs 1,987 Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 I'm actually very sure that is a 7.62X39 bolt in that rifle. I would not ever advise firing the rifle. Its one thing to lose $500+ but my face and eyes are worth way more than that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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