Saiga cycling rough

[dirtymike1]

I picked up a Saiga 7.62x39 about two months ago and I love the thing. I notice when I bought it that when you pull back to charge it, the last 1/4 of the pull is kind of rough. I always thought that is was due to the design of the recoil spring assembly. Yesterday I picked it up to show my brother for the first time, racked it back to make sure it was unloaded and felt a grinding in the last 1/4 of the pull. It feels like the piston is grinding in the gas tube. I don't recall feeling this grinding when I first got it but this is the first time I recall it happening. I didn't have time to really look at it last night, but I'll try to find a minute tonight to break it down and see if there is any wear marks yet. I've got about 300-350 rounds through it so far if that makes a difference.

I have taken the gas tube out to clean it already as well, but seeing that I couldn't get the latch to rotate all the way back down without it being in properly, I don't think that it's misaligned.

Thanks