Headspace too tight?

[edlsen]

It's been awhile since I've been here, but I have had enough.

I have an Arsenal USA SSR-56 that I bought new about 10 years ago. The thing probably has about 300 rounds through it.

It is beautiful (can an AK be beautiful?!), but it won't reliably cycle steel ammo. For a Russian designed weapon this is unacceptable. It will shoot brass okay.

The problem is that the bolt is really tight and the brass is soft enough that it will close, but steel is hard enough to keep it out of battery.

I could buy a go-no-go gauge set, but then I would only know that it is indeed too tight. I would rather put that money toward getting it fixed.

If that is indeed the problem, what would the fix be? How much would I be looking at spending to get this fixed?

Is this something I could do? I have put an AR together, but just the lower.

Thanks
Jared

[00RedZX-6R]

If the headspace is wrong you need to press out the barrell pin. Set headspace by Pressing the barrell the right way. Redrill barrel pin hole slightly larger and put in a larger pin made out of a drill bit of similar pin. That was the abridged version

[deth502]

If the headspace is wrong you need to press out the barrell pin. Set headspace by Pressing the barrell the right way. Redrill barrel pin hole slightly larger and put in a larger pin made out of a drill bit of similar pin. That was the abridged version

+1, assuming its the imported chromelined barrel.

if it is not a chrome lined barrel, a few light turns with a chamber reamer is much easier.

[Schuetzenman]

I would concure with the first reply and with the second. The barrels are pressed into the trunion and a cross pin is pressed to maintain the barrel in the trunion at the proper headspace. It does sound to me that the HS is too tight. If you don't have the right tools, pressing out a barrel pin can be a real Mo-fo! For the typical person sending it to a qualified AK smith to fix the HS would be the best course of action.

[slamfire51]

It's been awhile since I've been here, but I have had enough.

I have an Arsenal USA SSR-56 that I bought new about 10 years ago. The thing probably has about 300 rounds through it.

It is beautiful (can an AK be beautiful?!), but it won't reliably cycle steel ammo. For a Russian designed weapon this is unacceptable. It will shoot brass okay.

The problem is that the bolt is really tight and the brass is soft enough that it will close, but steel is hard enough to keep it out of battery.

I could buy a go-no-go gauge set, but then I would only know that it is indeed too tight. I would rather put that money toward getting it fixed.

If that is indeed the problem, what would the fix be? How much would I be looking at spending to get this fixed?

Is this something I could do? I have put an AR together, but just the lower.

Thanks
Jared

edlsen.
I have nothing to add to the above replies. Good advice all around.
Good luck on the fix.