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AK47 Understanding
- Thread starter agabriel
- Start date
Yes rivets.
I would be highly skeptical of most if not nearly all videos you see on the net. Anyone criticizing but not actually building something is full of crap from the get-go. "This rivet / forging is a POS because..." when they are simply parroting what they heard somewhere else. If someone is actually working through the process and shows you why something is good / bad then I would give it some credibility.
The most important forged parts are the trunnions. If from a kit, you are recovering them from something that was already built then torch cut for the kit. Those will be AOK. If building from a kit, IMHO I think it is best to use a stamped receiver that does not already have the trunnion holes drilled. You will measure (and re-measure) to mark and drill the appropriate holes for the trunnion rivets. A very good source for various AK build tools is Toth Tool. They make rivet setting jaws you can put on a set of cheap bolt cutters like the Harbor Freight ones. I would have bought a set but I had time to make my own and took a stab at it. AKT020-Rivet Jaws for 24" Bolt Cutters Toth has other tools, rivets, and various other supplies.
Not a lot of info here for AK builds but I think you can get some good pointers and direction. I might have scanned through arf-com and a few other sites to find some helpful info.
What's your mechanical skill level? Have you built an AR? Anything else? Are you good with tools and do some of your own mechanic work on small engines and/or vehicles? If you are not already a hands-on mechanically inclined person, I highly suggest something else as a first project and just buy the AK you want. Without the guidance and tools from someone very experienced in building AK's, they definitely are not a user-friendly first project for someone who does not already have reasonable mechanical skills.
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I think arf has some building guides, yeah. Maybe also something like akfiles, haven't been there for 2 or 3 years, but remember 'em having a building section. At first I thought there was one at Guides & Tutorials - GritrSports.com but I guess i was wrong.
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Yes, I have assembled 5+ ARs (some of them re-assembled over the years). I have all of the AR tools as well. I'm comfortable with uppers as well - I've done three of them. Although a Geissele free float tube on my current match rifle felt like cheating... It eliminates the need to align the gas tube.
I'm not sure I want to go as all in on AKs. They seem fun, but once my kiddo is older we will both be shooting ARs at intermediate distances (he pretty gung ho for a five year old). I'm thinking about selling a nice A2 to help fund or trade. Maybe find a build party or something, which doesn't seem to be an AK thing as much.
I'm not sure how much a local smith would charge if I picked up a build kit. The idea of build kit seems cooler than something like a PSA. At the end of the day an AK seems like a fun diverse plinker - not really trying to overcommit to the platform.
Also, you're right - there are alot of opinions on youtube. I'm not sure who is actually informed and/or trying to charge an arm and a leg. The opinions are actually driving this thread for me to a large degree. The talk about what to look for without really showing the negative as much.
I was there and still have the tshirt.
What's your budget, OP? My suggestion would be to buy an import AK for your first and then if you find that you are into them consider having parts kits built or building them yourself. Zastava currently strikes the nicest balance between price and quality. Yugo pattern AKs are a little different though so a plain Jane stamped AKM may be the best bet which means a either a WASR if you want something that's a solid but rough tool or a WBP Jack if you have more to spend and want one that has a prettier finish and magwell dimples. Forget about current production Arsenal. They are a rip off.
Probably around $1k. I will move another rifle first and then figure it out from there. Interesting with Zastava, I was not familiar. Looking them with history now. They also make a Sig 226 knockoff.
With a budget of $1k look at the Zastava M70 or the WASR assuming you want an AK in 7.62x39. I'm not sure how you feel about AK pistols/ SBRs but the Zastava M92 is my absolute favorite AK to shoot and I have quite a few from Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Serbia.
Taipan01
NES Member
You left out the mag wobble. All three of the main issues with them were simple fixes. One accessory you'll want is a good, strong AK sight tool. It's the one thing you don't want to try and save a nickel on.
5 years ago you'd have to do some serious scrounging to get one for $350.00. It's amazing what they go for now. I bought one in 2005 or so for about $225.00. It came with the 2 30-round mags, oiler, sling kit. The wood looked like it was made out of pallet boards and the metal was scraped up some. I took it out and test fired it. It didn't have canted sights or a pronounced trigger slap but it had a slight mag wobble that bugged me. Accuracy wasn't that bad, about what I expected and on par with its ballistic twin of 30-30. Regular wolf black gave me about a 4 MOA but it tightened up to a 2 when using brass cased federal, I was using a rest for both. It doesn't like the Wolf camouflage package, around a 5-6.
I had the intent of working on it but ended up parking it for a couple years before I did. I ordered up a real AK leather sling to replace the neon green sling, a 1" rubber butt plate extension (still able to access the butt plate compartment) and grabbed a small can of china red stain. Everything else I had on the shelves or made up so I was into it for another $20.00. One rainy day came along and with nothing to do I pulled it out and did so. I redid the wood, metal, buffed the bolt, bolt carrier and piston to a mirror finish and built internal dimples for the mag wobble. It came out well.
How does all that relate? A few years after that and as my collection was at the point were I could deviate from it a bit I thought maybe I should not buy an XXX and grab say 5 or more WASR-10s, fix them up and just store them as a hedge. Wrong. Even then It would have been more practical to go with AR-15's for what you got to what it would cost. Every now and then a post will come up about your biggest regret on firearms. Mine is not buying multiples on the first go around.
