1st AK build (and AK) for me. All matching Romy G kit built on a NDS-3 receiver. The gold old days of $65 parts kits are gone, but I found one for $200 shipped and thought why tf not. http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/x...no8/Before.jpg
There are lots of BIYAK threads out there so I'll be brief. Homemade rivet tooling shown is out of 2x2x1/4 HR steel angle from Lowes (cut chunks of angle into flat pieces as needed) Making the tooling with only a hacksaw, bench grinder and drill press and “dremel” took most of the time of this project, but, since I had these tools already- no cash outlay.
Didn't invest in a press, had a steering wheel/gear puller laying around which I used to remove barrel from front trunnion, a BFH & punch to pound out barrel pin, much later I pulled barrel back on with 2 foot piece of all thread, nuts, washers plus the piece on the left of the tooling photo which contacts the trunnion in the right spots. I bought the Harbor Freight bolt cutters and ground them into a front trunnion rivet squeezer and it worked well (several web sites will tell you how to do that). The holes in the NDS-3 matched the Romanian trunnions almost exactly; used a half round needle file to tweak one front pair and one rear pair. Remember to use a countersink bit on receiver holes for swell-headed rivets; Arizona Response Systems has an excellent web site with this and many other tips for building. I took her out late today with only one box of ammo and she shot well.
As a 1st build project it was not a real cost saver, especially after paying for receiver and 922(r) compliance parts (FCG, pistol grip and muzzle brake) Maybe I saved $100 vs buying a Romy G outright (assuming $425 for Romy G after shipping & transfer fee), and then you have to figure in your time and labor. I did it more for the challenge and learning experience, and masochism.
Congratulations on a successful build. I completed a Romanian MD-63 exactly a year ago, I had PA Patriot hold my hand as I hadn't done one before & lacked the tools. (PAFOA post link)
It turned out so well, I never refinished it, I just left it as it came into the US with the same finish it's had since 1977.
The receiver is grey from the heat treatment, otherwise it's unfinished. It just happened to match the finish on the original parts. Something must have gone very right, as it ran like a Swiss watch from the start, and was already sighted in.
Receiver=Nodak NDS-1, one of the last ones that were custom serialized to match the parts. Like yours, it wasn't a major cost savings (maybe $100-$150 less than market value of AKs in early 2009) but that wasn't my goal. I want to *make* one.
Here's my daughter firing it last summer:
Note her smirk as she showers empties on her sister (extreme right, almost off screen). Between the near-perfect trigger and the UB43* ammo, I had to pry it from her at the end of the day.
Your kit looks a little better than mine did. I recall the cleaning rod was missing with mine, and you have the more common lower horizontal handguard. I've been looking for a lower handguard like yours -- did yours include that originally?
* Ubungspatronen M43, or practice ammunition, imported briefly in the early 1990s from East German-very low recoil 62 grain plastic core bullet.
January 29th, 2010, 08:19 AM
Enfielder
Re: 1st AK build, 5 years late to the party
Yes the handguard was like that. I thought it was an oddball after seeing all Romys with the "donkey d@ng" handguard. There was far too much rust on my kit so I re-parkerized (after 70 grit Aluminum Oxide blasting) I've re-parked one previous project. I was tempted to leave it be but thought the fresh new receiver might rust like crazy in a month. Based on some others examples, I made a park tank out of PVC pipe and a water heater element that rocked. I will post photos and a parts list in another thread.
P.S. I saw your video a while back. Lucky kids. Can they show the video in class at school? ("My dad let me fire an AK-47...") bwah haha
January 29th, 2010, 11:41 AM
justashooter
Re: 1st AK build, 5 years late to the party
enfielder,
if there is a big letter G on the left side of rear sight block you have a Guardia rifle, which was originally made in semi-auto only for the romanain national guard. you can see this G in pa rifleman's build, which is not an MD63, but a guardia.
the MD63 has a reverse swept donkey dong handguard and an underfolder stock, IIRC. guardia rifles also have the black paint band at base of buttstock. PA rifleman's gun is a G. your's is a "non-G", or standard romanian army rifle, which was originally built in select fire.
there is some speculation that guardian rifles were made from parts that failed inspection acceptance criteria and were rejected from teh army issue assembly lines. i cannot confirm or refute, only remarking that both types go bang when you pull the trigger.
nice builds, both of you. too bad we are no longer in the golden age. it was great while it lasted.
February 5th, 2010, 10:31 AM
photoshooter
Re: 1st AK build, 5 years late to the party
Quote:
Originally Posted by Enfielder
1st AK build (and AK) for me. All matching Romy G kit built on a NDS-3 receiver.
I somehow missed this post.
Very impressive and inspiring build Enfielder!
I especially like the tooling solutions. One of these days I'm gonna have to give it a try.
So you posted this a week ago. Surely you've started on your next build? ;):D
February 5th, 2010, 11:04 AM
Kaos
Re: 1st AK build, 5 years late to the party
I'd love for someone local to host a build party. AK build is intimidating to me for some reason. Kudos on yours!
February 5th, 2010, 05:09 PM
Enfielder
Re: 1st AK build, 5 years late to the party
Excuse the late response but it was a G kit; I just grit blasted & re-parkerized the rear sight block so the G does not stand out.
I'm an engineer, and have been designing jigs & fixtures for manufacturing for many years, and have made some as well so making some crude rivet fixtures wasn't scary. Time consuming, but fun. Hacksawing and filing, pounding out the barrel pin with a 4# sledge, pounding it back in- I looked like the worker in one of those propaganda posters.
To make your own tooling you would need (IMO)
*Bench grinder (to make tooling AND to grind old rivets off)
*Drill press (I have a 1/3 HP Craftsman) besides tooling you most likely will have to partially drill out the old rivets; old rivets don't fall out when you grind the heads off.
*Big bench-mounted vise (need 6" opening) to hold receiver, barrel
*Files for metal, medium + fine
*"Dremel" I recommend the Black & Decker RTX 3-speed for < $30 at Wallymart
to pound the barrel out
*Sledge
Stubby 1/4" punch (to start pounding barrel pin out)
Longer 1/4" punch (last half of pounding barrel pin back out)
Stubby 5/32" punch (for pounding barrel pin back in)
block of wood to lay it on
you need a *gear puller to pull the front trunnion off the barrel IMO but there are postings of guys who pound out the barrel with a stack of a few nickles protecting the chamber face + beating on steel pipe on top of that. But then you have to figure out how to support the trunnion while beating.
you need a 24" bolt cutter from Harbor Freight $12.99 to grind into a front trunnion rivet tool. Google "Bolt cutter rivet tool" for info on how to do it.
to pull the barrel back on to the front trunnion/receiver assembly you can use a 2 foot piece of allthread (1/4-20 recommended, can get at Lowes or Home Depot), a plate with slots to clear the rails like the one on the left in my tooling photo, a nickle with a 1/4" hole drilled in it for contacting the crown and another nut. Again google "allthread barrel tool" for how to.
Remember though its a money pit if you have absolutely no tools at all and want to build only one rifle. I had all the tools with *.
