AK74 Ejector Wear Concern

[ArchStanton]

I joined the South Bay Rod and Gun club yesterday and shot just under 300 rounds of surplus 5.45 through my AK. It was a great feeling finally being able to zero my irons after building it last March at the San Diego Build party.

At home I noticed the ejector deformation and now I'm questioning my heat treatment.

http://i.imgur.com/EYMCi.jpg

Should I be concerned about this kind of wear?

[Aaron707]

Yes, redo the heat treatment on the ejector.It shouldn't be wearing at all. You may have annealed it too much. I typically heat the very corner with a mapp torch and dip it in oil without the annealing step after.

[tujungatoes]

Looks like you may have gotten it too hot on the tempering step. It's a simple fix. Just repeat the heat treating.

[Jayruta]

Bring it over tomorrow. We can redo it.

[ArchStanton]

Thanks for the replies.

Looks like I'll be fixing it tomorrow. I'll take it to the range afterwards and see how it took.

[6mmintl]

Did you hit it with a file to check heat treatment? if it skips over metal it 58-60 C Scale, if it digs in with resistence its lower, if it bite into metal and files easily it is way too soft.

[ArchStanton]

Did you hit it with a file to check heat treatment? if it skips over metal it 58-60 C Scale, if it digs in with resistence its lower, if it bite into metal and files easily it is way too soft.

I did not hit it with a file. Though, I will soon to re-shape the tip before heat treating again.

[Ryan in SD]

One of my builds has the same amount of wear after about the same amount of rounds.
Im curious to see how far it will go before giving me problems.

[ArchStanton]

One of my builds has the same amount of wear after about the same amount of rounds.
Im curious to see how far it will go before giving me problems.

I had thought about doing that as well. Seeing as I still have the spare receiver from the build party.

I'll be fixing it, though. It's my only gun at the moment.

I'd be curious to see how long before it gives you problems.

[Ryan in SD]

Ok, Ill keep running it. Ill try to remember round count.

[ArchStanton]

Update:

Jayruta was able to help me weld a bead onto the ejector. After re-shaping and another heat treat, I shot another 240 rounds. This is what the ejector looks like now.

http://imgur.com/v7S77

Though not as bad as the first time, the metal is still deforming. Time for another round of heat treating?

[nicoroshi]

From the color of that ejector you got it too hot during the anneal step.
Color should be blue grey.
Progression of colors:
Brown
Purple
Blue
Blue grey (almost silver )
STOP!
From the looks of it you're a couple steps beyond that.

[Jayruta]

We did Ssop at blue grey... you can come back over and try it again if u want. I say roll with and see it mushrooms more. I have a some ejectors on a few builds that have a small mushroom but still function fine after over 2000 rounds and it has never gotten worse.

[ArchStanton]

We did Ssop at blue grey... you can come back over and try it again if u want. I say roll with and see it mushrooms more. I have a some ejectors on a few builds that have a small mushroom but still function fine after over 2000 rounds and it has never gotten worse.

Yeah dude I was thinking that. I checked the ejector twice during that last range session. It didn't seem to get any worse.

Looks like I have to go to the range again. Not disappointed at all.

[69Mach1]

I don't think you had a problem the first time. That "peening" is normal. My factory 5.45 rifle has an ejector that looks like that.