Thread: Baikal - dragging firing pin issues

Arvo all, I've a new to me Baikal in 7.62x39 - very satisfied with it as a nice wee backpack rifle.
Reasonably accurate and seems well built for a agricultural Russian firearm.
But having niggles with it dragging the firing pin and as a result hard opening.
Seems worse with the cheaper steel cased ammo.
About 1 in 4 rounds drags.

Where do I begin with my problem solving? Stronger pin spring?

@Beavis

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dragging fireing pin...as in it isnt retracting and still sticking out???...maybe small burr on it that is catching inside primer......never had this issue with any of mine.
first up would remove buttplate,insert long large flat screwdriver and unscrew action....when its out of stock you can see the guts of it...maybe get stuck in and give really good clean...possible squirt degreasol or crc all around the show...get rid of and built up gunk...then lightly lube and reassemble and see if problem has gone away....

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

dragging fireing pin...as in it isnt retracting and still sticking out

Correct - by the time you get it opened, it has retracted. But leaves a gouge in the primer, needs quite an effort to break open.

Done all the cleaning, made no difference. Pin was moving freely - and appears straight, though I do note its not straight against the body. Not sure if that's an issue.

Would love to know how to remove the pin, to check against a straight edge.

that sticks out a hell of a long way...something funny going on there,and yes the angle looks all wrong..get it into gunsmith I suggest...

That has way too much firing pin protrusion (1.3 - 1.5mm is correct) and it needs urgent attention from a competent gunsmith. Furthermore the firing pin nose is flat when it should be a true hemisphere. The Baikal action has a rebounding hammer and a rebounding firing pin, and the pin should not protrude at all with hammer down. I think Bubba has had a go at it at some stage!

Another point to ask and wont fix what you are looking at but may be another issue. Are you using a scope? If s, does the mount come back over the action when closed? You still have the sight ramp on the tang. This is slightly higher than the rear of the dovetail when standard. If the scope mount comes out over the action like the picture below, then the height of the ramp can cause opening / closing issues. You will need to check if it is hitting the ramp when closing and file the ramp down so it does not. (Or file into the mount so it fits around the ramp. )

The firing pin is of the rebounding type it should not stick out like that.

Originally Posted by timattalon

Another point to ask and wont fix what you are looking at but may be another issue. Are you using a scope? If s, does the mount come back over the action when closed? You still have the sight ramp on the tang. This is slightly higher than the rear of the dovetail when standard. If the scope mount comes out over the action like the picture below, then the height of the ramp can cause opening / closing issues. You will need to check if it is hitting the ramp when closing and file the ramp down so it does not. (Or file into the mount so it fits around the ramp. )

Attachment 163446

Mount is flush - its definitely not that.
Ill try and find someone to send it too...

cheers

Booked in with A Carr - will update this thread for completeness in the future.

If anything happens to the original firing pin, one from a Bergara BA13 will fit with with minor modifications (I managed it with sandpaper), the boys at NZ Asia got me two spare pins for free off bergara when I asked nicely.

Oh, I think I also had to grind a little notch in the body of the pin for the cross pin that retains the firing pin, but wasn't too difficult

I couldn't attach this to the PM but you can see the cross pin here halfway out the right side.

It's not a unique problem, here is a post from @cdexter in 2014.

https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....-mp18-h-17857/

Looks like your firing pin is bent upwards from having bottomed out in the primer pocket, it was stuck and then the gun was forced open.

Like others have said, it's funny looking, its business end should be dome shaped so as to indent but not pierce primers.

A firing pin should not have to go out more than 1.5-2mm from the breech face, basically just enough to make the usual dent in the cartridge primer. Firing pin travel should IDEALLY not be limited by primer resistance but rather by something else preventing the firing pin from traveling further even if/when you dry fire the gun.

And for completeness - the firing pin was a proper dog to get out.
4ton and it still would not move. Gunsmith ended up drilling and making a new recessed retaining pin.
New firing pin and we're back in business.

Massive A+ for Mr Carr.