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Any Advantage to changing to a Vented Gas Tube


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I have heard that the AK is overgassed.  Would it make sense to change out a non-vented to a vented gas tube?  If so, any problem with drilling a few holes in the non-vented one?

 

My thinking is that it will reduce felt recoil and muzzle rise.

Edited by skifast
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Long ago, I became a proponent of vented gas tubes.  There was a video posted here about 2007 or 2008 where the guy ran an AK without the gas tube, just piston.  It worked the action fine.  Modern AKs have vents on the gas block, but time was when East Germans and Chinese (and a few others, IIRC) used vented gas tubes periodically.  I run a vented gas tube and recoil buffer on my AK,  While not a scientific study, I notice less recoil and bolt slam with the vented tube.  It makes common sense that allowing excess gas to blow out the vents rather than slamming the bolt back is beneficial.  I watched a video taken at dusk where the vented tube's effect was clearly visible.  If it had not gone out the vents, it would have travelled backwards, eventually ending up in the action.  I also see less fouling in the action since I switched to a vented tube.

 

NewSaiga2_zps43131e51.jpg

Edited by imarangemaster
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No point in running a vented gas tube on an AKM - there are already vents in the gas block. On original milled guns there were no vents in the gas block. The gas tube isn't really a gas tube - it's just a piston guide, makes sure the head of the piston slides neatly back into the gas block. After the piston has passed the vents in the gas block, no appreciable gas pressure is applied to the piston - there's nothing approaching a gas seal in the gas tube, gas readily passes around the head of the piston.


What rangemaster said about carbon fouling makes sense. Blowing more gas out of extra vents instead of allowing it to blow back all the way into the action would make cleaning easier.

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While not by any means scientific, I notice a reduction in felt recoil of the bolt hitting the rear trunnion when I run a vented tube.  I am sure it is not a big deal, but between the vented tube, the recoil buffer, and the Tactical TriDelta brake, it shoots more like my AR15 than without the refinements.  YMMV, though....  AT the very least, it can't hurt anything, since the gas impulse pushes the piston and the gas tube is essential a piston guide more than anything.

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  • 6 months later...

I'll be damned. I wish I would have known that a few years ago when I swaped out the vented one on my Mak for a non vented one when I was changing the furniture. It only has about 500 rounds through it with that gas tube, but it has run great. Can I assume that I am wearing out my rifle faster since it cannot vent the extra gas when it cycles?

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It's still venting the gas, just into your receiver.   I don't think your wearing out the gun any faster, it just might be a little dirtier than it would otherwise.   The gas does all of the its work on the piston while it's still in the gas block, so the way I see it, the speed at which it is sent back is determined before any gas even has a chance to escape from the vents.  

 

The gas tube is actually more of a piston guide to make sure the piston head seats into the block than sealed system like on an AR.

Anything that leaks or doesn't leak after the piston has started traveling should be irrelevant to cycling.

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