AK ejector troubles...

[DS94901]

After about 100-150 rounds my AK started stove-piping on just about every 3-4 rounds. I'm getting all kinds of jams due to the shells not ejecting. I've yet to do the tilt test as I've heard Nicoroshi recommend to others, but I did notice the ejector rail looked like it was riding just slightly high through the bolt. I tapped it down a bit too far at first then corrected to what looks like a better position and the bolt slides through nicely, but when I took it to the range it made no difference.

Any ideas what my issue might be or how to correct it? I realize I'm not giving much info and no photos but I'm at work and trying to get a jumpstart on this.

[meaty-btz]

Take the BCG and put it in the AK. Slide it till the ejector is ever so slightly sticking out of the bolt face. Now see if you can "shift" side to side on the carrier and get enough movement to allow the ejector to no longer be in proper position. If so your rail spacing width is too great.

I use a C-clamp to bring it in.. not too far so that the ejector is unable to shift out of position such that the ejector will no longer contact the spent cartridge correctly.

In this situation your ak receiver looks like this \_/ rather than this |_|.

The other possibility is your ejector has been shortened too much or has been improperly hardened so that it has worn.

[tujungatoes]

Need more info/pics. Is it a factory rifle(if so which brand)or a home build? Do the test that the previous poster suggested, and take a picture showing the gap(if any) between the ejector and bolt.

[DS94901]

Need more info/pics. Is it a factory rifle(if so which brand)or a home build? Do the test that the previous poster suggested, and take a picture showing the gap(if any) between the ejector and bolt.

Home build. Will post pics as soon as I get the chance. I feel like the rail was welded too high (not sure how that could have happened) and now the ejector is angled slightly. Not sure though.

[meaty-btz]

Height shouldn't make a difference as long as the rail is properly in-line with the bolt guides in the Trunnion.

The only way to get the ejector failure is: short ejector, rail width incorrect.

If the up-down angle of the ejector is incorrect you will get binding and as a result you will get Bolt-Over failures from short strokes. Which I recently had on a build.

These are AKs, tweak as needed. Seriously, your "tool kit" should consist of a flat file a hammer and a c-clamp.

[tujungatoes]

^You forgot MIG welder.

Generally: Homebuild + FTE = ejector was trimmed too short. Lets see those pics.

[3DGearGuy]

It could also be the angle of the ejector.

[Gunsmith Dan]

Ahh before we get into this to much and start cuting off the rivets and trashing the receiver since any type of misfitting or incorrect tolerances would be causing a much more consistent failure than every 100 to 150 rounds......

If I understand you correctly you shoot 100 to 150 rounds before you start having issues, and I am assuming you are not using a 200 round Beta drum when shooting?

The questions I have are:

Do you do anything to make the rifle go back to shooting 100 to 150 rounds before jamming again, or does it correct itself after awhile?

Is the ammo you are using steel cased mil surplus? If using Mil Surplus how many rounds do you fire before doing a basic cleaning?

You said you getting stove pipe jams ...are they always on empty cases, always loaded rounds or a mix of both? Do you get any other types of failure to feed or jamming?

Have you marked your magazines when shooting to see if the jamming always occurs with the same magazines (put a piece of masking tape on each mag and number them with a pen)?

[DS94901]

Gunsmith Dan, I was only able to get 100-150 rounds the first time I shot the rifle. Since then I can rarely get through 10 rounds without a jam or 2. Always empty shells. Steel case wolf, herders or wpa. Setimes they stovepipe, sometimes they're slammed against the barrel base. Couple times they've been set back (maybe caught on something?) with the bolt carrier when it's stuck all the way open. Didn't get a chance to post pics last night. Will try to tonight. Appreciate the help so far.

[baih777]

since this is a homebuild. did you remember to heat treat the ejector?

[DS94901]

since this is a homebuild. did you remember to heat treat the ejector?

Absolutely

[3DGearGuy]

We need pics of the ejector.

When it was working fine, did it eject properly?....as in, did the empties go flying into the next county or were they not going very far?

[Gunsmith Dan]

Sound like you have a extractor that is damaged, cut the wrong way, has extreme hard carbon build up on it or the spring is too weak/broken.

First thing use a dummy round or empty case and insert it into the bolt face then pull the case at the neck (like you want to rotate the case out instead of straight sideways) toward the side with the ejector. If the extractor is working correctly pulling in that direction you should not be able to pull the case out without damaging the case rim and/or the extractor (so don't pull that hard).

If the case comes off easy

Inspect the extractor for carbon build up, edge that sits on the case is broken (edge looks uneven), looking sideways that the extractor looks like it angles away from the bolt face (extractor bent or incorrectly machined) or the spring is weak or even broken.

If the case does not come off

Put strips of masking tape on your magazines and number them 1 to whatever then load the dummy rounds and hand cycle until you empty the magazines. Everytime you get a jam write down the magazine number and see if certain magazines always have a jam. You should also check your Mag Catch to make sure magazines do not move up and down to much and that the tops of your magazines sit in the same position when inserted.

Close up pictures of the bolt face with a round inserted and empty would be nice.

[DS94901]

Pics tonight. When it was working fine they ejected far most of the time but the distance and angle was varied. I noticed at times they would not go far. Sometimes more forward, sometimes other angles.

[Jayruta]

Pictures of the ejector would help. It sounds like the ejector was improperly heat treated and has mushroomed out of shape.