AK Pistol Jamming

[QQQ]

(Long story short: I suspect my Draco AK Pistol (7.62X39) might be jamming because of a gap between the gas tube and the part where the gas tube locking lever and rear sight are... is this possible? How do I fix it? Draco is jamming. How do I remove a stubborn pin that holds the firing pin? Draco is jamming, I think it's due to friction between the carrier and the receiver. Should I try filing down some of the contact points?
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So I recently bought a new Draco AK Pistol:


I field-stripped and cleaned/oiled it the day I bought it. About a week later, I took it to the range using some ammunition that has served me extremely well in my Saiga 7.62X39.
Loaded up the mags, fired a couple of shots, worked fine. Then...

CLICK.
Pulled the bolt back, out popped a round, then boom... boom...
CLICK.

I changed magazines. Same problem.

The rest of the day went more or less like this, at times with the bolt getting stuck in the forward position, requiring me to pull the bolt back against the table thing in order to clear the jam.

Figuring that maybe a better cleaning would fix it, I once again field-stripped and cleaned the pistol, then brought it back to the firing line.
Same problem.

So I went home frustrated. Once again, I cleaned the pistol, and this time I noticed something: when I had the bolt out but the tube locked in, I could see through a gap between the tube and the place where it locks in (the part of the gun with the rear sight and gas tube locking lever) clear through the other side. It's a smallish gap, but definitely noticeable.
In this picture, the Draco has the bolt in; you can see a point of light where the gap is, revealing the bolt.


Could that be the source of the jams?

If so, how can I fix it? If not, what is the problem likely to be?

[tujungatoes]

I don't think the gap is your problem. the gas isn't acting on the piston that far back.

you said

CLICK.
Pulled the bolt back, out popped a round, then boom... boom...
CLICK.

correct me if i'm wrong, but when you pulled the bolt you ejected a live round. that sounds like a failure to fire, not a failure to cycle.

[69Mach1]

Check your firing pin. Make sure all of the cosmoline is cleaned out of the bolt. Do a basic FCG function test.

[HotRails]

Let us know if the shell you are ejecting is fired or not.

If you are getting a click and there is an expended case in the chamber, then it is failing to eject. When you remove your bolt and dissassemble it to examine the firing pin, also dissassemble and examine the extractor. Sometimes, there will be large amounts of material behind the extractor (usually rust) that prevents it from properly pivoting and grabbing the rim of the case. Remove this material if present.

Also check the primers of your expended casings, is there a deep indentation?

There needs to be some headspace in the back of the gas tube for the gas tube to be removed for cleaning.

[mrlonewolf]

Let us know if the shell you are ejecting is fired or not.

If you are getting a click and there is an expended case in the chamber, then it is failing to extract. When you remove your bolt and dissassemble it to examine the firing pin, also dissassemble and examine the extractor. Sometimes, there will be large amounts of material behind the extractor (usually rust) that prevents it from properly pivoting and grabbing the rim of the case. Remove this material if present.

Also check the primers of your expended casings, is there a deep indentation?

There needs to be some headspace in the back of the gas tube for the gas tube to be removed for cleaning.

Fixed.....

Question, is the stuck round: live with the primmer being hit by the firing pin, live without any primmer strike or spent?

[bigbob76]

When test firing, I prefer to load one round at a time. Even if function seems perfect I want to look at all the ejected cases and see if they are telling a story.

[SJgunguy24]

The only thing that would really keep it from going into battery is the piston getting all the way into the gas block. I would get this checked out. If the hammer is falling and the bolt isn't locked into battery, you could have a big problem. Hopefully it's just a sticky firing pin but get it checked out.

[QQQ]

update:

I'm certainly no expert on this so all your help is appreciated!

If memory serves me correctly, it was mostly unfired cartridges that had to be ejected manually. I don't remember whether the ejected rounds had been hit with the firing pin, although the spent casings seem normal.

I checked the extractor and have ensured that it is clear of gunk.

FCG seems to be working as it should, although I'm not sure if there's anything specific I should be looking out for.

Tried to disassemble the bolt, but the pin that holds in the firing pin is not budging. Yarg. And I'm not really sure how to tell whether I have a sticky firing pin or not to begin with...

Also, I'm not sure that this is a problem but I've noticed that the carrier, while still able to slide back and forth, gives a lot more resistance than the carrier in my functional Saiga. Adding lubricating oil did not seem to change it.

On a related note, anyone know a good gunsmith in the OC or north SD who knows AK's and would be willing to work on this?

[SJgunguy24]

Shake the bolt. If there's a rattle then that's a good sign. There ar 2 pins, the one you want to remove is straight, it's located on one of the locking lugs, take your cleaning kit and use the small punch to get the pin loose and remove the firing pin. You want to make sure that channel is clear and there is no grease or cosmoline in there.

[QQQ]

Shake the bolt. If there's a rattle then that's a good sign. There ar 2 pins, the one you want to remove is straight, it's located on one of the locking lugs, take your cleaning kit and use the small punch to get the pin loose and remove the firing pin. You want to make sure that channel is clear and there is no grease or cosmoline in there.

Thanks for the response! There is indeed a rattle. I've removed an AK firing pin using the punch before but again, the pin that retains the firing pin on this one just isn't budging. The effort actually bent the punch.
I've heard that with Draco's the pin that holds in the firing pin is often oversized and cannot be removed. Bummer.

[SJgunguy24]

Thanks for the response! There is indeed a rattle. I've removed an AK firing pin using the punch before but again, the pin that retains the firing pin on this one just isn't budging. The effort actually bent the punch.
I've heard that with Draco's the pin that holds in the firing pin is often oversized and cannot be removed. Bummer.

It will move.

[QQQ]

Update: So I managed to pound out the firing pin, clean it, and put it back in; slid back and forth in the bolt just fine. Re-field disassembled and cleaned the whole thing.

Took it back to the range and...
same problem. Requires manually pulling back the carrier to eject a round (sometimes just a case, sometimes a live round) and chamber a new one. So sometimes the jam is such that the case doesn't eject; sometimes the case does eject but a new cartridge is not chambered (this resulting in a "click" rather than a boom when i pull the trigger). Every so often, I get a stovepipe.

I'm really starting to think that the problem may be due to the fact that the carrier is not sliding easily along the rails, even when it is oiled up. A guy at the range suggested that I try finding a spring that will put less forward pressure on the carrier, which might help, although I'm not sure where to find springs that have different tensions.

The only other place I think the problem may be coming from is a bad gas system, but I wouldn't really know where to start to even locate where the problem.
So what I think I might try to do is file down some of the places where the carrier contacts the receiver. Is this a bad idea?

[mrlonewolf]

Update: So I managed to pound out the firing pin, clean it, and put it back in; slid back and forth in the bolt just fine. Re-field disassembled and cleaned the whole thing.

Took it back to the range and...
same problem. Requires manually pulling back the carrier to eject the round and chamber a new one. Sometimes the jam is such that the case doesn't eject; sometimes the case does eject but a new cartrige is not chambered (this resulting in a "click" rather than a boom when i pull the trigger). Every so often, I get a stovepipe.

(1) I'm really starting to think that the problem is likely due to the fact that the carrier is not sliding easily along the rails, even when it is oiled up.

(2) A guy at the range suggested that I try finding a spring that will put less forward pressure on the carrier, which might help, although I'm not sure where to find springs that have different tensions.

The only other place I think the problem may be coming from is a bad gas system, but I wouldn't really know where to start to even locate where the problem.
So what I think I might try to do is file down some of the places where the carrier contacts the receiver. Is this a bad idea?

(1) Can you please elaborate.

-Is your bolt carrier catching and/or hanging @ the upper rails, lower rails?
-Are your rails nice and straight matching the front trunnion at a proper level?
-Is the bolt hitting your ejector?
-Do you see any lateral movement in your bolt when you push it towards the front trunnion?

*How to detect friction point Rule of thumb: look for shinny spots along your rails, ejector and extractor, carefully inspect the suspected "point of contact".
Remember any shinny spot = friction.

Your draco pistol has been parkerized (deep dark black color metal treatment)so it'll be extremely easy to detect any friction/contact point.

(2) Evidently not a good advise.

[SJgunguy24]

I'd have to see and shoot it to figure out what's going on. Sounds like a mag fit issue, or the extractor doesn't have enough tension, or maybe the gas port isn't spec. Send it back to Century and let them fix it. I can trouble shoot most stuff online but there is too much going on with your gun.

[tujungatoes]

QQQ. if you can make it to the SDBP next friday or saturday. I'm willing to bet we can get it figured out.

in the meantime. like mrlonewolf said. look for shiney. he is your enemy.

if you install the bolt, and carrier without the trigger assembly and recoil spring. does it slide freely in the rails?