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CageFighter

build from a parts kit?

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Its more complicated than an AR. You have to press out the barrel, rivet the front trunion to the receiver, reinstall barrel and barrel pin and rivet the rear stock tang. As long as you get the correct receiver, that should be the hardest parts. The rest is fairly easy..installing the fire control group can be a bit tricky, but not horrible. Of course having the correct tools will make it a lot easier. Lots of tutorials on youtube.

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Finding any kind of AK 47/74 parts kits in excellent condition will be hard right now, unless you're willing to pay a premium for it.  Most of the parts kits that are being offered does not include the original barrel and if they do include one, it is most likely substituted with an US made one.  K-Var offers parts kits and barrels, but billing and shipping to NJ residents is prohibited as per their policy.  Sorry to drift off topic, but finding the parts themselves to assemble an AK is harder to overcome than building one yourself IMH.

 

Regards,

 

TokenEntry

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I've done a couple. There are lots of kits readily available with or without populated barrels. Some are excellent or very nice condition, some are used and show it. Nodak Spud stamped receivers are highly recommended, reasonably priced and good quality.

 

AK-Builder sells jigs to make the whole process run smooth. Those jigs and a press, plus an end mill, reamer and headspace gauges are the specialized tools to get it done. Other tools you'll need are more common to any home workshop (vise, grinder, drill press).

 

It does not take any mechanical talent. Trust me.

 

Problems? Go slow and measure twice. Head spacing a new barrel and getting the front sight block aligned right is critical. The rest is just sticking rivets in holes and pressing. When you're done, a store bought gun just doesn't compare.

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If you are only building one AK, then it is not really worth it to buy all of the tools necessay. There are many competent builders out there that can do it for less than your cost for the tooling. If you want to do it for the fun, then have at it. People assemble DIY builds with screws rather than rivets to save on tooling, but I would not recommend it. Also, the accuracy of the size and placement of holes on the receiver is very important, and also the hardening of the receiver after all the machining is done is important to the longevity of your build. Buying a ready to go receiver like one from Spud Nodak will help avoid some of those pitfalls. There are many challenging aspects to an AK build, but there are many that are up to the challenge. Otherwise if you have a kit, some builders can and will do a great job for you. I used http://www.overlandindustries.com/ and was very satisfied, and I am sure that there are other good ones to choose from.

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half the fun is making the tools , and being what it is , it doesn't need to be perfect looking . And you dont need a press the remove and install the barrel . a good vice and a brass bar to remove, and 2 plates clamped on the receiver with threaded rods with a steering wheel puller to install. a

And always use lube so you dont knall the barrel .

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Building an ak is not as easy as some may try and make it out to be. It takes time and patience. I attempted my first build today. I had someone help me who had all the know how and tools to do the job. I have over twelve hours in it and we are not finished. The type of parts kit, and barrel you have will play a big role. Getting one pin out can take five seconds or two hours. One piece of advice, buy the predrilled receiver. Drilling the holes in the receiver was a serious pain in the ass. I hope I never have to do that again. I learned al lot and had a lot of fun building it. I can't wait to finish it off. Would I do it again? Hell yeah. I'm already looking for the next build kit.

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Here's a shopping list of that learning curve.

 

My first build was from a complete kit I bought on NJGF classifieds. One Romanian M63 parts kit, virgin barrel and NDS-1 E-Z receiver. (Note the E-Z). I had considered doing a build for about a year and was really hesitating for want of all the tooling. But, when the ad said "all the parts to complete a build" I jumped on it.

 

I bought it and considered the tooling again later. Anvil and ball peen hammer? Maybe. Big, big maybe. But that's a quick way to find yourself in a spot that just isn't working.

 

Bolt cutter adapter for rivets and threaded rods for the barrel? That might work in a pinch, but when it's all said and done, you're about as much into those mickey mouse tools as getting the right tools for the job.

 

So, press, jigs, bits... get the right tools for the job.

 

Now, I find myself setup with a purpose for the tools I had, and a few new tools that I needed. Romanian M63 built. I started looking for another. I read Bulgarian kits are the best, so one NDS-2 E-Z, another virgin barrel and a Bulgarian kit. Sweet! It went together and slides like butter. Added a rail and scope and it is a solid piece of machinery.

 

Egyptian Maadi? Let's do it!

 

There were a few rivet stems to be punched out. The short rivets in the front trunnion punched out easily. The long rivets in the rear tang were tougher, but we drilled out the middle of them and eventually they fell right out with a punch. 

 

But it's a used barrel. And an NDS-1 receiver. (Note I didn't say E-Z here.) There is an AK-Builder jig to drill the receiver holes but this one caught me by surprise and we drilled the trunnion holes without it. It wasn't difficult, it just took a lot of time to get the drill press set up for each hole. Cobalt bits made quick work of the hardened receiver, it was just an extra 10 steps and a lot of time that the E-Z receivers save. -- Lesson: go with the pre-drilled receiver if at all possible, or get one more jig.

 

Used barrel... with existing parts that need to come off!? Fully doable, but more work. The front sight and gas block came off easy enough. Using the press to pop out the 4 pins was absolutely necessary. The rear sight block had to be cut off. Some parts just don't move again after being pressed on. -- Lesson: use a new barrel, or go slow and make it work.

 

Populating the barrel with the Maadi parts went smooth. We headspaced on the Maadi trunnion and reamed to an oversized .302" barrel pin and it fit like a new cut. It was a beautiful sight to see. -- Lesson: You can headspace a new trunnion with that used barrel, but plan for the larger barrel pin. Better than I expected, but you need the oversized pin separate from the kit you bought. -- Lesson: With any build, if the parts are jumping, stop, lap and lube. Lithium grease is the way to go. Do not use oil! Use grease!

 

Gas block on. Front Sight... aligned, pressed, aligned, pressed, aligned, pressed, repeat. Went slow and checked repeatedly. This is going to be a shooter!

 

Finally, about 10 hours into the build, we were ready to press the barrel out of the trunnion and start riveting the trunnion, rear tang and trigger guard to the receiver.

 

On the fourth rivet of the front trunnion, seeing the home stretch, we missed the trunnion's slot by a micron and bottomed the rivet tool out on the trunnion metal. The tool's arm snapped under one more pump on the press and we just about hit the deck to avoid the flying shrapnel -- Lesson: WEAR YOUR EYES at every step. Drilling... pressing... if you're in the shop, wear your eyes. You won't be cool with an eye patch. -- Lesson: I can't say check your alignment enough. Take your time and get the tight tolerances in place. If it looks like you're done, take it out of the jig and check, you can always set up and finish it, but it'll take longer to unbreak the tool.

 

That's my lessons learned,and if you're not learning it's hardly worth doing. All said, it's still gotta be easier than a shovel build.

 

  

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realy, mickey mouse tools !

 

The tools do not make the mechanic. And not everyone has a shop to work in . 

 

My home made setup also works on PSL's , Ak's with bulged and flat trunnions. And when I have time, Im trying to adapt it to work on the vz58"s . Like I said half the fun is making the tools 

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I didn't mean to knock your method. If you can make it and get through whatever comes up, I have a tremendous amount of respect for that work. If I were doing it with threaded rods and bolt cutters, I'd be binding, galling, twisting and easily wind up with a scrap pile.

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anyway to convert a PAP M92 pistol into a rifle?  (pistol is $399)   I wanna junk the receiver and use the rest bc parts kits are much more $$$ and harder to find. . 

 

kinda like this:

http://www.akfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164375

 

I would use a NEW nodak receiver for a pinned side folder & pinned 16" barrel.   

 

any thoughts??

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anyway to convert a PAP M92 pistol into a rifle?  (pistol is $399)   I wanna junk the receiver and use the rest bc parts kits are much more $$$ and harder to find. . 

 

kinda like this:

http://www.akfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164375

 

I would use a NEW nodak receiver for a pinned side folder & pinned 16" barrel.   

 

any thoughts??

That build is tits!!! I would love to have that gun..

I am not sure you could get your hands on one of those pistols in NJ though..

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That tutorial shows you how to do it, and using a ready made side folder receiver would skip a big part of his effort.

Is there any reason to think you couldn't get the pistol in NJ?

 

Meanwhile, back in the Handguns "is it legal" thread:

 

A semi-automatic pistol that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least TWO of the following:

(1) An ammunition magazine that attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip; Check

(2) A threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer; Check

(3) A shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without being burned;

(4) Manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more when the pistol is unloaded; Check

 

The weight and magazine would be a no go.

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In NJ, you must use a 100% FFL transferred receiver. Its illegal to build from a receiver flat or other DIY method. A 100% receiver will already be hardened, etc.

Thanks, I had mine built while I was still a Maryland resident. I considered a receiver from flats, but after my parts kit sat around for 10 years, I just paid to have someone else build it for me. NJ has a ton of laws regarding firearms, and I don't think that breaking any of those laws is worth the risk to me and my family. So as long as I chose to keep living in this state, I will comply with all firearm regulations that apply to the firearms that I own and the actions that I take with them. My AK build is not NJ compliant and did not move here with me.

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