Question about AKs not feeding HP ammo

[Motodeficient]

This is my first AK so keep in mind I am new to them. I have read that some AKs will not cycle hollow point ammo. I have a bunch of wolf steel hollow point ammo, and my Century WASR AK will not cycle it. When I pull the charging handle back then release it to chamber a round, the carrier will move forward and try to chamber the round, but stops about 1/2" from going all the way forward. At that point the action is jammed and will not move forward or back. If I slam the charging handle forward it will chamber it and then I can continue cycling the action. I have the same results with tapco or steel mags.

I don't have any FMJ ammo to try at the moment, but do you think there is a problem with the gun, or is what I described just an AK that does not like hollow point ammo?

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[nathan]

My 2002 SAR 1 had no problems with HPs . I must have been lucky.

 

[ChronoCube]

Maybe you can use aluminum foil or wood to create a "plug" for the hole at the tip of the bullet and simulate an FMJ.

 

[Motodeficient]

I plan to pick a box of FMJ ammo and try that. I just had another though though, when field stripping an AK you have to manually cock it to reinsert the carrier bolt into the gas block. I don't think I pulled the trigger afterwards to decock it. Would that cause this problem when I go to chamber a round and its already cocked?

 

[lions]

So is the round nose diving and not going into the chamber at all? It sounds like you are saying the round is mostly chambered but the bolt isn't going fully into battery, if that is the case then the rounds being HP have nothing to do with it.

 

[[Pb]]

I don't think the hollow points have anything to do with it unless the end of the round is actually hitting the chamber and stopping.

 

[Motodeficient]

I will have to look at it some more when I get home from work. Its difficult to see what exactly is happening since I can't move the bolt to look when it happens. Maybe I just don't have the bolt seated in the carrier properly, because the bolt sometimes also scrapes big gouges into the casing when it trys to chamber a round.

 

[lions]

Have you tried doing this without any rounds in the mag? Does the rifle function correctly? It is kind of difficult to assemble the bolt/bolt carrier incorrectly, in fact, I'm not even sure if it is possible.

When you take out the rounds that you tried to chamber are there and dents or dings along the body of the cartridge?

Some pictures would go a long way if you could post them after work.

 

[Motodeficient]

The action cycles normally with an empty mag. When I finally eject the round that I try to chamber, there are scratches along the casing. I will post some pictures if I can't figure it out. Thanks for the help.

 

[lions]

If the scratches are two parallel lines they are probably from the magazine feed lips, I have some mags that will do this but they aren't exactly big gouges. Have you tried this with all your mags? Does the rifle jam with all of them? Do they all leave big gouges?

When the carrier stops try to see if the round is feeding normally into the chamber or if it is jammed in there at an upward angle.

 

[Motodeficient]

I will check those things tonight.

I came across this post after doing a google search, the last post on the first page is just like my problem.

http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/ak47/91731-wasr-10-63-jamming.html

 

[lions]

Ok, the round is jammed in there at an upward angle. Just like in the post you linked, I will refer you the the magazine. Test out all your magazines. This is probably caused by a bad one, hopefully all of your magazines don't cause this problem.

 

[Motodeficient]

I tried two tapco mags and a steel mag, all did the same thing

 

[JShirley]

You won't know until you try FMJ, but I'm betting it's the rifle. I've never had any problem with *any* ammunition in ComBlock rifles, except for underpowered plastic-core training ammo.

 

[Motodeficient]

I'm starting to think its something to do with the way century ground the mag well to accept hi-cap mags. Like the magazines don't sit deep enough in the well to properly allow a round to chamber.

 

[Z-Michigan]

It's something about your rifle, most likely either the height of the magazine (set by the locking tab under the trunion) or the size/height/shape of the bullet guide (top of the trunion).

Get some FMJ, see if that works. If it does, arrange to trade your HP to someone else for FMJ ammo, and be done with it. If you really, really, really want to use HP ammo, compare all the details of your WASR to another AK that feeds reliably with the same ammo.

 

[Motodeficient]

I plan to swing buy walmart to pick up a box of FMJ to see what that will do. I contacted Century and they were nice, the man I spoke with said it sounded like the gun was faulty and said I can send it in to them to get checked out.

 

[lions]

Does your chamber look like this or is there no bevel on the lower edge of the chamber?


(picture originally posted by briansmithwins in another thread)

My WASR originally had no bevel and would not feed the SP bullets I wanted to use for hunting (It would feed FMJ and HP though). I cut a similar bevel on my WASR and that solved my problem.

 

[lions]

I'm starting to think its something to do with the way century ground the mag well to accept hi-cap mags.

The reason they have to grind is because the 10 rounds mags the gun used were single stack. The tabs only serve to provide support and prevent side to side movement. They are ground down to accept standard double stack magazines. It has no bearing on how deep the magazines are seated.

I'm not sure the chances of you having 3 bad mags but do you know anyone who has magazines that are proven to work?

 

[lions]

If it isn't the mags it may well be a canted front sight block. Check to see if it is off center. If it is, the gas piston may be catching an edge inside the gas tube causing the bolt carrier to stop just short of fully closed.

 

[Motodeficient]

^^^ But it cycles normally with an empty magazine. I've got some pictures that I just took of what is happening that I will post soon, maybe you guys will be able to tell me something from them.

 

[Motodeficient]

Ok I took about 5 minutes and cycled the action a bunch of times. It cycles fine with an unloaded or absent magazine. The following results are the same with tapco or surplus steel mag

30% of the time it will chamber a round properly

30% of the time the round gets caught on this lip and the action stays open

30% of the time it does this (this is what I was talking about earlier where it gets jammed and I have to slam the charging handle forward and then pull back very hard to eject the round)

Here is the above condition looking into the mag well

10% of the time it does this

 

[Z-Michigan]

Judging from your photos I think the magazine is probably sitting a bit too low or at the wrong angle. Either way, it's probably an issue to return the rifle to Century for.

 

[jojo200517]

I'm going to second returning it to century for service. From the last picture it looks like it is feeding at a very odd high angle and jamming against the inside of the chamber. I have a century wasr that I love and so far has fed and went bang with everything I have put in it. I have shot the wolf hollow points just like you have, FMJ in monarch(baurnal) and wolf, as well as some hornady ballistic tips, and winchester FMJ. I still am trying to find a couple boxes of soft point to test out.

 

[atlanticfire]

An Ak should eat anything