After having to stop shooting, pull the bolt out, soak it for a while in mineral spirits/atf mixture to clean the crud out of the firing pin channel, I wondered:
why couldn't the roll pin retainer be replaced with a cotter pin? similar to how the firing pin is held in place on a .223 bolt carrier? it would require drilling a recess at both ends of the roll pin hole, like on the .223 carrier, and appropriate size cotter pin. Anyone have real world experience why this wouldn't work? Then to clean, just push the cotter pin out, push the FP/spring  out, squirt cleaner in from the bolt face, and put it back together. seems like it oughta work.     feel free to explain what's not workable,.....  

Quoted: I dont think there would be enough material there to do it.

ok, ya got me. the pin extends from one side of the bolt to the other. I drill a dimple in each side, no more than 1/8"-3/16" deep, perhaps, so the head of a cotter pin will be below the surface of the bolt. how would there not be enough material to do that? If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. If not, it will make the cleaning a lot easier.

Wow - yep I think so. I have had my firing pin out to clean and polish.it is possible i believe. That sur would make it easy to clean up. Wonder how hard it is. Dremel or Drill Press? Let me know------

Whatever-------------here goes besides I have more Ciener kits.------

Quoted: Take my word if it was do-able we would have made those modifications.

like this?




The "pin" is a nail, head filed to fit in dremeled slot. it MAY require a small dimple in the other  end to keep it from backing out, and still be able to be pushed out for cleaning. for now, it's bent slightly, and won't push out easy. functions fine semi-auto. I'm having difficulty getting it to run full auto, I lost my lakeside recoil spring. has nothing to do with the firing pin retainer mod.
guess I'm glad I tried this before I saw your post...

ETA: I did my other ciener bolt a little diferent:



I drilled a shallow hole, and used a field expedient roll pin substitute.  I had to slightly flatten the end of the nail to get a snug fit in the bolt, but it works fine. and much much much easier to remove firing pin for cleaning. Yep, had it been possible, I would have seen it done by others much more experienced and knowlegeable than myself.
 "boldly go where no .......  has gone before..."  

and no offfense to anyone. if I can do it, the bar is set kinda low, perhaps? LOL!

I like the dremel slot better, myself, but had to try the other way too.

Why would they be any different?

Quoted: Why would they be any different?

excellent question!!  would someone post a pic of their Spikes upper with bolt visible in the ejecton port, please?

Quoted: Quoted: Why would they be any different? The retaining pin is in a different location, the firing pin is also larger.

thats nice info to know, but I'm old & slow, and would appreciate a pictrue.
thanks to anyone that wiill post a pic.