WASR AK-47....help!

[RelicHound]

I recentaly got a WASR 10 63 AK{my first AK}..I was told it had an issue with the bolt holding back after you fired..ie: you have to manually move the bolt forward after each shot. I was told it cycled ok once the rifle heated up I took it apart this morning for the first time and noticed what looks like a broken spring...can anyone tell me what this is and if it is indeed a broken spring,whats the correct part name and where can I get a new one and could this be the cause of the issue? I havent fired the rifle yet so I'm not 100% sure it has any issue at all..just going by what the original owner told me. here is a pic of the part in question. Thanks.

 

[shooter521]

I recentaly got a WASR 10 63 AK{my first AK}..I was told it had an issue with the bolt holding back after you fired..ie: you have to manually move the bolt forward after each shot.

It is not uncommon for the bolt group on a new WASR to stick in the rearward position when manually cycling the action (i.e. you have to nudge the charging handle to get it back into battery). This is due to a poor fit between the bolt carrier and the US-made trigger group. It is usually a non-issue during live fire, and often works itself out after a few hundred rounds, once the contact surfaces have worn in a bit. You can also accelerate the process by lightly polishing the bottom of the bolt carrier and the face of the hammer.

I took it apart this morning for the first time and noticed what looks like a broken spring...can anyone tell me what this is and if it is indeed a broken spring

That looks like the end of the hammer/trigger pin retaining wire (aka the "shepherd's crook"). It anchors on the arm of the safety selector and runs along the bottom of the receiver (side opposite the ejection port) bending under and over the hammer and trigger pins, applying pressure in order to retain them. There are numerous different designs; most of the wire ones are a PITA to remove/install, but the RSA and TAPCO retaining plates are pretty easy to work with. Is yours actually broken, or is the rest of it just obscured in the posted pic?

HTH!

 

[RelicHound]

Its actually broken. can I fire the weapon safely without it or should I wait until I get a new one?
I'll go ahead and order a new one today....is this what I need to replace it with? or are there better alternatives?
Krebs Custom Guns Hammer and Trigger Pin Retainer Plate AK-47 - MidwayUSA
Thanks for the help!

 

[RelicHound]

I was just looking at pics of other WASR AKs and realized mine has some sort of mount or something on it...which replaces the original pins I assume..so maybe the spring isnt needed with the "bolts" for the mount. and the original owner intentionally broke the spring

 

[OneBadV8]

Do those bolts allow the safety to be completely disengaged?

 

[RelicHound]

Do those bolts allow the safety to be completely disengaged?

yes.

 

[OneBadV8]

ok, I thought maybe it was sticking up just enough to slow or catch the bolt maybe.

I'm out of ideas.

 

[shooter521]

Its actually broken. can I fire the weapon safely without it or should I wait until I get a new one?

You can fire the weapon safely, but your hammer and/or trigger pins will probably start walking out after a few rounds, causing reliability problems.

I'll go ahead and order a new one today....is this what I need to replace it with? or are there better alternatives?
Krebs Custom Guns Hammer and Trigger Pin Retainer Plate AK-47 - MidwayUSA

That will certainly do the trick, and will make future removal and installation much easier.

I was just looking at pics of other WASR AKs and realized mine has some sort of mount or something on it...which replaces the original pins I assume

Gah! Might as well order a couple standard hammer/trigger pins while you're at it, and return the gun to its native state.

Do those bolts allow the safety to be completely disengaged?

yes.

I don't see how; in the first pic, the safety selector is clearly bottomed out against the forward screw and is not resting in the lower-most detent notch. The safety might be partially disengaged (and might actually stay there, if the receiver has a selector notch where the F/A position would be), but it's certainly not correct.

 

[indykid]

It looks like those pins are the hammer and trigger replacement pins for a B-Square scope mount. By using those you don't need a Shepherd's Hook. They hold the axis pins in place. It does look like they impede the movement of the selector, but if the rifle fires with the selector down that far, then it most likely is not be the problem.

That broken piece is not from a Romanian Shepherd's Hook as the Romanian one is not held in place by the safety cross bar.

There is nothing to worry about what looks like a broken spring. It does nothing.

 

[shooter521]

It looks like those pins are the hammer and trigger replacement pins for a B-Square scope mount.

That's what I was thinking, too, but I was under the impression those were designed for rifles that didn't already have a ComBloc type side rail.

 

[printcraft]

...........

There is nothing to worry about what looks like a broken spring. It does nothing.

Yeah, but it should not even be in there.

Get rid of all that wonky looking pin nonsense and go back to the original
pins and crook or a retaining plate and your problems will likely disappear or be reduced.

 

[indykid]

I was also wondering why someone would go through the time, effort and expense to install the after market mount pins when the rifle already has a scope rail.

Unless the previous owner did not know that is a scope rail on the side of the rifle!

 

[shooter521]

I was also wondering why someone would go through the time, effort and expense to install the after market mount pins when the rifle already has a scope rail.

Unless the previous owner did not know that is a scope rail on the side of the rifle!

Looking at the pic again, it appears part of the OEM side mount has been cut away to accommodate the B-Square mount.

No offense to the OP, but wow, what an abortion.

 

[RelicHound]

Thanks for the help folks! I'll order new pins along with the retaining plate. doesnt look like midway has the pins..any recommendation for a place to buy the pins?

 

[shooter521]

recommendation for a place to buy the pins?

Brownells has the pins and the retaining plate in stock.

Ak-47 Parts Hammer/Trigger Pivot Pin - Interarms

POWER CUSTOM : TRIGGER PIN RETAINER PLATE - World's Largest Supplier of Firearm Accessories, Gun Parts and Gunsmithing Tools

 

[RelicHound]

cool! never ordered from them before. I'll give em a go. Thanks again!

 

[STEEL CORE]

B Square scope mount cross pins, load a magazine, let er rip, if you have any problems a good ak smith can reinstall the two replaced pins and shephards hook.