AK Trigger Trouble

[Yamadog35]

Brand spanking new Arsenal SGL21 (762x39)
First range visit today (Atterbury)
First trigger pull - bang - good.
Second trigger pull - nothing.

Realized the trigger was "stuck" all the way back.
Cleared the gun and started looking inside. What I found is shown in the photos below. Photo 1 is what I would expect is normal after the action cycles and is ready to fire the next round. Photo 2 is what I found as described above (trigger stuck at rear of pull). At this point I was able to easily dislodge the hammer with a screw driver. I later discovered I could just flick the backside of the trigger with my finger when it would lock this way.

Overall I put about 150 rounds downrange. This stuck trigger issue happened five or six times randomly throughout the session - sometimes 3/4 times in a row then I might get 20 or 30 rounds without trouble.

Any ideas on why this is happening? Ideas on what I can do to remedy it?

Photo 1 - what I would expect to see normally.

Photo 2 - what it looked like when trigger was "stuck"

 

[MattCFII]

Look at the spring leg L shape going from the hammer to the trigger/disconnector on the right side of the rifle (top in the pics). It needs to be on the trigger leg like the other one on the left (bottom in pic).

 

[vitamink]

yup.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Look at the spring leg L shape going from the hammer to the trigger/disconnector on the right side of the rifle (top in the pics). It needs to be on the trigger leg like the other one on the left (bottom in pic).

Like the part I circled?

 

[tradertator]

Yup, both of those spring legs need to be like the one you circled. The springs have hooks on the end, so once you get it on there it should stay.

 

[MattCFII]

Like the part I circled?

Yup, that is the part I'm talking about. But you circled the one that is on correctly. the other one is the one that needs to be lifted on.

 

[Yamadog35]

Hmmm . . . quality control issue at Arsenal?

Thanks guys

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Yup, that is the part I'm talking about. But you circled the one that is on correctly. the other one is the one that needs to be lifted on.

Yay! I guessed right! Good to know in case I decide to switch out my trigger eventually...

 

[tradertator]

If you switch it out, I call dibs on the Arsenal. Much better than the Tapco G2 in my opinion, but I like 2 stages on a fighting rifle.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

If you switch it out, I call dibs on the Arsenal. Much better than the Tapco G2 in my opinion, but I like 2 stages on a fighting rifle.

I'm not the one with the Arsenal... I have no idea what kind mine is (Egyptian Maadi, but Clay said my trigger group is U.S. made. )

 

[Yamadog35]

If you switch it out, I call dibs on the Arsenal. Much better than the Tapco G2 in my opinion, but I like 2 stages on a fighting rifle.

I liked the two stage property of the Arsenal trigger although it did seem a bit "gritty". Perhaps there is an opportunity to smooth it out a bit. By contrast I also was shooting a new Saiga 12 gauge shotgun today that has the G2 trigger and it was much smoother.

 

[Clay]

I'm not the one with the Arsenal... I have no idea what kind mine is (Egyptian Maadi, but Clay said my trigger group is U.S. made. )

its suppose to be Century made on your Maadi

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I put a red star 2 stage in my saiga. It's minty fresh.


Back to the OP, did correctly placing the spring fix the problem?

 

[sbcman]

It's pretty common for spring legs to walk on Aks. Might want to take a pair of needle nose and be the spring so that it braces against the frame and puts downward pressure where needed

 

[Yamadog35]

I put a red star 2 stage in my saiga. It's minty fresh.


Back to the OP, did correctly placing the spring fix the problem?

Don't know yet. I will do what has been suggested and see what happens next time I can get it to the range (maybe next week).

 

[MattCFII]

Did you use the MI mount with the PA microdot?

 

[Yamadog35]

Did you use the MI mount with the PA microdot?

Not yet. Didn't have a chance to get it mounted. Today I just wanted to run a bunch of rounds through it with the irons and then move to some other options later.

 

[hrearden]

Look at the spring leg L shape going from the hammer to the trigger/disconnector on the right side of the rifle (top in the pics). It needs to be on the trigger leg like the other one on the left (bottom in pic).

Seems like a recurring pattern. You always beat me to AK questions.

 

[MattCFII]

Seems like a recurring pattern. You always beat me to AK questions.

Hehe I'm quick on the trigger too Actually a lot of times the rest of the guys will beat me to it as well so I know how you feel buddy! Which is why I spread some rep around in this thread. Unfortunately, I have to spread some before giving back to you. Fortunately, I still must spread more around before giving to VitaminK, which is weird because I didn't think I ever gave him any (why did they have to take the negative rep away!). Clay deserves a lot most of the time but he is a real man with it disabled.

I really think the AK guys we have here are some of the best around, even beats some AK specific boards!

 

[Yamadog35]

Update: I got back home this evening where I could check out what had been suggested on this thread. I got the spring back on the leg easily, but found that indeed the spring could walk off the leg fairly easily. I applied some material from another hobby of mine (racing) and did this (.032 safety wire). Not perfect, but looks like it should help keep them in place.