Maybe you can help me...what is that in my AK barrel?

**Wounded Ronin** · Posted On: 11/27/2009 6:18pm

Today, I disassembled my WASR 10 AK for the first time (I'm learning how to do that from a manual) and I noticed something in the barrel. It is hard to see. It looks like there's a spot where there's no rifling.

I probably noticed it because I'd taken the rifle apart and more light was shining in the barrel. I have fired maybe 200 rounds or so through the rifle and have not had any noticable problems or issues.

I tried to take pictures to post here thinking that maybe someone here could tell me what it is. It's hard to see in the picture...please look for anything that looks out of place along the top of the barrel, a short distance down the barrel from the crown.

I made a bunch of pictures to make it easier to see. If nobody can see what I'm talking about I'll upload them to tinypic so it's possible to view the "raw image".

EDIT: Okay, here. I circled what I'm talking about in this picture and put it on Tinypic so it's possible to view a raw image:

**hungryjoe** · Posted On: 11/27/2009 8:19pm

It's hard to tell from the photos.

Is it in the area of the gas port? Does it line up vertically with the top?

There have been issues with this rifle in the past having gas ports miss-aligned.

**TeeDge** · Posted On: 11/27/2009 10:24pm

I had to look through the pictures four times to see what you're talking about. I can see where the spiral appears to get wider like something chipped off though. Very hard to tell from the picture.

**Wounded Ronin** · Posted On: 11/27/2009 11:03pm

Originally Posted by hungryjoe

It's hard to tell from the photos.

Is it in the area of the gas port? Does it line up vertically with the top?

There have been issues with this rifle in the past having gas ports miss-aligned.

I'm not 100% sure what the gas port is in this case, but I think I might know what you're talking about. That irregularity in the barrel might indeed be at the spot where the barrel is joined to that tube above it by the metal connector thing. It's so hard to see that it's tough to be absolutely certain, though. Is that what you mean?

(Sorry for my really unclear wordings. :/ )

**Wounded Ronin** · Posted On: 11/27/2009 11:04pm

Originally Posted by TeeDge

I had to look through the pictures four times to see what you're talking about. I can see where the spiral appears to get wider like something chipped off though. Very hard to tell from the picture.

It's not carbon, as I'd just cleaned the barrel. It looks like something chipped off, but when I was running a bore snake and patches through the barrel it felt completely normal. I didn't get the feeling of something catching or snagging, like you might expect if something had chipped off.

**hungryjoe** · Posted On: 11/27/2009 11:25pm

Originally Posted by Wounded Ronin

I'm not 100% sure what the gas port is in this case, but I think I might know what you're talking about. That irregularity in the barrel might indeed be at the spot where the barrel is joined to that tube above it by the metal connector thing. It's so hard to see that it's tough to be absolutely certain, though. Is that what you mean?

(Sorry for my really unclear wordings. :/ )

Hey WR,

The port diverts some of the gas from the round to operate the bolt (extract the round and cycle the bolt to strip and chamber the next round).

While it is unclear from the photo, this may very well be what you are seeing. I googled your specific make and did find posts that claimed up to 5% of this type had offset (by angle only) the port relative to the top of the action. This affected operation only and you post that you've put about 200 rounds through this particular firearm makes it unlikely that you have a firearm with this issue.

I have never heard of an interupted land/groove in rifleing. The process for this part of fabricating a barrell make this unlikely (to my knowledge).

My gut feeling tells me that you're OK and what you are seeing is indeed the gas port. Try to get an approximate measurement of the gas port (part entering above the barrell) from the muzzle. You can do this by looking down the barrell (put a piece of white paper behind a light in the chamber), place your finger over the port entry area of the barrell and see if they appear in the same place.

Hope that is not too vague.

PM me if you want more detail and I'll give you my number.

**hungryjoe** · Posted On: 11/27/2009 11:28pm

Short anwser.

Yes. It is the part over the barrel that delivers gas from the expended round. You should easily see this area, extending from the action, joined over the top of the barrell.

**Wounded Ronin** · Posted On: 11/28/2009 12:31pm

Just to try and clarify this a little more, I went on the internet, took an example picture of an AK (not a picture of my actual rifle), and circled the area in red where I think this irregularity is. It's hard to see and gauge the distance so this is just an estimate.

It's probably best to view the "raw image" if it's hard to see the red circle.

**stealth_monkey** · Posted On: 11/30/2009 5:09am

Originally Posted by Wounded Ronin

Just to try and clarify this a little more, I went on the internet, took an example picture of an AK (not a picture of my actual rifle), and circled the area in red where I think this irregularity is. It's hard to see and gauge the distance so this is just an estimate.

It's probably best to view the "raw image" if it's hard to see the red circle.

Grats, you've just circled perfectly the gas system, specifically where the gas port would join the barrel

**Mr. Machette** · Posted On: 11/30/2009 1:32pm

Originally Posted by Wounded Ronin

Just to try and clarify this a little more, I went on the internet, took an example picture of an AK (not a picture of my actual rifle), and circled the area in red where I think this irregularity is. It's hard to see and gauge the distance so this is just an estimate.

It's probably best to view the "raw image" if it's hard to see the red circle.

Yup, that piece right there is the gas block. There will be a small hole in the top of the barrel where gas will vent through that block, into the gas tube. (the tube on top of your barrel) Inside the gas tube is the piston. That piston is attached to the bolt carrier. The vented gas pushes the piston / carrier assembly backwards when the gun is fired, and the recoil spring pushes it forward again, cambering another round, so that the cycle may be repeated.

And now you know how a gas piston fire arm operates.

The Ak is a very simple, robust weapon, and a great introduction to semi automatic arms in general. (It's simplicity makes it a real tool for teaching the basic mechanics of most repeating rifles.)

I can field strip one in under 30 seconds blind folded. (putting it back together I still have to do with my eyes open... :( ) They are a great first carbine.

Have fun, and shoot safe bro!