I have an Arsenal SA M-7 A1 with the screw on directional flash hider and plunger, like this



And it's loose as hell. I can get it better than another 3/4 of a turn around before it bottoms out on the front sight base.  And it REALLY robs the accuracy.  With it on, I can't get less than around 10 inch groups, barely all on the target.  With it off I can get about a 3 inch group.  Both are shot from sandbags at 100 yds with Silver bear's "match load" or whatever it is with the nippled bullet.  

So what's my best course of action?  Find a washer of similar diameter and file it down till it fits just right and makes the flash hider tight?  Fuck with the existing FH until I can get it to go around one more turn?  Or will Arsenal actually do something about this?

Anybody else have this problem?  I know I can shoot it fine with the FH off, but it kind of pisses me off that on an $800 rifle I can't even shoot it the way it was intended.  

Any help appreciated.  

maybe look at a concave washer similar to what's on the tantal or remove some material from back of the device allowing you to get another turn on the threads....

That is what I would do, sand the back of the hider until the pin JUST snaps in place. Then use cold blue to touch up. If it still wobbles, get a piece of aluminum foil and wrap the threads like you would a piece of teflon tape. One wrap should get you about .005" thicker in radius, which should cut the wobble alot....


-Cabby

Quoted: That is what I would do, sand the back of the hider until the pin JUST snaps in place. Then use cold blue to touch up. -Cabby

+1

Best tool to do this?  Grinder?  

If you decide to file off some material on your flash hider, be careful.  Make sure the threading inside of it goes on far enough to make up the difference and let the barrel thread through all the way.  I tried this on my WASR's muzzle break and found out the hard way that there weren't enough threads inside the brake.  I ended up with a bigger gap between the brake and the FSB when the barrel bottomed out, and the lock pin not being anywhere close to the detent on the brake.  What I did was make a flat washer out of hard key ring wire to fill the gap.  Pounded it to the thickness I needed with a hammer then blued it.  This seems to work well for now, tightened up the brake pretty good, but I'll probably get another brake in the near future that fits better without having to use the washer.

I would say file the back of the flashhider to get it to go the 1/4 final turn around but you may have the problem Speedy mentioned.  $55.00 if you ruin the flashhider.

I and others have tightened up the flashhider with plumber's teflon tape wrapped around the threads of the barrel to tighten the fit and stop the wobble.  I don't know how it will hold up to the heat but you can give it a try and it is inexpensive.  $0.90

A second method is to silver solder the device in place.  It won't wobble at all but is reversible, though not readily removable.  $8.00

take a little off the back of the FH with a dremel

Quoted: Quoted: That is what I would do, sand the back of the hider until the pin JUST snaps in place. Then use cold blue to touch up. -Cabby +1

A wet stone or diamond stone...A dremil will leave it  uneven ...Or 600 grit wet sand paper on a very flat surface.
Do it in a fiqure 8 pattern and stop and fit till it engages the tick mark tightly

An old thick mirror was the "valve grinders" surface of choice when you need a truly flat surface.

If you dont have a 1/4 turn of threads, sand slowly, and you will be tight before you make the next notch, and then, you can still try the other methods, without a lot of lost material from the back of the hider.

Seeing that you only have 1/4 turn, chances are you will have enough thread, if not, you could always tap it deeper.

Dont feel bad, I would be pissed too if I had spent 800 bucks on an AK that couldnt outshoot a WASR as built.

Quoted: An old thick mirror was the "valve grinders" surface of choice when you need a truly flat surface. If you dont have a 1/4 turn of threads, sand slowly, and you will be tight before you make the next notch, and then, you can still try the other methods, without a lot of lost material from the back of the hider. Seeing that you only have 1/4 turn, chances are you will have enough thread, if not, you could always tap it deeper. Dont feel bad, I would be pissed too if I had spent 800 bucks on an AK that couldnt outshoot a WASR as built.

Sorry. Where is the Vepr mafia when you need them.

I used a sharpening stone for my knife to knock some off the back of my slant break, in order to get it to fit flush and tight. I used cold blue afterwords and you cannot tell any difference.

Shawn

Sand paper on a table is very flat. Use a 8 for sanding direction.

You would be surprised how well teflon tape works, and it is cheap...

AC

Heh, well it figures I do it bass ackwards. On the birdcage style Romy flash hider I cut couple extra notches for the retainer on the ridge that rides against the FSB so I can get it close enough for the the pin to engage without over tightening.

You may not be able to do that with the Bulgy flash hider though.