I have a problematic AK 74 that likes to jam.  In need of a truly knowledgeable AK expert to fix what ails it.  Who would you recommend?

Yes

NVM.

Jim Fuller at Rifle Dynamics

That said, what kind of jams?

I started a thread on this a month ago and no one answered, but here it goes:  It's a waffen werks, which once seemed to be awesome and then seemed to have a lot of problems. I got mine about 3 years ago, but had not shot it a lot until recently.  I average about 2 jams out of a 30 round magazine.  When I pull the jammed one out, there is a dent in the top of the round that is trying to be fed, where it looks like the bolt is striking it.  I have also had an empty casing wind up on the left side of the reciever a few times, and i'm not sure if it's not extracting, causing a doublefeed, or short stroking, or what.  Seems to happen with red army standard ammo but across multiple magazines.  when it jams, I usually have to remove the live round it is trying to feed and an empty case rattling around in the receiver,   and the round that failed to feed always has an indentation in the case where the bolt impacts it.  Usually, the bullet is canted a little as well from the impact.  Lastly, the action just feels kind of rough to me, I only own one other AK, an old mak 90, which seems smoother but still kind of rough.  It runs flawlessly though.  As a final note, I was shooting some premium hornady through it because I couldn't find anything cheap, and I had one can of 7N6 I didn't want to open.  I don't remember having so many issues with the hornady, which makes me wonder about short stroking again, as the horandy might have more powder to overcome the rough action?  Any thoughts are appreciated.

where is Jim fuller located?

Sell it to me

I have a AK74 from same place and same time with exact same story. Problems just started last month.  Less problems with Milsup than Wolf but still jams once every couple mags, first three years it never malfunctioned.

I want to say Vegas.  Thought there was another good smith in TN, but I can't think of the name.

Troy Sellars ? (Inrange)

Try a new buffer spring first. I like the ALG one.

thanks for the replies.  Maybe I'll look troy up.  Think the spring is too stiff making it short stroke?

I looked up that buffer spring, and it looks like its the same spring for the 47 or the 74?  that dosen't seem to make sense.  Do you think it's oversprung / undergassed?  I'm sure willing to give the spring a try if you think it will help

That's the number 1 most common problem with AK74's.  You need to add a small Tig weld to the underside of the bolt carrier in order to old the bolt down low enough to strip a round from the magazine.  You won't be able to replicate the problem on the bench.

Your bolt is missing the case head and hitting the round right in the goove, causing it to partially strip out of the magazine, go nose up, then the bolt comes out of the groove and smacks the case body, leaving a dent.

Tony Rumore
Tromix

Wow, long time no see

Glad to see you online over here Tony



Z

Home build or factory rifle?

Check your magazines to ensure they are not damaged. I have had this exact thing happen with surplus Beryl magazines, where the steel supports were bent at the front of the mag, causing the feed lips to spread open a bit at the front. It would allow part of the leading round (below the one being fed) to raise up in the magazine higher than it should, and the sharp corner of the bottom lug on the bolt could dig into the case of the leading round as the bolt rode over it. Most of the time it would result in a live round being partially chambered, with the round below it knocked partially or fully out of the magazine, jamming the entire action. The loose round would have a long elongated bite mark where the bolt had dug into it and damaged the case.

This is also dangerous as it opens up the possibility of the loose round having the primer ignited and going OOB.

I bent the steel supports back into proper shape on the problem mags and they resumed working normally.

It may also help to take a small jeweler's file and dull the sharp corners on both bottom corners of the bolt lower lug. This will reduce its tendency to bite and dig into the steel case. Just do not remove any material beyond what is necessary to dull the sharp edges. You do not want to remove excess material here because this part of the bolt is obviously respoonsible for stripping and pushing forward the next round in the magazine.

These two actions together resolved all feeding issues on the affected rifle (Saiga .223) which were identical to your description. That rifle has something like 5-6 thou rounds on it now with zero issue.