Man, lemme tell ya about this jam I ran into with my Arsenal AK the other day. Outta nowhere, first shot in the mag just WOULDN’T feed right. Bolt’d get stuck halfway like it hit a brick wall. Totally embarrassing when you’re at the range with buddies.
How I Found This Mess
So I’m loading up my favorite steel mags like always, rack the charging handle – CLICK – nothing chambers. Try slapping the bottom of the mag? Nope. Pull the charging handle back harder? Still nada. That failure to feed happened three mags in a row right on strike one. Felt like my rifle betrayed me.
My 5-Step Fix Process
First thing I did was clear the weapon and lock the bolt back. Safety first, always! Then I ran through these steps:
- Checked feed ramps real close – used my phone flashlight and found nasty brass shavings gummed up in there. Must’ve built up over time.
- Inspected mag lips with fresh eyes – noticed the left lip looked bent inward slightly. No wonder rounds were getting cockeyed!
- Swapped recoil springs – my old spring was so weak it couldn’t push rounds up properly. Learned that the hard way.
- Tested different ammo – turns out those cheap steel-cased rounds were dragging on the feed path. Brass slid smooth.
- Lubed like crazy – soaked that bolt carrier group in CLP until it dripped. Dry friction was definitely part of the problem.
What Finally Did The Trick
Took everything apart and scrubbed the hell outta those feed ramps with a brass brush. Bent the mag lip back straight with pliers (gently!) and tossed in a fresh recoil spring. Put it all back together slicker than snot on a doorknob.
Took it to the range next morning – BANG BANG BANG – fifteen mags straight with zero jams. Almost cried happy tears watching that bolt slam home every single time. Proves even stubborn failures just need some basic TLC!
