Question regarding AK47 quad rail

[faze]

Hoping somebody can help me on this one...

So I just installed a quad rail on my AK a few days ago. The documentation included with the rail kit shows a barrel spacer that goes between the gas tube and the barrel. Do I need this? The gas tube isn't going anywhere after I pushed the pin back down to lock it in. Just curious if I need to order one before I shoot it. Can't find the one that came with the quad rail.

 

[armed ferret]

i wouldn't worry about it.

 

[...]

Hoping somebody can help me on this one...

So I just installed a quad rail on my AK a few days ago. The documentation included with the rail kit shows a barrel spacer that goes between the gas tube and the barrel. Do I need this? The gas tube isn't going anywhere after I pushed the pin back down to lock it in. Just curious if I need to order one before I shoot it. Can't find the one that came with the quad rail.

I put a quad system on my wasr 10/63's and never had to do anything with the gas tube, they fit well. There is a little lever that keeps the gas block locked in place, but that is about it.

What kinda quad system is it?

 

[faze]

I put a quad system on my wasr 10/63's and never had to do anything with the gas tube, they fit well. There is a little lever that keeps the gas block locked in place, but that is about it.

What kinda quad system is it?

It's a UTG U470 to fit the M70 model AK. It isn't pressing on the gas tube or anything and basically fits like the handgrips did. Screws together with allen screws. Just curious because the documentation mentioned the barrel spacer to prevent the piston from doing something. Just figured I'd ask the forum before shooting on Friday or Saturday...

 

[Marksman]

Hoping somebody can help me on this one...

So I just installed a quad rail on my AK a few days ago. The documentation included with the rail kit shows a barrel spacer that goes between the gas tube and the barrel. Do I need this? The gas tube isn't going anywhere after I pushed the pin back down to lock it in. Just curious if I need to order one before I shoot it. Can't find the one that came with the quad rail.

Never seen such a thing on any AK I have ever owned or handled. Does the rail mount directly to the gas tube? If it does, it could put excessive pressure on the tube and that is why they recommend it.

 

[faze]

Never seen such a thing on any AK I have ever owned or handled. Does the rail mount directly to the gas tube? If it does, it could put excessive pressure on the tube and that is why they recommend it.

It just wraps around it. Seems to use the gas tube as a cling-to point to keep it in place. The bottom isn't really attached to anything. Hope that makes sense.

This is the AK and rail I have:

http://robenglish.com/Zastava_PAP_UTG_Yugo_M70_Quad_Rail/pages/IMG_4592.htm

 

[HappyCamper]

Some UTG quad rails have been know to force the gas tube down to the point that is creates friction/contact between the piston and the inner wall of the gas tube. I put a UTG on a WASR a long time ago and it did just this - to the point the piston wouldn't travel freely as it completed it's cycle and rubbed heavy on the wall of the gas tube. Ended up putting long and skinny shim/spacers in the groove that mated the upper and lower portions of the rails. This worked fine in that instance and solved the issue, but it made me realize no more UTG quad rails for me.

If yours cycles just as well as it did prior to the install and no malfunctions are present when your run it through your first K of rounds then I wouldn't worry about it.

Wish I had an AK again... Miss the beasts.

 

[faze]

Some UTG quad rails have been know to force the gas tube down to the point that is creates friction/contact between the piston and the inner wall of the gas tube. I put a UTG on a WASR a long time ago and it did just this - to the point the piston wouldn't travel freely as it completed it's cycle and rubbed heavy on the wall of the gas tube. Ended up putting thin shim/spacers in the groove that mated the upper and lower portions of the rails. This worked fine in that instance and solved the issue, but it made me realize no more UTG quad rails for me.

If yours cycles just as well as it did prior to the install and no malfunctions are present when your run it through your first K of rounds then I wouldn't worry about it.

Wish I had an AK again... Miss the beasts.

Yeah AKs are fun to shoot. But what you said makes me think I need to find a barrel spacer. Taking it to the range in a couple days. How would I tell if I have an issue with missing the spacer?

Also... I want to replace the dust cover that came with the AK with a dust cover without a rail. I have a Zastava M70. Any specific cover I need to get for that?

 

[HappyCamper]

If it cycles by hand nicely then you MAY be OK. The last inch of the cycle was where mine was binding up. If you notice any resistance in hand cycling it, that is bad.

If I remember correctly, the spacers that come with it only insert to the rear of the rail. They don't do anything to keep the rail from pressing down on the front of the gas tube when you tighten the screws and I'm not sure they are even meant to address this issue. The only thing that will solve the gas tube crushing issue is to put extra metal shims in the slot and raise the upper rail up until the piston moves freely.

My issue was on a Romanian, not a Yugo though, so hopefully yours works fine.

 

[faze]

If it cycles by hand nicely then you MAY be OK. The last inch of the cycle was where mine was binding up. If you notice any resistance in hand cycling it, that is bad.

If I remember correctly, the spacers that come with it only insert to the rear of the rail. They don't do anything to keep the rail from pressing down on the front of the gas tube when you tighten the screws and I'm not sure they are even meant to address this issue. The only thing that will solve the gas tube crushing issue is to put extra metal shims in the slot and raise the upper rail up until the piston moves freely.

My issue was on a Romanian, not a Yugo though, so hopefully yours works fine.

I was dry-racking and it sounded normal. I guess I am okay then.

Edit: Just checked out your suggestion. The last 2-3 inches are super smooth. Only 'hangup' is around where the hammer is. Nothing about this feels abnormal.

 

[BossmanPJ]

have quad rail on mine and don't have a barrel spacer. wasr 10/63

 

[HappyCamper]

Oh, and about the dust cover, if your Yugo has the button release in the back to take off the cover, just make sure you get one with the appropriate notch cut out already, or at least be prepared to carve one out yourself. Not a big deal, but if you don't have a steady hand and are good with finishing metal, then I would just look for one with the notch. Again, IF you have the button. If you don't have the button then no worries.

 

[faze]

Oh, and about the dust cover, if your Yugo has the button release in the back to take off the cover, just make sure you get one with the appropriate notch cut out already, or at least be prepared to carve one out yourself. Not a big deal, but if you don't have a steady hand and are good with finishing metal, then I would just look for one with the notch. Again, IF you have the button. If you don't have the button then no worries.

Yeah I have the button. Good to know though, thanks!

So about the barrel spacer... As long as the only "catch" I have is when the bolt is almost all the way back and goes over the hammer, I'm good? Hopefully that makes sense.

 

[clandestine]

Not a good Rail System at all. As noted they cause binding on some AKs. Keep the factory furniture or get a better rail from Midwest.

 

[faze]

Not a good Rail System at all. As noted they cause binding on some AKs. Keep the factory furniture or get a better rail from Midwest.

Never heard anything bad about UTG... Have anything to back that up? Did the people installing it tighten it down too much?? It's not pushing on the gas tube or barrel. It just clips in.

 

[clandestine]

Never heard anything bad about UTG... Have anything to back that up? Did the people installing it tighten it down too much?? It's not pushing on the gas tube or barrel. It just clips in.

If you have never heard anything bad about UTG then the people who buy them likely dont shoot much if at all, or work on firearms in a professional capacity.

So you ask about a problem and get a response you don't like, and then respond as if you know better.

Back it up? I have modified, installed, and most often removed them from hundreds of AKs when people come to their senses. Their AR Rails are crap as well and made from some really junk aluminum or magnesium sub standard material.

 

[patriot001]

I have one on my wasr, and a gp75 I had a while back. I had the spacer on both mine. Gp75 I fired about 600rounds, and the wasr less than 300 . No problems Idk what you opinion of much is . Im more of a collector than shooter.

 

[zoostation]

Can we please stop the bickering and get back on track fellas. Posts deleted.

Never had the AK system, my experience with a UTG rail system for an AR.

I had one on my AR at work. Hey I was a poor policeman and it was all I could afford. The set screws were soft metal junk, they did not thread well and stripped as soon as I tightened them down hard.

So.....I painted some sheet metal screws flat black and screwed them in instead to hold the rail together. Call me Bubba, I don't care. It worked. After that the rail functioned quite well, and I banged the hell out of it. I got my forty-five bucks worth out of it over several years.

That being said, I don't think I'd want the AK rail. Just seems like quality of their stuff is too spotty. Might get a good one, might get a POS. There are imported brands of accessories that have excellent quality control. I don't count this among them myself.

 

[Nemesis]

utg is junk in general, everything they make.

the only good thing is that its cheap, so once you make the mistake of buying something from them its not a big hit to the funding.

drop the utg crap and get a midwest industries system. solid, machined well and good quality at a very fair price.