Solid gas tube or ventilated,which is best?

[dug556]

On my Norinco pre-bans they came with the ventilated gas tube and firing during low light conditions flames come out of the ports,in daylight there is no noticable flame.I purchased a Bulgarian replacement stock set and it came with a solid gas tube,no holes.I was wondering what is the purpose of the vents?To cool,to aid in cycling?I would suppose that the solid gas tube would be more desirable,especially at night,but are there any functioning problems.Any insight would be helpfull.

[Dan44]

The holes on the tube were put on the early milled AK-47s,when the Russians went to the AKM they put two gas relief holes on the gas chamber. Look to see if you have the holes before you change tubes.

[mark kim]

i read somewhere that the holes function as a gas check... to release pressure after enough of the gas passes to cycle the action. eliminating all the holes will probably result in excessive pressure pushing on the piston. doesn't sound like something you should try.

i have the opposite situation. i have a maadi which came with a handguard tube without holes. i recently changed it to a norinco tube which has the holes. now my rifle has holes both at the gas chamber and the tube, but it functions flawlessly.

[This message has been edited by mark kim (edited 05-29-2000).]

[AKM's]

The only reason the holes are in the gas tubes/blocks is so FULL AUTO cycle rates will not be slowed down. Semi-autos don't need the holes at all.

[Packrat]

I have been told that AKs, to make them more dependable (imagine that!) have much more gas bled off than is necessary to operate a clean rifle with not leaves, sticks, rocks, etc. in the action. If you vent more gas than the design called for, you're losing some of the extra functionality designed in -- you probably couldn't clear a receiver full of sand, for instance. Since (hopefully) you won't have a receiver full of sand, this is minor. Also, you are venting after the designed vent, which means that your pressure drops faster, but no earlier. Amazing what a weapon designed to function under "harsh conditions" can take, isn't it.

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Packrat

[backblast]

Originally posted by AKM's:
The only reason the holes are in the gas tubes/blocks is so FULL AUTO cycle rates will not be slowed down. Semi-autos don't need the holes at all.

Hence the Russian Saiga's. There are no holes in these rifles gas tubes or front sight blocks. Not necessary. cya

[Kampf]

Makes sense. FA would build up a little more pressure.