Yugo Model 24

[kn226]

I have an old Yugo model 24 that the bolt is very hard to open with a dropped hammer. When it is ready to fire the bolt cycles perfectly (which doesn't mean much). Also the safety will not engage. I have taken the bolt apart to no avail. Any suggestions?

[zouavexx]

This sounds like a question for our resident smith, Schuetzenman!

[Schuetzenman]

Originally posted by KN226
I have an old Yugo model 24 that the bolt is very hard to open with a dropped hammer. When it is ready to fire the bolt cycles perfectly (which doesn't mean much). Also the safety will not engage. I have taken the bolt apart to no avail. Any suggestions?

Well these type of rifles are cock on opening of bolt in design. The firing pin is pushed back by lifting the bolt handle. You mention the safety can't be engaged. I assume that means when the bolt is cocked. The safety should not engage when the firing pin is not cocked.

Otherwise the bolt sleeve may have setback threads or ones with incorrect timing ot the cocking piece may be out of timing with the firing pin. If the cocking piece is back farther than it should the slot in the cocking piece that the safety goes through probably won't line up so you can't put the safety on.

Could it possibility be that you have not assembled the cocking piece properly back onto the firing pin? I've seen this condition exactly once on a rifle that I purchased off of a civilian at a show. They or somebody had assembled the cocking piece onto the firing pin incorrectly by one thread. It looked ok and it would cock and seem to fire but the safety was useless. I took it to a range to try out and got ZERO ignition. That's when I learned about this misassembly possibility.

When putting the firing pin and bolt sleeve back together you need to really compress that sucker good using the safety at the 12:00 position as the handle to compress with. Then slip the cocking piece back on the firing pin correctly and rotate 90°. Sometimes dirt or dried cosmoline can prevent the cocking piece going back on as far as it should. The back of the firing pin should be flush with the very end of the cocking piece.

[Schuetzenman]

Bwahahaha . . . Zuoave! I was working on the answer and just posted it to see you said it "sounds like a job for" little old me! :D LOL!

[kn226]

Schuetzenman,

The bolt has been this way since I purchased it. One thing I might add is that part of the metal of the bolt seems to be blocking th safety's operation - even when the weapon is cocked.
I know this is very indescript but maybe it will help.

Thanks guys

[Schuetzenman]

Originally posted by KN226
Schuetzenman,

The bolt has been this way since I purchased it. One thing I might add is that part of the metal of the bolt seems to be blocking th safety's operation - even when the weapon is cocked.
I know this is very indescript but maybe it will help.

Thanks guys

Ok, so it's been that way from the get go. Humm . . . do you understand what I mean by "Cocking Piece"? It's the round thing at the back of the bolt that moves out when the bolt is cocked and in when the trigger is pulled. It contains the sear surface that the trigger catches on to hold the firing pin back.

Look at the back of the cocking piece like you are aiming the rifle. Do you see the back of the firing pin flush with or domed just slightly above the back face of the cocking piece?

It could be possible that this was put on the bolt incorrectly to start with. With the bolt cocked, can you flip the safety up to a 12:00 position? This is the take down position for getting the bolt sleeve and firing pin assembly out of the bolt body.

Answer a few of these questions and I may be able to direct you from there.

[kn226]

This safety is going nowhere when cocked. The most I can get out it is a little bit of play. When I take the bolt down, I can get it to move. Again I apologize for my vaugue descriptions.

[Schuetzenman]

KN226 are you taking the bolt sleeve, cocking piece and firing pin out of the bolt body?

To do that the Safety must be at 12:00 sticking up like the front sight in order to press in the bolt sleeve retainter plunger thingie on the bottom left side of the bolt sleeve. In other words about opposite of the bolt handle.

If the safety won't go into safe positon then I'm betting the cocking piece is assembled out of position by one thread on the end of the firing pin.

[kn226]

I will definately take a look at that. Thanks again.