building your own ak
hey everyone, im new here to the boards and so far its great with what seems like a great croud. i see alot of information is regarding different kinds of guns and survival type rifles. which to me screams ak so i was wondering if anyone here has built there own ak type rifle from a parts kit. im currently building my first one its a bulgarian ak 74 new us chrome lined barrel and side folding stock. it just seems to me true survivalist might be interested in this sort of thing.
And no building an ar platform doesnt count lol its far too easy.
And no building an ar platform doesnt count lol its far too easy.
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Or it could be this: A true survivalist won't waste his/her time on something whose utility or reliability is questionable.
If you've decided an AK-type rifle is the best solution for you, why not buy one and put your time/money toward something else that fills a hole in your preps?
If you're just now getting a rifle, that suggests to me you have a long way to go in prepping. Is this the best use of your time and funds?
Oh, so this is a hobby project, not a survivalist project. That's OK, I do lots of gun-related things for fun, not survival. I like learning about it.
FWIW: I built my M4s up from a stripped lower and assembled upper.
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mark b yes i got mine from apex service was impeccable and these are true military rifles the old barrel is completely shot out and im using an nds 3 receiver he has on special that just needs the magwell opened up via rotozip. im really excited its on hold for like a month though because i go on vacation in a week and then school starts back up for me and im paying for books and tuition on my own. thanks for your interest.
goos3 i guess i could have worded it different sorry it was late i just got off working a double. what i meant was i would think some of the survivalist would be interested in building there own ak from the ground up not only for a hobby like me but also to truly understand the mechanics and how to make fixes in a pinch and what problems could arrise. and no this is not my first weapon or rifle for that matter im a competative shooter and avid hunter. i mostly shoot uspsa production divison.
goos3 i guess i could have worded it different sorry it was late i just got off working a double. what i meant was i would think some of the survivalist would be interested in building there own ak from the ground up not only for a hobby like me but also to truly understand the mechanics and how to make fixes in a pinch and what problems could arrise. and no this is not my first weapon or rifle for that matter im a competative shooter and avid hunter. i mostly shoot uspsa production divison.
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There are some good Youtube videos on building AK receivers from flat blanks.
I'll try to find and post a couple here.
I have a friend that has assembled probably a half-a-dozen ARs. It's like building something from Legos. Piece of cake. A handful of parts and a few tools.
Have fun!
I'll try to find and post a couple here.
I have a friend that has assembled probably a half-a-dozen ARs. It's like building something from Legos. Piece of cake. A handful of parts and a few tools.
Have fun!
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An AK47 seems like the perfect survivalist weapon?
Fine. What ever works for you, but there IS no perfect weapon. Everything is mission specific. But that's another debate. I have several ak47s and Mak90s.
How about instead of spending +$500.00 on building a Rifle, you instead spend $150.00 on a shot gun, and take the rest of the money and time you didn't spend "building" a rifle and invest it into prepping?
An AK47 will turn a squirrel (assuming you hit it) into a hollowed paste. It will kill a deer, and it will kill a man, but so will a .22 when placed correctly.
Being a survivalist isn't just about weapons, it's about the right tools for the right job. AK47s can also be hit or miss. Some are accurate, some are utter failures. Buy something that is consistently decent in performance.
Something everyone here is echoing is that your first steps in being a survivalist isn't fire arm related. If that takes some of the fun out of it, then I apologize.
Fine. What ever works for you, but there IS no perfect weapon. Everything is mission specific. But that's another debate. I have several ak47s and Mak90s.
How about instead of spending +$500.00 on building a Rifle, you instead spend $150.00 on a shot gun, and take the rest of the money and time you didn't spend "building" a rifle and invest it into prepping?
An AK47 will turn a squirrel (assuming you hit it) into a hollowed paste. It will kill a deer, and it will kill a man, but so will a .22 when placed correctly.
Being a survivalist isn't just about weapons, it's about the right tools for the right job. AK47s can also be hit or miss. Some are accurate, some are utter failures. Buy something that is consistently decent in performance.
Something everyone here is echoing is that your first steps in being a survivalist isn't fire arm related. If that takes some of the fun out of it, then I apologize.
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I was just thinking about the rifle for me again. I was thinking a (cheaper route) marlin papoose .22 caliber survival rifle would be a good first rifle. I was also considering getting "more of a beast" rifle - Saiga AK in 7.62.. but I think the .22 would work better for a variety of senarios. Ie SHTF , protection, hunting, etc and many have told me a .22 rifle is a must for every collection of guns. Very useful.. then maybe later I can get the AK. If I start liking guns that much. Right now Im not a gun collector, Im a beginner, and Im not sure I will be a gun enthusiast. Currently I own one gun, a Taurus .45 handgun. Im trying to think about what I need most.
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I don't know why people are being so critical of what the OP is doing. He's building an AK-74 which is chambered in 5.45x39, suits his needs, and are fun to build. I agree. I haven't yet built my own AK, but am kicking around the idea. I should have started a build three years ago when kits were more readily available..
Every serious survivalist should have at minimum a shotgun, handgun, and two rifles (one of which being a rimfire and the other centerfire) Having just one rifle will not cover every scenario. People who insist on needing only a .22 rimfire to suit all their needs are uninformed and under-armed for big game and self-defense. As in bow hunting, an ideal shot may never present itself, distance is too far, or you may have to shoot through leaves or barriers and have to pass on taking the shot and going home empty-handed and hungry, or worse
PS--The 5.45 is a fine cartridge for all-around 'shtf' use, IMO
Every serious survivalist should have at minimum a shotgun, handgun, and two rifles (one of which being a rimfire and the other centerfire) Having just one rifle will not cover every scenario. People who insist on needing only a .22 rimfire to suit all their needs are uninformed and under-armed for big game and self-defense. As in bow hunting, an ideal shot may never present itself, distance is too far, or you may have to shoot through leaves or barriers and have to pass on taking the shot and going home empty-handed and hungry, or worse
PS--The 5.45 is a fine cartridge for all-around 'shtf' use, IMO
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I recently built a AK. I built a homemade jig for forming the receiver. I don't have a press so I used hand methods. There is a plethora of info on the internet. A helpful blog for me was andresguns. that's where I came across the homemade jig. It's designed for use without a press. Building the AK was a fun project and I say go for it. From a dollars and cents perspective it's not really worth building one AK. I've been prepping for over 30 years so having fun building something is justified.
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I got an APEX parts kit a while ago.
Here's rub with this kit--the barrel is not included... it is chopped off.
Only the rear chamber of the barrel is included with the kit--so you have to use a "virgin" barrel. But if you use a virgin barrel, there is no barrel pin slot already drilled in it for you... you have to head-space the brand new barrel in the trunion, then drill out the pin hole and pin it. Also the apex kit does not include a barrel pin, you have to make or purchase one.
One final thing--the chamber end of the barrel it slotted for the extractor, and this also has to be perfectly aligned at the correct geometry while you are head-spacing the barrel.
What I am doing is to press the chopped off barrel back into the trunion, and realigning the barrel pin hole to get an idea of where the extractor slot should wind up. This method works. I will then head-space the virgin barrel, drill out the barrel pin hole and then press the barrel out so that the trunion can be riveted to the receiver.
If you do not want to go through the trouble of bending your own reciever get an 80% receiver from Marsh Hawk (no paperwork--google it up). This is an excellent prebent receiver with good instruction.
Also when you are using a virgin barrel with the APEX kits, you will have to drill out the gas-diverter hole, and the pin holes for the gas-block and the sight-block. So you have better have some good layout tools and a very flat metal surface to work off of and do layouts accurately.
ST
Here's rub with this kit--the barrel is not included... it is chopped off.
Only the rear chamber of the barrel is included with the kit--so you have to use a "virgin" barrel. But if you use a virgin barrel, there is no barrel pin slot already drilled in it for you... you have to head-space the brand new barrel in the trunion, then drill out the pin hole and pin it. Also the apex kit does not include a barrel pin, you have to make or purchase one.
One final thing--the chamber end of the barrel it slotted for the extractor, and this also has to be perfectly aligned at the correct geometry while you are head-spacing the barrel.
What I am doing is to press the chopped off barrel back into the trunion, and realigning the barrel pin hole to get an idea of where the extractor slot should wind up. This method works. I will then head-space the virgin barrel, drill out the barrel pin hole and then press the barrel out so that the trunion can be riveted to the receiver.
If you do not want to go through the trouble of bending your own reciever get an 80% receiver from Marsh Hawk (no paperwork--google it up). This is an excellent prebent receiver with good instruction.
Also when you are using a virgin barrel with the APEX kits, you will have to drill out the gas-diverter hole, and the pin holes for the gas-block and the sight-block. So you have better have some good layout tools and a very flat metal surface to work off of and do layouts accurately.
ST
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Welcome from Oregon.
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thanks everyone for your interest in my post some are a little more on topic than others, but thats to be expected i suppose. well im really excited about this project it gives me something to do if nothing else. as far as the kit i recieved from apex yes the barrel has been cut in two places the kit i ordered did come with a virgin barrel but it also came with the barrel pin but no notches drilled in. as far as my thought of it being the "perfect survival weapon" i agree it has its strong and weak areas i should have said hey its reliable and easy to find parts for and can be run all day especially with my chrome lined barrel without any issues and can still take down hogs, coyote, deer, rabbits, whatever via its 5.45 fmj round i suppose in a bug out situation i could attempt to go rambo as some of you have suggested and grab my carry g36 competition xdm my 10/22, remington 700 .308, model 70 243, mossberg 835 turkey gun, 500 persuader oh and while im at it ill grab my wwII jap 7.7 arisaka lol lets be real here im grabbing one gun if that and dippin out. hey thanks everyone for your advice and links to pressing out the barrel i hadnt seen it done that way before. if anyone has any questions about my build or any advice or links for me id really appreciate it.
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