loose gas tube on AK? anyone?

[skipbo32]

i have a SGL31 that i just changed out the plastic furniture on with original russian laminate. i had to sand down the wood a bit to get it to fit. once i fit the gas tube back on with the russian wood, my gas tube was loose....it has a little side to side give to it. it kind of bothers me when i hold the gun. did i damage the rear of the metal from putting in a vise or is the "tight" wood bending the metal?????

any ideas?

 

[mattmann]

I don't think that's an issue. My arsenal is a liiittlle lose there also. Man where did you get that wood? It is gorgeous!!

Here is my baby

Sent from my DROID RAZR

 

[skipbo32]

well, it looks like i bent the metal when i was twisting the wood on while the tube was in the vice. how to yall clamp these things down with out damaging the metal.????

 

[taliv]

i didn't know AKs had gas tubes.

 

[skipbo32]

i didn't know AKs had gas tubes.

i dont get it.

 

[skipbo32]

where would i go about getting a spare Izmash Gas Tube Assembly? and i noticed that the gas tube on my SGL20 does not interchange with my SGL31. if i get a spare will i need to modify it? thanks for the help.

 

[dfariswheel]

For gas tubes check with K-Var, who appears to be the parts outlet for Arsenal, Inc.

Or contact Arsenal directly.

 

[Inebriated]

I use a towel and vice grips on mine... And if it isn't wanting to spin, some Kroil.

 

[Adam123]

i didn't know AKs had gas tubes.

Well, now ya do.

Skip, can you bend it back to its former self?

 

[animator]

I guess I'm not seeing a problem. AK tubes can have a little play in them.

That ring is supposed to have a slight curve to it.

 

[Sam1911]

i didn't know AKs had gas tubes.

That's what everyone calls them, though they aren't really. They actually function as simply a guide tube to help the piston find its way back into the gas block. (Well, and to keep gas and debris from getting blown back in your face.)

The tube doesn't hold any pressure and Kalashnikovs will actually cycle without the tube in place, though the piston may not land back in the gas block perfectly every time which would cause a stoppage.

 

[Sam1911]

I can't see anything you've bent there. The spring clip at the rear is supposed to be bent into a gentle "C" like that, and everything else looks straight.

While I can usually pull and change the handguards without clamping the tube, you can clamp the rear flange (where it snaps down into the rear sight block) pretty hard without any fear of bending it.

What exactly is "loose?" Does the wood rotate in its retainer slots? Does the whole tube rotate? Or slide back and forth? It almost certainly doesn't "matter," except to you, but the sides of the rear flange should be fairly snug inside the mating flanges of the rear sight block, and then the locking pin should hold it all together. Without seeing it in person it's hard to tell what could be wrong.

 

[skipbo32]

the wiggle is in the rear flange. it wiggles (or rotates) side to side a little. it will function, but it bothers me.








im gunna order and extra one anyway

 

[Buck Kramer]

All if mine have a little play in them. If you still want to work on it a little bend out that C shaped washer pinning itself against the sight block, pushing the gas tube forward.

 

[Adam123]

If you order another tube, there's a good chance you could have the same issue. Perhaps the wiggle wasn't there before because the upper and lower handguard fit together tightly in a way that it prevented play.

 

[CountryUgly]

Looking at the pics I don't see any real problem either. It's fine the AK was designed to run a little loose. My wood used to rattle and wiggle too. This is how I fixed it (see pic). You could also use duct tape to fill in the gap to tighten it and trim the excess with an excato knife and no one will ever know it's there.