# AK Project, and Others



## AnotherSOFSurvivor (Sep 7, 2016)

Hey all, definitely have not been around as much as I had promised when I came back - divorce battles, new job and other life events have been keeping me preoccupied, but things have taken a turn for the better lately so I "should" be more active, or so I hope.

A few months ago I sold a majority of my weapons, I wanted to go to a PACE setup only (Primary/Secondary/Contingency/Emergency) which became Rifle, Shotgun, and Pistol only. Of course, I could not stay away for long, and while I preach agility and a lean loadout if you had to bug-out (or feed your weapons long term), my new rule is I cannot buy something new I have to build it from scratch (or as close to scratch as I can)

A good friend of mine had gotten the project itch and built himself a RPD, RPK201, HK G3, Suomi M31 and a PPsh43 in rapid succession and got me back into parts kits, I had previously done a HK G3 (off of a legit HK parts kit and a US Made flat), but I wanted to get into AKs.

I am hoping this thread can become a repository and/or tutorial source for other's projects - I am getting ready to do an AK-101 Clone (w/ a Brace) and an AK-74, I am just waiting on ONE LAST PACKAGE to come in, and then it will be build time!

For the AK-74 I got a Bulgarian AK-74 parts kit from R-Guns, it was $365 shipped - it got to me in 2 days, it wasn't saturated in Cosmoline or anything nasty, all parts were accounted for, nothing greasy/rusted/pitted - original wood furniture which was made from solid birch (unlike laminate stuff) and came with a cleaning kit if you are into that sort of stuff. 

To complete that kit I went with Childer's new heat treated & welded 80% Receiver - traditionally, you would either get a full 100% receiver that is pre-bent, heated treated, drilled and had the rails spot-welded, or you would bend your own flat, spotweld your own rails and heat-treat and drill it. There are certain bespoke (Sharps Bros) milled CNC'ed receivers with Front and Rear trunnions already in position, and there are also really bad receivers out there, but it all comes down to knowing proper journals, tolerances and sourcing good materials.

I also picked up a Red Army retainer plate, AK-Builder 1mm center support and complete rivet kits, the barrel I got was an "in the white" 16" Romanian AK-74 barrel from Center Fire, I like it a lot because they drilled the extractor cuts, gas port and the hand-guard retainer bracket slots into it already and the lug where it inserts into the Front Trunnion is turned down to the rear to have a good start into pressing the barrel

The AK-101 is definitely a mess of a parts...I started with a K-Var 10" 556 Barrel w/ a Combo-FSB/Gas Block (it is 24mm with an offset detent so I need to modify my Half-Moon 24mm brake), it also came with the Rear Sight Base, all of it is nitrided and non chrome-line. The Barrel is American, the GSB/FB is Russian and the RSB is Romanian. It came paired with a Romanian Front Trunnion and Gray Bolt Carrier Group. Instead of using a 5.45 Bolt (some do, and it does work) I went with a 5.56 Galil Bolt.

I am using a Childers/AK-Builder combo of a 80% Flat and Rivets and Red Army retainer plate, then it gets really really weird for there
- Polish Gas Tube
- American (Chinese) Quad Rail (GunTec stuff, I am going to drill/tap the gas tube retainer and the front of the upper part, the bottom has shims for a tight fit)
- Bulgarian Muzzle Device (half-moon 24mm brake)
- Hungarian Top Cover
- US Rivets/Pins/Trigger (Tapco)/Saftey Plate
- Romanian Safety Selector
- AK-Builder ACE/Modular Rear Trunnion
- CANIS Design Group AK-to-AR Magazine Adapter
- CSS Pignose ACE-to-AR15 Tube Adapter
- KAK Blade

I will try to snap some pics when I get a chance, I also intend to do a video of both builds and take some pictures throughout the process.

I will be doing a H&K MP5/10 and a M1919A6 w/ Crankfire next, probably middle of next year at some point


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

If I had to type what did, I could have made a milled receiver for an AK.

Glad to see you have survived the battles.

My philosophy is "Plenty is good more is better!"

I will die long before I run out of everything bang related.

I consider the stores as toilet paper for use on metroturds and like kind, useful to clean the mess up.

Can never have just one of a kind.


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

Nice post and welcome back so to speak. Not an AK build, but I am in the middle of an 8.5" AR pistol build using mostly PSA parts and an 80% lower that I finished in the fall. My first AR pistol.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Welcome back ASOFS! Nice project.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Sure glad I kept one of those $99 Russian SKS's from a few years back.


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## Gator Monroe (Jul 29, 2017)

Sure glad I was able to build my Chinese Type 56 "Spiker" AK with all original parts on my Turbo "My Guns" of Talent Oregon Repop Chinese Receiver


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

Nice post . You do know were waiting for pictures right?


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## azrancher (Dec 14, 2014)

budgetprepp-n said:


> Nice post . You do know were waiting for pictures right?


You do know that without pictures... it never happened!

*Rancher*


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)




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## Gator Monroe (Jul 29, 2017)

The Spiker


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## Gator Monroe (Jul 29, 2017)

Com bloc favorites ( M44) ( M59/66A1) (Paratrooper)


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## Gator Monroe (Jul 29, 2017)

Romanians


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## AnotherSOFSurvivor (Sep 7, 2016)

Hey all thanks for the patience, I am still awaiting 2 parts that just shipped out - the other Childers 80% which I noticed are shipping w/ the center support installed and trigger guard rivet holes drilled...that package also has the Tapco G2, retainer plates and some other parts

I also got a hold of the Almight AK Vapourware - the CANIS Group AK-AR15 Mag well adapter, it has shipped (in 5 days while others on Akfiles/akforum waited 18+ months) - it will require some front trunnion modifications and maybe pressing in the bullet guide a few 100ths of an inch but all is well.

I am still refinishing the birch so it is not in these pictures, I have to sand and stain the handguard and treat all of the parts in Tung Oil.

Some quick snaps I took
















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## AnotherSOFSurvivor (Sep 7, 2016)

Just got my new Childers 80% receiver in, now I wish I had waited 2 weeks to send in the first order...as I surmised from FB pics they nitrided the entire thing (on top of heat treating it), affixed the Center Support & Rivet as well as drilled the trigger guard rivet holes.

Got in my Red Star retainer plates (3 of them) and they threw in a set of rivets, another center support and gave me the Tapco G2 for free, which is pretty sweet.
























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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

That nitride is going to be a bitch to drill through.


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## ekim (Dec 28, 2012)

AN AK is an ak regardless of name brand. Don't know if you think you are going to reinvent the weapon or what, it is what it is. There are only two types, semi auto and full auto - select fire. The rest is just hype, IMO.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

ekim said:


> AN AK is an ak regardless of name brand. Don't know if you think you are going to reinvent the weapon or what, it is what it is. There are only two types, semi auto and full auto - select fire. The rest is just hype, IMO.


Let him play, good therapy for him right now, helps get rid of PTSD if he got it during the encounter.

I am sure he takes pride in what he builds.

Besides who doesn't need another gun:???

I had OCD like that a long time ago, built an entire rifle from bar stock.

Besides I want to see how he does. Might build a belt fed from just a barrel blank.


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## ekim (Dec 28, 2012)

SOCOM42 said:


> Let him play, good therapy for him right now, helps get rid of PTSD if he got it during the encounter.
> 
> I am sure he takes pride in what he builds.
> 
> ...


Yes, you have a point but he is also miss leading the newbies that think you can build a better mouse trap by spending more money and time, but you still have an AK that is perfectly fine as is. It does exactly what it was designed and built to due as is and it will never be an AR or any other weapon that out shoot the AK in range or accuracy. 7.62X39 ammo isn't exactly a tack driving ammo any how.


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## AnotherSOFSurvivor (Sep 7, 2016)

ekim said:


> AN AK is an ak regardless of name brand. Don't know if you think you are going to reinvent the weapon or what, it is what it is. There are only two types, semi auto and full auto - select fire. The rest is just hype, IMO.


Who said anything about reinventing anything? Building guns from parts kits is a hobby, I am under no illusion that these will be some tack drivers or what have you, it is fun to do and this is the basis for a walkthrough / guide when I get to slapping them together.

ETA: I am also coming in cheaper on both builds than it would be to buy them...I have about $540 in the AK74 and maybe $720 in the AK101, the 101 was a custom made ACE rear trun and AR mag well adapter...buying it from a FFL7 would be easily in the 1500s - I think you may be misreading my intentions here

Also, neither the 74 or 101 are 7.62x39 - they are 5.45x39 and 5.56x45mm, respectively

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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

ekim said:


> Yes, you have a point but he is also miss leading the newbies that think you can build a better mouse trap by spending more money and time, but you still have an AK that is perfectly fine as is. It does exactly what it was designed and built to due as is and it will never be an AR or any other weapon that out shoot the AK in range or accuracy. 7.62X39 ammo isn't exactly a tack driving ammo any how.


You absolutely can build a better gun than you can buy in most cases. Even putting aside that fact that you can buy better quality parts to build than comes on most factory rifles, you can build a rifle that suites you where a factory rifle very well may not. And as stated, it is enjoyable to build.


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