I've built AR's, which I consider to be a walk in the part given how everything is machined precisely. I would like to build an AK via a parts kit and a receiver with pre-drilled holes. What is the general consensus among the AK builders? Is a receiver with the holes predrilled good enough? Since I only plan on doing this once or twice I dont really want to invest in all the jigs for proper hole placement for drilling the trunnion holes. Anyone here with experience? 

I’ve done Romanian, Polish, and Bulgarian kits with pre-drilled holes and everything went together well. I did an Egyptian with no pre-drilled and I was able to line up the trunnions and receiver with a vice and c-clamp under the drill press. 

If you talk to the receiver manufacturer, they might steer you one way or the other, pre-drilled or not, based on the kit you’re going with. Don’t worry if they suggest pre-drilled. The jigs make it easier, but you can get through it pretty easily without. 

7 minutes ago, Ian S said:

I’ve done Romanian, Polish, and Bulgarian kits with pre-drilled holes and everything went together well. I did an Egyptian with no pre-drilled and I was able to line up the trunnions and receiver with a vice and c-clamp under the drill press. 

If you talk to the receiver manufacturer, they might steer you one way or the other, pre-drilled or not, based on the kit you’re going with. Don’t worry if they suggest pre-drilled. The jigs make it easier, but you can get through it pretty easily without. 

Is there a trick to make sure the barrel is aligned with the receiver when you smash the rivet? Wouldnt want a crooked receiver to barrel and have to redo it.

I might be misunderstanding which rivet you mean. There is no rivet on the barrel. There is a barrel pin.  

... The receiver and trunnions will sit flat to each other when riveting the trunnions to the receiver. 

You can align the barrel to the rear sight block.  Use two straight rods, set perpendicular to the barrel, one on the rsb and one on the hand guard retainer cut. Look down the barrel and verify the two rods are parallel and have an equal space between them on the left and right of the barrel. 

The rsb will fit snug in the front trunnion and align to the receiver. 

Edited April 17, 20197 yr by Ian S

i dont have access to a press. are there more budget friendly ways to smash rivets?

Look at Toth Tools. They make a replacement head for bolt cutters that is formed to crush rivets. They also have other tools for populating barrels. 

I'm in the research phase at the moment. I did see toth tools for the front rivets and also the long rivet tool. I'm trying to not spend too much on tools that I wont be using again if there is another option. If not, then i'll deal with the options available. So far there are 6 short rivets for the front trunnion and 2 long rivets for rear trunnion. Am I missing anything when it comes to rivets?

My current plan is to buy a receiver and an ak parts kit (minus receiver, trigger group, and furniture). The barrel and front trunnion will come preassembled and headspaced so I'm looking to just assemble the rest.

There are also 3 rivets for the trigger guard. 

You will still want to remove the barrel pin and push the barrel off the trunnion to do the front rivets. I can’t see bucking the rivets into the barrel without misforming them.