AK's falling apart
What the ...? Me thinks you are full of ****
...but if you're being honest, you have managed to buy 3 AK47s assembled by total retards. I highly doubt the AK47 just inherently falls apart. Mine sure haven't.
Well, I
am being honest.
The 1st AK I bought was a Century GP 1975. Apparently it was just a lemon, since its replacement has worked very well, with only about 3 jams in the last 2,000 rounds.
But on one pair of the front trunnion rivets, the under-surface of the rivet heads is not completely flush with the outside of the receiver. It may not be a problem at all. It may have been like that to begin with. I didn't really look at it closely until noticing on my other AK--an IO Inc CASAR--that the rear trunnion rivets had loosened and/or bent. The riveting was apparently a terminal problem with my IO CASAR.
Initially, the bolt carrier on the IO CASAR was jamming open intermittently--but only on rare occasions. But the bolt carrier jamming became progressively more frequent as I fired the rifle more. Ultimately, the bolt carrier jammed open badly enough to where I could not push it back forward without taking the rifle apart, which prevented the rifle from firing at all.
It was at this point that I noticed how badly bent the rear trunnion rivets were. There was also a slight, but noticeable rearward shift of the rear trunnion from receiver. This would seemingly increase the inside receiver distance, and would allow the bolt carrier to travel rearward too far. I think this was the cause of the bolt carrier jamming open.
I don't think the AK generally just falls apart. But I do think IO Inc CASAR AK's are poorly riveted. Several people on the Calguns forum have reported similar problems with IO CASARs.
The real selling point for IO Inc CASARs is that they are legal in California, and are actually available at some major sporting goods stores, like Turner's and Big 5. This means if the rifle malfunctions, you can take it directly back to the store, instead of having to ship it out of state to the retailer. Also, the rifle comes with a railed forward hand-guard, that allows you to attach a front vertical grip.
Unfortunately, those are about the only selling points for the IO Inc CASAR. They come with
out a pistol grip (and no magazine lock). So, as per California law, if you're going to attach a pistol grip, you have to first put on a magazine lock (a device that makes it necessary to use a tool to remove the magazine). So this adds another $20-$50 to the cost.
In contrast, however, I think the Century GP 1975 is generally a good rifle--especially considering it's CA-legal price of only around $450. It has a chrome-lined barrel, and a US made receiver.
The shotty assembly of the rifle is the culprit.
