Got a problem with my Yugo M70B: Broken barrel pin!

I just discovered that my barrel pin on my CAI Yugo m70B snapped roughly in half length wise. The pin on the left side is still in the rifle, but the right side is missing. The break on the pin shows an imperfection on the top-front (say 2 o'clock) which created a focal point for the pin to fracture and fail.



Fortunately I haven't shot this one much. In fact this one has less than 100 rounds through it.
Now I literally live "out in the middle of no where" in the Pan-Handle of Texas. I'm 5 hours to DFW; 4.5 hours to OKC; 2.5 hours to Lubbock; 2 hours to Amarillo, TX; and 2 to hours Wichita Falls, TX.

I would rather not send this back to CAI (I got this new about 6 years ago, though I don't know when the pin broke). I believe this can be fixed at a local gunsmith that has experience with AKs. However, I have failed to find any good local gunsmith (and yes, Lubbock, Amarillo, and Wichita Falls are considered local for us).

Any suggestions or anyone who can help would be greatly appreciated.

I lack the necessary tools and really don't have the time anymore (work, church and scouts).
Also the last time I got a big hammer out on something it didn't end well.

That's what an AK-47 blacksmith would do in the old country!

Click to expand...

Now I've got "in Soviet Russia" jokes going through my head.

I'll readily admit that I know enough to be dangerous yet not competent enough to fix it correctly the first time.

I was able to get Jim Roberts from JBI Armory to fix my Yugo. There was an issue of the barrel pin hole not lining up with the barrel and the front sights being canted. He ended up redrilling the holes for the barrel and front sights. What had to be corrected matched CAI's build reputation 10 years ago. Pictures of their contract workers explain all...


It's fixed, and is a solid shooter again.