Dust cover is stuck on my new saiga

[5ptdeerhunter]

I just bought a saiga 7.62x39 from dunhams for my 18th birthday, and when I got home and started to take it apart I ran into a problem. I had my friend doing most of the stuff for me, he has a saiga shotgun along with a vepr, so he knows more about these type guns. Well the button to release the dust cover seems to be stuck where it won't push down to release the cover. We had it off once and he showed me some of the stuff inside. Then he had me put it all back together. Now I can't get it off again. The first time we used a mallet and a dowel rod. Now I know I am going to have to file the edges of the hole down some, but what can I do to get it off now?

Thank you kindly,

Mike

 

[Darkmind]

Dunhams, LOL. I laugh cause that was the only place in GR that had a mossberg 590 in stock when i was looking for one. Found it on sale too. Walked out with it, 50 rounds of 00, and other extras for about 300.00.


Dunhams is like the last place anyone would think of when looking for weapons.

 

[Harry Tuttle]

it is kalashnikov

do not file, bang with rock



Sometimes the front edge of the dust cover is not quite in the receiver and it hangs back an 1/8th of an inch, you should be able to push the button in and wiggle it off. A wrap with your palm on the cover, seats the front in a tad more.

 

[5ptdeerhunter]

The dust cover is up as far as it will go. It just looks like there is not enough hole for the release thingy to fit in. I looks like it might be pushed in a little, I might have to try and bend it out a little or could I just bend it in some more?

 

[jobu07]

Well, if the hole that the button pops through is really that tight, it probably woudln't hurt to take a little bit of the edge off witha file. But i'd be very careful, wouldn't want to make it so it won't latch on again next time.

 

[5ptdeerhunter]

Well no doubt I am going to file it, but I need to know how to get it off first.

 

[GigaBuist]

Dunham's is the last place I thought I'd be buying firearms from too -- but sure enough, decent prices, service ain't bad (aside from an ammo mix-up once there) and they've got milsurps!

Anyway...

If you can take a picture of it, please do.

But, odds are you probably just need to whack it a bit. to get the dust cover to fully seat, or to get it to pop off. It's probably not seated at the right angle, or at least that's the picture I have in my head.

Remember the scene in the movie Armageddon with the Russian scientist beating on something with a wrench screaming, "THIS IS HOW WE FIX THINGS IN RUSSIA!" -- yeah that's pretty much true I think. 'Specially with the rifles.

The hole didn't shrink, so it -CAN- be taken apart. Smack the back end of that dust cover and see if it moves into the groove at the front properly. If it does, it'll level out and then the release tab in the back might line up properly.

You'll probably hurt your hand before you hurt the dust cover. My Saiga shotguns are pretty sturdy little guys.

 

[5ptdeerhunter]

Here is a picture of the release not depressed. You can see where it is catching, and where it is starting to give from the dowel and rubber mallet.

 

[5ptdeerhunter]

the bottom of the release is not hitting nothing, at least it doesn't look like it.

 

[5ptdeerhunter]

forgot the image

 

[5ptdeerhunter]

And here you can kind of see where the release is catching. I would think it would push down but it doesn't.

 

[Harry Tuttle]

Lev Andropov: Excuse me, but I think I know how to fix this.
Watts: Move it! You don't know the components!
Lev Andropov: [annoyed] Components. American components, Russian Components, ALL MADE IN TAIWAN!!

 

[JohnKSa]

When you say push "down" you mean toward the muzzle of the gun, right?

Unload the gun (I know you already have--but it never hurts to check again)

Take the gun off safe--push the lever downward.

The bolt/operating handle should be all the way forward.

Stick your fingers in the slot that the safety would cover if the lever were in the up position and get a firm grip on the dustcover.

Push the release button toward the muzzle as far as it will go and hold it. It won't go all the way in, but it will go in enough.

Yank backward and up on the dustcover. Repeat as necessary.

 

[mountaindrew]

I can see from the picture what has happened. You have bent the to of the hole inward (probably from using the mallet) Whatever these guys tell you about russian engineering, it is never good to force it when it doesnt work right. On my saiga, the hole is pefectly rectangular. It looks from the pictures that you hole is bent in at the top. Your are trying to push the releas FORWARD arent you? if so, and it still wont work, try putting a small thin screwdriver into the hole above the release and bending the sheet metal upward a little bit. You will scratch the metal a little bit, but it looks like it is too late to be worrying about that. Good Luck.

 

[5ptdeerhunter]

OK I got it off. I did what JohnKSa said. I used the spot where the safety lever goes to get some leverage on the cover. I couldn't do it with my hands so I put a cloth over it and hit it twice with the mallet. On the second try it popped right off. Now should I file it a slight bit or push back the top part of the hole to make it a rectangle again?

 

[Destructo6]

You may have (further) mangled the dust cover getting it off in that manner. You should only need to depress the takedown button (recoil spring guide) enough to clear the lower edge of the dust cover, which should then lift off.

Inspect that dust cover and replace if suspect.

 

[JohnKSa]

Push the bent spot back out and then remove the spring (and takedown button) from the gun.

Check to make sure that the button fits easily through the hole in the dustcover at the proper angle. You can eyeball the way everything goes together in the gun to see how to hold the spring assembly while you're checking. Don't put it back on the gun just yet--don't want to get it stuck again. If the takedown button won't go through the hole--file the hole until it does.

Now, with the spring still out of the gun, try the dustcover to see if it fits where it's supposed to on the receiver.

It should set down nicely all the way around and fit into it's little groove at the front. You should be able to tell if it's bent or otherwise not right.

If everything looks ok, then put it all back together. To disassemble, push the button straight forward toward the muzzle and lift up on the back of the dustcover. Neither operation should take significant force.

If the dustcover is bent you may be able to straighten it or you may have to get a replacement. I think a standard AK dustcover will fit (check with other Saiga owners) and they're not very expensive.

 

[5ptdeerhunter]

JohnKSa once again you are right. near the rear of the cover part of it is bent in just a little bit. And that is what is making it such a tight fit.

Where would I ever be if it weren't for your help?

 

[Master Blaster]

Wait till he takes the bolt carier bolt and piston out, He will have a He77 of a time getting it back in. On a regular AK you have a great deal of room to line up the bolt lugs and the receiver slot before you push down on the bolt/carrier and push it forward into the receiver, on a SAIGA its very precise and the lugs have to be lined up just so.

My advice to you is to take your time look at it carefully before you take the bolt and boltcarrier out slide it to the rear and again look carefully at how the bolt lugs align with the rails / cutout in the receiver, and take your time reassembling, take many deep breaths.

If you have it aligned properly it will slide right in, if not you wont be able to force it . Make sure you dont have a chisel, mallet or a screwdriver in the room .

If you need to force it it aint lined up right. The dustcover is tight but will go on easily if lined up right.

Same with the bolt and carrier into the receiver.


Good luck.

 

[JohnKSa]

MB,

You don't have to remove the bolt or bolt carrier to take off the dustcover or the spring assembly but your advice is always good. Two or three extra looks during disassembly can save a lot of mental anguish during reassembly.

5pt,

Glad you got it working!

 

[Master Blaster]

I was just mentioning this because he will have to dissassemble the gun and clean it eventually, and a SAIGA is harder to reassemble than say an SAR-1 due to the relatively closer tolerances.

I know I had a hell of a time the first time I went to reassemble which led me to compare my SAR-1 to the saiga to see what I was doing wrong.

 

[gaston_45]

Neanderthal mechanics never work on guns. Please, for your sake and your gunsmith's, PUT THE BIG ROCK DOWN!!!!!!

Seriously, unless you are building a gun from scratch or you are using a broken shell extractor for it's PROPER use you will NEVER need a hammer while working on a gun. It's kinda along the lines of "hey bubba, the car won't start....gee cletus didja bang on the carb with the big hammer before ya turned the key?".

What IS your friends name anyway? We have laws against domestic abuse, animal abuse, and tree abuse but where are the laws against firearms abuse??

If you see your friend coming at your Saiga with a hammer again please, please interviene for the sake of the beautiful Saiga. I am opening a safe house for abused Saigas so if he won't stop you can send it here for help in recovering and starting a new abuse free life.