Ak47 gas piston and bolt carrier.

Herman · 02-23-2008, 10:52 AM

Hey all,

I started a thread a little while back about my AK47 jamming. After a while, and with everyone's help, I came to the conclusion that I may need a new gas piston. I ordered it, it came, but when I went to get the old gas tube out of my bolt carrier, it wouldn't budge. I heated up the bolt carrier, and the piston actually snapped off inside of it instead of twisting out! Needless to say, I need a new bolt carrier. Now I'm just wondering if it has to be the same make and model as the gas piston. Here's the gas piston I bought:

K-VAR Corporation :: Spare Parts & Accessories :: Bolt Carriers and Gas Pistons :: AK-029EG

It's East German, but that website has a somewhat limited supply of bolt carriers due to everything being sold out. Would I be safe buying a bolt carrier from the site and putting the piston I already have in it, or should I spring for the bolt carrier/gas piston combo that's a little more pricey? This is the one I'm thinking about getting:

K-VAR Corporation :: Spare Parts & Accessories :: Bolt Carriers and Gas Pistons :: AK-046BO

Thanks for any help you can give me,

-Herman

dyeager535 · 02-23-2008, 12:36 PM

You did remove the roll pin that keeps the piston in the carrier before trying to remove it?

Herman · 02-23-2008, 02:49 PM

There was no roll pin in mine. It just screwed in. It looked like there was some type of binding compound inside of there too which is what made it so difficult in the first place.

dyeager535 · 02-23-2008, 03:18 PM

Your sure? Took me years on my Yugo before I noticed the roll pin, the link you posted shows the hole for it.

When they are chromed it does an excellent job of hiding it.

Herman · 02-23-2008, 05:09 PM

Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I just looked at it again. You can see that there's a hole for a roll pin in the bolt carrier, but there's no pin. You can see the riveting (not sure if that's the correct term.) on the gas piston, so unless the roll pin is somehow camouflaged in there, I don't think it's there. Maybe I'm just extremely unobservant, though.

dyeager535 · 02-23-2008, 06:13 PM

So yours actually has a hole with no pin in it huh?

Looking at the links you posted, it looks to me like somehow the roll pin keeps the piston from unthreading. I don't see a slot or anything in the piston though that it would mate with.

I don't know what you mean by riveting, you don't mean the threads on the piston do you? Can't think of any rivets that would be used.

Any chance you can get a picture of yours up?

There's enough variations in the AK's that you are right to be cautious on buying components. I was very surprised at all the differences back when I was looking at assembling one myself.

cetmedog · 02-23-2008, 07:16 PM

Where the gas piston enters the bolt carrier, about a 1/2 to 1/4 from the front is where the pin is located. If you take some fine sand paper and lightly sand the front of the carrier it will show itself. It is about 1/8 in dia. You will need to dremel the top and bottom of it a bit (LIGHTLY) and then take a punch to it. You should have noticed that the piston WAS wobbly in the carrier, that wobble usually gives you a idea where the pin was at.

Herman · 02-23-2008, 07:20 PM

The piston isn't wobbly at all. Like I said, the piston is now broken off about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch inside of the bolt carrier. By sanding the front of the bolt carrier, do you mean where the hole for the roll pin is? I can see the tracks for the part of the piston that screws in through the hole, but no pin. If the pin is in there somewhere, it's impossible to get to.

Oh, and I should also mention that there's no roll pin in the new east German gas piston that I bought, either...or at least not one that I can see.

So, would the east German piston fit into pretty much any of those other bolt carriers?

dyeager535 · 02-24-2008, 12:30 AM

I think you are missing something here.

Look at the picture of the carrier you posted. See that hole? (at the "front" of the carrier) You should have the same hole in YOUR carrier, but as mentioned, it is probably obscured by chrome, parkerizing, crud, whatever, and the fact that there is a pin taking up the hole. THAT is what is being mentioned to sand. Just take a small bit off of the carrier in that area and you should be able to see where the seam is between the roll pin and the carrier.

There must be some mechanism to retain the piston, if it was simply threaded on it would work itself loose more than likely. Has to be something on all of them that use threads to prevent that IMO. Not sure if all do, but I know for a fact my Yugo does, as does the carrier you linked to.

GlockMeister · 02-24-2008, 12:44 AM

If I remember correctly, there isn't a pin to take it out of the rifle for cleaning, however to remove it from the charging handle, there has to be a pin to prevent it from backing out. It would have to be a safety feature. Check out either of these two websites, maybe bookmark them as they may help in the future.

Also, even if you get it out, I would get a new bolt carrier anyhow. Who knows if you heating it up didn't affect the strength of the metal.

Collecting and Shooting the AKM Rifle - Rifle Disassembly and Reassembly

Educational Zone #50 - Cleaning & Lubricating an AK Rifle - Page 1

Good luck.

Herman · 02-24-2008, 01:23 AM

Well, although I really do appreciate the concern, I'm about 99.9% sure it's just threaded in. You can see through the hole in the bolt carrier to the threading on the gas piston, and there's no pin.

The picture leave a lot to be desired, but unfortunately I couldn't take a better one. You can see the threading in that one. Also, the threading on the new gas piston I have just goes all around continuously - there's nowhere for a pin to fit. Of course, I'm no gunsmith, so again I suppose I could just be missing something.

So what do you say...would the Bulgarian bolt carrier fit with the East German piston? Also, do I need a new bolt as well?

dyeager535 · 03-01-2008, 09:17 AM

Most important is how did you heat it, and how did you cool it?

Propane probably didn't get it hot enough to hurt anything if thats what you used, and as long as you didn't quench it, there should be no problem.

I can't see the picture on this computer, but I understand what you are saying now. Your rifle has a hole for a pin, but no pin, and you can see the threading on the piston.

Since I haven't torn down any of these, and there are so many variaties, perhaps there are some like yours. Seems odd to have a carrier with a hole and no pin though. I wonder if maybe that was some sort of American part (for legality) that doesn't match the European parts or something?

Perhaps you could get a better answer over on AR15.com, they have an AK section, has to be someone over there that has an idea. I just can't figure out why, with no pin, your piston didn't just unscrew.

02-23-2008, 10:52 AM	#1
Herman Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 32	Ak47 gas piston and bolt carrier. Hey all, I started a thread a little while back about my AK47 jamming. After a while, and with everyone's help, I came to the conclusion that I may need a new gas piston. I ordered it, it came, but when I went to get the old gas tube out of my bolt carrier, it wouldn't budge. I heated up the bolt carrier, and the piston actually snapped off inside of it instead of twisting out! Needless to say, I need a new bolt carrier. Now I'm just wondering if it has to be the same make and model as the gas piston. Here's the gas piston I bought: K-VAR Corporation :: Spare Parts & Accessories :: Bolt Carriers and Gas Pistons :: AK-029EG It's East German, but that website has a somewhat limited supply of bolt carriers due to everything being sold out. Would I be safe buying a bolt carrier from the site and putting the piston I already have in it, or should I spring for the bolt carrier/gas piston combo that's a little more pricey? This is the one I'm thinking about getting: K-VAR Corporation :: Spare Parts & Accessories :: Bolt Carriers and Gas Pistons :: AK-046BO Thanks for any help you can give me, -Herman

02-23-2008, 07:20 PM	#8
Herman Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 32	The piston isn't wobbly at all. Like I said, the piston is now broken off about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch inside of the bolt carrier. By sanding the front of the bolt carrier, do you mean where the hole for the roll pin is? I can see the tracks for the part of the piston that screws in through the hole, but no pin. If the pin is in there somewhere, it's impossible to get to. Oh, and I should also mention that there's no roll pin in the new east German gas piston that I bought, either...or at least not one that I can see. So, would the east German piston fit into pretty much any of those other bolt carriers? Last edited by Herman; 02-23-2008 at 07:23 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

02-24-2008, 12:44 AM	#10
GlockMeister Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northern Illinois Posts: 5,358	If I remember correctly, there isn't a pin to take it out of the rifle for cleaning, however to remove it from the charging handle, there has to be a pin to prevent it from backing out. It would have to be a safety feature. Check out either of these two websites, maybe bookmark them as they may help in the future. Also, even if you get it out, I would get a new bolt carrier anyhow. Who knows if you heating it up didn't affect the strength of the metal. Collecting and Shooting the AKM Rifle - Rifle Disassembly and Reassembly Educational Zone #50 - Cleaning & Lubricating an AK Rifle - Page 1 Good luck. __________________ I'd rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6! Last edited by GlockMeister; 02-24-2008 at 12:51 AM.

02-23-2008, 12:36 PM	#2
dyeager535 Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 52	You did remove the roll pin that keeps the piston in the carrier before trying to remove it?

02-23-2008, 02:49 PM	#3
Herman Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 32	There was no roll pin in mine. It just screwed in. It looked like there was some type of binding compound inside of there too which is what made it so difficult in the first place.

02-23-2008, 03:18 PM	#4
dyeager535 Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 52	Your sure? Took me years on my Yugo before I noticed the roll pin, the link you posted shows the hole for it. When they are chromed it does an excellent job of hiding it.

02-23-2008, 05:09 PM	#5
Herman Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 32	Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I just looked at it again. You can see that there's a hole for a roll pin in the bolt carrier, but there's no pin. You can see the riveting (not sure if that's the correct term.) on the gas piston, so unless the roll pin is somehow camouflaged in there, I don't think it's there. Maybe I'm just extremely unobservant, though.

02-23-2008, 06:13 PM	#6
dyeager535 Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 52	So yours actually has a hole with no pin in it huh? Looking at the links you posted, it looks to me like somehow the roll pin keeps the piston from unthreading. I don't see a slot or anything in the piston though that it would mate with. I don't know what you mean by riveting, you don't mean the threads on the piston do you? Can't think of any rivets that would be used. Any chance you can get a picture of yours up? There's enough variations in the AK's that you are right to be cautious on buying components. I was very surprised at all the differences back when I was looking at assembling one myself.

02-23-2008, 07:16 PM	#7
cetmedog Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: 2 weeks from everywhere Posts: 129	Where the gas piston enters the bolt carrier, about a 1/2 to 1/4 from the front is where the pin is located. If you take some fine sand paper and lightly sand the front of the carrier it will show itself. It is about 1/8 in dia. You will need to dremel the top and bottom of it a bit (LIGHTLY) and then take a punch to it. You should have noticed that the piston WAS wobbly in the carrier, that wobble usually gives you a idea where the pin was at.

02-24-2008, 12:30 AM	#9
dyeager535 Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 52	I think you are missing something here. Look at the picture of the carrier you posted. See that hole? (at the "front" of the carrier) You should have the same hole in YOUR carrier, but as mentioned, it is probably obscured by chrome, parkerizing, crud, whatever, and the fact that there is a pin taking up the hole. THAT is what is being mentioned to sand. Just take a small bit off of the carrier in that area and you should be able to see where the seam is between the roll pin and the carrier. There must be some mechanism to retain the piston, if it was simply threaded on it would work itself loose more than likely. Has to be something on all of them that use threads to prevent that IMO. Not sure if all do, but I know for a fact my Yugo does, as does the carrier you linked to.

02-24-2008, 01:23 AM	#11
Herman Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 32	Well, although I really do appreciate the concern, I'm about 99.9% sure it's just threaded in. You can see through the hole in the bolt carrier to the threading on the gas piston, and there's no pin. The picture leave a lot to be desired, but unfortunately I couldn't take a better one. You can see the threading in that one. Also, the threading on the new gas piston I have just goes all around continuously - there's nowhere for a pin to fit. Of course, I'm no gunsmith, so again I suppose I could just be missing something. So what do you say...would the Bulgarian bolt carrier fit with the East German piston? Also, do I need a new bolt as well?

03-01-2008, 09:17 AM	#12
dyeager535 Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 52	Most important is how did you heat it, and how did you cool it? Propane probably didn't get it hot enough to hurt anything if thats what you used, and as long as you didn't quench it, there should be no problem. I can't see the picture on this computer, but I understand what you are saying now. Your rifle has a hole for a pin, but no pin, and you can see the threading on the piston. Since I haven't torn down any of these, and there are so many variaties, perhaps there are some like yours. Seems odd to have a carrier with a hole and no pin though. I wonder if maybe that was some sort of American part (for legality) that doesn't match the European parts or something? Perhaps you could get a better answer over on AR15.com, they have an AK section, has to be someone over there that has an idea. I just can't figure out why, with no pin, your piston didn't just unscrew.