Got a builders AK-102 from PSA about a month ago. Finally got some furniture in for it, so I took everything apart. When I went to remove the BCG/Piston this little rod fell off. Its bent slightly and does go back in, but is super loose and falls out easily. I feel like that shouldn’t be happening. At the same time I hate dealing with sending guns back.
So is there something I can do to fix it. Or does it need to go back?
does that pin easily fall out if you tip it facing down? or can you tap it in and it wont come out anymore? If it wont come out anymore i think youre ok, if its loose, and it falls free id be afraid that it would be faulty and would send it back sadly.
That’s the retaining rivet for the piston. If the piston is in tight, and you’re Handy, and comfortable with a little bit of hammer-work, you could easily peen it back into place. It isn’t such a critical thing that a “gunsmith is the only qualified individual who could ever fix it.”
Or you could contact PSA and arrange to have it repaired. Unknown Turnaround Time.
yeah if all that it takes is a bit of hammering into place and making sure it wont come out again id do that. but otherwise, i’d send it off to psa.
Second picture looks to me like there’s not enough rivet (pin) left to fill that gap. Just my .02.
FYI per direct communications, PSA’s repair shop is “really backed up right now”. They have had my 104 since the beginning of September.
If not, they aren’t expensive.
Install is as simple as pushing it in, using the smallest ball-peen you have to work around the tip while Bucking it against a sturdy anvil or heavy metal table.
Then, once sufficiently swelled, using a file to carefully bring any remainder down flush with the carrier. Test fit for operation, and then test fire and examine it for interference after the first magazine.
The metal these rivets are made from is very soft, almost aluminium-soft, and doesn’t require much force to displace into a head. Just a little perseverance, and nominal fabrication skills.
Looked to me like they missed it by a tad. Me? I’d do the rivet but if one is not familiar with the process repeating the same error is easy to do.
yeah if it were me id do the rivit too.. but some ak’s stuff requires a jig to do the rivits with.. you gotta ensure this isnt one of them too.. or youre gonna just repeat the issue down the road.
