Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

Cheap flats are in stock at Brownells.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/cid=1109 ... -Receivers

how about some "20 in. 5.56 barrels? any body have a source?

Good thread! Ill be keeping an eye on this one...

JC

YOu can probably find a build party somewhere if you look around.

I'm kinda looking for a party. I don't have a press to get out the barrel pin and front sight block pin. The rest you can pretty much do with hand tools.

VBshooter wrote:it would be good project and seeing as I already have the tools it won;t be diffficult.. I 've built a few AR's and look at the AK as another new challenge,,, And it does give the builder the option of making it in any variant they like,,Plus the bragging rights to having built it instead of getting a store bought. This site has some good info for those interested also..http://www.ak-47.us/

go skill to have.

Guys,

I am from CA and I have built 2 AK's at these build parties you speak of. And all of you are correct-- they are cool as hell. Here is what I learned from my experiences-

1) Buy your parts from AK-builder.com. Curtis has the best tools, recievers and accessories you could ask for. Anyone who went to our build parties in Canyon Country in CA always got thier parts from ak-builder. Tapco flats and others tended to not work out. Plus the bending die required ak-builder flats as other manufacturers didnt usually bend right in an ak-b die.
2) NO SCREW BUILDS. Many people wanted to do screw builds and not very many worked out. RIVET BUILDS ARE THE OPTIMUM. Walk away happy, and build it the way Mikhail Kalashnikov would want you to.
3) They are FUN. It became a day of barbecue, beer and funny stories. Fellowship and friends are made at build parties. I usually stayed way after I was done to just talk and help the new builders.
4) The AK-Team at Calguns will help us out organizing one. Talk to Lonewolf or CSACannoneer or Enthusiast.

Safaridave

Hmm, maybe I need another? I will keep my eyes on this thread! The idea just got me thinkin, now that I read the rst of these responses.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

Come to think of it... I do have a MAK-90 that i need to build back up....

I could ask the AK-Team for help. I know some of those guys by name. First things first... we need a place to do this. someone with land to test fire would be optimum. The AK-Team may be able to lend us some of the EQ we need to have a party... like the bending dies and some other stuff. Maybe even a boltcutter style jaw riveter. We would need some 12 or 20 ton presses, a sandblasting cabinet, drill presses, a vat to parkerize with... etc. also one of those electric spot welders... the ak-builder site has tips that are specifically for spot welding ak rails.

Caveat-- I dont claim to have any expert knowledge in building AKs other than I have done two myself and know the process.

safaridave wrote:1) Buy your parts from AK-builder.com. Curtis has the best tools, recievers and accessories you could ask for. Anyone who went to our build parties in Canyon Country in CA always got thier parts from ak-builder. Tapco flats and others tended to not work out. Plus the bending die required ak-builder flats as other manufacturers didnt usually bend right in an ak-b die.

+1 for http://ak-builder.com/

Here's an idea I propose:

Get one of those Polish 80% receivers - already bent so no need to buy/borrow/rent the bending jig. Send it off to get heat treated; there's a guy in WV who does it (the right way) for about $20 per receiver.

There's a jig you can rent on AK files that allows for all the critical holes to be drilled in the right spot. He rents it for like $20.

Use a Toth Tool rivet squeezer jaws for crushing rivets; it'll do all the rivets for any variant.

Use a Toth tool all-thread or a press to get the barrel into the front trunion.

Attach the lower rails with screws or weld them in.

This is my plan. I already have the jaws for the rivet squeezer (the bolt cutters you can get at Harbor Freight). Since I don't have a spot welder I plan on using screws to attach the lower rails. That way if I can weld them later, it's fairly easy to weld/fill in the holes. You can get most of the pins out of the barrel components with a hammer and punch. Only ones I couldn't are the rear sight block pin and barrel pin. I'd still need a press for those, and to put them onto a new barrel. A hand drill can be used to drill for the barrel pin and component pin holes, but a drill press makes it a little easier.

Watch Harbor Freight - I picked up the spot welder on sale. The replacement tongs can be purchased from Ak-Builder.com

You can heat treat the receiver yourself using a MAP torch from the hardware store.

Read Pt.II http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting200 ... /index.asp

Don't forget to use our sponsor links for vendors like Harbor Freight
http://vagunforum.net/support_vgof.php

The Polish receivers are of a different alloy of steel than the American ones, and the entire thing must be done vs just the FCG holes. I know only a little about metallurgy and want it to last, so I opted not to do it myself.

OakRidgeStars wrote:Watch Harbor Freight - I picked up the spot welder on sale. The replacement tongs can be purchased from Ak-Builder.com

You can heat treat the receiver yourself using a MAP torch from the hardware store.

Read Pt.II http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting200 ... /index.asp

Don't forget to use our sponsor links for vendors like Harbor Freight
http://vagunforum.net/support_vgof.php

Thats the way I did both of my recievers. Use the MAP torch and make a figure "8" around the FCG holes on the side, then oil quench.

jrswanson1 wrote:Decided to just buy a Saiga and convert it myself. I don't have the tools to do an AK build, but I do have a drill and a punch, plus the Saiga is actually made in the same factory as the AK.

Jim

+1, ONLY was to do it for a quailty AK! No need to get raped on a Arsenal when your getting the same rifle.