building my own ak

[mooradian]

hey guys

ive been on thehighroad.org for a while. I'm 16, with a love of guns, and I got the ok from my parents to build an ak and an ar. I know quite a bit more than your average ignorant call of duty obsessed teenager, so bear with me

I know assembling Ars is easy, but I'm concernced about the ak.

Im getting a 1.24mm ohio ordnance eciever, 100%, and a romy G kit.

I'm having a dilemma finding a good guide for a 100% reciever.

Also, no one will tell me what tools I really need

I dont HAVE to have a gear puller and press, right?

I can do this all with tools I have at home?

I'm aware of 922r, all the laws and legalities, im not your average 16 year old

this will most likely be a sunday project, sports, grades and girlfriend have priority but this is something Id really enjoy doing.

I also plan on duracoating it, which i have to research a bit more. Do i coat the wood, all of the internals, piston, everything?

thanks for all the help, I know I asked alot of questions

[tonyfac]

"I can do this all with tools I have at home?"

i don't know what you have at home, so that is impossible for me to answer, but here is a quick guide.

yes, you need a press to press the barrel.
also a riviting tool (unless you use screws)
a go and nogo gauge to headspace.
depending on the kit you might need a trigger guard drilling jig

duracoat, outside parts only (not the wood, wood is refinished)

"this will most likely be a sunday project, sports, grades and girlfriend have priority but this is something Id really enjoy doing"

if you are not going to pay attention and do it right, i suggest you do not do it at all. also that statement tells me that, yes, you are an average 16 year old.

[kunsunoke]

hey guys

ive been on thehighroad.org for a while. I'm 16, with a love of guns, and I got the ok from my parents to build an ak and an ar. I know quite a bit more than your average ignorant call of duty obsessed teenager, so bear with me

I know assembling Ars is easy, but I'm concernced about the ak.

You're right to be concerned. The AK can be built by assholes in the Khyber Pass, but not properly, and not well.

Im getting a 1.24mm ohio ordnance eciever, 100%, and a romy G kit.

You do realize this receiver's going to have to be shipped to a transfer agent, right? Do mom & dad know they'll be purchasing a firearm on-line? Do they know they'll have to go through the PICS procedure for your receiver? Are they okay with that? Does one of them have an LTCF to ensure legal transportation of the aforementioned receiver home from the transfer agent?

I'm having a dilemma finding a good guide for a 100% reciever.

Not sure what you mean by this.

Were it me doing the build I'd go for a Nodak NDS-9 (RPK-style), assuming that would work with the Romy G parts kit. You'd have to call them to make sure.

Thicker stamped receivers are better.

Also, no one will tell me what tools I really need

You will, at the least, need a rivet tool. A gear puller and a hydraulic press of some kind may be required as well, depending on the nature of the parts kit you're getting. Some are demilled with the original Romy barrel. Some have cut barrels (as this was required by law) and trunions with non-demilled parts. Some have USA-made non-chrome barrels, which will require the press in order to install into the trunion.

And if you're planning on DuraCoat, I'm assuming you already have the proper compressor and an applicator setup, right?

I dont HAVE to have a gear puller and press, right?

Depends on the parts kit. If the barrel is shot out, you'll have to pull it from the trunion, which requires the gear puller, and you'll have to install the new barrel - which requires the press. If the kit has a good, original Romy barrel or you bag one of the WASR10 barrel assemblies from Apex you won't have to do that.

I can do this all with tools I have at home?

If the parts kit has an original Romy barrel and is demilled already you could build it using the rivet tool - or, FSM forbid, a screw kit and a set of Allen wrenches.

I'm aware of 922r, all the laws and legalities, im not your average 16 year old

What's your strategy for compliance? Does this kit come with a Romy barrel and muzzle brake already? If so, that's two parts you need to account for somewhere else.

Were you planning on using Tapco magazines, or did you want to use mil-surp ones, which are cheap and work well?

How about the fire control group? That's three parts you will, in all likelihood, have to replace for 922r compliance.

Hate to harp on this - but failure to comply can result in jail time.

this will most likely be a sunday project, sports, grades and girlfriend have priority but this is something Id really enjoy doing.

Your girlfriend will take a back seat every Sunday until the build is complete.

I think she may have other plans for you.

I also plan on duracoating it, which i have to research a bit more. Do i coat the wood, all of the internals, piston, everything?

You won't want to coat the internals.

As for the wood, that would depend on what your goals are for the rifle. If 922r compliance means you can't recycle the Romy wood, then you'll either have to get synthetic furniture or get a new set from Ironwood or Tapco. The former has a better reputation. And if you're getting replacement wood, then the DuraCoat is only to be used after staining. Since it'd be a clear coat, you'd need to do the stock set before the (black) metal parts - unless you're planning to go 100% clear for the entire rifle.

Personally, if I were a sixteen year old looking for a fun AK I'd drag Mom or Dad to the gun shop, Dunham's or Cabela's and pick up a WASR10. It's already 922r compliant and doesn't require dissing one's girlfriend.

[Neko456]

I think thats a nice project but I bet it won't save you much. The Ak or MAK is a reasonably price firearm, thats one of the advantage that it has over the super popular AR15 platform and I could see why you might want to build one of those. Which can be done cheaper with better parts pending what you end up comparing it with.

I think that would be a nice FYI project but in the end unless you put together a hell of a AK rifle, it wil still just be a AK47. Buying one and modify it would be cheaper and less frustrating. It usually will be practical, reliable, combat accurate and rugged.

But for FYI I could see why.

[marinville]

You do realize this receiver's going to have to be shipped to a transfer agent, right? Do mom & dad know they'll be purchasing a firearm on-line? Do they know they'll have to go through the PICS procedure for your receiver? Are they okay with that? Does one of them have an LTCF to ensure legal transportation of the aforementioned receiver home from the transfer agent?

You do not need a LTCF to bring a firearm home from the gun store.

[Arrdy]

If it's a 100% receiver then you shouldn't have to worry about the fire control's hole placement. The front and rear trunion holes are drill to fit, no hard or fast placement due to all the various parts kits out there.

The stock barrel doesn't need to be pressed in. It's a +.0005 friction fit. Put the barrel in the deep freeze overnight, heat the trunion till it's almost uncomfortable to hold with a propane tourch and the barrel will slide right in to the trunion. Just make sure you have everything lined up right, you'll only get one shot at it. Use a brass hammer to tap in the barrel pin.

The rivets can be set several ways. A good anvil and a big hammer, an air chisel with a round modified end .... screws work but look tacky. If you're going with the thicker stock receiver, make sure you get the right sized rivets (Longer).

I'd parkerize the whole thing. Kits can be had on line or you can get the chemicals and brew your own. The only draw back is heating the solution to 180 deg. Best done outdoors, use the BBQ grill.

There are several good places for build info, you just haven't looked.

Nothing like showing off your AK and saying "I built it."

[Asmodeus6]

Unless mom and dad said "you can only have it if you build it". I'd just go buy a WASR and call it good.

You can work on it slowly and get your feet wet. Cutting it out for double stack mags, maybe fixing some of the smaller tidbits that are amiss. (cant etc) Without banging something together and having to drop the hammer on a live round of something you built.

Knowing what I know now, while I do not put it past my mechanical ability to do what you are planning on doing. I am doubtful of the result should I have attempted such a thing without a working AK as a living breathing example to work off of - at age 16. I think it's too much work, not enough enjoyment, and too much potential for dangerous failure.

I work on all my own firearms, and even do some work for friends. Mostly basic stuff, like polishing, and assembly, fitting parts, to some trigger work, which can be more touchy.

But the amount of special jigs and tools to build an AK THE CORRECT WAY, is very cost inhibitive if you are not a machinist by trade and can't fab all the parts yourself from files.

Buying a 100% receiver saves a lot of that work. No top rail to properly form, or bolt guide rails to spot weld in.

But you still have to rivet some important things in place. Most likely demill what's left of a part's kit. (Which at minimum will require a decent drill press and some hardened bits) And get it all back together in the right place whilst crushing steel rivets in a jig, in a press.

And since you can still get a WASR for about $400. Or a Saiga for $350. Why in the hell would I do all of that crap? Accomplishment? I'd say the Romanian and even more so Russian AK builders can do a better job at building an AK than I can. They've been doing it for 60+ years. If AK's were going for $1k a pop I'd be cranking them out in my basement all day err day from parts kits. But the fact is, they aren't. And I see no true benefit worth the expenditure of time, and possible danger of building it myself / yourself.

Will I build one some day? Probably.

Would I do it at 16 with no previous AK knowledge and experience? Hell no.

[justanoob]

Not sure it this will help you but has alot of good info.

http://blog.legionarms.com/

Good luck,

Vince