I am new to AKs. I purchased my SLR 95 last year. I went to the range yesterday and the bolt no longer locks in the open position. What is wrong? Thanks.

AKs are not designed with a bolt open device. If it was holding open before, it probably wasn't broke in yet.

On my SLR, I can get the bolt to hold open if I jiggle the handle just right but this is very dangerous to rely on the bolt staying open. The bolt is not really being held by anything and will slam shut with just a small bump.

Enjoy the AK for it's simplicity.

Vic, you can buy an aftermarket selector switch that will allow you to lock the bolt back. the selector has a notch in it to allow the selector to go to the safe position with the bolt back, and in the process locks the bolt back.  This does not however happen after the last shot.  It is the one infuriating part of the AK design for me.  BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG NOTHING!  Time to swap for a fresh mag.

Sorry that I did not make clear what I meant.  There is a button on the top just before the beginning of the stock which would hold the bolt open for cleaning.  It no longer works and I almost ended up with a broken finger.  It was bloody.

Vic, I had an SLR95, the only button at the top by the stock would be the dust cover retainer which is affixed to the recoil spring assembly.  Are we talking about the same thing?  I'm confused what happened to you, although thankful that nothing serious happened to you.  I do not clean my AK unless fully field stripped.  Takes a couple minutes at most and renders the gun perfectly safe.

There is no bolt hold-open on the SLR-95.  The button just before the start of the stock is the retaining button for the topcover.  The button is attached to the recoil spring guide and therefore one end of the reciol spring (operating spring) and the other end of the spring pushes against the bolt carrier.

What can happen is that the bolt carrier can hang on the hammer if you fiddle with it.  It's easier on low round count guns, as there's still finish left, no wear, etc.  On higher round count guns, it's difficult or impossible to get it to do it.  

Odds are if you were pushing the button while manually pulling the bolt back, the bolt wouldn't be allowed full travel and stop right where it would need to be to get hung up on the hammer.  As you shot it and the gun broke in, it no longer will hang up there.  

Most AK variants just don't have bolt hold-opens, and the SLR-95 is one of those.  As you found out, it's dangerous to try to use a bolt hold-opne that isn't there.  

Personally, I like bolt hold opens, but they are not on many weapons: HK MP5, HK G3, L1A1, M1 Carbine, open bolt SMGs like the Thompson, MP-40, STEN, Grease Gun, PPSH-41, etc., other open-bolt guns like almost all MGs.  None of these have them.  Quite frankly VAST majority of proven combat small arms have no bolt hold-open when empty.  It's a nice feature, but not required.  

Ross