A couple WASR issues

[Cannon762]

I recently purchased a threaded muzzle brake for my WASR-10/63 at a local gun show. It looks just like this one:

It wobbles quite a bit, but all the Googling in the world would only turn up that it was normal and to pay it no mind. I took it out shooting, and I was shooting easily 2 feet too low even at 20 yards, and I was key holing. My only theory is that the bullets were ricocheting off the end of the muzzle brake and causing these issues (scary).

I didn't get a chance to fire it yet after I've taken it off, but have any of you ever heard of this happening?

My second potential issue is that the firing pin doesn't seem to be quite long enough. The forward end doesn't look "sharp" any more, more like someone hit it with a hammer. I want to take it out and look at it, but I can't get the retaining pin to even budge. Any tips on how to get it out? It's causing issues where I'll have multiple rounds in a row that will fail to fire. The gun is "new" so I don't know why the firing pin would be goofed, but I'm familiar with Century Arms quality control, so that may be the issue.

Thanks in advance for suggestions.

-Chris

 

[theweakerbrother]

Did you fire it fine before the muzzle break?

 

[indykid]

First, make sure that AK-74 style brake is actually for the 7.62x39 and not the smaller diameter 5.45x39.

Assuming it is, I have had one AK-74 style brake that was not centered on the bore for some reason, and I had to open up the end of the brake to avoid bullet strike, which was evident by the copper transfer in the end of the brake.

Someone posted that he used teflon pipe thread tape on his muzzle threads with the idea that as the tape heated and melted, it would take up the slop in the threads causing the brake to be held nicely tight instead of loose.

 

[Cannon762]

Yeah, I took it out maybe one week prior and was having no problems hitting 2-liter bottles at 25-30 yards looking directly down the sights. I did a lot of work to it after that (polish bolt, stain, full disassemble/reassemble a couple times, re-lube, etc.) but I wouldn't figure any of those would affect it's accuracy.

I did see one report from a guy on YouTube that had a similar muzzle brake that was ricocheting bullets, though he said he could physically feel the shattered bullet fragments hitting him. I fired approximately 120 rounds and never felt anything, just crappy performance.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

That brake is designed for the 5.45 cal. I would recommend boring out the brake to at least larger than 7.62. I have installed similar brakes on a WASR-10 and a SAR-1 have not had any problems with accuracy.

The firing pin should be round on the end. Soak the bolt in Kroil or penetrating oil. Then use a steel punch and hammer to remove the firing pin retaining pin. Guns & Ammo just published their Complete Book of the AK-47. Page 68 has a great picture of the process and what the firing pin should look like.

 

[duffman0286]

i have heard many cases such as this with century weapons especial the 74's. However on the 74's this is caused my a huge batch of barrels that century put on there 74's that where to large. But in your case this is the cause the threading on the 74 break on a 47 doesnt engage as much and can become canted. +1 on Snoop loggy Dog's idea this is what i would do. Wasr's really dont take well to anything but a barrel nut

 

[Cannon762]

Thanks for the replies. I went ahead and just took the brake off, I'll just eat the cost, live and learn. As for the bolt, I'm going to keep it soaking in a bag overnight in solvent and see if that doesn't ease the retaining pin out. Hopefully it will ease out then, I feel a little restraint about using a vice and a hammer. Then again, I suppose it's a gun and is use to rougher treatment.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

I prefer having an AK-74 style muzzle brake on my SAR-1. It does help with recoil and speeds up follow-up shots. It took a lot of tinkering to get my WASR and SAR-1 running well. The loose threads on your brake can be fixed by a couple of different methods. Lots of ideas on the Internet to take a marginal set up and make it rock solid. Where are you located?

 

[Cannon762]

I'm in Muncie. I picked the rifle up at the 1500 and then the muzzle brake at a local show. To be honest I didn't even want that particular muzzle brake, I'm more a fan of the slanted short ones but that was the only one they had and I had money burning a hole in my pocket.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

I have an extra slant brake that you can have. I will check, because I think it is for a 1/2x28 RH thread. Most WASRs, if they had threads, were for a metric LH thread. Both of my rifles had zero threads. I had them threaded at McDonald's gun shop, near Gas City.

I live only an hour away from Muncie, near Kokomo. Will be on the road for a few days. When I get back, I can PM you and we can figure out a place to meet and fix your rifle.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

Both of my WASR 10/63s are threaded for 1 X 17L. I have that same brake for my underfolder and haven't noticed any change in POI - of course, mine is tight on the muzzle...

 

[Cannon762]

I can tighten mine down all the way, but then the vents on top are crooked, which seems like it defeats the purpose to me. When I take it back out this Saturday I will Put it on for a couple shots and see if it makes a difference when it's tightened all the way down.