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GunDigest®BookofAK&SKSVOLUME2
PATRICKSWEENEY
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DEDICATION
Asalways,toFelicia.Inthefirstvolumeofthisbook,Imentionedourtwopoodledudes.Soonafterthatvolumecameout,weaddedathird.Bertiewasararityamongpoodles;ahigh-energy,sweet,almostmanicdog,whowassostrongheactuallypulledmeoffmyfeetmorethanonce.Hewasalso,aswediscovered,adogwhohadAddison’s.Ourlittle
Addisonianrequiredadailypill,andmonthlyshots,onastrictschedule.Wewillinglyundertookthatwork,aswehadsignedonaspackleaders,andthatisonethingthatisabsolute:assumeaburdenandstickwithit,regardless.FeliciaandIstuckwithhimuntiltheend.Itturnsoutitwasnothis
Addison’sthattookhim,butararecancerofvaguesymptomsthateventhespecialtyvetoverlooked.Asafirearmstrainerofmyacquaintanceonceremarked,“Toloveadogistoknowthatsomedayyouwillcry.”Onamorecheerfulnote,Ihaveawarningforthosewhowishtowork
athomeoratawindow.Donotinstallawindowmounthummingbirdfeeder.Ihave,andtodayaloneIhave“lost”almosthalfanhour,distractedeverytimeIseeazippingmotionfromthecornerofmyeye.Thisyear’s“owner”ofthefeeder(hummingbirdsareveryterritorial,theywilldefendagoodfeedingspot)istiny,evenforaruby-throatfemale.She’sbeenhereadozentimes,drivenoffinterlopers,andeveneyesbirdsmuchlargerthanherself.ShejustharassedapoormourningdovethatwanderedintoherAO,diving,pecking,andmakingsureitdidn’tcomenearherfeeder.Fiercelittlebirds,theyare.
Fiercelittlebirds,theyare.So,forFelicia,thepoodledudes,hereandgone,andtheferocious
hummingbirdoutsidemywindow,Idedicatethelatestbookforyourenjoyment.
PatrickSweeney,September2016
CONTENTS
SPECIALOFFERS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER1:AKMYTHS
CHAPTER2:HISTORYOFTHEAK
CHAPTER3:WHAT’SNEW?
CHAPTER4:HOWTHEAKISMADE
CHAPTER5:BUILDINGANAK
CHAPTER6AMMOISAMMO
CHAPTER7:AKMAINTENANCE&ASSEMBLY
CHAPTER8:TRIGGERS
CHAPTER9:AKACCURACY
CHAPTER10:SIGHTS&OPTICS
CHAPTER11:AKDURABILITY&SERVICELIFE
CHAPTER12:KRINKREDUX
CHAPTER13:SUPPRESSORS
CHAPTER14:AKMAGAZINES
CHAPTER15:TESTINGTHEAK
CHAPTER16:CENTURYARMSC39V2
CHAPTER17:KREBSCUSTOM
CHAPTER18:IWIACE
CHAPTER19:AKHANDGUARDS
CHAPTER20:AKPISTOLGRIPS
CHAPTER21:AKAFTERMARKETSTOCKS
CHAPTER22:SKS
CHAPTER23:FUTUREOFTHEAK
CHAPTER24:AKLEGALASPECTS
INTRODUCTION
WHYANOTHERAKBOOK?AFTERALL,WHATmorecanbesaidabouttheAK,thatubiquitousbullethoseseenonnetworknewseachnight,therifleaboutwhichbarrelsofinkhavealreadybeenspilled,thathasn’talreadybeensaid?Oneexplanationisthatthemarkethaschanged,andtheenduser’s
expectationshavechangedaswell.WhichmeansthepreviousAKvolumeisn’tasrelevantasithadbeen.TheadviceweweregivenbackintheearlydaysabouthowtorunanAKwas,
“itisn’tanAR,don’ttrytorunitthatway,learntorunitlikeaRussian.”Or,“runitlikeSpetsnaz.”Inotherwords:don’tbabyit.ThoseofyouwhohavereadmewillknowwhereI’mgoingwiththisone,butI’mnotanilliteratefarmerlivinginaThirdWorldhellhole.Iunderstandtheneedfor,andusesof,properlubrication.Andproper,safe,gunhandling.Now,wereIacontractorworkinginsomeGod-awfulplace,I’dcertainlyhavethe“Russianway”aspartofmymentaltoolkit.ButI’mnotone(acontractorthatis).So,exceptfortheusualrun-of-the-millneglectfromhavingtoomanythings
todo,Idonot“clean”myAKsaccordingtolegend.Theyactuallygetoil,nowandthen,andabrushandapatchdowntheborewhenIhavetimebetweenassignments.Similarly,Iexpectittobeareasonablycivilizedpieceofequipment.Iexpectatriggerthatisatleastmanageable.Nicewouldbebetter,eventhoughIdon’texpectasniperriflegradetrigger.
TheguardoutsideoftheKremlin,withhisSKS.Yep,anSKS,becauseanAKwouldbetooshortforhimtoholdthemuzzle.
Iexpectmyrifletobereasonablyergonomic.Let’stakethestockasanexample.Yes,thestockisshort.Becausetheuserswereshort,andtheywerepackedintosmallvehicleswhentheyrodeinvehicles.OriginalRussiandimensionstocksmaybeperiodcorrect,evenvisuallybalanced(inpartbecausethat’swhatweexpect)andsturdy.ButI’mnotaSovietmechanizedinfantrytrooperfromUzbekistan.I’mafoottallerthanthoseguys,andIneedastockthatfitsme.Andnodoubtyoudo,too.Yes,youcandoOKwiththeshorterstock,butyou’lldobetterwithalongerone,onethatfits.WhatareweasAmericans,ifnotlookingforbetter?Ialsoexpectthemakertohavedealtwithsharpedges,corners,burrs,wire-
edgedstampingsandpinch-points.Thatis,Iexpectthemnottobethere.AslongassomeinspectingGeneraldidn’tcuthimselfonanAK,themakersseemnottohavebotheredthemselveswithsuchniceties.Imean,myRomyAKMstillhasamachine-cutcurlofsteelonthegaspillar,decadesaftermanufacture,finishing,issue,storage,demillingandshipmenttome.TheergonomicsoftheAKwereacombinationofanothereraandan
unconcernfortheindividualuser.Hereinamarketeconomy,ifyoumakesomethingthatputsanextraburdenontheend-user,theywilltaketheirdollarsandfindsomeonewhoismorewillingtoaccommodatetheirirrationaldemandsofvalueformoney.IntheoldSovietUnionandtheWarsawPact,AKswerepropertyofThe
People.Meaningthegovernment.Meaning,noonehadanyrequirementtodomorethankeeptrackofserialnumbers,towhomtheywereissued,andthattheywerestillwheretheyweresupposedtobe.“Comrade,youwanttocustomizeyourAK?Submitaproposaltotherelevantcommitteeandtheywilltellyouifitisanapprovedmodificationornot.”Anybetsonitbeingapproved?AndthechancesofyourissuedAKbeingun-issuedtoyouinthenearfuture?
WepayforourownammunitionhereintheStates.Rightnow,itisstillrelativelycheap,anditcomesinnon-reloadable,steelcasesforthemostpart.Sonoonecareshowfarorhardtheemptiesareejected,andwhathappenstothemintheprocess.However,letreloading7.62x39becomeevennearlyascommonas ⁄ andthatwillchange.Userswillstarttoexaminewaystoeasetheejectionprocess.Nottobecome
marginal,butatleasttonotbebrass-destructive.Anexampleanddatapoint.Backinthe1980s,theHKseriesofrifleswerealltherage.TheHK91and93werehotpropertiestoown.Andstatussymbols.But,iftherewasonethingtheGermanslearnedfromtheRussians,itwasthatemptybrass/steelhadtobehurledvigorously.ThosewhoactuallyshottheirHKs,andreloadedammo,sooninvestedinabrassbuffer.Itwasasmallsteelclipwitharubberface,whichyouclippedtotheedgeoftheejectionport.Itsavedyourbrassfrombeingnearlybentinhalf.Andkeptitfrombeinghurledfiftyyards.Oncereloading7.62x39becomespopularenoughI’dexpectsomeoneto
inventandstartmarketingsuchagizmo.Youwillsearchinvainforsuchathingtobeimported,surplus,fromapreviouslycommunistcountry.Oh,ifitbecomespopularenough,you’llseecheapknock-offscomingfromChina,butthereisnosuchthinginexistenceinthecommieworld.Andyes,I’llkeepusingthatmildpejorative,commie.WhentheAKwasdeveloped,opticswereforsniperrifles.Theideathatthey
wouldbecommononstandardrifleswasludicrous.Tobefair,theSovietswerenotaloneinthatopinion.Well,it’sthe21stcentury,andweexpecttobeabletoputopticsonarifle,
anyrifle,evenifitisjustareddotsight.Throughaquirkofdesign,theARwasmoreamenabletothatchangethanhasbeentheAK.ThedesignoftheAKmakesthetaskabitmoredifficult,butitisthemakersandinventorshereintheWestwhohavecomeupwithmanageablesolutions,notthesurpluswarehousesoftheWarsawPact.Theevolutionincludesironsights.TheapproachtheSovietArmytookto
.223 5.56
infantryassaultswasvolumeoffire.Iftheothersidewastoobusyducking,theycouldn’tfireback,andonceyouwereontopofthem,thekindofsightsyouhadreallydidn’tmatter.Slotandport,withamarginalsightradius,servedthatneedwell.Well,weAmericansfancyourselvesasmarksmen.Oh,wearen’ttheeagle-eyedSergeantYorksweallliketothinkweare,butwedoaim.Thisattitudeisheavilyinfluencedbytheutterlackofselect-fireAKsforustoexperimentwith,learnonandfrom,andimprove.But,untiltheHughesAmendmenttoFOPA1986canbeexpunged,wehavetosettleforsemiauto-onlyAKs.Thatmeanswepracticeaiming.
Crouchedbehindaninfantryassaultvehicle,ateamofRomanian,Bulgarianand1stArmoredDivisionSoldiersprovidesecuritytoteammatesconductingaraidonanearbybuildingduring
ExerciseImmediateResponse06.PhotobySpc.TanyaPolk
Dittothemodernneedforlightsandlasers.Weidentifiedtheusefulness,inventedthesolutionintheAR-verse,andnowhavetransportedthatsolutionintotheAKworld.Railedhandguards—andastheevolutioncontinues,handguardsinKeymodandM-LOK—areavailablefortheAK.Youcanhavealightandlasersolutionthatcostsamere$35,oryoucanspendtentimesthatonarebuildandoverhaulthatmakestheAKthoroughlymodern.
arebuildandoverhaulthatmakestheAKthoroughlymodern.Andlast,fornow,aremagazines.Thequote“Youcanneverbetoorich,or
toothin”hasbeenattributedtoWallisSimpson,thedivorceewhocausedKingEdwardVIIItoabdicatefromthethroneofEngland.Shemayhavebeenthefirst,shemaynothavebeen.Butthemodernfirearmsversionis,“Youcanneverhavetoomuchammunition,nortoomanymagazines.”Self-loadingriflesdependonmagazinesto,well,self-load.Inthemodern
mnemonicof“Twoisone,oneisnone,”wegrasptheessenceofthis.Ifyouhavebutonemagazine,andyouloseit,oritbreaks,youhavenone.Ithasbecomecommon,almostacontest,tostockpilemagazinesandammunition.Costispartofthis.Myparent’sgenerationlivedthroughtheGreatDepression.Allofuskidsremembergrowingupwithfatherswhohadcoffeecansandmasonjarsofnailsandscrewsinthegarage.Why?”Youneverknowwhenyou’llneedthem.”Myfirstcarpentryskilllearned,growingup,washowtostraightenabentnail.Well,inthefirstfewyearsofthe21stcentury,ammunitionwascheap.Irecall
beinghandedaStateBidpricesheetinalawenforcementclass,acoupleofyearsafter ⁄ .Theprice,perthousandrounds,ofM193,was$143.9mmwaspricedat$95perthousand.Inafewyears,thepricesofeachhadtripled.Thatpriceshockcausedalotofpeopletoreconsiderhowmuchammoon-handwas“enough”andincreaseit.Andthenincreaseitagain,whentherewasno.22LRtobehadatall.NotthatAKsfire.22LR,butifthatdisappeared,thenwhatwasnext?Andsoitwaswithmagazines.Iftherewasashortage,youwerestuck.If
someoneactuallypassedalawbanningorrestrictingthem,thenyouwouldn’tbeabletogetanymore.So,stockup.Andtheunexpected(bysome,notme)synergykickedin.ifyouhaveagarage
fullofAKpartskits,andmagazines,andabasementfullofammo,theydoyounogoodifyoudonotpractice.So,asignificantnumberofshootersgotoutandactuallylearnedhowtorunanAK.Andtheywereunderwhelmed.Crappytriggers,tiltedfrontsightposts,amassofsharpedges,andindifferentaccuracy
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triggers,tiltedfrontsightposts,amassofsharpedges,andindifferentaccuracybecauseofsurpluscommunist-madeammunitiondonotahappyshootermake.Thecleveronesstarteddesigning,testingandfabricatingsolutions.Thenot-
so-inventiveonesstartedlookingforsolutionstobuy.Wearestillintheupwardcurveofthatchange.Yousee,whilethechangesweredrivenbythemodernsocial,politicalandeconomicenvironment,theywerealsohamperedbyit.Shooterswhoarebuyingalltheammotheycanfinddonothavealotofdisposableincometobuyimprovedhandguards,stocks,magazines,optics,etc.Thosewhohome-builtanAKfromapartskitfor$200outofpocketexpensearegoingtogetstickershockwhentheywearitoutandgotoreplaceitwithanallU.S.-madeAKthatretailsfor$600.Asifallthatwasn’tenough,wehavetheconvergence-to-be,meldingAKs
withthehotnewmust-haveitem,suppressors.TheAKbarrelisthin,withmarginal,metricleft-handedthreads.FiguringouthowtoinstallasuppressorisgoingtoconsumeagreatdealofR&D,experimentation,anddownhometesting.That’sbecauseAmericanshootersvotewiththeirdollars.IftheywantAKsandsuppressors,someonewillfigureaway.Isuspectthatwhenthetimecomes,inafewyears(maybeevenafewshort
years)forathirdvolumeofthisbook,thelandscapewillhavechangedsomuchthatIwon’tevenhavetouse“commie”and“Soviet”andanyothermentionofourformerColdWaropponents.ThewholeAKshootersuniversebythenwillbeentirelyUSA-made.Wecanonlyhope.
CHAPTER1AKMYTHS
TOUNDERSTANDAKMYTHS,WENEEDTOexaminefoundationmyths—thestoriesthatweasacultureandsocietytellourselvesabouthowthingscametobe.Suchmythscanbefanciful,incrediblydetailed,andtheycanbebasedintruth,butthefoundationmythsarewhatsetthecourseforthegroup.Youcantellalotaboutagroupbypayingattentiontowhattheysayaboutthemselves,tothemselves.WhatarethefoundationmythsoftheAK?Thatatatimeofexistentialcrisis,whenSovietcitizensweredyingindroves,
andtheArmywasill-equippedtodealwiththeGermancriminals,acommonmancametotherescue.TheSovietsystemallowedthiscommonfarmer,withaknackformechanicaldevices,toriseandshowhisskillsforthecommongood.HeproducedacarbinethatwasbothRussianandSovietinitslineageanddetails;itwasmadeofcommonmaterials,incrediblyrobust,unfailinglyreliable,uncomplicated,trustworthy,andmadewithoutexcesses,fripperiesorcosmeticenhancements,asbefitsthepeopleoftheearthwhowoulduseittoachievevictory.Andforgetnotthatitwasdesignedwitheaseofproductioninmind,sothe
Sovietscouldmakethemprettymuchasfastastheycouldbakeloavesofbread.(ThesnarkyamongstyoumightremarkthatAKsweremorecommonthanbreadloavesinSovietRussia,butthat’sjustbeingcruel.)Alas,assomeofyouknow,andmanyofyoususpect,thisisnotentirelytrue.
AsIpointedoutinthefirstvolumeofthisbook,manyofthedesigndetailsoftheAKwerelifteddirectlyfrom,orinspiredby,inventionsofBrowningand
Garand.Inparticular,KalashnikovhimselfadmittedthattheGarandwasadesignmodelhecopied.Ican’tfindanymentionofGarandsbeingshippedtotheSovietsduringWorldWarII(hey,wesentthemplentyofotheritemsusefulforthewareffort)butitwouldhavebeeneasyenoughtohavecollectedsomesamplesattheendofthewarwhenthetwoarmiesmet.
AbronzestatueinoneofthesubwaystationsofMoscow,showingavaliantcomradeandhisMosinrifle.
Mosinrifle.
But,thebigdealwasnotthattheRedArmycouldhavecollectedafewhundredM1Garandsforstudy,butthattheyhadHugoSchmeisserandtheplanthedesignedfor.Theyshippedhim—alongwithtruckloadsofvariantsoftheStG ⁄ ,thetoolingandmachinery,andthousandsofpagesoftechnicalnotes,drawings,etc.—backtoMotherRussia.OnecanseebitsofStg ⁄ DNAintheAK-47,suchasthestamped-steel
constructionandgassystemsituatedabovethebarrel(unliketheGarand,whichhelditspartsbelowthebarrel).Thetwo-piecestockdesign,wheretherearstockdidnothingbutprovideaplacefortheshooter’sface.And,theselect-fireoption,whatwelightlyrefertoasthegiggleswitchtoday.BoththeGermansandRussiansfoundthislastdetailuseful(fordifferentreasons)inthemaelstromoftheEasternFront.Andconsiderthat,beforethewar,theSovietsdidnotmakeanythingexcept
aircraft,usingpressedsheet-metalmethods.TheAK-47cartridge,the7.62x39,isknownastheM43,orM-1943cartridge.This,aftertheirfirstencounterwiththeGerman7.92x33.Bothuseshortenedcases,andtheoriginalbullet(andthusbore)diameterofthestandard-issuerifle.Bothuseabulletmuchlighterthantheoriginal,125grains(more-or-less)comparedtothe190grainsorsoofthestandardrifle.Thesightsdon’ttellusmuch,sinceeveryonebuttheU.S.andEnglandused
notch-and-postsightsformilitaryrifles.BoththeStg ⁄ andtheAK-47weresimplymoreofthesame.AndSchmeisserremainedinRussiaforsevenyearsafterthewar,bywhich
timetheAK-47wasinproduction,andtherewereonlysmalldetailsofvolumeandqualitycontrol(QC)toworkout.(Ihaveheardthathewasnotalone.TherewasanentireapartmentbuildingfullofGermantechnicians,engineers,designersandplantsupervisors,all“voluntarily”workingtoassisttheSoviets.OncetheAKprojectwasdone,andtheywerefreetoleave,notasingleoneofthemremainedinRussia,alloptingtoreturnhometoGermany.Onewonders
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44 45
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themremainedinRussia,alloptingtoreturnhometoGermany.Onewondershowmanyofthemhadtomove,andquickly,againnineyearslater,whentheEastGermangovernmentstartedclosingtheborder?)ButnoneofthatinformationwasavailabletouswhenAKsbeganappearing
onthemarket.AndthefaultsandshortcomingsoftheAKwerethingswehadtoferretoutforourselves.SinceformanyyearswecouldnotlayhandsonanAKinanyformandtryit
outforourselves,wehadtosettlefortherumors,mythsandplainoldBSthatwasavailable.Thatendedinthe1980s,whenfirsttheMaadi,andthenliteralboatloadsofChineseAKs,becameavailable.Thiswasnotwithoutitsowndrawbacks.BecausetheChineseAKswere“copiesoftheoriginal”theywereseenasaseparateitem,andnotreallyrepresentativeofthe“trueRussianAK.”Honest,Iheardthat.Asabriefaside,thecriticswerecorrectthatasChinese-madeAKs,theywere
nottrueRussianAKs.Theplantswere,however,setupbyRussianadvisors,andtheproductionmethodswouldhavehewedcloselytothosetheSovietsthemselvesused.So,inthatregard,theyrepresentedtruecopiesoftheoutputofavitalcommand-economyitem.Whenthepartskitsbecameavailableinvolume,peoplestartedtobuildAKs,
tryingasmuchaspossibletobuildthemexactlyastheywouldhavebeeninSovietuse.Well,withoutthegiggleswitchoption,obviously.Thismeantthatbuildersandusersporedoverthetechnicalliterature,toferret
outdetailsoffit,finish,color,fabricationandperformance.Theironyofthiswaslostonmanybuildersandusers.Herewewere,inthelate20thandearly21stcentury,workinghardtoreconstructanartifactthatwastheapexofimmediatepost-wartechnology.Onemeanttobeusedinacontextmoreappropriatetopre-warthanpost.Onecomparisonmightbetorestoringa1960smusclecar.Findparts,rebuild,weld,machine,whateverittakes,evenmatchthepaintmixsoitisanexactcopy.Andwhenyou’redone,youhaveanautomobilethatreallymovesdowntheboulevardinstyle.Now,I’mnotsayingsuchacarwouldn’tbestylish,butitwouldmovedown
Now,I’mnotsayingsuchacarwouldn’tbestylish,butitwouldmovedowntheroadwithoutanti-lockbrakes,airbags,fuelinjection,cruisecontrol,andwewillnotevenspeakofGPSandsurround-soundstereo.Somemodelsmighthavehadair-conditioningasanoption,butdon’tbetoneverymusclecarthatleftthefactoryhavinghadit.Fivemilesperhourbumpers?Pu-leeze.Anybumpwilldent,bendorcrumpleyourfreshly-chromedsteelbumper.Butitdoeshavestyle,isfuntodrive,anditwillattractthebabes.TheAK-47?Wehaveaforged-and-milled,orastampedreceiverthatisa
massofcorners,edges,andprotrusions.Itistheverydefinitionofnon-ergonomic.ThestockistooshortformostWesternshootersunlessyoupositthatKalashnikovplannedfortheAKtobeusedwithbodyarmor,andthustheshortlengthofpullwouldbecorrect.No,itwasmadetobeissuedtomobsofconscripts,manyofwhomwouldbefromthesteppes,theoutlying“Republics,”folkswhoweremuchshorterinstaturethantheirEuropeancounterparts.That,andashort-stockedrifle/carbineiseasiertowranglewhilegettinginto
andoutoftrucks,tanks,APCsandarmoredcars.Thehandguarddoesaminimaljobofprotectingyourhandsfromheat.Infact,
thehandguardsareworsethanthat,becausetheypromisetoprotectyourhands,buttheveryhardwarethatholdstheminplace(orreinforcestheirconstruction)conductsheattoyourhands.GetanAKhot,andyou’llfindthatthebracketsandeventhereinforcingpingethot,stayhot,andwillraiseblistersifyouarenotcareful.Thesafetylever?UnlessyouhavefingerslikeClyde,theorangutaninthe
movieEveryWhichWayButLoose,youarenotgoingtomovethatleverwithouttakingyourhandoffthepistolgrip.AsfarasAKaccuracyisconcerned,thesightsmakeittough,butthe
constructionmakesitreallytricky.Oh,theywillshootwellenoughontherange.Ifby“wellenough”youmeangetahitonapersonwithintypicalcombatdistances.Themaximumexpectationformostarmiesthesedaysis300meters.InexpectedSovietuse,thatwouldhavebeenastretch.
ThesigninUglichthatleadmetothehouseofKalashnikov.JustnottheKalashnikovwereadabout.
ThetacticsoftheRedArmyontheEasternfrontbearsomereview.TheRedswouldpackartilleryintoasmuchspaceastheyhad,whichtheycalled“hubtohub.”Athousandartillerytubeswouldrainshellsdownontotheobjective,whilethetanksandarmoredcarswouldrollforward.Thetanksoftenwouldhaveanencrustationofinfantryridingtotheobjective.Yes,ifthetanktookahit,theyweremostlygoners,butitbeatwalking.(And,itbeattellingthepoliticalofficer“I’mnotriding,thankyouverymuch.”)OncethetanksrolledovertheGermantrenchline,orintothetownbeingused
asastrongpoint,they’ddismount,andgettowork.Typicalengagementdistanceswerenot300,butprobablymorelike30meters.Thiswastheplanforfuturewars.Afterall,youstickwithwhatworks,right?Thatkindof“minuteoffascist”accuracy,within50meters,wasplentygood
enough.
enough.Now,I’vehadmyfriendDaveFortierregaletheassembledgunwritersand
shooterswithtalesofAKprowess.Howhedroppeda450-metertargetwithanAK.Well,yes.But,itwasinFinland,withFinnishgear.TheFinnishAKatthetimewasbuiltonamilled,notstampedreceiver,andthebarrel(alsomadeinFinland)wasthreadedandscrewedintothereceiver.Notpressed-and-pinned.Andtheammo?Lapua.I’vebeentotheLapuaplant,andifyouthinksteel-cased,volume-made,SovietM43bearsmorethanthevaguestresemblancetoLapuaammo,youarefoolingyourself.Now,I’mnotonetomockM43morethanalittle.Ihavenointerestin
recreatingthedemiseofU.S.GeneralSedgwick,attheBattleofSpotsylvania.(“Why,theycouldn’thitanelephantatthisdistance.”Bang.Thunk.“General?General?”)ThewholepointoftheAK-47wastomakesomethingwithoutspendingalot
ofmoney.Somethingthatwouldbeeasilyexplainedtothetroops,mostofwhomhadarudimentaryeducationatbest.Itcouldbereadilyused,wassufficientlydurable,andintheuser’shandswouldbeeffectiveenoughthatthetroopswouldhaveconfidenceinit.
ThehouseofKalashnikov,therailroadengineer.
Whichbringsustothesubjectofdurability.Yes,youcanliterally“clean”anAK-47byswishingitaroundinaditchfullofmuddywater.I’vewatchedavideoofanAK-47,cachedinMozambiquenearlytwodecadesbefore,beinghauledoutofitsdirt-nap,lubedup,andfired.Doesthatmeantheyallwouldworksoreadily?Andthatnothingelsewould?Twoexamplescometomind.OneisaphotoIsawofNigerianSpecialForces
onmaneuver.SaywhatyouwillaboutThirdWorldarmies,theseguysseemedprettysquaredaway.AndtheywerearmedwithM16A1rifles,completewithtriangularhandguards.Thesecondarefriendsofours,whohaveasoneoftheirvehiclesa1999ChevyLumina.Itisnotanythinganyonewoulddesireasaprestigecar.AndChevydidn’tmakemany,sotherearen’tmanyassamples,butreally,a17-year-oldsedan?Itstillruns,itdoesn’tleakoil,andtheirmechanicisn’tgettingrichoffofit.Andyet,theNigerianSFuseM16A1s.Andourfriendsdrivea1999Lumina.
DoesthismeanthattheM16A1ortheLuminaareamazinglyrobust,durable,andnear-indestructible?Notachance,whatitmeansisthatdespiteeverything,somesamplesofanythingwillpersist.Ifyoumakeenoughofsomething,youwillbeabletofindatleastoneofthemsometimelater.Andasapersonalcomparison,theAR-15isheldbymanytobeamarginally
reliable,fragileandquirkypieceofmachinerythathastobebabiedinorderforittoworkatall.Hmm,assomeonewhohasliterallyburied,dunkedinwater,frozen,driven
overwithvariousvehicles,andotherwiseattemptedtomakevariousAR-15squit,Ican’tsaythatismyexperience.So,whathashappenedtomaketheAKsituationchange?Simple,oncewehadbuiltAKs,andhadachancetousethem,webeganto
rememberourownfoundationmyths.WhataretheAmericanfoundationmyths?Innoparticularorder:weareeach
andeveryoneofusabrilliantmarksman.WearetheinheritorsoftheprowessofDavyCrockett,DanielBoone,SergeantYork,andeveryHollywoodactionstareverseen.WiththeexceptionofthosewhowillinglyliveinNewYorkCity,andareactuallyproudofit,weareamorethancompetentdriver.Infact,butforacrueltwistoffate,wewouldallbeNascardrivers.Weareautomechanicswhocanmakeanyinternalcombustionenginerunlike
atop.Heck,weinventedcars,justaskus.(HerrenDaimlerandBenzmightdisagree,butwefoughtawartosettlethat,didn’twe?)Weareinventors,tinkerers,wanderers,andimprovers.
OK,IhopeImademypoint.Sowhathappenswhenaminimalist,deliberatelycrudeandsimple
mechanismfallsintothehandsofinveteratetinkerers?Why,weimproveit,ofcourse.Thetrickistoimproveitwithoutremovingtheverythingsthatattractedustoitinthefirstplace.Wearenotthefirsttodothis.TheIsraelishavedoneitbefore.Their
evolutionisquiteinstructive.TheyfirstfoughtwithWWII-erapickups—Mausers,Garands,BARs,M1919A6machineguns,etc.Then,theyupgradedtothethen-latestgearsuchasFALsandUzis.TheymadetheGalil,andputalotoftime,effortandmanufacturingabilityintomakingthem.TheythenputinanemergencyorderforM16sandendedupwithwarehousesfullofthem.Duringallthis,therewastheusualgroupofagitatorswhowereextollingtheAKasthebe-allandend-allofsmallarms.Andtheywereeverywhere,hereintheU.S.,inIsrael,inWesternEurope,likearelativewhohascometovisitandjustwon’tleave.UnliketheU.S.Army,wheresmallarmsresearchisviewedasaticket-punchingcareerstep,theIsraelisactuallygaveitatry.Theresultwas,asmentioned,theGalil.TheymadetheGalilasanAKwithergonomicimprovements.Whatthey
foundwasthattheycouldn’tmakeitergonomicenoughwithoutthoroughlyredesigningit.The5.56Galil(therewasno7.62x39Galil)wasnotaseasyhandlingandergonomicasthemuch-malignedAR-15/M16.Andnomorereliable,astheM16provedtobemorethanreliableenough.Andlestthedoubtersraisethespecterofmaintenancedifferences,here’sa
bulletin:theIsraelisarehardongear.Asin,theonlytimemostsmallarmsgetanymaintenanceiswhentheystopworking.Thephrase“benignneglect”comestomind.AndtheM16works,despitethat.Thebig-borecrowdwereparticularlydisappointed,asthe7.62NATOGalil
provedtobesuchaboatanchorthatnoonewouldcarryit.Itendeduplanguishingintheracksofarmoredunits,andothermotorizedpartsoftheIsraeliDefenseForces(IDF).Noonewantedtopacktheweight,andtheextrapowerof
DefenseForces(IDF).Noonewantedtopacktheweight,andtheextrapowerofthe7.62x51wasn‘tworththehaulage.Theyendeduptakingastepbackandre-redesigningityetagain.Andagain.TheRussians,meanwhile,foundthatthe7.62x39,whilegood,wasn’tasgood
asthe5.56.Sotheyinventedoneoftheirown,the5.45x39.TheoriginalplanwastoradicallyimprovetheAK,inthenew5.45chambering,andgetaleaponeveryoneelse.Alas,theyfoundthatMarxisttheoriesabouteconomics,whenconfrontedwiththerealworld,areprettymuchfornaught.(ToobadWesterneconomistshaven’tlearnedthatlessonyet.)Theyranoutofmoney.TheresultingAK-74wasprettymuchacaliberchangeandmuzzlebrakeupdateoftheoriginal.But,theymadeboatloadsofthemandearlierAKs.Andsodideveryoneelse
whowasweddedtoMarxistideology,ortreatedtoashotgunweddingofsame.Asaresultoftheproductionvolume,AKscanbefoundprettymuch
everywhere.IfyouaskanAmerican,“WhoisKalashnikov?”evenanon-gunpersonwill
tellyou“TheinventoroftheAK-47.”Yes,butwhichone?IstumbledacrossthiswhenIwastravelinginRussiaandsawasignto“Kalashnikovhouse.”Huh?Iwasn’tanywherenearIzvesk.IwasontheriverroutebetweenSt.PetersburgandMoscow,andthereIwasatthehouseofadifferentKalashnikov.ThetownisUglich,andwhileitisanicelittletown,ithashadtheunfortunatedistinctionofbeingontheroutetoMoscow.Thatearneditthehonorofbeingburnedthreeorfourtimes,ransacked,occupiedbyvarioushostileforces,andthenbeingbuiltupagain,thistimeinstoneandmasonry,includinganimpressivecityhallinclassicSovietstyle,builtbeforeeverythingwasslappedtogetherasuglyconcretecubes.WhenIgothomeIdidalittleresearch,anditseemsthatKalashnikovisaprettycommonRussianname.ThatparticularKalashnikovwasVasili,anengineerandinventorwhoworkedonsteamengines.Hewasbornin1849anddiedin1908,sohe’saKalashnikovwhoneversawtheriseoftheSovietsystem.Historycanbefascinating.
Historycanbefascinating.Onanotherrecenttrip,IhappenedtotraveltoBhutan.Itisatinycountry,
tuckedupagainsttheHimalayas,andhasbeenisolatedforalongtime.Mostlyisolatedbecausetheyweretooclosetothemountainsforanyonetobeabletoinvadewithanyassuranceoflockingdownallthepeopleincharge.Theytoohavefoundationmyths.TheyarestronglyBuddhist,andtherearetemples,calledstupas,alloverthe
place.Onewevisitedwasdedicatedtothe“DivineMadman”DrukpaKunley.Bornin1455,heintroducedBuddhismtoBhutanin1499,andalsoadvocatedavery(asin;very)non-monkapproachtoBuddhismofthetime.There’sastupainthePunakhadistrictthatisdedicatedtohim,completewithwoodenandpaintedphallus’ondisplay.And,insidethetemple,nexttothealtar,ontherightside,isaChineseType56AK-47.Ikidyounot.Itiscustomarytohaveabowandarroworbowandquiveronornearthealtar,because,well,Buddhistsarepeacefulbuttheyarenotnecessarilypacifists.AndifyouareaBuddhistwrongfullyattacked,youshoulddefendyourself.
ThisistheBuddhisttempleinBhutandedicatedtothemonkwhobroughtBuddhismtoBhutan.Trustme,there’sanAKinthere.
How’ditgetthere?Well,backinthelate1990sandearly2000s,AssamseparatistsweredrivenoutofIndiaandsettledinBhutantocontinuethestruggle.BhutanaskedtheIndiangovernmenttotakecareoftheproblem,butintheviewoftheKingofBhutan,theIndiangovernmentseemedmoreeagertosetupmilitarybasesinBhutanthanactuallysolvetheproblem.SoheorderedtheBhutanesegovernmenttosettleitthemselvesbytalking.Afteryearsoffruitlessnegotiations,theKingpersonallyvisitedtheremote
campstheAssamseparatistshadestablishedinBhutan.Thestory,astoldusbyourguide,wentthattheKingcamebearinggiftsofapples.Hedistributedthemineachcamp,asapeaceoffering.However,hehadstartedwithaverypreciseinventoryofhowmanyappleshe
took,andtrackedhowmanywerehandedoutineachcamp.Asaresult,whentheRoyalBhutaneseArmyswoopedin,theymanagedtoclearoutthousandsofseparatists,from30camps,intwoweeks,withminimallossoflife.Well,
separatists,from30camps,intwoweeks,withminimallossoflife.Well,Bhutaneselife.AsaresultoftheKing’svisits,theyhadaccurateheadcountsforeachsettlement,whichmadethingseasier.Theyhandedthepeople,andmostoftheequipment,overtotheIndian
government.ButtheKinghadasmallnumberofthecapturedAKsdistributedtosignificantplacesinBhutan.This,thetempleestablishedforthemonkwhobroughtBuddismtoBhutan,isonesuchplace.Andforthosewhowillscoffandsay“Thistaleisworthlesswithoutpictures,”
Ireply:onedoesnottakephotographsinsideofaBuddhisttemple.Onlyabarbarianwoulddoso,andourheretoforepacifistguidewillstudiouslyignorethebeat-downthe“pacifist”monksinthetemplewilladminister,shouldyoutry.I’mnotstupid,Ibehavedmyself.
AKREALITYSo,wenowfindourselvesinwhatmightbecalledthe“AK2.0”eraorthe
FourthAmericanAKera.Wehave,asIpredictedinthefirstvolumeofthisbook,reachedthetimeoftheallU.S.-madeAK.Theanti-gunside,notreallygraspinghowthesethingsaremade,triedtoslowlyclampdownandmakethemunobtainable.Manufacturers,startingwiththepartsandreceiverstheyhadtomaketoensure922(r)compliance,foundtheyhadtomakebarrels.Well,bythatpointitwasprettyeasytogearupforthefew(relativelyspeaking)partsleft,andmakeanAKfromscratch,allintheU.S.Thisdid,however,makethemmoreexpensive.But,we’vegottenusedtothat.
Sure,atthepeakofthepartskitsboom,youcouldsourceakitforamere$79.Butthemoredesirableoneswerestillinthe$179range.Addinareceiver,theU.S.-compliantparts,laborandre-finishing,andabuiltAKbackthenwasstillrunning$400-500,maybemore.Importedones,alreadyassembled,ranprettymuchthat.ChangeitalltoU.S.-made,andthepricegoesupto$650.Whichmayseem
likeanoutrage.“Icanbuyapartskitfor$79,andyouwanttentimesthat?”Youcouldbuyapartskit,backthen,for$79,butnotanylonger.
couldbuyapartskit,backthen,for$79,butnotanylonger.AndcomparedtothecostofanAR,a$650AKiscompetitive.Today,itisentirelypossibletosourcearelativelyplainAKthatislistedat
$1,500.However,themarkethasspoken,andtheAKoftodayisnottheAKofyesteryear.Thepartskitshadmanyproblems.Thingslikebentbarrels,tiltedfrontsightassemblies,andheadspaceodditieswerenotunknown.Today,peoplebuyinganAKhavetheexpectationthatthoseproblemswillnotbethere.Andiftheyare,theyhavenoqualmsaboutcomplainingwithfullexpectationthattheproblemorproblemswillbecorrected.Today’sAKsarefarbetterthanevenafewyearsago,andlightyearsaheadof
whattheWarsawPactmade.We’regoingtolookintothat,andreportonwhatyoucanexpect.Andwe’ll
avoidmyths,otherthanthefoundationones.
CHAPTER2HISTORYOFTHEAK
THEBIGGESTTACTICALCHANGESINsmallarmscameattheendofthe19thcentury.Thearmiesoftheworldwentfromsingle-shotbreechloadingrifles(liketheBritishMartiniandtheAmericanTrapdoorSpringfield)torepeatingrifles,chamberedincartridgesusingthenewsmokelesspowder.Inventorshaddevelopedtwoofthethreeessentialsforareliableself-loadingrifle.Ofthethree,twoaremajor,andmust-haves.Thethirdisarefinementandcanbegottenaround,butlackingitdoeslimitthedesignsthatcanbeused.Thetwomajorimprovementsaresmokelesspowerandtheself-contained
cartridge.Whileitispossibletoconstructaself-loadingriflethatcouldrunonblackpowder,itwouldbesuchamaintenancehogthatitwouldn’tbeworththeeffort.Scrubbingtheblackpowderfoulingoutofabarrelisworkenough,butdoingsotoagassystem?Let’sgetreal.No,untiltheFrenchchemistPaulVieilledevelopedPoudreB(PowderBlanche,orwhitepowder,todistinguishitfromblackpowder)thevariousformulationsofguncottonweretoosharpinburningrateandtoounstabletobeusedinfirearms.Oncetheprocesstotameguncottonhadbeendeveloped,therestwasrefinement.Burningwithmorepower(greaterefficiency,lessresidue)PoudreBallowedforhighervelocities.Whichleadtotheneedforcopperorbrass-jacketedbullets,whichleadtospitzer-pointbulletsforgreateraerodynamics,andfinallytotherepeatingriflewithgreatrangethatalmostalltheworld’sbestarmieswerearmedwithpriortoWWI.Theself-containedcartridgewasnecessary,asthereissimplynootherwayto
handlepowder,bullet,andignitionsource(theprimer)inarepeatingrifle.
Ship’scannonsandthelargerartillerypiecesusedbagsofpowderandapriming/sealingcaseheadwellthroughWWIIforthebiggestguns.Butsuchasystemforaninfantrymanissimplyabsurd.
WhiletheSovietsweregoingtoalightercarbine,theWestinsisted(mainlybecauseoftheU.S.)onstickingwithafull-powerrifle,likethisG-3.
TheAK-74andtheM-4areroughlythesamesizeandweight.Andshootbulletsthatareroughlythesame.
Withthestockfolded,theAK(herea’74)isshorterthananM4withitsstockcollapsed.
Thelast,andrefinementpart,istheprimer.Anon-corrosiveprimer,thatis.Theearliestprimingcompoundswerequitenasty.Themostcommonwasamixtureoffulminateofmercuryandgroundglass.Thefulminatewasbriskenoughtoignitepowderbutrequiredthegroundglasstoprovideasourceoffriction.Themercuryalsocontaminatedthebrasswhenfired,makingitbrittleovertimeandunsuitedforreloading.ThegreatvolumeoffoulingfromblackpowderhadsodiminishedthemercuryenteringthebrassthatblackpowdercartridgesignitedbyF-Mprimershadnoproblem.That,andthehabitofshooterstocleantheirfreshlyfiredbrassbydroppingeachintoajugorwater,orwaterwithvinegar.Thefoulingwasdissolvedbeforethemercuryinitcouldhaveanyeffectonthebrass.Smokelesspowdersimplydrovethemercuryintothebrassathighpressureandmadeitunreloadable.Thiswas,however,aconcernmostlyforuscrazyAmericans.Whichleadtothedevelopmentoftheleadstyphnateprimer.TheL-Sprimerwas(andis)incrediblystable,stillworkingwith100%certaintydecadesafterhavingbeenloadedintoacartridge.However,thecombustionresidueishygroscopic;itattractsmoisture.(Ihaveanammocanfullof.45ACPmanufacturedduringWWI.Despitetheirage,nonehasyetfailedtofirewhenrequested.Suchisthestabilityovertimeoftheearlyprimingcompounds.)
TheFALusesastock-containedrecoilspring.Itwasn’teasytomakeamodeloftheFALwithafoldingstock.
WastheM1Carbinethefirst“assaultrifle?”No,butitdidprecedetheAK-47.
Moistureleadstorust,andrustintheactuatingsystemofaself-loadingrifleisbad.Thenatureofpowdermanufacturingleadmanyshootersastrayinhowtheyviewedcorrosivecartridges.Sinceacidisusedinthemanufactureofpowder,itwasforalongtimeassumedthattheacidsofthepowderwerebeingdrivenintothe“pores”ofthesteel.Oncethere,itobviouslyrustedthesteel.Thisiswrong.
the“pores”ofthesteel.Oncethere,itobviouslyrustedthesteel.Thisiswrong.First,steeldoesnothavepores.Theremaybesub-microscopicjointsbetweenthecrystallinestructureofthesteel,butnopores.Second,theacidsinthepowderhavebeenfirstwashedawayinmultiplerinsingoperations,thenanythatmightbeleftarecounteractedbyamildbasicsolutionandchemicalstabilizers.The“solution”tothe“acidinthesteel”problemwastoscrubthebore
repeatedlywithlanolin-basedborecleaners.Thewaterinthecleaningsolutionscrubbedtheprimerresidueoutofthebore,andoncelightlyoiledtheborewasfine.
TheejectionportonthisSpringfieldmarksitasonemadeforthePedersenDevice.
ThecomplicatedrearsightoftheSpringfield.Markedoutto2,700yards,thesightishopelesslyoptimistic.
CorrosiveprimerswereinuseintheWestuntilthemid-1950s,andinEasternEuropeeventhroughthe1990s.Eventoday,ammunitionthatislistedas“non-corrosive”fromtheeastisinmanycasesstillmildlycorrosivebyWesternstandards.AsanyonewhohasshoppedforammofortheirAKknows,corrosiveprimers
arenotahindrancetotheKalashnikov.But,thatisonlybecauseofMikhail’scleverness,andtheabilityoftheSovietUniontohardchromeplatevariousparts.Manyotherdesignsflounderedonthecorrosiveprimerproblem.Oneoftheearliestself-loadingrifleswastheRemingtonModel8,designedbyJohnMosesBrowningandfirstofferedforsalebyRemingtonin1906.The“8”usesasystemknownasthe“long-recoil”action,thesamesystemfoundintheAuto-5shotgun.Inthelong-recoilaction,theboltandbarrelarelockedtogetheratfiring.Theyrecoiltogether,eachcompressingitsownactionspring.Attheendoftherecoilstroke(the“long”inlong-recoilmeansthetravelismorethanthelengthofaloadedcartridge.Short-recoilactionislessthanthecartridgelength)
theboltandbarrelunlock,andwhiletheboltisheldback,thebarrelisdrivenforwardbyitsactionspring.Justbeforeittravelsfullyforward,ittripstheboltlock,andtheboltthenfollowsthebarrelforward.Inallthisshuttling,theemptycaseisremovedfromthechamberandejected,thenextroundfedoutorallowedtoriseinthemagazine,thenchamberedbytheboltgoingforward.
Onevirtueofthepost-warAK-47iscompactness.NexttoitisaSpringfieldandaMosin.
TheMosin-Nagantrearsight,noaperture,butmarkedoutto2,000meters.Asif.
Thebigadvantageisthatthesystemdoesnotusegasasthemeansofworkingthemechanism,socorrosiveprimingdoesn’tmatter.Itiseasytowashtheboreclean,andthere’snogassystemtocomplicatethecleaning.Also,theactionworkswithinabroadrangeofbulletweightsandvelocities,almostirrelevanttotheburningrateofthepowder.Thedisadvantagesaregreaterweight,extraparts,andtheneedtoenclosetwopowerfulactionsprings.Also,inthecontextofarmedcombatintheveryearly20thcentury,itisdifficulttomountabayonetonaRemingtonModel8,oranylong-recoilfirearm.Bayonetswerestillofextremeimportancetothemilitarymindsofthefirstcoupleofdecadesofthe20thcentury.
TheAK-74wassupposedtobeagreatleapforward.Itendedupbeingagoodrifle,butnotthewonderweapontheSovietshaddesired.
Asasportingrifle,theM-8isfine.Asamilitaryrifle,itwouldnothavebeenrobustenough.Still,hadsomeoneinmilitarycirclesseriouslyapproachedBrowningatthattime,I’msurehewouldhavebeenabletocomeupwithsomethingbettersuitedtocombat.ThenextmodeltoshowupistheStandard,aself-loadingrifleintroducedin
1915thatalsocouldbechangedtoapumpaction(shadesofthe1980sSPAS-12shotgun).Gasoperated,itsufferedfromthesametwoproblemsthatallself-loadingrifleswouldforthenextcoupleofdecades:variabilityinpowderburnrateandcorrosiveprimers.Inabolt-actionrifle,aslongasthepeakpressureoftheburningpowderdoes
notexceedacertainlevel,theburnrateofthatpowderhardlymatters.Yes,you’llhavevariancesinmuzzlevelocity,butahundredfeetpersecondoneway
ortheotherhardlymatters.Inaself-loadingrifle,burnrateisofvitalimportance.Iftherateistooslowortoofast,thegaspressureattheportwillvary.Theactioncanbeover-orunder-driven.Botharebad.Addtothatcorrosioncausedbytheprimers,andmanydesignsprovedtobebalky,unreliableoutsideofarangeortrainingenvironment,orsimplytemperamental.OnesystemthatmanyinventorstriedoverandoveragainistheBangsystem.There,themuzzleoftheriflehasacuporreversedconewithaholethroughwhichthebulletpasses.Themuzzleblasthitsthecuporcone,drivingitforward.Alevertransferstheforwardjerkoftheconetoarearwardthrusttotheaction,andunlockstheboltanddrivesitagainstitsactionspring.WhiletheBangsystemismuchmoreforgivingofpowderburnrates(thepressuresofalmostallpowderswillhaveevenedoutbythetimetheyreachthemuzzle,24inchesawayfromthechamber)itismuchlessforgivingofcorrosion.Thelargeareaofthecone,andthebearingsurfacewhereitslidesbackandforth,providemuchmoreareaforcorrosion,andmoreresistancetomovementoncecorroded.
Whentheworld’sarmiesgaveuplow-velocityblackpowderleadbullets,theywentwithwhatseemedlike“smallbores”atthetime.Left,the.45-70,then7.92x57,7.62x54R,.303and.30-06.
TheFederovAvtomatusedashort-recoilsystem,mechanically-drivenwhich,liketheRemingtonModel8,didnothavetoworryaboutcorrosiveprimers.Anotherroadblockthathamperedself-loadingdevelopmentwastheinsistence
byeverymilitarythatlookedintoitthatnewrifleshadtochambertheexactsamecartridgesoftheirexistingbolt-actionrifles.Theinsistenceonafull-powerriflecartridge,whileatthesametimerequiring(inalmosteveryinstance)ariflethatwasnotanylongerorheavierthantheexistingbolt-action,madelife
thatwasnotanylongerorheavierthantheexistingbolt-action,madelifeimpossiblefortheinventor.TheAmericanexperienceisillustrative;theU.S.Armyinsistedonaself-loadingriflethatusedthesame.30-06asthe1903Springfield.(Thevarioustestboardssuggestedsomethingsmallerincaliber,butintheend,itwas.30-06.)The1903Springfieldisa7.5-poundriflethatislight,trim,handyandwell-balanced.TheGarandthatreplacedit,whilethesamelength,wasnearlytwopoundsheavier,notastrim,andnotaswell-balanced.Thatitwasareliableandaccurateself-loadingriflewasthevirtuethatmeantitsadoptionandlateradoration.TheGerman98KwasprettymuchthesameastheSpringfield.(Indeed,the
SpringfieldwassoderivativeoftheMauser,andfolloweditsosoon,thatMausersuedandwon,collectingroyaltychecksrightupuntilAmericajoinedWWIonthesideoftheAllies.)ReplacementriflesforitwereinmuchthesamepredicamentastheGarand—heavier,notaswell-balanced,andwhosesolevirtuewasself-loading.Iftheylackedsomewhatinthereliabilitydepartment,soldierssolvedthatproblembyhavingotherweaponshandy.
COMBATLESSONSThearmiesinitiallyengagedinWWIIwereusingthesameriflesthattheyhad
intheearlierwar.Solet’sgobackandseejusthowtheygotthere.PriortoWWI,aninfantrycompanycommanderlackedmuchofwhatwasconsideredessentialbytheendofWWII,andwithoutwhichwecannotconceiveofcombatoperationstoday.Hehadnotrucks,noradio,andnocloseairsupport.Lackingaradio,hecouldnotcountonartillerytobe“oncall”buthadtodependonscheduledbarrages.MortarswouldbereinventedinthetrenchesofWWI,andtheuseofrocketshadbeenabandonedaftertheirmiserablefailurestimeandtimeagaininthe19 century.Evenifhehadhadmortarsorrockets,hecouldnotcountontransport,ashisunitsownmuleswouldhavebeenfew,dedicatedsolelytocarryingfoodandwater.Ifhehadamachinegun,itposedbiggerheadachesthanadvantages.Amachineguninpre-WWItimeswasheavyand
th
water-cooled.AsingleMaximorVickersran75pounds,plustripodandcondensercan.Asinglegun,withausefulcombatloadofbeltedammunition,wouldtipthescalesatnearly300pounds.Allofwhichhewouldhavecarried(sometimesliterally)onthebacksofhismen.Whathehadathisdisposalwereahundred-or-somenandtheirrifles.
Differentarmieslearneddifferentlessons.Stationedinthewide-openplainsoftheU.S.,theAmericanArmylearnedthevalueoflong-rangeshooting.Militarypromotionboardstookintoaccounttheriflescoresandabilitytoestimaterangeofthecandidatesbeforethem.Riflequalificationsincludedfiringonmovingtargetsoutto900yards.TheBritishArmy,afterbeingroughlyhandledbytheBoers,learnedfastboltmanipulation.Theabsoluteminimumstandard,belowwhichyoucouldnotserve,wastenaimedshotsaminute.Skilledriflemencouldeasilybestthat,someevendoubleit.
TheGermanswantedadditionalfirepower,sotheydevelopedadual-magazinemagwellfortheirMP- ⁄ submachineguns.
RifletextsfromtheperiodcallforofficersandNCOstocloselysupervisethefiringoftheirmen.Forexample,anofficerwouldindicatetotheSergeantunderhimthataparticularfarmhousewasdeliveringfireontheirposition.TheSergeantwoulddetailagrouptofireonthefarmhouse,assigningwindowsandcornerstomen.Ifanearbyfoldofgroundwasseentohaveenemysoldiers,theSergeantwoulddirecttheirfirebyadjustingtheirtargeting:“Twosightwidthsleftofthefarmhouse,100yardsfurtheraway,nearthefence.Thecreaseinthepasture.Onemagazineeach.”Eachsoldiersodirectedwouldlocatetheposition,adjusthissight,fireamagazineandawaitcorrections.
Showingthegapbetweenriflesandsubmachineguns,wehavethe9mm,7.62French,and8mmNambu,aheadofa.30-06.
Withgoodsights,practice,powerfulcartridgesandopenground,aninfantrycompanycouldmaketheterrainforathousandyardsforwardofitdangerousforanyonetoenter.ToobadthatinthetrenchwarfareofWWInothingexistedforariflepast100
yards.Tocompoundtheproblem,theriflesightsinexistencewereallregulatedforlong-rangeshooting.Thatis,thesightsweresetforaman-sizedtarget,inthe
38 40
open,atdistance.A“combatsight”or“combatzero”involvedaimingatyouropponent’sbeltbuckleandstrikinghimatellingblowoutto400yards.Youneednotadjustthesights,providedhewasupright.Thetrajectoryofthebulletwouldriseabovethesight(andthebeltbuckle)andthenfallbackdown.Anywherefrombayonetdistanceto400yards,youwouldstrikeastandingmansomewherebetweenthebeltbuckle,uptothehead,andbackdowntothepelvis.Itdidn’ttakelongforeveryonetolearn:don’tstandupright.Ariflesozeroed,whenfiredat100yards,commonlystrikesthetargetanywherefromsixinchestoafoothigh.Youhavetowonderhowmanydoughboyssurvivedbecausealltheriflesinusehithighattrenchdistances.ByWWII,noonestoodintheopen.Machinegunswerecommonandbecame
alotmoreso.AutomaticriflesliketheBARandBrengunaddedvolumeoffire.Artillerybecameresponsive,firstwithfieldtelephonesand,later,radio.Butstill,theauthoritiesinsistedonfull-powercartridges.TheAmericansstuckwiththe.30-06.TheBritishwith.303.TheGermanswith7.92Mauser(andHitlerpersonally)putastoptothedevelopmentof“sub-power”rifles,althoughnotforlong.TheSovietsdidn’t,butnotbecausetheyweresoforward-looking.Simplyput,youcanmanufacturerarackfullofsubmachineguns,orSMGs,forthetime,effort,materials,andskilledlaborittakestomanufacturerapairofMosin-Nagantbolt-actionrifles.TheSovietsneededvolume,sotheymadelotsandlotsofSMGs.Asaresult,theylearnedalotfastertheadvantagesofvolumeoffire,lowrecoil,andhighcapacity.TheBritishactuallyveeredfurtherawayfromtheconceptofanassaultrifle
cartridgeatfirst,butaftertheycametotheirsensestheyjuststuckwiththe.303.Theiridea,inthefirstdecadeofthe20 century,wastopumpupthe.303British.Theywantedwhatamountstoa7mmRemingtonMagnum.TheplanwasforittobewrestledintothenewP-13rifle,whereitwouldofferlongerrange,flattertrajectoryandgreaterstrikingpowerthanthe.303.HavinghadtheirbuttskickedbytheBoers,theBritishwereveryinterestedinnothaving
th
thathappenagain.However,thewideopen,rollingcountrythattheywereinduringtheBoerWarwasnottobeduplicatedforalongtime,ifever.Incitiesandjungles,thechancesfora500-yardplusshotarefewandfarbetween.Itwasn’tuntilafterWWIIthattheBritishdecidedtogetawayfromthefull-powerrifle.Thentheywenttothe.280Enfield,whichwouldhavebeenquitethedeal.The.280Enfieldfeatureda130-grainbulletof.276-inchdiameter,ataround2,400fps.Thesleekbulletwouldhavehadadecentlyflattrajectoryandmildrecoil.
AtthestartoftheassaultrifledevelopmentwastheMKb42(H).Fromthenon,itwasmeredetail.
Alas,theAmericansinsistedonnothinglessthanthefullstrikingpowerofthe.30-06,intheformofthe7.62/.308,andtheBritishattemptfailed.TheBritishendedupdoingastheBelgianshad,scalinguptheFALtothesizeneededtohandlethe“.30-06Short”or ⁄ x51cartridge..308 7.62
Cartridgesfromduringthewar,andpost-war.Ontheleft,the7.92x33,then7.62x39,theCzech7.62x45,a7mmFN,andthe.308.
WhentheSovietsdecidedtoimprovetheAK,theyendedupwiththe5.45x39(right).Itcloselycopiestheperformanceofthe5.56inthemiddle.
TheAmericanexperienceencompassesthreephases:“BeforeGarand,”“DuringGarand,”and“AfterWar”periods.JohnGarandstartedworkingonaself-loadingrifleintheearly1920s.AstheArmywasstillverymuchweddedtothe.30-06inthattime,hehadtomakehisgunsinthemostpowerfulcartridgeeverissuedinarepeatingrifle.Hisinitialeffortsusedanovelprinciple:thesetbackoftheprimer,blowingpartlyoutofthecartridgecase,whichactedto
unlockthemechanism.Atthesametime,theOrdnanceDepartmentwasworkingonsealingprimersintothecasestopreventblowoutsthatwouldtieupmachineguns.Oncethecrimped-inprimersbecameaccepted,Garand’sdesignhadtobescrapped.Meanwhile,theArmywasconductingexperimentswithexistingself-loadingrifles.TheypurchasedRemingtonModel8s,equippedthemwithaperturesights,andbeganconductinglive-firefieldtrials.Now,theM-8isnotatallsuitedformilitaryuse.Thelong-recoilactionisn’tparticularlysuitedtotherigorsofmud,dust,dirt,andrain.AndthestandardM-8isreloadedfromthetop,withindividualroundsorstripperclips.But,the.30Remingtoncartridgecouldhavebeensomething,ifonlythetrialswereactuallystudiedformorethanjust“fireandmaneuver.”The.30Remingtonisahuntingcartridge,andassuch,ithasa170-grainround-nosedbulletatjustover2,000fps.Whatif?Whatifsomeonehadbeenpayingattention?Theycouldhaveshortenedthecaseneck(youdon’tneedalongneckexceptfora170-grainbullet),decreasedtheweightandmadetheroundnoseapointedone.They’dhavehada.30-caliberriflelaunchinga125-grainbulletat2,300to2,400fps.
IfonlytheSovietshadusedastandardcaseheadsize,IwouldhavebeenabletocreateammoforourlonelyMaadi.
TakethebasicM-8action,fitaboxmagazine,andswapoutthelong-recoilactionforapiston-drivenone.In1925,theU.S.ArmycouldhavehadaSturmgewehr.ButtheyconductedtheM-8trials,andthenwentonwithareplacementfortheSpringfield.
ModernSovietandRussiansmallarmsdevelopmentshaveparalleledtheWest.HereweseeanAK-74withagrenadelauncherunderneaththebarrel.PhotobyGunnerySgt.DonaldE.Preston
USMC
WhentheU.S.didchangethe.30-06pre-war,theysimplymadeitaflat-basebulletof150grainsandcalledit“Ball,M2.”
TheGarandtrialshadanotherhitchforJohnGarand:the.276Pedersen.ThecartridgeandtheriflePedersendevelopedweretobeanewapproachtotheself-loadingrifle.Theriflewasn’tsohot:itwasbasicallyaLugeractionscaled-uptoriflesize.Assuch,itrequiredwaxedcartridgesduetoitsmechanism’slackofprimaryextraction.(Therotationofthecasewhentheboltturnsbreaksthebondbetweencaseandchamberwalls.)However,thecartridgeshowedpromise,andtheArmyconductedtestsonpigs.Theyfoundthatthe.276workedwellenoughtomeritconsideration.
tomeritconsideration.
Now,insteadofsubmachineguns,the“experts”wantaPersonalDefenseWeapon.ThatmeanscartridgesliketheFN5.7,insteadof(ltor)9x18,9mmParabellum,5.7,.45ACP.
Thelongerabulletis,thefasterthetwistmustbetokeepitstable.PhotobyDavidFortier
Oneadvantagetothe5.7iscompactness.Youcanstuff500ofthemintoalunchbox.
JohnGarandwasnotdumb.Hemadetwoprototypes,onein.276Pedersen,andonein.30-06.TheArmyboardconsideringtheriflerecommendedadoptionoftherifleandendorseditin.276.ThenChiefofStaffGeneralDouglasMacArthurnixedthat,citingthewarehousesfullof.30-06.Thearmyhadarifle,andGarandwasfamous.The.30-06ofthetimewasarobustcartridge:launchinga173-grainbulletat2,700fps.ThelaterM2loadwasa150-grainerat2,800fps.AtthebeginningofWWII,wefoundweneededadifferentweapon,
somethingbetterthanapistol,buthandierthanarifle.Thecarbine,intheformoftheM1Carbine,wasquicklyadopted.Perhapstooquickly.Whilelightandhandy,thecartridgewasn’tquiteuptowhatyou’dwantinafightingrifle.Itlauncheda110-grainround-nosedbulletatanominal1,900fps.Inbothweightandvelocity,that’sastepbackfromthelaterM-43Sovietcartridge.Butitwas
andvelocity,that’sastepbackfromthelaterM-43Sovietcartridge.ButitwascertainlyawholeloteasiertoshootthanthetypicalriflecartridgeofWWII,typicallya170-grainbulletatsomethinglike2,700fps.TheCarbinewasperhapsabittoofragile,too,somethingthatevensixmonthsoftestingcouldhaveprevented.Butitbecameubiquitousandthevariousproductionplantsmanufacturedsixandahalfmillionoftheminfouryears.TheM2Carbine,aselect-fireversion,camebeforewar’send.
WealmosthadasmallercaliberbeforeWWII.Butthatgotaxedduetobudgetconstraints.
OneofthefirstandbestimportswastheFEGSA-85.
RussiausedtheMaximgun,chamberedin7.62x54R.Fullpower,heavy,butworththeweight.
The5.45cartridgeandasectionedbulletnexttoit.PhotobyDavidFortier
Realmilitarysurplusammocomesin“sardinecans,”twotoacrate.
DuringWWII,theGarandservedadmirably.However,inKorea,thereweredoubtsabouttheGarand.Specifically,therecoilmadeitdifficulttofirequicklyandaccuratelyenoughtodealwiththe“humanwave”attackstheChinesemounted.Anddespiteitsaccuracy,studentsofthewarcouldfindnoinstanceofwhereamovingbodyofChineseintheopenatdistancewerediscouragedfromtheattackordrivenbackbyriflefirealone.Atthetrenchline,theM1andM2Carbinesservedwell,providedtheyhadn’tbeenover-usedpriortothefinalassault.Thatandthesub-zerotemperaturesofKoreanwinterswerehardonthem.Long-rangeriflefirewasn‘tallitwascrackeduptobe,andtheCarbinewastoofragileforgeneralissue.Despitethelessons,theshortercaseforthe.30-06,madepossiblebypowderdevelopments,becamethenewcartridge.Itwastobeeverything:lightmachinegun,rifle,submachinegun,carbine,all-in-one
beeverything:lightmachinegun,rifle,submachinegun,carbine,all-in-oneuber-rifle:theM-14.Toobadreallifehasawayofmessingwithbeautifulplans.
Bothsidescapturedlotsofweaponsandequipment.ThisisanMP40capturedontheEasternFront,andondisplayinamuseuminMurmansk.
Thiscratehasalreadyhadthecanopenermisplaced.Losetheopener,andyou’reinforalotofwork.
GERMANYDuringWWI,theGermans,nodummies,lookedintoreplacingorimproving
theKar98rifle.However,switchingriflesinthemiddleofawarisanexperimentnooneintheirrightmindwishedtoentertain,sotheideawasdropped.TheGermansworkedonsmallercartridgesbetweenthewars.Inthe1930s,bothprivatefirmsandtheArmyWeaponsDepartmentwereworkingonsmallarms.WhattheArmywantedinamachinecarbinewassomethingthatweighednomorethanthestandardrifle,andifpossiblewouldbelighter.Thatitbesimple,ruggedanddurable.Thatitbeselect-fire,andhaveacontrollablecyclicrate.
AmonumentinMurmansk,tothedefendersintheGreatPatrioticWar.Itissolidconcrete,andthosearepeopleatthebase.
Theexperimentscenteredonshortcasesandbulletsinthe7to8mmdiameters.However,thewarchangedeveryone’splan.Theresultingcartridge,simplytoeaseproduction,usedthesamecaseheaddiameterastheexistingcartridges,andthesamebulletdiameter.Why?Thinkaboutit.Experimenterscouldeasilyobtainsmallproductionbatchesofcartridgecasesiftheplantonlyhadtomakesomesmallchangesinthetrimlengthsandthefinalshape-sizingdies.Topunchoutnewbrass,andformittoanewrimdiameter,isnotachangethatyoucandoinbetweenregularproductionruns.Dittobullets,whichsimplyrequiredadjustmentsinjackettrimlengthandcoreswageweights.Barrelscould
bemadefromproductionblankshandliftedfromtheregularproductionline.TherestoftheexperimentationcouldbedoneinasmallR&Dshop“out
back”andnotinterferewithregularproductionneededforthewareffort.So,the7.92x33cartridgewasborn.AndstuffedintothevariousM-42
prototypesandsentofftothefront.Bytheendofthewar,theStg- ⁄ waswelldevelopedandusedasthemeasureofallpost-warR&Defforts.
Riflesusingfull-powercartridgesmustbelarge,heavyandlong—andtheystillhavelotsofrecoil.Herewehavearackofarmorer’sFALs,machinedtoshowtheinteriorparts.
44 5
ARussianattacksubindrydockinMurmansk.OnethingyougetusedtoseeinginRussiaisrust.
CZARIST/SOVIETColonelFedorovdevelopedtheAvtomatbeforeWWI.Originallyintendedto
useaproprietarycartridge(thestandard7.62x54RRussiancartridgebeingentirelyunsuitedforthispurpose)hehadtoswitchduringthewar.TheJapaneseprovided6.5ArisakariflesandammunitiontotheRussians,whohadfoundthemselveshardpressedtoproducewhattheyneededtofightwith.SoFedorovchangedhisdesign,andtheAvtomatwasmadein6.5Arisaka.Itservedwell—duringthewarandafter—inthestrugglesthatleadtothe
Bolshevikscomingtopower.However,oncetherevolutionwasover,theideaofswitchingtoanewideaofrifleswasfar,far,downthelist.WhenWWIIerupted,makingmoreoftheriflestheyalreadyhadconsumedSovietefforts,asithadtheirTsaristpredecessors.NotuntilthedevelopmentoftheM-43cartridge,thentheSKSandfinallythe
AK-47,didtheideaoftheassaultriflecometofruitionintheSovietUnion.Onechangeinriflesthatshouldhavebeenaddressedbutwasn’twassights.If
Onechangeinriflesthatshouldhavebeenaddressedbutwasn’twassights.Iftheexpectedmaximumrangeofengagementwasonly300meters,whydideveryonestickwith1,000-metersights?Orlonger?Tradition,andkeepingthetraditionalistshappy.Whichbringsustotoday.WhatcartridgeswillyoufindfortheAK?The
superficialgun“expert”willscoff,andsay,“Thereareonlytwo:the7.62andthe5.45x39.”Notreally.Yousee,thereareafewothers.Firstupinourlististhe5.56x45.That’sright,thegoodold.223.WhenAmericanconsumersbuysomething,theywanttobeabletobuyitintheflavorstheywant.Yes,whentheAKfirsthitourshoresinvolume,7.62x39ammowascheap.Butsowas.223.Sothe.223chamberingisprettycommon,andyoucanfinditinalotofmodelsandcountriesoforigin.Thelater5.45x39ischeaperstillbutlacksthefollowingofthe.223.Theideabehindnotbeingsoardentonthe5.45isthatifimportsarecutoff,thenyouhaveanorphanrifle.Evenifimportsarecutoffyou’llstillbeabletobuy7.62x39and5.56,sincetheyaremadehere.
TheMP-44,thepenultimateSturmgewher.
Machinegunsruletheterrain.Riflemenmaneuvertotakeadvantageof,oreliminate,thethreatfrommachineguns.Here,IraqitroopslearnthebasicsofthePKM,underthewatchfuleyesof
Marines.PhotobyPfc.JerryMurphy,USMC
Thetrick,then,istomakesureimportsaren’tcutoff.OtherchamberingsfortheAKincludethe7.62x51,8mmMauser,and
7.62x54R.ThefirsttwocometouscourtesyoftheYugoslavians.WhenYugoslaviawasmakingriflesforexport,they’dmakethemforanyonewhohadthemoney.TheyscaledtheAKactionupinlengthandrobustnessandproducedAKderivativesinboth7.62x51and8mmMauser.WhileitmightbeastretchinsomecirclestocalltheSVDanditsclonesanAK,you’dhavetobearealperfectionisttoholdtothatpositionforverylong.
TheactionoftheMP-44wasnearlyidenticaltotheSKS,whichwasdevelopedjustayearortwolater.Thehookontheupperbarpicksupthetailofthebolt,unlockingtheboltbeforedrawingitto
therear.
WhiletheAKplatformisadaptable,therearelimits.ItwouldbemechanicallypossibletofitthefollowingintotheAK,justnottactically,economicallyorrationallypossible.
6.8REMINGTONSPCIheardofonefellow,MartyTerWeemeofTeppoJutsu,whoactually
undertooktheengineeringtomakeanAKin6.8.Sincehe’dbuiltmanyAR-15sinsomewildandcrazycalibersandhadthemworkjustfine,hefigured,“What’sthebigdeal?”Heundertookthingslikearight-sizedboltface,makingabarrel(andtheconcomitantproblemsofpressingithomeandnotchingitforthecrosspin)andthenmagazines.Oh,theproblemswithmagazines.Hefinallythrewhishandsup,andletsomeoneelsewhowasjustdyingtofinishtheprojectbuythe
handsup,andletsomeoneelsewhowasjustdyingtofinishtheprojectbuythepartsfromhim.
WhattheMP-44has,andtheAKlacks,isadustcover.
Asyoucansee,theMP-44isalotmoreergonomicthantheAK-47.Thesafetyisthelever,movedbyyourthumb.Theselectoristhebuttonaboveit,pressedhereforsemi-autofire.
Andwhatadvantage,intermsofterminalballistics,wouldhehavegained?Gee,he’dhaveessentiallyduplicatedthe7.62x39.Andoneoftheadvantagesofthe6.8R-SPCistheaccuracyitprovides,anadvantagethatwouldbelostintransferringittoanAK.Isuspectthatifthe6.8reallytakesoffsomeonewilldotheworktobuildanAKchamberedinitforcommercialsale.Butfornowtheideajustisn’tdoable.
.300WHISPERIsupposeyoucouldmakea5.56AKintoa.300Whisperifyoureallywanted
to.Afterall,themagazineswouldwork,moreorless.Theboltfacewouldberight.Butyou’rebacktoneedinganewbarrel,withallthelatheworkoffittingittothereceiver,andalltheextrapartstothebarrel.IfyoureallywantaquietAK,investthemoneyinagoodsuppressor(whichyou’regoingtoneedwiththe.300Whisperanyway)andthemeansoflashingittoyourAKin7.62x39.
TheRPKissimplyanAKMwithalonger,heavierbarrelanda40-roundmagazine.Here,Iraqisoldiersgetsomerangetime.PhotobyPfc.JerryMurphy,USMC
ArackofPPS-43submachineguns.
Oneadvantageofsubmachinegunsis,duetotheirlowvelocity,theycanbesuppressed.HereisaSterlingwithanintegralsuppressor.
6.5GRENDELThishasalltheproblemsofthe6.8,inspades.Plus,thegreatervigorofthe
6.5meansmorerecoil(itpushesbulletsofthesameweightorheavierasthe6.8acoupleofhundredfeet-per-secondfaster).Asitisalsoaprecisionlong-rangecartridge,the6.5GrendeladvantageisagainlostintheAKtranslation.Thatsaid,Ihavehadanopportunitytoshootamuch-overhauledandrebuilt
AKthathadbeenchamberedin6.5Grendel.IthitwhatIwasshootingat,outtoaveryrespectabledistance,butIreallydon’tthinkithasmuchofachance.EvenintheAR,the6.5isanichecartridge(albeitareally,reallygoodone)sointheAKitremainsaquestionmark.Basically,ifyouthinkyouhaveagoodideaforanewchamberingfortheAK,
thinkagain.Alotofpeoplehavebeenhereaheadofyou,andthechancesthat
whatyouhaveinmindarea)arealadvantageandb)somethingthatwillwork,areprettyslim.NotthatIwanttodiscourageexperimentation,butyouprobablyaren’tthefirstonetothink,“Hey,theAKin.35Remingtonwouldbearealdeerslayer.”
CHAPTER3WHAT’SNEW?
ASCOMMUNISMSPREAD,SODIDTHEmanufacturingoftheAK.ThiswasviewedbytheSovietsasastrengthduringtheColdWar,fortherewouldbelotsandlotsofAKstohandoutwhenitcametimetosettletheinevitabledifferencesbetweenthemodernsocialistmanandtherunning-dogcapitalistsandtheirpropaganda-drivenconsumers.WhentheIronCurtainfell,andvariousworldmarketsopened,theyfoundthatthemanufacturingbaseofAKs,thebasetheyhadsostudiouslycreated,wasnowabadthing,butI’mgettingabitaheadofmyself.ThentheBerlinWallfell,communismasabrandwasdone,andeveryone
whohadbeenbehindthatwallsuddenlyhadtoactuallyworkandsatisfycustomers.Thatdidn’tgoaswellasalotofpeople,Westerneconomistsincluded,hadpredicted,andwithinafewyears,theleadersofformerWarsawPactcountrieswerelookingforwaystokeepthelightson.OneopportunitytheyfoundwasthewarehousesfullofAKs.OK,let’sdoabitofmath.Aninfantrydivisionissomethinglike10,000to
12,000men,dependingonjusthowyoustructuretheirassignmentsandthemissionofthedivision.NotallofthemwillbehandedAKsastheirworktool,you’vegot(justinthedivision,notincludingsupportunits)officers,crew-servedweapons,medics,politicalofficers,etc.Mostofthemwon’tbeissuedanAK.So,let’scallit8,000AKsperdivision,andthisisinaninfantryunit.Anarmoreddivisionwillhavealotfewerofthem,sincethemainweaponisabig-borecannon,inthetankturret.SmallarmswillincludetruckloadsofMakarovsandStechkins,alongwithagooddollopoffolding-stockAKs.
Again,dependingonthestructure,you’vegottwoorthreedivisionstoacorps,andtwoorthreecorpstoanarmy.Addintheartillerysupport,armoredunits,anti-aircraft,etc.Theyallhavemachinestheyservice,buttherewillbeAKsissuedforunitdefenseinanemergency.Afull-upRedArmy,orWarsawPactcountryequivalent,wouldrequiresomethinglike100,000AKsjusttobeproperlydressedinthemorning.FacingtheWest,theRussianshadanarrayofarmy-sizedunitsreadytorolltotheshores,backedup(orleadby,insomeinstances,dependingonthecold-bloodedcalculationsoflossesearlyon)theEastGerman,Polish,BulgarianandRomanianArmyunits.
Don’tletpeopletellyouanAKcan’tshoot.Granted,I’veshotaperfectscoreinthiscoursewithjustabouteverythingI’vepickedup,butyoustillneedabasiclevelofaccuracytogetthejob
done.
TheyneededmillionsofAKsjusttogetoneinthehandsofeachservicemanwhoneededorwastobeissuedone.Thentherewerethereserveunits,trainingunits,cadetschools,Pioneers,NavalInfantry(don’tcallthemMarines,unless
units,cadetschools,Pioneers,NavalInfantry(don’tcallthemMarines,unlessyourelishafistfightwiththenearestUSMCrepresentative)theAirForceandsoforth.EveryoneofthoseAKswasbackedupbyanother,ortwoorthreeinstorage,inwarehouses,readytobeshippedasneeded.EverytimetheysentacargoshipstuffedfullofAKsofftosome
revolutionaryefforttheyhadtoreplenishthestores.That’showtheyendedupsittingonwarehousesfullofAKs,millionsofthem.
(Notjustthe“100million”we’vediscussed.)Andwithabitofwork,disassemblyandchoppingthefull-autoreceivers,theyshippedthemtotheU.S.forcold,hardcash.Abriefdiversionhere.WhenIwasdoingresearchforanearlierarticleontheCzechVZ-58,Icameacrossaninterestingfact;backwhenitwasCzechoslovakia,theyhad500,000VZ-58riflesininventory.Whentheysplitandbecametwocountries,eachofthemsettledonamilitarythatwas50,000strong.Andneithermilitaryneeded50,000VZ-58stoarmeveryone.Andtheyweregoingtomodernizejustassoonastheycouldscrapeupthecashforit.That’swhy,forashortwhile,therewerepartskitsandre-builtsemi-autoonlyriflestobehad.Therewere400,000surplusriflesonthemarket.ThatgivesyousomeideaofthevolumeofpartskitsthatfloodedtheU.S.overadecadeago.Someofyoumightrememberthosedays.Atthepeak,Irecallseeing
completeRomanianAKpartskitssellingfor$79andthecostofshipping.Shootersgottogetherwithfellowgunclubmembers,perhapsatamachineshopofoneofthemembers,orjustoneguy’sgarage,withahydraulicpressandworkbenchinit,andhad“buildparties”wheretheywouldtakethepartskitsand,usinganew,semi-auto-onlyreceivermadeintheU.S.,buildanAK.WearenowenteringtheFourthAmericanAgeoftheAK.DareIrefertoitas
“FAAAK”?TheFirstAgewasAKsmadeofunobtainium.UntiltheChinesewantedto
makethemforus,andexcludingtheRomaniansemi-autoonlyriflesandtheFinnishValmet,therewasnosuchthingasasemi-autoAK.Theywereallselect-fire.(TheRomanianswouldn’tbeshippingthoseaspartskitsuntilthe
select-fire.(TheRomanianswouldn’tbeshippingthoseaspartskitsuntilthe2000s,andtheValmetswerefabulouslyexpensive.)So,there’saphoto,ifyoucanstillfindit,fromtheWoundedKneeincident,backin1973.That’swhenagroupofNativeAmericansheldofftheFedsovercorruptionchargesandfailuretoenforcetreatyobligations.OneoftheAmericanIndianactivistsisstandinginthemiddleoftheroad,anAKheldaloftinonehand.In1973,therewereonlyselect-fireAKs.AndthatonehadprobablybeensmuggledbackfromVietnaminadufflebag.(Justoutofcuriosity,Iwonderifitwaseverrecovered,andwhereitistoday.)Speakingoftheearly1970s,thatiswhentheGalilcameabout.TheIsraelis,
havinghadquitetherompoverfirsttheEgyptians,andthentheJordaniansandSyrians,wereonceagainupgradingtheirdefensesystems.Thistime,alongwithothers,itwastheservicerifle.Theendresultwasaproduct-improvedAK,theGalil.Basically,itwas(andis)amilledreceiverAK,chamberedin5.56,withafewextraergonomicimprovementssuchasacharginghandlethatwaseasiertoreach,asafetyselectorthatyoucould(theoretically)operatewithyourfiringgrip,andahandguardthatactuallykepttheheatofthebarrelawayfromyourhand.Itwasalsomadein.308,achoicethatwasobviousbackthen,because“real
men”shota“realcaliber”rifle.The5.56Galilwasportly.The.308Galilwasananvil.Oh,andithadabuilt-inbipodthatalsodoubledasawirecutter.Iwasrelativelynewtogunsin1972whenithitthenews,andhadexactlynoexperiencewithbarbedwire.ButwhenIsawthenewsfootageofthenewrifle,andthatfeaturebeingtouted,evenIthought…“that’sstupid.”Youwantawire-cutter,getonemadeforthejob,andkeepit(andaspare)inyourpocket.Sometimelater,theGalilbegantoappearonourshores,anditwas
expensive.Whilesomejusthadtohaveit,Ihadachancetoshootsomeofthemandwasunderwhelmed.TheSecondAgeoftheAmericanAKwasthetsunamiofChineseimports.
Theyonlylastedforaboutthreeorfouryears,butthevolumewasstaggering.AtthetimeIwasaregulargunshowattendee(thejobrequiredit,orsoItold
thetimeIwasaregulargunshowattendee(thejobrequiredit,orsoItoldmyself)anditwasn’tunusualatagunshowtoencounteractualpalletsofammocrates,movedontothegunshowfloorwithpalletjacks,forsale.Andpalletsofriflecrates.For$250youcouldhavearifleandacrateofammo.Magazinescostextra,maybeawhole$5each,lessinvolume.Riflesweresocheapthatnooneevenbotheredtofixorupgradethem.Ifitworeout,you’dsimplyscrapit,sellthespareparts(maybe)andbuyanotherone.(AtthetimeIhadthisamusingthoughtofadumpsterinDetroit,withbagsofgarbageandaworn-outAKlayingontop,usedupandtossedout.Amusing,butthatisjustabouthowcheapanddisposabletheAKwasbackthen.)Or,ifyouwerelikeme,youduginandperformedanautopsyontheunresponsiverifle,andfiguredouthowitworked.Backthen,therewasnotalkofhowtoperformabarrelswap,oriftherewereextrabarrelsevenavailable.Forthecostoftakingouttheoldandputtinginthenew,youcouldhavejustboughtanewrifle.
OnethingyoucancountonisthatdamnfewthingsonanAKbreak.Thisisarare,butnot
unknownAR-15break.Badshowandyouneedanewbolt.
TheChicomimportofAKshadthebrakesputonin1989whenPresidentBush(theelder)signedanimportban,whichiswhentheMakarovsstartedpouringin.TheThirdAgecamewithinafewyearsafterthefalloftheBerlinWall,and
westartedtoseeatrickle,thenanothertsunami,thistimeofpartskitsforafixed-stockRomanianAK.Youcouldbuykitsatthepeakofthemarketglutfor$79andup.And,youhadachoice.WherebeforeyoucouldhaveanyAKyouwanted,aslongasitwasaglossy-blueChicomAKwithwoodofdubiousorigins,intheThirdAgeyoucouldhaveanythingfromyourchoiceoftheWarsawPactcountries,asaCosmoline-cakedpileofparts.EastGerman,Hungarian,Romanian,Polish,younameit.IntheThirdAge,youhadtobuildit,ofcourse,andyouhadtohaveenoughU.S.-madepartsinittobe922rcompliant,butmanyviewedthatasachallengeandnotanobstacle.BuildingAKsbecameasocialevent.But,buildingAKswasalsofocusedvery
narrowly.Ifyouwereata“buildparty”youcouldcountononething:youwouldbejudgedonhowcloselyyourbuildhewedtotheacceptedstandardforthattype.BuildanEastGermanAK,and“settle”forafurnituresetthatwasRussian,orGodforbid,HungarianandyoursocialAKstandingwouldsuffer.YoubuilttotheappropriateSovietstandard,oryoukepttheexistenceofyour“mutt”AKtoyourself.Guysevenearnestlydiscussedthepropertintofwoodstaintomatchthecorrectcountryoforigin.InthecurrentFourthAmericanEraoftheAK,webuildergonomicrifles,and
webuildthemhereintheU.S.Whathappened?ItcanbeneatlydescribedbyThomasKuhnandhistheoryofthemodelcrisis.Forexample,considerhowtheworldwas(andstillisbysome,justgoogleFlatEarthTheory)believedtobeflat.Everyoneknewandacceptedthis,exceptforafewcrackpots,upintothe15thcentury(andtodayonYoutube).Noonetraveledfarenough,orinamannerthatchallengedthisidea,andasaresult,theaccepted“knowledge”oftheearth’sflatnesscouldnotbesuccessfullychallenged.Then,suddenly,the
theearth’sflatnesscouldnotbesuccessfullychallenged.Then,suddenly,thePortuguesesailedofftoAsia,goingeast,andColumbusthensailedtotheWestandfoundland.Navigationbecamemorethanjusthuggingthecoast,andtoproperlydescribeit,themathematiciansandnavigatorsofthetimehadtoacceptthattheworldwasround.IntheKuhnapproach,thiscausesa“modelcrisis.”Themodeloftheworldas
flatworksforawhile,butthenitfailstoproperlydescribethechallengeofgettingfromheretothere.Therefore,thereasonssupportingflatearththeorywereprovedwrong.Crisis,wehavetohavenewdescriptors,neworigins,newexplanationsthataccuratelypredictwhatwe’reseeingandexperiencing.Theacceptedbasissuddenlyshiftsfromonetotheother.Yes,that’sright,
he’stheoriginatorofthe“paradigmshift”thateveryonenowknows,orthinkstheyknow.So,whytheparadigmshiftintheAKworld,hereintheU.S?Simple,unlike
therestoftheworld,weactuallyuseourrifles.Alot.Andweownthemourselves.So,oncethethrillofmakinganAK“exactlylikeaSovietAKM,exceptforthegiggle-setting”woreoff,wehadtousethemattherange.AndsincetherewerealotofAKsinprivateAmericanownership,alotofU.S.shootersgotalotofexposuretotheSovietwayofdoingthings.Whentherifleisissued,andusedforashortperiodoftime,andthenhanded
backtotheunitaccountant,whatitis,andhowitworks,reallyisnotofmuchconcern.Aslongastheoneyougotistheoneyouturnin,andallthepartsarethere,whocares?Whenyoupayyourownhard-earnedmoneyforsomething,andyoukeepitanduseit,younowbecomeconcernedaboutdetails.Basically,whatweallfoundoutwasthattheAKwasanun-ergonomicmass
ofsharpedges,unforgivingproportions,andcompromisesthatfavoredonlysimplicity.Itwasjustthesortofthingyoucouldchurnoutinhugevolumes,issuetonear-illiteratepeasants,andwhichwouldstillbeworkingafterthosepeasantswereshotdownindroves.YouthinkI’mbeingsnarky,butreadabouttheEasternFrontandthengetbacktome.Also,inthemodernworld,weviewtheuseofriflesasfightingtoolsandfelt
Also,inthemodernworld,weviewtheuseofriflesasfightingtoolsandfelttheneedforlights,lasersandreddotsightsifnotfull-onmagnifyingoptics.IfyouhewtotheoriginalSovietspecs,thereisnowaytoproperlymountthoseextras.SincetheAKshereintheStateswerepersonallyowned,andeasilyreplaced,
lotsofinventors,experimentersandshooterslookingtohavemorefungottowork.WhichishowwenowhaveamuchwiderarrayofoptionsandaccessoriesfortheAKthanwehadevenadecadeago.Wealsohavethemmadehere.AsIpointedoutandpredictedinthefirstvolumeofthisbook,theincremental
effortsatcontrolbytheanti-gunnerssimplymadethelong-termproblemworseforthem.Notbeingabletostoptheflowcompletely,theytriedtosqueezeitdowninincrementalsteps,attemptingtostoptheflowwithoutactuallyappearingtobetryingtostoptheflow.Well,oneofthebeneficialaspectsofamarketeconomyisthatwhensomethingisdesired,andpeoplewillpay,inventorswillinvent.Manufacturerswillassessthemarket,thecostofentry,andifthenumbersworkout,theywillpopuplikemushroomsafterarainstorm.Also,the922rcomplianceaspectwasanother,gentleboostalongtheway.
OK,whenwewereusingpartskits,youhadtochangeafewparts—thetriggermechanism,pistolgripandfurniture,andthereceiver.Thepistonwasadead-simplepartthatcouldbelathe-turnedoutofrodstockbythelazynephewofthemachineshopowner.Themiscellaneousrivets,plates,etc.wereminordetailsandrelativelycommonindustrialproducts.“What,wecan’tusetheperfectlygoodSoviet-madeJohnsonrodthatcamein
thepartskit?”We’llmakethemhere.”Andsoitwas.“Whatnow?Yousaywecan’tbringintheZarphonbars,either?Well,bleepyou,we’llmakethoseaswell.”Andsoonenough,allthepartsthatcouldbeeconomicallymadehereintheU.S.,were.Andthatbroughtadifferentboom.Yousee,whentheAKswewerebuildingwerereassembledfrombrokendownriflesmadewhoknowswhenandwhere,wewerewillingtoacceptallsortsofshortcomings.Anexamplewouldbebarrels.Whenweusedtheoriginalbarrels,we’dlive
Anexamplewouldbebarrels.Whenweusedtheoriginalbarrels,we’dlivewithcrooked,tilted,off-centerbarrelsandfrontsightassemblies.Afterall,“ThatisthewayitwasmadeinTula.”Gunsmithsandhomebuildersworkedoutupgrades,mods,andrebuildsthatcorrectedoratleastmitigatedtheshortcomingsoftheproductmadeinacommandeconomy.WhentheFedsnolongerpermittedtheimportationofbarrels,itwasnottheend,butthebeginning.Firstofall,post-regulationchange,noonewouldacceptacrookedorbentbarrel.Ifitwasmadehere,andwe’repayingU.S.workman’spricesforthem,weexpectstraightbarrelswithcenteredboresandverticalfrontsightassemblies.Suddenly,withgoodbarrels,webegantoseethatAKsneednotsimplybebullethoses.Barrelswereabigdeal.Theyhadtobereamedandrifled,threadedformuzzle
devices,agasblockattachedandthegasportholedrilled.Therearsightblockneededtobepinnedinplace,aswellasthefrontsighthousing.Ifyouaremakingbarrels,youhavetomakethemfitthefronttrunnion.Thatmeansthewildlyvaryingdimensionsoftheoriginalarsenalarenolongeracceptable.Whenthepartskitscamein,thebarrelandtrunnionshadalreadybeenfittedatthefactory.Now,weweremakingbarrels,andtheyhadtofitwhichtrunnions,exactly?That’saproblem,andyoucaneasilysolveitbymakingyourowntrunnions.Bythispoint,ifyou’reanAKimporterorrebuilder,you’vegotmostofthe
partsbeingmadehereintheU.S.anyway.Thusthefewremainingpartssuchasthereartrunnion,bulletguide,andscopemountbasearetheonlyonesleftthatyouneedtomake.Andifitisallmadehere,youhaveamuchbetterhandleontheQC,dimensionalstabilityandregularsupplyofpartsfromsubcontractors.Forexample,itisaloteasiertofindoutwhatisholdingupyoursupplyofscopemountsfromamakerinIowa,thanitistogetIzhmashonthephoneandfindoutwhytheyaremonthslate.Andkeepingthingsdomesticmeansnoproblemswithcurrencyexchangefluctuations,either.
TheStechkin,bothasidearmandasubmachinegun.Sortof.
Itdidn’thurtthatwiththechangeinmanufacturingtoCNCmachiningcenters,makingpartsbycuttingmetalgotawholeloteasier.IfyouareaCNCmachineshop,andyouhaveaslowdowninbusiness,thenextguywhowalksinthedoorwithanorderisyourbestbuddy.Changebegetschange.Ifwe’regoingtomakeuseofthatextraaccuracy,we
needbettertriggers.Andbettersights.Whileyou’reatit,whynotastockthatactuallyfitsnormalWestern-sized,grownadults,andnotconscriptsfromthesteppes?Hey,maybeafoldingstock,oranadjustableone,oronethatdoesboth?Nowyou’recookingwithgas.Wehavegottentothepointwherewehavetoaskanexistentialquestion:Is
anAK,withastraightandaccuratebarrel,anadult-fittingstock,opticalsights,goodtriggerandlocationstomountalight,laserorotheraccessories,stillanAK?AndwhatdowecallariflethatstartedonpaperasanAK,buthasbeenchangedintosomethingelse,butwithsomeAK-likefeatures?
changedintosomethingelse,butwithsomeAK-likefeatures?WhatistheessentialAK-nessofarifle?Theboltandoperatingrod?Nope,
KalashnikovstolethatfromGarand.Thetriggerdesign?Nope,heistedfromBrowning.Theexternalselector/safety?Uh-uh,thattoocamefromBrowning.Thegassystemabovethebarrel?Hmm,thatoneheliftedfromhisfellowRussianfirearmsdesigners,withtheSimonov ⁄ beingforemost.Ofcourse,hispistonwasconnectedtothecamblockthatrotatedthebolt,unliketheSimonov,buttheconnectednessandbolt-cammingfeaturewasGarandagain.Evenafterwe’vechangedallwecan,werecognizetheresultingrifleasan
AK,because,likepornography,weknowitwhenweseeit.Solet’sseewhatwecandotomaketheAKintoa21st-centuryrifle,evenif
wehavetodragit,kickingandscreaminginRussian,alongtheway.
IsanAKwithatoprail,andared-dotscope,stillanAK?Ithinkso,andsodomostothers.ButhowfarcanwetaketheAK,beforeitisn‘tanAKanymore?
38 40
CHAPTER4HOWTHEAKISMADE
MIKHAILKALASHNIKOVWASAGENIUS.However,therearedifferentkindsofgeniuses.Ifyouhaven’thadtheopportunitytohangaroundwithpeopleatthatlevel,youmightnotknowthattheycanberemarkablydifferent.Intheclassicalmusicfield,Mozartwasagenius.However,hisdifferedfromearliergeniusesinthatwhathedidwastaketheexistingmusicandcombineitwithnewcombinations,patterns,andforms.AnewerexamplewouldbeChuckBerry,EricClapton,andEddieVanHalen.WhatChuckBerrydidwiththeguitarwasnew,whileEricClaptonandEddieVanHalenproducedmusicatanewlevelofvirtuosity.Theirgroundbreakingeffortswereinvirtuosity.
TheAK-47hastheslantedgasblock,theAK-74,theuprightone.Unless,ofcourse,amanufacturersimplyusesAK-74gasblocksonriflesin7.62x39.
manufacturersimplyusesAK-74gasblocksonriflesin7.62x39.
Inthefirearmsfield,JohnMosesBrowning,JohnGarandandMikhailKalashnikovaresimilarlypositioned.EverythingBrowningdidwasactuallynew.Everything.Fromself-loadingpistolsandshotguns,riflesandmachineguns,evencalibers,whathedidwasnewandgroundbreaking.WhenBrowninginventedaself-loadingshotgunthatworked(theA-5),henotonlypatentedtheoperatingprinciple,butthreedifferentwaystoretractthebolttochargethechamber.Nowthat’sinnovationandoriginality.JohnGaranddidwhatnooneelsehadmanagedtodopreviously—hedevelopedaself-loadingrifleinafull-powermilitarycaliber,onethatmettheoverlyambitiousandunrealisticrequirementsoftheU.S.military.WhatKalashnikovdidwastakeseveralexistingdesignsandputthemintoasinglerifle.Icanhearthescreamsnow:“Heresy!TheAKisunique,perfect,
indestructibleandaproductofgenius.Burntheheretic!”ThegeniuspartIcanagreewith,therest,well,you’vebeendrinkingdeeplytheAKKool-Aid,comrade.
Ah,thefinestsocialistmanufacturingqualitystandards.This1983-madeRomanianAKcamecompletewithmachiningchipstillattached.
Kalashnikovborrowedthesafety/selectorfromtheRemingtonModel8.
Aproperaperturesightisclosetotheeye,allowingtheeyetoworknaturally.
TheSovietrequestforanewrifledidnotincludeaccuracybeyondwhatwasneeded.SowhiletheAmericanM14couldberebuiltasasniperrifle,noAKcouldbe.
AmericanM14couldberebuiltasasniperrifle,noAKcouldbe.
TheAKtwo-stagehammer/triggerdesigncomesstraightfromJohnBrowning.HereweseeitinanM14.
Themiddleofthereceiverhasareinforcingpillar,atubeheldinplacewithalongrivet.
WhatarethepartsthatKalashnikovincorporatedintotheAK?First,thepistonandcarrierdesigncomesrightoutoftheM1Garand.Thelongrod,drivenforashortdistancebygassesbeforeitventstotheexterior,isallGarand.Asistheangledcamslotthatactuatesonelockinglugofthebolt.(WinchesteralsoappropriatedthatforuseintheM1Carbine.DittotheU.S.ArmyOrdnancebureauwhentheyscreweduptheM14.Gooddesignsneverfailtobecopied,andRugercopieditagaininthe1970sfortheMini-14.)TheAKboltisalsoaGarandstyle.Itfeaturesopposinglockinglugs,withoneofthemusedastheleverpointofthecarriercamslot,thentravelingwiththecarrierforthelengthofthestroke.Thedouble-hooktriggermechanismisoftheGarand,butJohnGarandborroweditfromJohnBrowning.Thedouble-hooktriggermechanismdatesbacktotheAuto-5shotgunandtheRemingtonModel8rifle.ThesafetyalsocomesrightfromtheRemingtonModel8,firstmadein1906.Thepivotingleverthatbothblocksthetriggermechanismandthebolt,andactsasadustcover,comesfromtheRemingtonModel8.Thesheetmetalconstructionofthe
cover,comesfromtheRemingtonModel8.Thesheetmetalconstructionofthereceiver(thefirstmodelsweremadethatway)comesfromthevariousiterationsoftheGermanrifles,whichfromtheMkb42toStg-45weremadewithstampings.WhileSovietdesignerswouldhavebeenfamiliarwithsheetmetalpressingsasaconstructionmethodfromtheirownSudaevPPS-43,itissignificanttonotethatgoingfromthatopen-boltblowbackmechanismtostampingswithsteelload-bearinginternalshappenedonlyaftertheSovietswereexposedtotheMP-43/Stg-44rifles.Also,thecurved,double-stackmagazine,feedingfrombothsidescamefromtheStg.Pistolgripsarenotnew,aseverysecondgenerationsubmachinegunhasone.
Also,thesightsarethestandardEuropeanrifle/submachinegunsights,apostoutfrontandanotchinarangeadjustablerearforwardoftheaction.Giventhesimplicityofthedesign,hand-buildingnewAKs,orupgrading
them,iseasy.
ThecammedlockinglugpathisadirectdescendantoftheM1Garandandhasbeenusedmanytimessince.
timessince.
Thepiston,drivenbygasses,attachedtotheoperatingrod,isfromtheGarand.HereisanAK,nexttothe“refined”versionfromanM14.
Byputtingthegassystemabovethebarrel,Kalashnikovmadehislifesomucheasier.
Youhavetowonderwhatthearsenalworkmenwerethinking:perfectlygood,capitalist-shootingrifles,beingscrapped,andthescrapsoldtocapitalists.Whatistheworldcomingto?
Tomakenewreceivers,youonlyneedasimple,multi-tonpress.Thankyou,Mikhail.
Thisscrappedandcut-apartreceivershowstheboltguiderailandejector.
WhatmadeKalashnikovageniuswasthatheputallthesetogether,andusedtheM-43mediumcartridgeinsteadofthepreviousmilitaryimperativeoffullpower.OneaspectoftheAK-47whereMikhaildidinnovatewasthegassystem—asinitslocation.Heputthegassystemabovethebarrel.Allotherattemptstodesignaself-loadingriflehadplacedtheoperatingsystembelowthebarrel.Bygoingabovethebarrel,Kalashnikovsolvedanumberofproblems.First,heat.Havingthegassysteminthestockrequiredasmallsystemoronemadeofslenderparts,orthehandguardsgottoobulky.Youhavetoprotecttheshooter’shandfromheat,whichmeansmorebulk.Second,theheightputthesightshigher,whichallowedforalongerpoint-blankrange,importantwitharelativelyslowcartridgeliketheM-43.Third,sincethehandguardsdidn’thavetoencloseagassystem,theyweremadesimpler,lighter,andthushadlesseffectonthebarrel.Finally,theborelinewaslowerontheshooter,reducingmuzzleclimbduetorecoil.EachAKmanufacturermadedesignchangesthatdidn’tmatterintheoverall
EachAKmanufacturermadedesignchangesthatdidn’tmatterintheoverallschemeofthingsbutdidmaketheirliveseasier.Andnowwehavetodealwiththosedesignchanges.
Simplefixtureslikethisallowyoutosquashrivetheadswithease,andseveralatatime.
Thesetworeceiverswillrequiretwodifferentstocks.
However,itwouldbewrongtonotpointoutthatthecartridgepartofitwasbeyondhiscontrol.HadtheprevailingSovietmilitaryrequirementbeentomakeaself-loadingriflein7.62x54R,hewouldhavedoneso(andactuallylaterdid).Butaswediscussedearlier,whattheSovietArmywantedwasbasicallyasubmachinegunonsteroids.Whattheygotwasmuchmorethanthat.AsImentioned,thefirstmodelsoftheAK-47weredesignedandfabricated
withsheetmetalreceivers.Ihaveseenphotosoftransitionalriflesthatusedacombinationofsheetmetalstampingandmilledforgings,buttheyarenotcommon.TheSovietintentionwastomakeariflethatwasasinexpensivetoproduceaspossible.KalashnikovandEugeneStoneragreeaboutwhattheirrespectivebureaucracieswanted:ForStoner,itwas“light,light,light”andforKalashnikov,itwas“cheap,cheap,cheap.”Iftheindustrialbaseofthecountryissetuptomakemoreandmoresteel,itisrelativelyinexpensivetomakeproductsoutofsheetsteel.TheotherSovietindustrialbasewascement,butyou
cannotmakearifleoutofconcrete.Alloyingsteeladdstothecost,sotheAKhadtobeandisstrongfromdesignandnotfromalloys.ThatwasalessontheGermanslearnedinWWII.TheFG42,afull-powerrifle,wasmadefromsheetmetalstampings.However,toworkwiththe8mmMauser,ithadtobemadeoutofexpensivealloysteelsandheat-treatedexactingly.TheAKisnotmadeofhigh-techtemperedsteel,norheatorcorrosionresistantalloys.Itdoesn’thavetobe,usingthe7.62x39.Thesheetmetalreceiverisasstrongasitneedstobeforthejobitdoes.
Mostreceiversusepress-fitbarrels,butsomemilledreceiversusethreadedones.
ComparetheformingeaseoftheAKreceiver,below,withtheG-3receiver,above.Youaren’tgoingtobemakingthelatteronamulti-tonhandpress,withasimpleformingblock.
TheAKreceiverwithanearlierriflereceiver.TheAKisasimplestamping,whiletheMauseractionrequireshundredsofmachiningoperations.
Somereceiverdesignsuseathreadedpistolgripplaterivetedinplace.Othersusea“T”nutthatsticksthroughaholeinthereceiver(bottom).
Youcanseehowsimplethetriggerguardis:astampedloop,rivetedtothereceiver.
ItmusthavedroveKalashnikovcrazy,havingtogofromhissimplestampedreceivertomilled,in
ItmusthavedroveKalashnikovcrazy,havingtogofromhissimplestampedreceivertomilled,inordertogetriflesmade.
Morereceiverstockvariations,witheachofthesethree,notonlyrequiringadifferentstockshapebutdifferentattachmentmethods,too.
TheIsraelishadabetterideaaboutsights(nodoubtcluedinbytheFinns)andputanaperturesightontherearofthecover.
Themanufacturingofthesepartswasdesignedtobeasinexpensiveaspossible.Asaresult,Iwouldexpectthatagoodsetofstampingmachinescouldproducereceiverchannelsataclipofbetterthanoneaminute.EvenusingantiquatedSovietproductiontheyhadtobemakingthemattherateofmorethan200aday.Thatwasoneofthereasonsmakingmilledreceiverswassuchastepback.You’dneedmanytimestheinvestmentinmachinerytomake200milledreceiversaday.Fromthere,they’dgotoheattreat.(Or,iftheSovietsfiguredoutjusthowtomanagethealloys,heattreatfirst,thenstamp.ButIdoubtthat.)Onceheattreated,they’dbepickled,parkerizedandrackedforassembly.Thebarrelisaprettysimplething:asteeltubewithriflingontheinsideand
theoutsideturnedtovariousdimensions.Noprofiling,nosculpting,justacylinderofmanysteps.Especially,notapers.Theregularbarrel-makingmachinescoulddothat,astheyhadbeendoingfordecadesbefore.Here’swhereitgetsinteresting:Thetrunnions,rearsightpillar,gasblock,and
Here’swhereitgetsinteresting:Thetrunnions,rearsightpillar,gasblock,andfrontsighthousingareallcastings.Oncecast,theyaremachinedonlywhereneeded.Isuspectthatoncethebugswereworkedout,andthereartrunnionsdesignedanddimensionsfine-tuned,thecooledcastingsreadyforassemblyneverreceivedasinglepassfromamillingmachine.Thegasblockneedsalotofmachining,though,andthefrontsightcastingneedssome,mostlythefrontsightinstallationareas.Thefronttrunniontakesalotmorework.Simplyput,theideaoftheSoviet
productionindustrybeingabletocastatrunnionsothelockinglugsurfaceswere“goodtogo”isabsurd.So,thefronttrunnionreceivedmachining,mostlytolocateandestablishthelockinglugsurfaces.
ASSEMBLYTRICKSTheuseofhydraulicrivetstationsisobvious.Evenasocialistorganization,
lookingtocreatejobsforeveryone,isnotgoingtohavehundredsofpeoplewieldinghammersormodifiedwirecutterstofastenrivetheads.Sotherewouldbefixturesandpower.Themachinistswhodidtheworkonbarrelshanks,fronttrunnions,andbarrelinstallationwereprobablythehighestpaidinthefactory.(Hey,eveninasocialistenterprisetherearepaydifferences.)Therelativediametersofthebarrelshankandtheholeinthefronttrunnionintowhichthebarrelgoesiscritical.Toosmallabarrelanditwobblesinsidethetrunnion,andaccuracysucks—evenforanAK—andreliabilitygoesdown.Toolargeabarrelshankdiameterandthehydraulicpressthatinstallsthem
worksharder,wears,needsmoremaintenanceandbreaksdownmoreoften.Goevenlarger,andeitherthemachinebogsdownorthetrunnionssplit.Sothemachinistswhomakebarrels,andthemachinistswhomakefronttrunnions,havetobeinclosecommunicationwitheachother.Then,theyhavetopayattentiontowhatthebarrelinstallationcrewtellsthem.
Youcanputascopemountonit,butthatdoesn’tmaketheAKasniperrifle.Itbarelymakesitadecentdedicatedmarksmanrifle,orDMR.
Justwhenyouthoughtweweredonewiththisnonsense,theChinesecomeupwithanotherstock
Justwhenyouthoughtweweredonewiththisnonsense,theChinesecomeupwithanotherstockattachmentidea(left).
TheYugoslaviansmadetheirAKswithareinforcedfronttrunnion,thenbentthesheetmetaloverit.IfyouhaveaYugopartskit,goodluckwiththat.
Aslightaside.WereImakingAKsinamodernproductionfacility,thefirstthingI’dinsistonisthreadedbarrels.Noneofthiscommunistwartime-expedientnonsenseofpressedandpinnedbarrels,thankyou.Trunnionswouldbemachinedwiththefront-face-to-locking-lugsdimensioncloselycontrolled.Barrelswouldbemadewiththestop-shoulder-to-headspacedimensionequallycloselycontrolled.Usingmodernmachinery,itwouldbeeasytoproducebarrelsandtrunnionsthatsimplyscrewedtogethertoacertaintorquespecification,andheadspacewouldbecorrect.
Heretherivetsattachingthereartrunniontothereceivertubeareclearlyseen.
Astandardfronttrunnion.
Rebuilding“neutered”importscreatesscrap,likethesenowuselesstriggerguards,yankedoffof
Rebuilding“neutered”importscreatesscrap,likethesenowuselesstriggerguards,yankedoffofSaigarifles.
Shownnexttoaninstalledone,youcanseewhatthefronttrunniondoeswhenrivetedin.
Thebarrelswouldbestainless.Theycouldhavethegasportdrilled,andthevariouspartsinstalledwhileheldinfixtures.Notiltedfrontsights.But,thatwasn’tanoptionfortheSoviets.So,theprocesswentsomethinglike
this:barrelswouldbepressedintotrunnions,withtheassemblercheckingheadspace.Oncetheheadspacewaswithinacceptablelimits,thesetwererackedforthenextstep,andthecrosspinholewouldbedrilled.Thoseofyouwhoworryaboutheadspacewhenhome-buildinganAKshould
saveyourmoney.Iftheheadspaceisoff,thereisnothingyoucandoaboutit.Thatbarrelandtrunnionwere“married”atthefactorywiththatbolt.Theonlythingyoucanpossiblydotochangeheadspaceistoswapbolts.Barringthat,youhaveabsolutelynooptionsforadjustingheadspaceonyourbuild.None.The
headspacewassetbyYuriandthegangbackinMotherRussiaorBulgaria,Romania,wherever,andthereisnoprovisionforchangingitafterthefact.Also,theboreandchamberarehard-chromed,exceptonYugoslavianAKs.If
thechromeisatallpresent,you’llbedoingalotofharmtoyourchamberingreamertryingtoadjustinsufficientheadspaceonanAKbarrel.Toomuchheadspace?Ifyoureloadorplantoreload,thatcouldbeaproblem.Thenagain,ifyoutreatyourAKlikearealrifle,andnotjusta“surplusammoeatin’machine”youcanadjustyourreloadingdiestocompensateforexcessheadspace.Whichbringsmetoanotherpoint:WehavehadalotoffunwithourAKsin
thelastcoupleofdecades.We’vebeentreatedtoaflood,atorrentofammunitionatpricessolowthatyouhadtowonderhowthemakersmadeanymoneyatit.Basically,theydidn’thaveto.Theimportedrifleskeptpeoplebackhomeworkinguntiltheeconomycouldberetooledtoproviderealjobsandrealmanufacturing.Theammo?Thatwasjustlayingaroundinwarehouses,leftoverfromtheoldcommunistdays,andcouldbebetterusedgettingsoldforhardcash.Dittothepartskits.NoonewantstobuynewAKs,notwhenthemarketintheworldisawashwitholdones,cloggingarmsbazaars,fillingthestorageroomsofinternationalmerchantsofdeath.No,weAmericansaretheonlyoneswhowillpaymoneyfornew,andwe’llevenpaymoneyforoldstuffifitisproperlybustedupintoscrap.
Togetthecarrierinandout,Kalashnikovsimplycutslotsinthetoprails,whereyouliftthecarrieroutoncethetopcoverisoff.
Frontsightandgasblockscomeinalargevariety.Thepuristshate“mis‘nmatch”guns,butifitworks,whocares?
Youhavetoattachalotofthingstoabarreltomakeituseful.HereisthefrontendofanAK-74,gasblock,frontsight,andmuzzlebrake.
Therearsightpillarnestlesinthefronttrunnionshoulders.
Theboltandcarrierrideoverandontherailscreatedbyfoldingoverthetoplipofthereceiver,andspot-weldingrailsunderneath.
Thisreartrunnionismadeforafoldingstock,asidefoldertobeprecise.
Youhavetowonderattheworkmenintheplants;cuttingandtorchingtheveryriflesthattheyhadsocarefullyassembledtofightthegoodfightagainstthecapitalistmarket-forcehordeswhowerenowbuyingtheAKstheynowhadtoscrap.Oh,theirony.
Onethingisforsure:theveryaspectsoftheSovietcommand-economythatmadetheAKinexpensivetoproducemakeitamenabletohand-manufacturehereintheStates.Allyouhome-builders,begladtheSovietsweremechanizedonlyintheirInfantry.
CHAPTER5BUILDINGANAK
THEHALCYONDAYSOFPARTSKITSGALOREarelonggone.Still,therearepartskitstobehad,andthetoolswithwhichtobuildthemstillexist.Whileyoumaynotbeassemblingdirt-cheapAKsanylonger,thedetailsofwhatgoesintoabuild,andthethingsyou’llhavetobeawareof,havenotchanged.So,whilenotasmanyreadersmightfindthischaptertobeasusefulasbackthen,youcanbenefitfromhavingthisknowledgetuckedawayinyourdatabase.Thefirstthingyouhavetoknow,whichIhavementionedbefore,isthatthe
AKreceiverisnotablankslate.IfyouareassemblinganAR-15fromabarereceiver,youcanmakeitintojustaboutanythingyouwant.Short,handyM4clone,orfull-size-plusHighPowerSpaceGun,youcanbuildthembothonthesamereceiver.Youcanbuildone,thentakeitapart,andthenbuildtheother,ifyouwant.Youcanselectfromahostofcalibers(butnotgoupfromthe.223to.308,alas)andnothavetodoanythingbutpickupa“plain,standard,ARlower”fromyourlocalFFL.NotsotheAK.Thereisnosuchthingasa“plain,standardAKreceiver”
extant.Therearen’tevenplain,standardAKflats[Flatsandtubesareexplainedlateronthischapter.–Editor].Evenflatsaremadetofitaspecificmodelandcountryoforiginpartskit.Ifyouareplanningabuild,planahead,thereareanumberofthingsforwhichyouhavetoaccount.Ifyoubuyakit,orstillhaveonelayingabouttheshop,garageorbasement,yourkitswillhaveeverythingyouneed,saveperhapsthebarrel.Thekitwilldeterminewhatyoucanbuild.
U.S.-madepartsaremarkedassuch,soitisclearyouhavegonetothetroubleofbuildingakosherAK.
Yourflatcomescaliberspecific.Itshouldalsocomewiththeparticularholesyou’llneedforyourstocktype—fixedorfolding.
Therailsarenotonlycaliberspecific,butyou’llhavetoattachtheminthecorrectlocations,orforeverhaveacrankyAK.
CALIBERCONSIDERATIONSFirst,caliber.Thereceiverswilldifferbetweenthe7.62x39and5.45x39
variants.Theejectoristhemaindifferencebetweencalibers,butnottheonlyone.Themagazinewellopeningisalsodifferent.Isyourkit(orthereplacementpartsyouplantouse)asingle-ordouble-hooksemi-autotriggerkit?You’vegottoknow,oryou’llbedoingextracuttingandfitting.Youhavetousethestockthatcomesinthekit,unlessyouplantobuildusingadifferentstockthatyoupurchased.Whichalsomeansadifferentreartrunnion.Andyouhavetopickonestylebeforeorderingareceiver,andorderitaccordingly.Afixed-stockreceivercanhaveseveraldifferenttangconfigurations,andallthefoldingstockvariantsdifferaswell.AChineseunderfolder,aPolishunderfolderandaYugounderfolderlooksimilar,butwon’tfitareceiverexcepttheonesspecificallymadeforthem.Thentherearethesidefoldervariants.Luckily,thefrontendisthefrontend,moreorless.Ifyouarebuyingaflat,youhavetomakesureyourflatisspecificbothto
caliberandstockconfiguration,abenttube,ditto.TheeasiestwaytogetitallrightistosimplycontactNodakSpudwiththeparticularsofyourpartskit(“Polishunderfolder,”“Tantalin5.56”or“fixed-stockRomanian,”forinstance)andhavethemshipthecorrectlowertoyourFFL.Ifyouplantobuildfromaflatortube,you’dbetterknowexactlywhatyou
have,oryoumaybetheproudownerofabent,weldedandheattreatedreceiver,onerequiringaparticularpartskittofitthereceiveryousocarefullyfitted.Doyourhomework,andshopcarefully,beforeyoulogontoasecurepageto
orderapartskit.Somethingstobeawareofarethekeywordsyou’llseethere:
All-MatchingThismeansallthepartsinyourkitcamefromthesamerifle,andwerekept
togetherwhenstuffedintotheplasticbaginwhichtheywereshipped.Thisisa
togetherwhenstuffedintotheplasticbaginwhichtheywereshipped.Thisisagoodthing,asthebarrelandboltwillbecorrectlyheadspaced(atleastwithincommiespecs)andthepartsallcamefromaworkingrifle.
MatchingGenerally,thismeansthebarrel,boltandtrunnionareallmatching,andthe
restarewhatwashandy.Ifso,thenheadspacewillbefine,andsinceyou’redoingthehandworktomakealltherestfitanyway,itisnobigdeal.
Non-MatchingLookout.Thiscouldmeananythingfromthewoodisnon-spectoevery
singlepartcamefromthesparepartsbins—binsfilledfromscrapped-outriflesandthelike.Itprobablymeansyourriflewillneedawholelotofworktomakeitright.
VirginPartsNeverarifle,thisis“oneeachofallthepartsneededtomakearifle.”Notwo
ofthemmayhaveevenmetbeforetheywerescoopedintotheboxandshippedoverseas.Thesekitsaredefinitelyfortheexperiencebuilderonly.
AllNFARulesApplyCodefor“You’dbetterapplyforanSBRonaForm1beforeyoustart
building.”Krinkkits,andkitsthatcommonlycomewithbarrelstooshortsuchassomeHungarianmodels,willbeinthiscategory.
YouneedU.S.parts,sogetthem.ThisTapcoslantbrakecountstowardsyour922(r)compliance.
Notethefrontofthemagwell.Itisangledforareason,andwhyyoubuyaflatpre-cut.
Thedimplesontheflat(someflatsdon’thavedimples)aremagazinelocators.Theykeepthe
magazinefromwobblinginthereceiver.Youwantdimples,orinsiderails,tostabilizethemagazine.
Fromflattoreceiver.Assoonasitbeginsbending,yourflatisnowafirearm.Doitright,anddoitlegally.
Notethebentflatlackstrunnionholes,whiletheunbentonehasthem.Havingtrunnionholesalreadydrilledisagamble:ifyoursdon’tlineup,youhavesomeworktodotomakethemright.
Single-ordouble-hook?Ifyourtriggerpartsaredouble,buttheflatissingle,youhavetocut.Ifthe
Single-ordouble-hook?Ifyourtriggerpartsaredouble,buttheflatissingle,youhavetocut.Iftheopposite,fillorleaveagap.
NewAriflethatwasmade,thenscrappedasapartskit,withouteverleavingthe
rackorbeingissuedorfired.
Like-NewIssued,butnotfired,orfiredsolittleastonotmakeanydifference.
GoodBoreThekitmayberough,butsomeonetookthetimetolookdowntheboresand
setasidetheriflesthathadunpittedboresandstrongrifling.Aswithanything,thebetterthecondition,thebettertheprospectsofmakinga
goodrifle.Andalsothemoreyoucanexpecttopayforthekit.IboughtsomeAK-74folderkits,like-newBulgarian,whenthepartskitswerestillcommonlyfound.Theycostme$249each.Beforetheydriedup,thosesamekitsweregoingfor$499.IboughtRomaniankitsat$79forused,goodboreand$99forlike-new.Beforetheydrieduptheywentupto$249and$299respectively.Well,thatwasbackin2007.Ididaquickcheck,andfoundthatpartskitsfor
AKsaremoreexpensive.(Bigsurprise.)AndtheyoftencomewithU.S.-madebarrels.Also,thewood,fixed-stockkitsarecheaperthanthefolders,again,nosurprise.Wood,fixedstockkitsstartingat$500,andfoldersat$550werethenorm.ThesewereallU.S.-madebarrels,whichaddsanextrasteptothebuilding.So,partskitsarestillouttheretobefound,youjustwon’tfindaguyatthe
localgunshowwithapalletofthem,sellingthemdirtcheapandwithadiscountforvolume.Beawareofcondition,asitmakesadifferenceintheendresultandtheworktogetthere.Second,wearenotgoingtogothroughablow-by-blowdescriptionofallthe
gorydetailsofbuildinganAK.Todosowouldrequireabookasbigasthis,not
gorydetailsofbuildinganAK.Todosowouldrequireabookasbigasthis,notjustachapter.WhatIwillbecoveringarethedetailsyou’llneedtoknowtointelligentlyshopforparts,seekoutbuilders,orundertaketheprocessoflearningtobuildanAKyourself.Thedetailsofbuildingvaryfromcaliber,tomodel,tocountryoforigin.YoualsoneedabenchfulloftoolstobuildanAK.Ifyouthink“Hey,I’llbuy
apartskit,aflat,andthetools,andI’llmakemyowninexpensiveAK,”you’regoingtobedisappointed.Bythetimeyoubuythereceiverfixture,buckingbarandanvil,barrelpressandrivetpunch,you’veeatenupanysavingsfrombuyingaready-to-goAK.Andthenthereisthemulti-tonpress.Youcangetallthetoolsexceptthemulti-tonpressfromAmericanGunsmithingInstitute(AGI).Theyalsohaveinstructionsonhowtodothework.Themulti-tonpresscommonlycomesfromHarborFreight.
Firecontrolpartscountasthreepartstowardcompliance.
Thepistolgripcounts,too.SogettheU.S.-madeonethatfeelscomfortable,andlookscorrect(ifthatmatterstoyou).
TheseclearlyvisibleU.S.-mademarkingsproveyou’re922compliant.
Rivetsorscrews?Putmedownintherivetcamp.Afterall,theyweregoodenoughforComradeKalashnikov.
Amodifiedboltcutterworksquitewellasarivetsetter.
TAKINGYOURKITAPARTThepartswillbeinaplasticbagorpaper-wrappedincardboard.They’llbe
encasedinCosmoline.Pullthepartsoutandmakesuretheyareallthere.Ihadonepartskitarrivewithtwocompletefull-autohammer/triggerassemblies.WhenIsawthat,IimmediatelythoughtofthescenefromtheJackWebbmovieTheD.I.:“MaybeintheRussianNavytheyhaverifleswithtwooperatingrods,twotriggerassembliesandtwobolts,butintheUnitedStatesMarineCorpsweonlyhaveoneeach.”Iguesssomeoneouttheregotthenextboxinline,whichhadnohammer/triggerparts.Sincewe’rechangingthosepartsanyway,itdoesn’tmatter.Butlackingsomeotherpartmightmeanyou’llhavetoeithercomplaintothesellerforredress,orbuythemissinggizmo.Takeoffthehandguardsandstock.Typically,thetriggerguardisfreeatitsfrontend,wheretheytorchedthereceiveraway,andifyouaren’tcarefulyoucanbendthetrigger
guard.Ifbenttoomuchitwon’tstraightenproperly,andyou’llhavetobuyanotherone.Orputupwithafuglytriggerguard.Grindofftherivetheadsonthesheetmetalthatremainsfromthereceiver.
Useabenchgrinder,apairofheavyworkgloves,andashopapronthatyouwillnotmindgettingimpossiblygrubby.Grindtheheadsflushwiththesheetmetal.Thengrabthesheetmetaledgeswithabigpairofchannellocks,andpryitaway.Thetrunnionswillstillhavetherivetstubsinthem.Ontherear,drill
(carefully)thestubsoutuntilyoucandrivethemoutwithapunchandhammer.Thetrunnionsarehardened,soyoumaybustafewdrillsgettingafeelforthetechnique.Fromtheinside,grindofftherivetsforthetriggerguard,frontandrear.Again,don’tbendit.
Themodifiedfacesofthecutterjaws,madetoberivet-setterjaws.
Youneedaslewofrivets,ofdifferentsizes,andyouneedatube.Thattubeisthecentersupport.
Therivetsetterinplace,onthelowerrearreceiverofthefronttrunnion.
Oncetheoldsheetmetalispriedoff,andtherivetsgone,useamulti-tonpresstopushthebarrelcrosspinout.Itisintheretostay,sogettingitoutmaytakemorethanalittlework.(Youcandoitbeforeyouremovethesheetmetal,itdoesn’treallymatterwhen.)Onceitisout,usethebarrelpresstoremovethebarrelfromthefronttrunnion.Thenremovethelastofthefrontrivets.Younowhavethescrappedbitsremovedfromtheworkingpartsandtheparts
youwillbebuildingon.You’rereadytothinkaboutthebuilding.
LOWERRECEIVERBUILDSThefederalregulationsconcerningfirearmsareattimesmaddening,andat
timesquiterational.Occasionallytheyarebothatthesametime.Oneoftherationalsectionsconcernsunfinishedreceivers.Basically,itisthe“80Percent
rationalsectionsconcernsunfinishedreceivers.Basically,itisthe“80PercentRule,”meaninganyreceiverthathashadlessthan80percentoftheworkdoneneededtomakeitcompleteisnotyetconsideredafirearm.Andit’sagoodthing,too.Ifnotforthat,anysectionofpipecloseenoughindiametercouldbeconstruedasafutureStengun,orwhoknowswhat.Exactlyhowtheless-than-80-percent-work-donedeterminationismadeisnotsomethingIknow,thoughI’dguessthatifyouwantedtomarket“79percentreceivers”you’dsubmitasampletotheATFEalongwiththeworkflowchartsshowinghowmuchyoudidandhowmuchremained.(Quickbitofadvice:I’mnotanattorney,nordoIplayoneonTV.ButI’dcertainlywanttobedoingthisassomeonewhowasincorporatedandhadafirearmsmanufacturer’slicensealready.Otherwise,youmightbeintrouble,sendingan81percentreceiverinforinspection,lackingsaidmanufacturerslicense.Butthat’sjustme.)
Triggerguardsonpartskitscaneasilybedamaged.Takecareinopeningthepackage.
Knocktherustoffafteryou’veremovedthetriggerguard.Andallotherparts,too.
There’safronttrunnionwithbarrelinthere.Yourjobistogetthesheetmetaloff.
FLATSANDTUBESAsaresultofthedifferingapproachestothe“lessthan80percent”threshold,
youarefacedwithtwodifferenttypesofpartially-madereceivers:flatsandtubes.Flatsarejustthat,flatsectionsofsheetmetal,withalltheholes,magazine
slot,etc.alreadydrilledandcut.Itisuptoyoutofoldtheflatintoachannelandgetalltheholestolineup.Now,“justbendingit”ismoreinvolvedthanhammeringitovertheedgeofyourworkbench.And,itisalsothestepthattakesyoupastthe80percentthreshold.Assoonasyoubendit,itisafirearm,andyou’dbetterbesureitconformstothelawsofyourstateaswellasfederalregulationsandstatute.Aquickheadsup:Justbecauseyouaremakingthereceiverfromaflatdoesnotexcludetheassembledriflefromtherequirementtobe922(r)compliant.Tobendaflatyouneedaformingdie,whichisabigchunk
ofsteelshapedliketheinteriorofareceiver,plusamulti-tonpressbigenoughtobendthesteel.Biggerisbetter.Tentons?Barely.Twentytonsisbetter,andmoreisgood.
Itmusthavetakenabitofskilltolopoffthereceiverrightbehindthetrunnion,andnottouchtheimportantparts.
TheyusedabandsawonthisAK-74,andincludedtwocompleteFAfirecontrolunits.ShadesofthescenefromthemovieTheD.I.
Makingyoursfromanunmarkedflatortubeisallowed,quotingfromtheATFE:perprovisionsoftheGunControlAct(GCA)of1968,18U.S.C.Chapter44,
anunlicensedindividualmaymakea“firearm”asdefinedintheGCAforhisownpersonaluse,butnotforsaleordistribution.Tubesarepre-bentflats.Howcansomeonesellyouapre-bentflatandnot
exceedthe80percentrule?Theydon’tdrilltheholes.Theprocessis,acquirethetube,andthenpasteortapetheprovideddrillingdiagramtothetube.Thendrilltheholesintherightplaces.Youdon’tneedamulti-tonpress,justadrillpressandaselectionofthecorrect-sizeddrills.However,ifyouaren’tvery,verycarefulyoucandrilltheholesslightlyoutofalignment,andthatisabadthing.Icouldpointoutatthisstagethattheabsolutebesttoolfordrillingholesandcuttingthemagazinewellopeninginareceivertubeisamillingmachine.
cuttingthemagazinewellopeninginareceivertubeisamillingmachine.However,forthecostofamillyoucouldbuyafootlockerfullofready-to-goreceivers.If,however,youhaveaccesstoone,thenbyallmeansusetherighttool.Justrememberyouhavetoworkthecontrols.Youhavetodotheworkyourself.HavingyourbuddythemachinistdothecuttingjustmeanshehasmadehisownAKreceiver.
Itisimportanttodelicatelyprythesheetmetaloffthistrunnionifyouexpecttohaveaworkingsidefolderwhenyou’redone.
Inbothmethodsyouhavetoweldtheinteriorrailsinplace.Therailsaretheguiderailsandejectorforthebolt,andsomerailsalsoprovidefillersforthemagazineguides.Ifyouareusinganindustrialwelder,fourorfivespotweldswilldo.Ifyouareusingabargain(let’sjustcallit“cheap,”OK?)benchtopspotwelderyou’dbewisetodosixorsevenwelds.ThecorrectAKreceiverhastwodimplesstampedinplace,actingasmagazineguides.Youcangetthetoolstostampthedimples,oryoucanweldtherailswithguidesininstead.Theybothworktokeepthemagazineundercontrol,butthoseshooterswantingacorrect-
appearingAKwilloptforthedimples.
Yourreceiverdictateswhatkindofstockyouputonit.Dittothepartskit.
Withtheholescorrectlylocated,rivetsgoineasy,andsethardandtight.
Onbothbuildshand-fittheforwardandrearlengthsandrivetholesforthekityouhave.Again,thereisno“plain,standardAK”lowerinthisregard.Asthefactoryintendedthefrontandreartrunnions(thesteelblocksthatthebarrelandstockgointo)tobepermanentinstallations,therewasnoincentivetomaketherivetholesatallstandard.IfyouhadparallelassemblylinesofAKsinthesamefactory,I’dbettherivetholeswouldnotlineuponriflesfromeachline,evenonriflesmadeonthesameday.Asforriflesmadeindifferentdecades,indifferentcountries,getreal.(I’msuresomeonewillcometothedefenseofSovietmanufacturingstandardsandassertthatallriflesweremadetothehighestlevelofprecision.AskhimifheisdrivingaLada,YugoorZil.)AKsweremadeaswellastheyhadtobemade,andwerealmostconsidereddisposableitems.Therivetholelocationsarehand-locate-and-drillitems.YoucanbetthatifyoubuildenoughAKsyou’llfindyou’llhavetoadjusttheholelocationsonsomeofthem.Theejectorhastobeheattreatedbeforeyouwelditintoplace.Thatmeansa
propanetorchandabucketofwateroroil.Theinternalrailsmustbeweldedin
propanetorchandabucketofwateroroil.Theinternalrailsmustbeweldedinplace.Forthat,youneedpositioningrodsorfixtures.Theeasiestwaytoproperlylocatetherailsisbyusingdrillsasspacers.Therailsareusuallyspot-weldedintoplace.However,ifyoulackthat,youcandrillandrivetthemin—you’llneedmorethantheusualnumberofrivets—orevenusemachinescrewsandsolder.AwelderIknowtookonelookattheprocessandfeltthat“plug”weldswouldworktoo.That’swhereyoudrillthroughthereceiverwallbutnottherails,andthenweldthroughtheholetoattachtherails,pluggingtheholewithweldasyoufinish.Weldinginsuchawayisabitdelicate,andnotsomethingI’dturnovertoanyoldwelder,likethetypewhoattachestowloopstoMacktrucksforaliving.
Onceyouhavethefronttrunnionfreeoftheoldreceiver,youhavetogetthebarrelout.Youcan’tfitittothenewreceiveruntilyou’vegottentohere.
However,youdoneedhelpfromanexperiencedwelder,orknowledgeofweldingandthegear,todoanyofthis.
Next,spotheattreatthereceiver.Youcan’tjustheattreatthewholething,itisn’tthecorrectalloy.Mostmanufacturer-madereceivers,suchastheNoDakSpud,usea4100-seriesalloy.Theycanheattreatthewholething.Theyalsohavethecorrectovens,experience,andtemperingfluidstodoitcorrectlyandnotwarpthereceiver.Yourflat,ortube,isa1000-seriesalloy,andcannotbesoheattreated.Youhavetospottreatit.Thisinvolvesusingapropanetorchtoheateachholeinturntothecorrecttemperature,thenplungeitintowateroroil.Ifyoudonotheattreatyourreceiver,thehammerandtriggerpinholeswillbetoosoft,wearwithuse,andyourriflewillbecomeunsafetoshoot.Conversely,ifit’stoohard,thereceiverwillcrack.Asheetmetalreceiverthatlacksheattreatmentwillnotlastlong,somethingI’msuretheSovietsfoundoutpre-1947.
Agood-fittingchannel,andwell-setrivetslooklikethis.(It’sRussian,you’dexpectittoberight.)
Onedrawbackofa“virgin”kitisthatthebarrelisnotgoingtohaveapre-fittedgasblock.Thatmeansmorework,andmorethingsthatcangowrong.
Youcancheckthefitofthecarriertotherails.However,thetrunnionfitting,andthecentersupportpostandrivet,arelikelyto“tweak”thereceiverrailalignmentjustabit.Thuswhatfitwasafree-runningridebeforemaybindafterlaterassemblywork.Sowhileitisfuntocheck,youreallyneedtosavethatworkforlater.Fitthetrunnionsandseattherivets.The17rivetsthatgointoanAKarenot
allthesame.Sortthemout,andkeeplikewithlike.Then,makesurethetrunnionsfitproperlybeforeyoudoanyriveting.Ifneeded,fileorDremelthetoprailssothetrunnionfitssnugly,andtherailsdon’tswaythereceiverout.Afewminutesspentgettingthingsrightherewillsaveyouheadachestocome.Makesuretherivetholeslineup.Youcanevenhandseattherivetsandholdthingsinplacewhileyoucheckthefit.Ifyoufindthatyouhavetodosomefiling,goslowly.Theidealtoolforrivetingisthemulti-tonpressyouusedto
filing,goslowly.Theidealtoolforrivetingisthemulti-tonpressyouusedtofoldtheflat.However,ifyouusedatube,orfoldedyourflatonsomeoneelse’smachine(youdidpullthehandleyourself,right?)thenyoumaynothaveaccesstothepress.Inthatcaseuseamodifiedboltcutter.A12-tonpresscosts$120orsotopurchase.A20-tonpressruns$200.Butyoualsohavetofindaplacetokeepit.Itisn’tlikeyoucanshoveapressintoaclosetwhenyouneedthefloorspace,becauseitisheavy,needsaconcretefloor,andisnotonwheels.Amodifiedboltcutterruns$80,andyoucanhangitonthewallnexttotheweedwhacker.Itsetsrivetsjustfine.
Bulletguides(feedrampstosome)arecaliberspecific.Ifyourkitneedsone,gettherightone,notjustthecheapestone.
Ifyouwanttohaveascopemount,thatmeansmorerivetsorwelding.
Therearsightpillarhastoslidesmoothly(andvertically)intothespaceinthetrunnion.Ifit
Therearsightpillarhastoslidesmoothly(andvertically)intothespaceinthetrunnion.Ifitdoesn’t,backitoutandstartagain.
Asidefoldersetuponamilledreceiver.Oh,thathadtocostsome.
Thecentersupportisimportant.Don’tskipitbecauseitmakesformorework.
Thequestioncomesupofusingscrewsor“u-drives”(aself-tappingsortof“fastener”)insteadofrivets.AlltheprofessionalbuildersI’vetalkedtogrimacewhentheyhearmentionofscrewsasameansofAKassembly.That’sbecausescrewscomeloose.NogunsmithIknowofiseverenthusiasticaboutscrewsonafirearmofanykind,letalonethosethatholdittogether.Yes,youcandegreaseandapplyLoctite,butscrewsstillcancomeloose.Firearmsvibrateagreatdealwhenfired,andscrewscomeloosewhenvibrated.There’salsothematteroftheallegedtimeandcostsavings.Youhavetobuyscrews,whichcostprettymuchthesameasrivets.(Acoupleofbucks,bigdeal.)Andthetoolswithwhichtoinstallthem.You’llhavetodrillthetrunnionholesout,fromtheirmetricsizetothe10-24orwhateverthreadpitchyou’vedecidedon.Youneedtaps,andasthetrunnionsarehardened,you’llprobablybreakatapnowandthen.Tapsbecome
trunnionsarehardened,you’llprobablybreakatapnowandthen.Tapsbecomedull.So,ifyoubuildonlyoneAK,youmightsaveafewbucks.Ifyoubuildmore,probablynotsaveanyatall.U-drivesareworse,andIwouldnotshootonesobuilt.(AndI’msuretherewillbeabunchofreaderswhoownscrew-builtorU-drivebuiltAKsatthispointwhowillexclaim:“Mineworksfine.”Goodluckwiththat,I’mstillnotshootingit.)Onelastassemblymethodyoucouldtheoreticallyuseiswelding.The
trunnionscouldbeweldedtothereceiver,butwhy?You’dneednotonlyasmuchormoreequipmentaswithapressormodifiedboltcutters,butalsotheskilltousetheweldinggear.Justgettheproperrivets,atoolorthetimeonapress,anddoitright.Nextinstallthecentersupport.Thatisthesleeveandlongrivetthatgoesin
themiddleofthereceiver.Itsupportsthelong,emptyreceiverchannel,keepingitfromtwistingorbeingdentedinthemiddle.(Iwonderiftheveryfirstpre-productionandearlyproductionAKshadthecentersupport.DidMikhailthinkofitaheadoftime,ordidfieldtestingmakeitobvious.)Thetriggerguardandmagcatchassemblyarenext.You’llneedabacking
plateorbuckingbarandanviltosettheserivets.Thebackingplateallowsyoutosqueezeorhammertherivetsoneatatime.Thebuckingbarandplateenableyoutoseatthemallatonce,usingamulti-tonpress.AGImakesallthetoolsyouneedhere,aswellastheformingfixturetofoldyourreceiverflatintoachannel.YourreceiverwillneedsomeDremeling.Cutthecarrieraccessgapintherear
channelsofthecarrier.Donotremoveanymoremetalthanisneededtofitthecarrierdownintothereceiver,andallowittorideontherails.Ifthecarrierbindsontherails,dresstherailswithafiletomakethemevenandthecarrierasmooth-runningfit.
Onasectionedreceivernotetheejectorandguiderails.
Theejectoristheonewiththelittlecreaseinit.Thecreaseisastiffeningcomponent.Youmust
Theejectoristheonewiththelittlecreaseinit.Thecreaseisastiffeningcomponent.Youmusthardenyourejectorbeforeyouinstallit.
Barrelinstallationisahassleforsome,abreezeforothers.First,beabsolutelysurethatyourrivetinstallationonthefronttrunnionhasproperclearanceforthebarrelshank.Noclearance,nobarrelfit.(You’dthinkthatwouldbeobvious,butsomepeoplecanmessupanything.)Useafixtureandmulti-tonpress,oralongthreadedrodthatfitsdowntheborewithwrenchesandnutstofitthethreads.Thetrickistogetyourbarrelinvertically.Thatis,withthesightsdeadcenterabovethebore.Ifyoucountonthetopendsofthefronttrunnionto“straightenout”anymisalignmentasyoupressthebarrelin,you’llbedisappointed.Getitright,bepatientandkeepthingslinedup,anditwillgosmoothly.Trytocutcorners,orbesloppy,andyou’llhaveanuglyAK.(Youwon’tbethefirst.)
Saigatriggerguards,priedoffofimportablerifles.They’llbereplacedwithproper,in-front-of-pistol-griptriggerguards.
Ifyouarereplacingthegaspistonaspartofyourcomplianceset,lookonthebluedportionofthecarrier.You’llseeapolishedrivet.Ifyoucan’tseeit,sand⁄ -inchbehindthepistontoshowoffthepin.First,noticehowmuchplay,ifany,thereisinthefitofthepistontothecarrier.Someareloose,self-centering,andsomearetight,madetobestraightandfit.You’llwantyourstofitproperlywhenyoureplaceit.Placethecarrieronpartially-openjawsofabenchvise,anduseataperedpunchtostarttherivet.Onceitbeginsmoving,youcanswitchtoaclose-fittingstraightpunch,orjustpulltherivetoutontheothersidewithapairofvicegripsorchannellocks.Or,centerpunchtherivet,andthendrillwithadrillonesizebelow ⁄ -inch.Eitherdrillitout,ordrillenoughtodriveitoutwithadriftpunch.(Asthemanoncesaid:thisain’trocketscience.)Whenyouinstallyournewone,takeafewmomentstocheckforlength.Then,screwitinandcheckforfit.Thesimplestwaytomakesureitislockedinplaceistohaveyourweldertackwelditintoplace—assumingthatwhenscrewedinsnugitisafree-runningfitinthegastube.Or,screwitin,drillthroughtheexistinghole,andinstallapin.Peenovertheends,polishandpaint/touch-upblue,andyou’redone.Youcandrillhere,whileyoucan’tdrillanewbarrel,becausethenewpistonfillsthevoidcompletely.Thereshouldbenodrillbitwalking,ifdoneright.
1 2
1 8
Thetoprailssometimesneedtobedressedwithafiletomakesurethecarrierridessmoothlyonthem.
Thecarrierinsertiongap,cutoutoftherailsnearthebackofthereceiver.(Typically,yourivetthereartrunnioninplace,beforemakingthiscut.)
Assemblethehandguards,makingsuretheyfitthereceiver/barrelinstallation.Ifminorfilingonthepistontubeisnecessarytomakeitfit(itshouldn’tbe,thedistanceisdictatedbythepartsattachedtothebarrel)thengoslowly.Itiseasytotakemetaloff,hardtoputitback.Morelikely,thehandguardswillhavetobefitted,asthelowerhandguardiscaughtbetweenthefrontofthereceiverandthebracketlockedontothebarrel.Ifyoumustcutorfile,doittothehandguard.Handguardsarecheapandcommon.Messupthelockingbracket,andyouhavearealproblem.Boltonyourstock,installtheinternals,anddoanon-firingcheck.Whichisa
goodseguetothenextchapter,testingtheAK.Butbeforewegothere,let’stakeamomenttoconsideralltheabove.WhenIwrotethefirstvolumeinthisseries,thecosttobuildcouldbekept
under$200,toolsnotincluded.An“expensive”buildwouldrunsomethinglike
under$200,toolsnotincluded.An“expensive”buildwouldrunsomethinglike$400.Youreallyhadtogetcrazytospend$500onanAKproject.Pricesforcompleteriflesatretailwerealongsimilarlines.Youhadtoworktofindonethatwasselling—actuallyselling,notonthewallatanabsurdprice—forover$500.Today?Aquickcheckuncoversaminimumpriceof$550,withlotsof
optionsuppast$1,000.However,thoseareallU.S.-made,andbuiltatamuchhigherqualitylevelthantheimportsandmassbuildswesawadecade-plusago.Yes,theycostmore,butwe’regettingamuchbetterproduct.Whatdoesitcosttobuildtoday?Well,youneedapartskit.You’llneedthe
handtools,whichmeansattheveryleastarivetsetter,Dremeltool,files,etc.Thetooling,whichmeansattheveryleastacoupleofhundredspentonabarrelinstall/removetool,backingplates,etc.Ifyouusepre-bentreceiverchannels,you’llneedadrillpress.Ifyouuseflats,thenamulti-tonpress.Ifyouusepre-madereceivers,moneyandanFFLwillingtodothetransfer,butnoformingblockandpressordrillpress.Attheminimum,about$300-350intooling,plustheodds’nendspartssuch
asrivets,propanetodoheattreating,etc.Atthetopend,youcanspendabout$800ontooling,andneedatleastonesideofatwo-cargarageforthepress,workbench,etc.Thenyouneedthepartskits.Thosewhostockeduponkits(“Buy‘emcheap,
andstack‘emdeep!”)wereaheadofthecrowdbackthen,buthowmanypartskitsfromthattimeframearestillunbuilt?WithastackofRomanianpartskitsyouboughtfor$99,you’reaheadoftherestofus,atleastifyou’restilllookingtobuildavanilla-plainAK.Therestofus?Partskitscostmorenow,andtheadditionofaU.S.-madebarrelcomplicatesthings.BackwhentheneedtouseU.S.-madebarrelswasnew,fewpartskitswithdomesticallyproducedbarrelscamewiththegasblock,frontsightandrearsightpillarinstalled.Youhadtoaddthosethings,anditwasn’talwayseasy.Today,thesuppliersaresavvier,andtheydothathardpartforyou.Yes,itaddstothecost,butthespecializedtooling
neededtodrillandpinthefrontsighthousing,gasblocks,etc.ontoabarrelcanbepricey.
Thecentersupportrivetinplace.
IfyoubuildAKsfulltimeyouhavelotsofparts.Ifyoudoone,youhavejustenoughparts.Don’tloseyours,asyouwon’thavedrawerslikethisintowhichyoucandip.
UnlessthereisanotherfloodofAKpartskits,withoriginalbarrels,suchthatwecanseeallkindsofoptionsfor$200orless,(withtherealraritiesgoingforunder$300)thenthereisn’tmuchpointinbuildingyourownthesedays.Unlesswhatyouwantsimplyisn’tanoptionthatanycommercialmakeroffers,oryoureally,reallywanttodoit.Then,knockyourselfout,butdon’ttrytoconvinceusthatyou’resavinganymoney.
FUTUREBUILDINGANDREPAIRSOK,you’resomeyearsdowntheroad,andyou’vewornoutthebarrelonyour
neworhomebuiltAK.Whattodo?AsIseeit,thegreatmassofAKownersouttherearegoingtobeunwillingtosimplyscrapariflebecausethebarrelisshotout.Especiallyifithasbeenreliable,ifthey’veaddedcustomfeaturesoraccessories,andtheyhavearifletheylikeandknow.However,fittinganew,virginbarreltoanexistingAKreceiverisnoteasy.Thosewithmilledreceivers
virginbarreltoanexistingAKreceiverisnoteasy.Thosewithmilledreceiversusingthreadedbarrelscanresteasy.Anycompetentgunsmithcanre-barrelyourAK.Itisthepressed-barrelAKs(thevastmajority)thatwillbeaproblem.Yousee,thenotchonthebarrelforthecrosspinisdifficulttoduplicate.It
definestheheadspaceoftherifle,andmustbepreciselylocatedorthingswillgoverywrong.Whenyourriflewasmadeinwhicheversocialistworker’sparadise,thebarrelandtrunnionweremachinedandfittedbyexperiencedworkers.Thebarrelwaspressedin,headspaceset,andtrunnionandbarreldrilledasaunit.Areplacementbarrelcannotbedrilledinplace.Ifyoupressedabarrelblankintothealready-drilledfronttrunnion,andthentriedtodrilloutthenotch,you’dmakeamessofthings.Thedrillwould“walk,”thatis,trytobendawayfromtheobstacle,cuttinganoblongholeinthetrunnion.Evenagoodendmillwouldhaveproblems,butitcouldbedone.Millingthenotchbeforehandwouldbealevelofmachineworkbeyondmostgunsmiths,andalevelofgunsmithingbeyondmanymachinists.No,thebestwaytodoitwouldbeexpensive,butdo-able:EDMthenotch.
SomeoneisgoingtomakemoneyinthefutureusingEDM(electricaldischargemachining)tocutthenotchthroughthepinhole,afterthebarrelispressedinandheadspaced.Thebigquestionis,whatwillitcost?Anewbarrel,lathe-turnedandready,mightrunaslittleas$200.Ifashopissetuptodotheworktheymightbeabletodoitfor$100inlabor.IstheU.S.marketreadyfora$300+barrelswap,onamassofAKs,mostofwhichcost$350whennew?We’llsee.Ofcourse,ifthemarketbythen(ortoday,ifwe’vegottentothe
pointofreplacementAKbarrels)generallysupportsAKsatretailof$500-$700,withsomespecialtyonesgoingforoveragrand,thena$300barrelswap/rebuildseemsalotmorereasonable.Addinsomeupgradesforsuppressormounts,aKeymodorM-LOK
handguard,andtherejustmightbeanewmarketsegmentreadytoblossom.
CHAPTER6AMMOISAMMO
FormanyAKshooters,ammoisindeedjustammo.They’rehappywithwhatevertheycanget,atthelowestcost,aslongasitgoesbangandhitsreasonablyclosetotheaimingpoint.Forthem,thecasematerial,bulletdesign,andreloadabilityofthecaseareallmootpoints.Cheapammothatgoesbang,andcomescloseisalltheyask.Otherswantmore.SomeonewhoisplanningtogohuntingwiththeirAKnot
onlyhastoconformtoDNRregs(NoFMJbulletsallowed,typically)plustheyexpecttocleanly,humanelyandefficientlydispatchtheirgame.OthersareconcernedabouttheuseoftheAKinself-defense.Yes,youcan
shrugofftheirconcernsbypointingouttheAKhasbeenusedfordefenseandoffenseformanydecadesnow,butaneffectiveandefficientmilitaryuseisnotnecessarilythesameasoneforpersonaldefense.Toacertainextent,itisariflecartridgemuchlikeanyother.Primerinthe
back,impactextrudedcaseofmetal,withashoulder,neckandbullet.Pullthetrigger,itgoesbang.Repeatasnecessary.Buttherearesomedifferencesyouneedtoknowabout,ifyouaregoingtodomorethanrangeplay,especiallyifyouaregoingtoreloadammotosaveoncosts.
HISTORYTheoriginalcartridgeoftheAKistheM43,developedin1943,andfield
testedandrefinedduringthelatterdaysofTheGreatPatrioticWar.Asyoucanreadilytell,thecaseis39mmlongandthebulletdiameterislistedas7.62mm.DidtheRussiansinventthecartridgefromwholecloth?Didtheyripoffthe
GermanR&Defforts?Atthispointintime,isthereanyoneleftwhoknowsthe
GermanR&Defforts?Atthispointintime,isthereanyoneleftwhoknowstheanswer?Areanydocumentsthatmighttellusstillinexistence?Anddoesitreallymatter?No,whatmattersishowitcametothis.TheRussians/Soviet/Bolshevikswere
fightingawarwithamixofweaponsthatcamefromWWIandthegangsterera.Gangster,that’swhatpeoplecalledorganizedcrimebackwhenProhibitionwasineffect.TheThompsonsubmachinegunwassupposedlypopular,butbackthenthoseinvolvedusedeverythinginfightingoverterritoryforliquorsales.Andby“everything”Iincludebelt-fedheavymachineguns.OntheEasternFront,theSovietswereusingastheirmaininfantrysmallarm
theMosin-Nagant,abolt-actionfive-shotriflechamberedin7.62x54R.Thecartridgewasarimmed,.30-06equivalent.(Actually,thatisn’treallyfair.TheMosincamefirst,in1891,theSpringfieldroundwasfirstunveiledin1903asthe.30-03.Itwasupdatedafewyearslaterasthe.30-06.)Thatcartridgealsowaswhattheyfedtheirbelt-fedmachineguns.Thebigrimwasn’taprobleminabelt-fedmachinegunthen,becausetheywereusingtheMaxim.IntheMaximdesign,eachcartridgewasextractedfromitscanvasbeltbackward.Inthatprocess,abigrimwasabenefit,notaproblem.Itwasn’tuntillater,whentheyweredevelopingthePKMthatSovietmachinegundesignershadtostrugglewiththerim.Butwe’rewanderingafield,andshouldgetbacktoWWII.
Thestandard7.62x39cartridge,beforeimportrestrictionswereplacedonit,containedamildsteelcore.Notmuchexpansionthere,sonotmuchuseasahuntingcartridge.
RedArmyinfantryalsousedamixtureofsubmachineguns,allchamberedin7.62x25,theTokarevpistolcartridge.Asamix,itworked,butfortheindividualitwasn’tmuchfun.TheMosinkickedhard,andwhilethepowerwasusefulingettingthroughchanceobstacles,therateoffirewasslow.Nottomentionthattheriflewaslong,almostfivefeetwiththebayonetinplace.TheMosincarbineswerehandier,butalsolighter,andthuskickedevenharder.Thevarioussubmachinegunswerefast-cycling,andputalotofzippylittle86-grainbulletsdownrange,buttheydidn’tpenetrateanythingbutfascistsverywell.Therewerealotofchanceobstaclesthatactedascover,whenbeingpastedbyaSoviet
alotofchanceobstaclesthatactedascover,whenbeingpastedbyaSovietsubmachinegun.
Rifleperformancedependsonthecaliberandthebullet.ThisCorbonDPXreallydoesn’tcareifitislaunchedfromanAR-15,oranAK-47in.223.
TheGermanshadmuchthesameproblems,compoundedbytheliteralswarmsofSovietinfantrywithwhichtheywerefaced.Theywantedsomethingthatkickedlessthanthe7.92Mauser,penetratedchanceobstaclesbetterthanthe9mmParabellum,andheldmoreroundsthantheMauserrifle.Itbeinganindividualmachinegunondemandwouldbeawfullyhandyinanemergency.TheyfieldedhundredsofthousandsofMP-40submachineguns,andpressedintoserviceeverySovietonetheycaptured.TheycapturedsomanySovietsmallarmsthattheGermansactuallysetupammunitionplantstoproducecartridgesforthem,andconvertedmanyotherSovietsubmachinegunsto9mmParabellum.
Ifyoudoballistictesting,youhavetotakecarefulnotes.Thisistheresultsboardwecreateforrifleclasses,soeveryonecanseewhatwe’vetestedandhowwellitdid.
AsameansofhidingthenewdesignsfromHitler’sgaze,theGermanR&DbranchesofthemanufacturersandtheArmycameupwithacoolnewname—Sturmgewehr—andmanagedtodevelopwhatbecameknownastheassaultweaponorassaultrifle.Initsfinalform,theStg44firedthe7.92x33Kurzcartridge,whichhurleda122-grainbulletatanominal2,250fps.(Doesthatsoundfamiliar?)Testingwassimple,startingwiththevariouscontendersin1942;they’dmake
abunch,issuethem,andgetreportsbackfromthefront.There,themildrecoil,30-roundmagazineandselect-fireoptionwerefoundtobeuseful.TheSovietsalsoreportedontheirendofthistesting,andrecoveredsampleweaponsfortheirownstudy.Whytheneedtohideallthis?Rememberthederogative“gangstergun?”
Hitleralsoviewedthesubmachinegunasadefensiveweapon,andhedidn’twanttheArmyonthedefensive,hewanteditontheoffensive.OncethenewStg
wanttheArmyonthedefensive,hewanteditontheoffensive.OncethenewStgdesignhadprovenitself,andthattheArmyreally,reallywantedit,heapprovedit.InmuchthesamemanneraswiththeMe-262,politicalinterventionkeptausefultooloutofthehandsofthemilitaryforanappreciabletime.TheSoviets,beingontheotherendoftheStg,tooknoticeanduppedtheir
ownresearch.Asabriefaside,noneofthiswasnew.TheFrenchhaddevelopedacartridge
inWWI,andwereworkingonweaponsforit,thatfilledthesametacticalniche.Researchersbetweenthewars,onallsides,hadbeenworkingonintermediatecartridges.So,thepopularnotionthattheGermansinventedit,andtheSovietscopiedit,isn’tcorrect.NoristheideathattheSovietsinventeditindependently.Everyoneinventedit,andallmilitaryestablishmentsignored,it,untiltheyneededit.Andthentheyalltookcreditforit.I’msurethesamethinghappenedwiththetoolsoftheinfantryofNarmer,thePharoahwhounifiedEgypt,andwasthefirstEgyptianbutt-kicker.
Thecomputer-controlledpopupsattheNationalGuardbase.Ifyouhitit,thecomputerregistersthehit.Ifnot,thescorergetstoannounceyourscoreswithglee.
ThefirstfirearmtobeissuedinthenewSovietcartridgewastheSKS,alsoknownastheSKS-45.Whileaself-loadingcarbinewiththenewroundanda10-shotcapacitywasmuchmoreusefulthantheMosinboltaction,itwasnotthedesiredendproduct,butmerelyausefultoolthatcouldbemadeandissueduntilthefinalproductwasarrivedat.SoevenwhiletheRedArmieswerebeingequippedwiththeSKS-45,workontherealreplacementcontinued,culminatingintheAK-47.Thetwowereissuedside-by-sideforawhile,andthenatleastinSovietandWarsawPactuse,theSKSwasrelegatedtoceremonialandsecond-issuestatus.WhenIwasinMoscow,theguardattheexittotheKremlinwasarmedwith
anSKS,notanAK- ⁄ .Onereasonis,theSKSisjustlongenoughthatyoucanholdontothemuzzle,atattention,withthebuttgrounded.(Well,youcanifyouaren’toversixfeettall.)TheAK,5inchesshorter,istooshortforthat.The30-roundmagazineoftheAKcanalsomakesmallarmsdrillandceremonialpresentationsmorethanabitawkward.Buttheshort-termthinking,needformassiveamountsofmaterialnow,and
thelegacyofthewarleftafewoddaspectstothewholesystem.Onewasthebulletsize,weightandstability.WhenthevariousR&DshopsintheSovietUniongottoworkonnewproducts,theywerefacedwithoneunbendingrequirement:usethebarrelstheyhad.The7.62x54Rusedaborewithanominaldiameterof.310inches,andthebulletcommonlyusedweighed147grains,yettherewererelativelycommonloadsinuseupto181grainsinweight.But,ithadbeendevelopedinthelate19thcentury,andtheoriginalspecificationsweredrawnupforusewitha210-grain,roundnosedFMJbullet.Inorderforthatbullettobeproperlystabilizedouttotheexpectedinfantry
engagementrange(backinthe1880sand1890s,athousandyardsormore)theMosinboretwistwasquick;oneturnin9.5inches.Thatmadethelater,WWIandWWIIinfantryround,withabulletof147grains,abitover-stabilized,but
47 74
nothingthatwascritical.Thebulletcarriedsomuchenergyto(andthrough)opposinginfantry,thattheover-stabilitythetwistproducedwasnotanimportantconsideration.
Inthetransitionfromblackpowdertosmokeless,thecaliberswentdown,thevelocitieswentup,andbulletshadtohavejackets.
TheRussianswerenotaloneinthis.Allthemajorcombatantswereusingcartridgesdevelopedpriortothe20thcentury,originallydevelopedwithheavy,round-nosedbullets.Theywereallover-stabilized.TheAmerican.30-06usedatwistof ⁄ ,forexample,forabulletofthesameweightastheSoviets—147grains.TheBritish,FrenchandGermansweresimilarlyequipped.ThismeantthattheSovietsubmachinegunsinuse(PPSh-41&PPS-43,some
8millionbeingmadebetween1940and1946)hadbarrelswiththesameborespecsastheMosin.Theywerenominal.310-inchdiameter,withatwistrateof⁄ .Thismeantthe86-grainbulletofthe7.62Tokarevwasgrosslyover-stabilized.But,sinceitwas“only”going1,700fpsorso,andthejacketwasproportionallyrobustcomparedtotheMosin,therewasnoriskofitbeingtornapartbythecentrifugalforceofrotation.Andbeingastubbypistolbullet,yawasacomponentofwoundingwasnotasignificantfeaturetoattempttuningthesystemtoproduce.
Machinegunsrulethebattlefield,andriflesjustmaneuveranddothecleanup.Herewehave
1 10
1 9.5
Machinegunsrulethebattlefield,andriflesjustmaneuveranddothecleanup.Herewehavemachinegunsspanningoverfivedecadesandfourcontinents.
The7.62x39wasanothermatter.First,itwasabitlonger,andhavingityawwouldusefullyincreasewounding.Itwasgoing500fpsfaster,andanythingbutatoughjacketwouldincreasetheriskofbulletdestructionduetocentrifugalforce.Butthelackofwoundingwasthebigproblem.Basically,despitesomanyshootersholdingtoitsvaunted“.30cal.rifle”affection,itproducedthesamekindofwoundforwhichtheM16A2anditsM855bulletstakealotofflak—astraight,punctuate,perforatingwound.Thatis,itgoesstraightthrough,doesn’ttipsoonenough,andisn’tgoingfast
enoughforatemporarywoundcavitytohavemucheffect.We’llgetbacktothat.
BULLETSHowmanufacturingandmachiningtolerancesarespecifiedcanmakea
differenceonwhatwillwork.Forinstance,thetolerancesofmanyindustrialproductsintheWestarespecifiedas“plusorminus.”Thatis,forexample,abulletwillbelistedonthedrawingsorinthespecsas0.3080±.0002.Thatis,anacceptablebulletwillbeonethatfallsoutofthedrawing/pressingmachineswithadiameterbetween0.3078and0.3082inches.However,notallsystemsusethesetolerances.Forinstance,itispossibleto
listanaddeddimensioninonlyonedirection.TheM43issodefinedinsomespecifications,withthediameterlistedas0.310-.002,whichmeansthatanydiameterfrom0.3080to0.3100inchesisacceptable.Asaresult,abulletthatis0.3079inchesfails,asdoesonethatmeasures0.3101.Intheplus-or-minusspec,thefirstofthesewouldpass(0.3079-inchbeingwithinthenormal.308-inchspec.)whilethelatterwouldfailinbothmeasuringsystems.
Weforgetwhatittakestoequipanarmy.HerewehavearackofBrowningmachineguns,withaveryspecialmod:they’vebeenconvertedto.22LRfortraining.
Pedantswillarguethatthe“7.62”issupposedtobetheaveragebulletdiameter,thenominalgroovediameter,theaverageofthoseandeverythingelse,buttheendresultisprettymuchthesame;foreign-madeammunitionorbulletsrangefrom.308upto.312incheswithmostofthemrightaround.310inchesindiameter.However,U.S.-madeammunitionwillsometimesfeaturebulletsof.308inchesandthatisnotjustanaverage,butaprettytightaverage.ItisasloppyU.S.bulletmakerwholetstheirproducts(inthiscase,a.30-caliberbullet)wanderasfaras.3075and.3085inches.However,bulletsmanufacturedspecificallyforuseintheAKwillbeoffered
in.310or.311-inchdiameters.Youjusthavetofindthem.Doesitmatter,ifyouareloadingyourownammunition?Yesandno.Asaresult,youcanfindbulletsforreloadingyourAKindiametersof.308,
.310and.311inches.Youshouldstickwiththemore-or-lessnormalweights,thatis,rightaround125grains.Theweightmattersmorethanthediameter,for
thatis,rightaround125grains.Theweightmattersmorethanthediameter,forfunction,butthediametercanmakeadifferenceinaccuracy.However,mostshooterswhoareloadingthe7.62x39aredoingsolookingforeconomy,whichmeansthemorecommon.308-inchbulletswilllikelybelesscostly.Whichisjustfineforalotofapplications.A.308-inchbullet,travelingdown
aborerifledforanominal.310/.311-inchbullet,willhardlynoticethedifference.Reloadershavetobeawareofthat,however.Whenriflecasesareprocessedforloading,orreloadinginthisinstance,thecasegetssqueezeddowntoitsminimumdimensions.Thedecappingstem,thepointythingthatsticksoutofthebottomofthesizingdie,isalsoabullet-diameter-minusneckexpander.Thesizingdietopendsqueezestheneckdownbelowminimum,andthenthedecappingstemanditsexpandingballswagetheneckbackuptotheminimumforthepropernecktensionneededtoholdthebulletinplace.Ifyouareloading.308-inchdiameterbullets,butyouhaveanexpanderball
thatisthepropersizefora.310-inchbullet,youwilllacknecktension.Attheveryleast,theloosebulletsinthecaseneckwillgetbatteredoutofalignmentonfeeding,andaccuracywillsuffer.Youneedtobeusingtheproperexpanderfora.308-inchbullet,andtheotherdiameterforthe.311-inchbullets.Areloadingdiemanufacturerwhooffersa7.62x39diesetwillincludeoneofeachsizeforyou.Makesureyouusetheproperone.
TheMP-44,whichgotusstartedonthispath.
Intheswitchtomodernrifles,therewasabriefdalliancewiththe.308intheArmaliterifles.
CASESThe7.62x39caseistapered.Ifnothingelse,themagazineshapetellsyouthat.
Thetaperissoseverethatthemagazinefeaturesacontinuouscurvefromtoptobottomtoallowtheroundstoproperlystack,liftandfeed.Why?TheSovietswereusedtodealingwithharshclimates.ThesummersdownneartheCrimeacouldbehot,dustyanddry.UparoundLeningrad,thewinterscouldbemonths-long,bittercold,andheadhighinsnow.Andinbetweenitwouldbehot,cold,muddy,dusty,windy,gritty,anddidImentioncold?Anydayoftheyearcouldhavetwoorthreeofthose,andyoudidn’tgettopickwhichthree.Theyhadtodesignweaponsthatwouldworkeverywherethey’dbeneeded.
Andcontinuetoworkevenaftertheyhadbeenneglected.(Theymayhavebeencommunists,butinalotofareastheywereutterlypragmatic.)Acartridgewithaseveretaperoffersseveraladvantages.First,itfeedseasier,
astheconeofthecartridgereducesfrictiononfeeding,andkeepstheroundfromstallingifithappenstobindatsomepointalongtheway.Second,itextractseasily.Acone-in-conedesignbreaksfreeofadhesionassoonasthesystembeginsmoving.Ifyouthinkofacartridgeasacylinderinahole,thenasyoupullthecylinderout,itwilldragthewholeway.Notuntilitisclearwillfrictiondroptonothing.Aconeinacone,evenifittipsasitextracts,willhavefrictiononlyonaline,alongthebearingaxisoftheconewithinthecone.So,extractioniseasier,animportantpointforthedesignersbecausetheM43
wasgoingtobemadewithsteelcases.Steelwascheap(eveninacommunist/socialistcommandeconomy,theactualcostofacquisitionmatters)itwaseasytowork,anditwasstrong.Thetaperofthecasehelpedthere,also.Casesaremadebyamethodknownasdeepdrawing,inwhichadiskispunchedoutofaribbonofsheetmetal.Itisthen“cupped”aftergettingpressedintoadie.Thisworkhardensthemetal,soit’sannealed,andthencuppedagain.Repeatasnecessary.
TheMP-44sightisasimplebladewithasmallamountofadjustmentoutto500yards.
Oncetolength,itgetslathe-turnedtocreatetherim,thebaseishammeredtohardenitandcreatetheprimerpocket,andsinceitisaBerdan-primedcase,theprimerholeisdrilled.Thenthecaseissizeddowntocreatetheneckandshoulder.It’ssizedagainto
finaldimension.Asalaststepbeforeit’ssentoffforloading,thecaseisplatedorlacqueredtopreventcorrosion,whichwouldnegateallthehardworkdonetothatpoint.Steelannealsrepeatedlywithuncommonease.Itwork-hardensataknown,
andcontrollablerate.Itiseasytoleavethenecksspringyenoughtoclampontobullets,andmaketheheadandrimstrongsotheywon’tblowwhenfired.Andthetapermakesformingthebody,shoulderandneckeasy.HereintheStates,we’vespentalotoftimeandeffortmakingbrasscases,
alsoknownasgildingmetal,dothesamething.Andwe’vedonesuchagoodjobthatwedon’thavetoworryaboutmakingthecasestaperedtoeaseproblemsinotherareas.ButthiscanmaketheAKroundabitofapuzzleforU.S.reloaders.Forinstance,whattodoaboutheadspace?Headspaceistheroominthe
chamberforthecartridge.Thechamberandcasedimensionsarespecifiedsuchthatthelargestroundwillfitintothesmallestchamber.Thisrequiresaveryhighlevelofprecisiononthepartofrifleandammunitionmakers.AnditissomethingU.S.shootersarenotjustaccustomedto,butexpect.TheSoviets?Notsomuch.ThetaperofthecasemakesheadspaceonanAKadimensionthatdoesn’tmatteralot.Let’suseasanexamplethe.308Winchester.Itdoesn’thavealotoftaper.Ifthechamberhastoomuchheadspace,the.308roundcanshiftforward,leavingagapbetweenthecartridgebaseandtheboltface.Iftheextractorholdstheround,thegapisupfront,andtheshoulderwillbe
blownforward.Iftheroundhasshiftedforward,andthefiringpinreachestheprimer,thecasewillbetrappedforwardduetoexpansion,andcanexpandonlytotherear.Thisusuallycausesacaseseparation.
TheSchwarzlosemachinegunisablowbackdesign,despitebeingariflecaliberweapon.Youcandothatina60-poundplusweapon,butnotinarifleunder10pounds.
CenturyArmsAKsbeingusedintacticaldrills.
TheAKejectsforwardandtotheright,comfortingtoaleft-handedshooter.
TheAKejectsforwardandtotheright,comfortingtoaleft-handedshooter.
TAPERADVANTAGEInthecourseoftestfiringtherifles,Idippedintotheammo
supply.Ifoundthatsomeofthecartonshadnotbeenstoredaswellastheyshouldhavebeen.Thesteelcaseshadobviousoxideonthem.Thesteelhadbeengalvanized,soitwasn’trust,butratherasplatterofzincoxide.Itfeltlikesandpaper.Hadtheybeenmildsteelwithapolymerorlacquercoating,theywouldhavehadrustonthem.Now,inthecourseofhavingshotriflesformanydecadesnow,I
knowwhatthereactionofmanyshooterswouldbe,seeingammolikethis.Theywouldnodoubtwonder,woulditwork.Iknow,becausethatwasmyreaction,backinthemid-1980s,whenIscoredarealdealonsomesurplus.308ammo,cheap.Well,itwastheammointhebottompallet,ontheshipthatcameover,becauseitwasgreenandcrusty.MySpringfieldM1Aateitallwithoutaproblem.Haditbeen ⁄
ammo,Imighthavebeenlesscertain.AKownerswouldexpectsuchammotofunctionjustfine,provided
theprimerwasn’tkilledbytheexposuretowhateverrustedit.Andsoitwas.TheriflesItestedthisammoinworkedjustfine,ate
itall,andkeptonshooting.Isavedacoupleasphotosamples,buttherestwentdownrange.Asammoissupposedto.
.223 5.56
Othergunownerswilllookatammosuchasthisandwonderwillitwork.AKownerslookat
Othergunownerswilllookatammosuchasthisandwonderwillitwork.AKownerslookatthisandthink,ofcourseitwillwork.
IftheshoulderofthechamberistoofarforwardinanAK,theroundwillstopwhenthetaperwedgesittight.Nomatterhowfarforwardthatshoulderis,thecasecanonlygosofar.And,beingsteel,itisnotlikelytostretchenoughtobreakandseparate.However,ifyourAKhasanoverlygenerouschamber,youmayhavea
problemasareloader.Stretchedcases,sizedbacktotheminimum,areoverworkedcases,andcancrack,breakorseparatemorequicklythanthosefiredinminimum-sizechambers.IfyouhaveseveralAKs,theonewiththelargestchamberwillworkyour
casesthehardest.Andifyoureloadbysizingcasestofittheonewiththesmallestchamber,you’reworkingthemevenharder.But,ifyousizethemtolast,forthelargestchamber,theymaynotfitinthesmallestchamberedone.Theexemplarhereis,ofallrifles,theLee-Enfield.(Canwefindamore
disparatepairingofmilitaryriflesthantheSMLEandtheAK?)TheBritishdidnotcareaboutreloading.Theydesignedtheirrifle/ammunitioncombotoworkanywhereintheworld,literally.Itheadspacesontherim,nottheshoulder.So,chambershoulderscanbequiteawaysforwardofthecaseshoulder.ReloadingfortheSMLEisanexerciseinfrustration.IthinkthelargestnumberofloadingsImanagedtogetoutofabatchofcaseswasfive.AndImanagedthatbyresettingthecaseshoulder.
Onedrawbackofalargemagazinecapacityistheinabilitytogetreallylowinprone.EventheGermansrecognizedthatwiththeMP-44.
Thisinvolvedstartingwithnewbrass.(Abigexpenserightfromthestart,newbrasscostingprettymuchasmuchasnewammoofthetime.)Ithenneckexpandedthemwithanexpanderballcorrectfor.358-inchbullets.Ithenusedthe.303Britishsizingdietoresizetheneckdowntoproperdiameterforthe.311-inchbulletsIwasusing,butlefttheshoulderlonger,enoughtostopontheshoulderinthechamber.Andstilltheystretchedenoughtocausecaseseparationafterfiveloadings.I
finallygaveitupasawasteoftime.IfyouhaveanAKwithachamberthatissimilarlygenerous,saveyourbrass
casesfromthetorture,andyourselfthefrustration,andshootthatrifleonlywithsteel-cased,non-reloadableammo.TheM43caseisunlikeanythingelseoutthere.Thebaseisnominally.447
inchesindiameter.Thismeanstheliteraltruckloadsof.308and.30-06brassout
therecannotbeusedasabasefromwhichtomakecasesastheyuseacasewithabase/rimdiameterof.473inches.AsI’verecountedbefore,mybossatTheGunRoom,MikeKarbon,askedmetofindaparentcasefromwhichtomakeAKammo.Sincethepreviousbook,Icameacrosssomenotesfrombackthen,andIhadactuallyfoundtwo—the6.5Carcano(rimdiameter.449inches),andthe6.5Mannlicher-Schoenauer(rimdiameter.453inches).Asbothwereimported,usuallyBerdanprimed,andwhenboxer-primed,moreexpensivethantheAKammowehad,thatwasanon-starter.Ithinkbackonthattime,andwonderwhyitdidn’toccurtousthatifithadbeeneasy,someoneprobablywouldhavealreadybeentherefirst,inthebusinessofmakingAKammothatwasnon-corrosiveandreloadable.
TheM1Garand,withitsen-blocclip,wasahugeadvancein1936.ButtheU.S.Armyshouldhaveletgoofit,post-war.
Militarysurplusammocomeswrappedinpaperandisstapledshut.
Inarealpinch,wecouldhaveused.30-30brass.Thelocalrangesbackthenhadnotjustdrums,butdumpstersfullofonce-firedbrassfromdeerhunterssightingin.I’msureforafee,andthevalueofthebrassbyweight,they’dhave
sightingin.I’msureforafee,andthevalueofthebrassbyweight,they’dhaveletussortthroughandpulloutbucketsofthestuff.Ofcourse,thentherewouldhavebeentheworkoflathe-cuttingthe.30-30rimoff,andcuttinganextractorgrooveintothebase.Wewouldhavehadtoshorten,trim,neckdown,full-lengthresize,thenloadasammunition.Therewasnowayweweregoingtodoallthat,justtoshootanon-select-fireAK,evenintheearly1980s.Ofcourse,theMaadi,importedbySteyr,hada1982listpriceof$1,250,
comparedtoaRugerMini-14at$304,andaColtSP-1at$534.A“man’s”rifle,theSpringfieldM1A,waslistedat$560.AndthatwasatatimewhentheMedianHouseholdIncome(MHI)intheU.S.was$19,200.Adjustedforinflation,theMaadilistpricecomesto$3,100today.(AdjustedtoapercentageofMHI,itwouldactuallybe$3,450today.Yes,theMHIhasslippedbehindtheinflationrate.)Now,therearesomewhowillspendthatmuchonafully-spec’d,state-of-the-artAR-15.Somebodyletmeknowwhen$3,100isacommonpriceforanAK,andaplain-Janewoodstocknon-select-fireAKMatthat.
Commercialammomaycomeoffthesameproductionlinesasmilitary,buttheyusecolorfulpasteboardboxestoholdthepaperwrapper.
POWDERRememberwhatwejustdiscussedabouttheSovietswantingariflethat
workedontheEasternFront?Thatmeantithadtoworkinallweatherconditionsandwithnocare.Asaresult,thegassystemoftheAKisgrotesquelyover-gassed.Andtheyevendidthatdespitetheveryshortwindowinwhichthegashastooperate,time-wise.Whenthebulletpassesthegasport,gasisdivertedtothesystem.Actually,
whathappensissimpler;nodiversionneeded.Gaswillfindawayintoeveryspaceavailable.That’swhatgasdoes.So,thegastravelsupthegastube,intotheexpansionchamber,pressingontheendofthepiston.Thepistondoesn’t
theexpansionchamber,pressingontheendofthepiston.Thepistondoesn’ttravelveryfarbeforethegascanescapethroughtheventholes,orpastthepistondowntheslotscreatedbytheflutespressedintothepistontube.Thedesignersdeliberatelyover-gassedthesystembecausetheywanteditto
workinsub-zerotemperatures,whenfrozenshutbyrainandsnow,dirty,rusty,muddyorfill-in-the-blank.Over-gassingwaseasy,andtomakesuretheriflehandledit,theysimplymadetheboltcarrier,andthetrunnionorreceivershoulderithit,bigenough.Whentheboltcarrierbottomsoutattherearofthereceiver,ithassloweddown.Ithasabunchofmass,butsodoesthetrunnion.Andthetrunnion,madeofcaststeel,istough.Theimpactisonarelativelywidesurface.Evenifslightlyunevenoneortheotherwillpeenenoughtohammerdownanyhighspots,makingtheimpactevenlyspread.Thestockhelpssupportthetrunnion,andtheonlyrealstressisontherivets.
SincewedonotseereartrunnionrivetslooseningandfallingoutofAKsonaregularbasis,thedesignersgotthatright.AndontheoriginalAK,thereceiverisamachinedforging,noreartrunnion,norivets,andnochancewhatsoeverofthingsbreakingfrombottomingout.Justonalark,ItestfiredoneofmyAKswiththepistontuberemoved.It
workedjustfine,aslongasIwaitedforthepistontofindthecenterofthegaspillaroneachreturn.Thetubedoesnothingforgasretention,orresidualgaspressuretodrivethesystem.Itexistsfortworeasons:toguidethepistonheadbackintothegaspillar,andtokeepyourhandsfrombeingintheway.
Lefttoright:7.92x33,7.62x39,6.5Grendel,6.8RemSPC,.223,5.56insteelcase.
Inthelargercalibers,wehave.308,7.62x54R,8mmMauser,12gaugeand.410.(Amazingly,Idonothaveasingle20gaugeinthehouse,shoporbunker.I’llhavetocorrectthat.)
Butitdoesn’tmaketheAKfuntoshoot.Anditdoesn’tallowfortheusualhandloaders’trickeryonpowderselection.Self-loadingriflesaremeanttoworkatagivenchamberpressure,withthe
pressureexistingovertimeinwhatisknownasapressurecurve.Depressthetrigger,thecartridgegoesoff.Pressuresteeplyandquicklyrises,thebulletbeginstomove,andthenasthebulletmovesdownthebore,pressuresubsides,duetotheexpansionofvolumeandthebullet’smovement.Astandardruleofengineeringis,“workistheareaunderthecurve.”Workis
Astandardruleofengineeringis,“workistheareaunderthecurve.”Workiswhatmovesthebullet.Toincreasetheareaunderthecurve,youcanincreasethepressureatthepeak.But,anygivenmechanismwillonlytakesomuchpeakpressure,andsoonthegainofvelocitybecomestoocostly,astheriflefallsapartquickly.Orblowsapart.Theotherwayisto“lift”thetailofthecurve,thedown-slopingsection.By
keepingpressurehigherastheexpansionoccurs,youincreaseareaunderthecurve,thuswork,andvelocity.That’swhereaslower-burningpowdercomesin.Slowerburningpowdersarehowmagnumriflecartridgesmanagetowringmorevelocityoutofthesamelengthbarrelsastheirnon-magnumcounterparts.Except,intheinstanceoftheAK,we’restuck.Thereisamaximumand
minimumpressurewecanallowtohappenattheport.Abovethemaximum,andweoverdriveanalreadyexcessivelygassedsystem.Belowtheminimum,andwedon’tgenerateenoughforcetoworktheaction.WhenreloadingtheAK,wearestuckwiththemiddle-of-the-roadpowders,in
themiddleoftherange.YourcurbstoneshereareH4189onthefastend,andH4895ontheslowend.Straytoofarfromthem,andyouareaskingfortrouble.Asaresult,youwillfindthatyouareprettymuchstuckwithfactoryballistics.A123-grainbullet,atoraround2,250fpsisallyoucanexpect.Youmightfindaloadthatextendsthatby100fps,butyoudosoattheexpenseofhammeredbrass.Theextraportpressurewillworkyouractionharder,andhurlyourmangledbrassfarther.Youwantmorethana123grainsat2,250fps?Findanotherrifleand
cartridge.TheSKScanhelphere.Youwillfindsomeversionswithbarrelsaslongas20inches.(Don’tblamemeifyoufindthata“carbine”witha20-inchbarrelisnotallthathandy.Youwantedmoreperformance,I’mtellingyouyouroptions.)Buteventhathaslimits.Hornadylistsloads,testedfromanSKSwitha20-inchbarrelthatpusheda
123-grainsoftpointupto2,400fps.Justincaseyouareimpressedbythis,thesameloadingmanualalsoshowsloadsforthe.30-30outofa20-inchbarrel.The110-grainbulletscanbepushedto2,600fps,andthe150’sto2,300fps.Youare
110-grainbulletscanbepushedto2,600fps,andthe150’sto2,300fps.Youarereinventingthe.30-30wheelifyoutrytopushthe7.62x39pastitsdesignlimits.Andthemaximumpressureceilingforthe7.62x39,asloadedhereinthe
States?45,000PSI,on-parwiththe.30-30.
Thetypicalwoundscreatedbyvariousloadingsofthe ⁄ .ChartcourtesyDr.MartinFacklerandtheIWBA.
.223 5.56
Riflesneedvelocitytowork.Shortbarrelsandrangetotargetbothdecreasevelocity,affectingwoundingandrifleeffectiveness.ChartcourtesyDr.MartinFacklerandtheIWBA.
Thetypicalwoundresultofthe5.45x39,withashorter,moreconsistentoverturnthanthe7.62.ChartcourtesyDr.MartinFacklerandtheIWBA.
Whyisloadingslower-burningpowderssoalluringtosomeshootersandreloaders?First,theriflehasareputationforbeingalottougherthanitis.Yes,itwillsurvivetheutterneglectthatitwouldreceiveontheNorthwestFrontier,butthatdoesn’tmeanitisequallycapableofstandingupto50,000,55,000,oreven60,000PSIonaregularbasis.Itisn’tamagnum.Second,thecaseisratherlargeforitsperformance.The.223,forexample,deliversalotmorevelocity,andatahigherpressurefromasmallercase.Thecasecapacityofthe.223is31.1grainsofwater.(We’reusingmasstodeterminevolumesimplybecauseitisaquickandeasymethod,andoneshootersandreloaderscandothemselves.)The7.62x39hasacapacityof35.6grains.Thatgivesthecommiecartridge15percentmorespaceforpowder.Itistemptingtotryandshovelmoreinthere,toboosttheperformanceoftheAK.Thisiscompoundedbytheinsistenceofsometouse“pressuresigns”asan
indicationofthelimitsofacartridge.Simplyputyoudonotbegintoseepressuresignsuntilyouareuppast60,000PSI.Bythenyouarefarpastthelimitsoftherifle.Ifyouareloadingyourownammo,useyourloadingmanual,andstickwiththepublisheddata.Ifyouareusingfactoryammo,avoidloadings
andstickwiththepublisheddata.Ifyouareusingfactoryammo,avoidloadingsthatofferyousomethingfornothing,becausetheycan’t.
PRIMERSTherearetwoprimersizes,alas.Largerifleandsmallrifle.Remingtonhas
seenfittoloadtheircaseswithsmallrifle,andeveryoneelseuseslargerifle.ThefiringpinontheAKisnotspring-loaded,andasaresultmanyreloadersusetougher-than-normalprimers.ThesewouldbetheCCINo.34(large)andNo.41(small).Theyaremadespecificallyforsemi-autorifles,andhaveadifferentchemistryandtoughercups,tobeabitlesssensitive.Thisreducesoreliminateswhatisknownasa“slam-fire”wherethecartridgeignitesastheboltslamshome.Therearetwothingsyoucandotoprecludeslam-fires,withoutusingthese
primers.One,makesureallyourprimersarefullyseated,andbelowflushwiththecasehead.Second,donot,ever,loadyourriflebydroppingaloadedroundintothechamberwiththeboltheldback,andthenallowthebolttocrashhomefromfullyrearward.Theboltwillhavetoomuchspeedandforce,andtheinertiaofthefiringpincancauseittoslamforwardhardenoughtosetofftheprimer.(Itmayonlydothatonceinamilliontries,butdoyouwanttobetheguyholdingtherifleonthatoccasion?)TheAKrifle—likeeverysemi-autorifle—wasdesignedtohavesomeofits
speedandforceusedupinstrippingacartridgeoutofthemagazine,shovingitintothechamber.Loadthatway,notthe“holdmybeerandwatchthis”way.
The7.62x39islatetooverturn,andwithtumblingbeginningpast20cm,inmanycasesitsimplycausesapuncturewound.ChartcourtesyDr.MartinFacklerandtheIWBA.
5.45x39Inthelate1960sandearly1970s,theSovietsdecidedthattheAK-47,despite
havingbeenperfectedattheendofWWII,wasinneedofsomeupdating.Theylookedatanumberoffeatures,namelytoimprovehitprobability,capacityandsightingsystems,butfoundthatbudgetaryrestrictionslimitedthemtoaproduct-improvedandcaliber-changedKalashnikov.(I’msuretheironyofalackofbudgetaryabilitytoimprovesmallarms,ina
commandeconomy,wasnotlostonthoseintheknow.)TheendresultwastheAK-74,withafewchangestoimprovetheQCand
durability,andanewcalibertoimprovelethality.Vietnamwasawarthatprovidedalotofinformation.InthewordsofYogiBerra;“Youcanobservealotbywatching.”Beingonthereceivingendofthe5.56cartridgemusthavemadeanimpressionontheSoviets(OK,theyweren’tdirectlyonthereceivingend,buttheyhadobservers,andsourcesofinformation)becausethe5.45isbasicallythe5.56x45dialedbackanotch,andwrestledintoaKalashnikovpackage.
Thisbulletsheditsjacketandstillpenetrated12inchesaftergoingthroughplaster,glassandwood.
Theloadedcartridgelength(57.00mm)isinbetweenthe5.56x45(57.40mm)andthe7.62x39(56.00mm).ThatmeantthattheSovietsonlyhadtodoasmallamountoffiddlingtomakeitfitintotheregularKalashnikovreceiver.(Isuspectitwastheotherwayaround;“Comrade,makeusacartridgethatduplicatestheperformanceofthecapitalist’sblackrifle,butfitsintheKalashnikovandworkswithsteelcasings.”)Despitebeing39mmlong,the5.45doesnothavethesamehead/rimdiameter
astheM43.Itsdiameterisonly.394.So,the5.45x39isasteel-casedcartridgestillwithanoticeablebutlesstaper
thanthatofthe7.62x39.Itfeaturesasmall-borebullet,inthiscaseanominal.221indiameter,andthebulletis…complicated.The“magic”or“poison”bulletisthe7N6,a53-grainbulletatanominal2,900fps.Theallegeddesignmagicisthatitsmildsteelcoreisheldinplacebymeansofaleadsleeve,withanairgapinthetip.Supposedly,thegapletsthecoreslipforwardonimpact,
anairgapinthetip.Supposedly,thegapletsthecoreslipforwardonimpact,thiscausingthebullettoyawmorequickly.
Thesteelcoreinoriginal7.62x39loadsweighsasmuchasthewhole.223bullet:55grains.
Thebulletwasnotdesignedasanarmor-penetratinground,asdemonstratedhereagainstmildsteel.Butitwascheap.IftheSovietscouldhavemadebulletsfromcement,theywouldhave.
ThisislikelySovietpropaganda,becauseitisexactlytheoppositeofwhatyou’dwantabullettodo.Acoreshiftingforwardinthejacketwouldthrowthecenterofmassforward,increasingstability,andincreasingthelikelihoodofastraightwoundtrack.What’sactuallygoingonis,thedesignersofthe5.45,andthe7N6in
particular,aredoingthesamethingthatBritishsmallarmsdesignershaddonethree-quartersofacenturybefore.Whenthe.303Britishwasdeveloped,itcameintheusuallate19th-centuryform:aheavyround-nosedbullet,some215grainsinweight,andasuitablefast-twistboretokeepitstraight.Whentheywenttoaspitzerbullet,theyfoundittobeover-stabilized.Toincreasetheonsetofyaw,theymadethe174-grainspitzerwithanaluminumorfiberpluginsidethetip.Thiswasthe.303MkVII,achangethatpushedthecenterofmassbackinthebullet,behindthecenterofformand,asaresult,thebulletprovedlessstableterminally.Theywerenottheonlyonestodothis,theItaliansdidthesamethingwiththe
Theywerenottheonlyonestodothis,theItaliansdidthesamethingwiththe7.35cartridge,alongishbulletthatalsohadthecenterofmassbehindthecenterofform.TheSovietshadtoknowthisbothfromrecovered.303ammoinAfghanistan
andotherborderareas,andfromtheItalianuseagainsttheRedArmyontheEasternFront.(Theywerestubborn,butnotstupid.)Also,the.303hadbeeninuseformanydecadesbeforetheSovietsgotaroundtodevelopingthe5.45.Theknowledgewascommonintheballisticscommunity.Sothegapinthetipofthe7N6istheretopushthecenterofmassback.Thisspeedstheonsetofyaw.ThetwistoftheAK-74is ⁄ inches.That’salittlefastfora53-grainbullet,butremember—there’sabunchofsteelinthatbullet.Thejacketisacopper-platedsteel,andthecoreismildsteel,withtheleadlineraddingabitofdensity,butnotmuch.Theleadisprobablytheretokeepthecoreinplace,asmuchasaddweight.
Asealedcrate,withtwosealedsardinecanseachholding1,080rounds.Thisammoisgooduntil
1 7.5
Asealedcrate,withtwosealedsardinecanseachholding1,080rounds.Thisammoisgooduntilthecraterotsandthecansrustthrough.
Ifyoudon’thavesidecuttersorpliers,youaren’tgettingthebandoff.
The“poison”partcomesfromtheRussiansandtheirAfghanWarstartingin1980.Supposedly,theMujahadeenweremoreafraidofbeingshotbythe5.45thanthe7.62x39,becausethewoundsweremoreeasilyinfected.Well,giventheutterlackofsanitaryconditionsthere(andtheconcomitantincreaseininfectionsofanywound,ofanykind)amessierwoundcausedbyaquickly-yawingbulletwillbecomesepticfaster.Curiously,IhaveanacquaintancewhowasaSpetsnaztrooperinAfghanistan,
andhereportsthattheRussiantroopsweremuchfonderofthe7.62,asitwouldgetthroughchanceobstaclesbetterthanthe5.45.Everythinginlife,evenballistics,isatrade-off.The.394-inchbasediametermeansthatthe5.45andthe5.56,despitehaving
eerilysimilaroveralllengths,andsimilarperformance,areinriflesthatcannotbereadilyconvertedbackandforthfromonetotheother.Therimdiameterofthe5.56x45is.378inches,thusthedifferenceistoogreat.Youcan’tusethesmallercaseinaboltrecessedtofitthelargerone,andthelargeronewon’tfitatall.Youhavetopickoneandstickwithit.IntheU.S.,youcouldfindormakea
all.Youhavetopickoneandstickwithit.IntheU.S.,youcouldfindormakeabolttofitthe5.45,butgettingabarrelforyourAR-15wouldbeproblematic.IntheAK,fittingabarrelin5.56toanAK-74wouldn’tbetooterriblydifficult,butmodifyingaboltwouldbetroublesome.
The5.45isflashyandmuzzlebrakesenhanceflash.
Therecoildifferencebetweenthe7.62x39andthe5.45x39ismarked.Partofthatisthemuzzlebrakeontheend,oneeffectiveenoughtoconfusemychronographuntilIfiguredoutexactlywheretostand.Ihadbeendoingchronoworkforthebook,usingoneofthe7.62rifles.Iswappedtothe5.45,andonthefirstshotIstopped,loweredtherifle,andopenedthebolt.Ithadfeltasiftheriflehadnotcycled.Therewasaloadedroundinthechamber.Theriflehadworkedproperly,therecoilwasjustmuch,muchless.That’stherecoildifference,whichmakesadifferencewhenyouaretryingtoshootquickly.Thebrakealsoworks,andifyouaren’tcarefulyouwillbecomepersonanon
grataatthegunclub.WhenIfirsttestfiredanAK-74manyyearsago,Isimply
grataatthegunclub.WhenIfirsttestfiredanAK-74manyyearsago,IsimplyfloppeditontotheshootingrestwhereIhadbeentestingotherrifles.Onthefirstshot,theloosepaper,emptyammoboxesandotherstuffontheshootingbenchgotblownoff.Ifyouareonafiringlinewherethebenchesareclosetooneanother,yourneighborsmightnotlookfondlyonyourAK-74.
Twoapproachestothesamegoal.Ontheleft,the5.45,a.221-inchbulletthatweighs53grains.Ontheright,abulletmatchingthelatestM4load—a77-grainOTM.Yep,samelength,butwitha
one-thirddifferenceinweight.
AVAILABILITYTherealdifferenceisinavailabilityofammo.5.45usedtobecheapasdirt.I
recallbuyingtinsofitbackforthefirstvolumeofthisbook,andasardinetinofammowouldcost$120shipped.Now,thesameamountofammocostsalmost
ammowouldcost$120shipped.Now,thesameamountofammocostsalmosttwicethat,aboutthesameas7.62x39.The5.45isverymuchanichecartridge,asmanyshooterswhowantanAK,
wantonein7.62ornotatall.Ifyouaregoingtogothe5.45route,besureandstockup,andthenoncestocked-up,buyevenmoreasyourshootingammosupply,andkeepthereadysupplyonhandincasetheimportersstopbringingitin.Atleastthatwayyou’llhaveenoughtoshootuntilyou’vewornouttheboreofyour74.
TERMINALBALLISTICSTheoriginalroundwasdesignedtodoacertainjob,andwaslimitedbythe
barrelsavailable.Thebulletisover-stabilized,andcannotyawintime.Onceitwasadopted,therewasnowaytogobackandmakethatchange.So,ifyouareusingFMJammunition,itwilldoallthebadthingsthatthe
DNRsaysitwill,andthatiswhytheydonotallowFMJammunitiontobeusedinhunting.Itwillpasscleanlythroughyourdeer,notexpandoryaw,woundbutnotkill,andthedeerwilljump,runorwanderoff,nottobeseenagain.Atleastnotbyyou,butprobablythelocalcoyotes.However,thatdoesn’tmeanyoucan’thuntwithanAK.(Magazine
restrictionscompliedwith,ofcourse.)Hornadymakesthe7.62x39withtheirSST,theSuperShockTipbullet.This
isapolymer-tippedhuntingbulletthatisperfectfordeerhunting.A123-grainbullet,atanominal2,350fps,isrightintheballparkwiththeclassic.30-30inperformance.(Admittedly,the.30-30doeshaveabitmoreweight,butstill…)Their5.45loadusestheV-Maxbullet,asuperbvarmintbullet.Admittedly,theaverageAK-47cloneisn’texactlyminute-of-varmintouttotheothersideofthebeanfield,butifyou’rehavingfun,anddepletingthevarmintsupply,goforit.FederaloffersboththeclassicPower-ShokbulletandthenewFusion,bothin
123grains,in7.62.WinchesteroffersammunitioninboththeirRazorBoarandPDX1Defender.
TheRazorBoarisasolidcopperhollowpoint,designedfordeeppenetration
TheRazorBoarisasolidcopperhollowpoint,designedfordeeppenetrationwhilestillholdingtogether.ThePDX1Defenderisabonded-corebulletwithtwotypesofleadcore—asofterforepart,withanotchedjackettoinitiatequickexpansion,andaharderbase,tocontinuepenetration.(Notthatthe7.62x39lacksinthatregard.)RemingtonofferstheirREM-UMCline,fullmetaljacketbullets,123grains,
atthestandardvelocities.Allofthebrass-casedammofromFederal,WinchesterandRemingtonare
reloadable,thesteelcasesarenot.Inthemoreoriginalform,Wolfimportssteel-casedammo,asdoesCentury
Arms.TheseareloadedbyarsenalsthatwerebuiltspecificallyforthepurposeofmakingAKammo,andsoyouknowtheyhaveahandleonit.TulaandBrownBeararealsosuppliers.Now,thesoft-pointammo,designedashuntingammo,worksterminallyjust
asyouwouldexpectsuchammotowork.Uponimpact,thebulletexpands,createstheclassicmushroomshape,andbasicallydropsyourdeerdeadrightthere—assumingyouhavedoneyourjobonshotplacement,ofcourse.
Lefttoright,the5.457N6bullet,a55-grainFMJBT,anM855“Greentip”anda77-grainOTM.Becauseoftheirlengthstheyallneeddifferenttwistratesforstability.
Thewoundingmechanismoftheclassicdesign,thesteel-coreandlead-core123-grainflat-basebulletisdifferent.First,thesteel-core,whichisnotnearlyascommonasitusedtobe.Itcameoverinthelate1980sfromChinaassurplus.Well,“surplus”inthattheChicomswantedtogetcash,theywerewillingtosellusammo,andeverybodywashappy.Untilwefoundoutthatsteel-coredammopenetratesverywellindeed.(WelearnedthiswaybackinWWII,whenwemadeliterallybillionsof.30-06armorpiercing,butapparentlyforgot.)So,theChineseammowasbannedfromimport,andwenowusesteel-jacketed,lead-coreammo,
ammowasbannedfromimport,andwenowusesteel-jacketed,lead-coreammo,orbimetalbullets.“Bimetal”simplymeansacopperplatingoverasteeljackettoreduceborewear.Itstillwearsboresquickly.Steelandlead,steelandcopperorbimetal,thewoundingprocessoftheFMJ
isthesame;thebulletentersthetarget,andthereinfindsitselfunstable.Bulletstabilitydependsontherpmofrotation,butalsothedensityofthemediumthroughwhichitispassing.Theriflinginyourboreiscalculatedtokeepthebulletstableinair.Water(ofwhichweandgameanimalsaremostlycomposed)isdenserthanair,sotherateoftwistneededtoremainstableinwaterisfaster.Thelongerabullet,foragivencaliber,thefasterthetwistratehastobeto
makeitstableandaccurate.The“foragivencaliber”partisveryimportant.Ifyouhave,asanexampletwobullets;a.308/.310,anda.222/.224,andtheyareboth1-inchlong,theywillrequiredifferenttwistratestoachievestabilityandaccuracy.Howdoesinstabilityinthetargetmanifestitself?Thebullet,withitscenterofmassbehinditscenterofform,isnow
unbalanced.Inair,therotationalstability,thegyroscopicforcegenerated,keepsitpoint-on.Ithassufficientgyroscopicstabilitytoremainpoint-oninair.Onceitentersadensermedium,itdoesnothavesufficientgyroscopicstabilitytoremainpoint-on.Itbeginstoyaw,attemptingtoswapend-for-end.Thegyroscopicstabilityisnotsufficienttoovercometheleveragethenew,denser,mediaexerts,withthecenterofmassandthecenterofformnotbeinginthesameplace.Thetrickhereis,howquicklydoesityaw?Averystablebulletwillyaw,butonlydosoafterithaspassedthroughanappreciableamountoftissue.Yawingat(asanexample)12inchesdeep,whenapersonisonly10inchesthick,meansyawafterthetarget.Yougetaclean,straight,punctuatewound.Now,ifyouaretryingtoreach3feetdeepintoamoose,orevendeeperina
Capebuffalo,thenyouwantstable.Othertimes,notsomuch.HowstableistheM43?Thatdepends.TheclassiccalculationforstabilityistheGreenhillformula,developedbySir
AlfredGeorgeGreenhillbackintheendofthe19thcentury.Itcalculatesthe
AlfredGeorgeGreenhillbackintheendofthe19thcentury.Itcalculatestheneededtwistforagivenlead-corebullet.
Thesebulletsareprettymuchthesamelength.Buttheyneeddifferenttwists,duetomassanddiameter.
Thisisafired5.457N6bullet.Theriflingmarks(onthebearingsurface)donotextenduppastthehalfwaypoint.Thisiswhythe5.45caseisshortandfat,thebullethastoprotrudeoutoftheneck
soveryfar.
Theformula,whichhederivedexperimentally,is;
WhereTisthecalculatedtwistrate,Disthediameterofthebullet,andLisitslength.Cisaconstant,whichhedeterminedtobe150forbullets/projectiles(hewascalculatingthisforartilleryshells)goinglessthan2,800fps,and180forthosegoingmore.Youwillnoticethattheweightoftheprojectileisnotafunctionofthe
equation,onlyitsdensity.ThevalueS isthespecificgravityoftheprojectileinquestion,dividedby
10.9,whichisthespecificgravityofacopperjacketedprojectilewithaleadcore.Formostriflebullets,S is10.9,sothetwoineffectcanceleachotherout.(Whatitreallydoesiscreateavalueofone,andthesquarerootofoneis…one.)Whatmattersisnottheweight,becauselengthistheimportantconsideration.Weightchangestheforceonthemomentarmwearecallingthebulletatthisjuncture,butnotthelengthofthatlever.AsArchimedespointedout,leverlengthiswhatmatters.Ifyouhadabulletsuchastheoriginaljacketedmilitarybulletsinthelatter
19thcentury,you’dhavea.308-to.323-inchdiameterbulletthatwasupto220
g
g
grainsinweight,andwasessentiallyaround-nosedcylinder.Ifyouweretochangethatbullettoaverylowdrag,pointedbulletwithlongboattail,butthesamelengthasthe220-grainer,you’dhaveabulletthatweighsonly180grains.Andbecauseofitslengthitwouldstillrequirethesametwistasthe220-grainround-nose.If,ontheotherhand,youwentwithanot-so-low-dragpointedbulletwitha
flatbase,you’dhavea150-grainbullet.Thatwouldnotneedasfastatwist,butifthat’swhatyourriflesaremadeinthenyounowhaveover-stabilizedbullets.So,let’stakeabulletIjustpulledfromaWinchesterload,a123-grainFMJ.
Thebulletdiameteris0.3095.Thelengthis0.871.Itismostcertainlygoinglessthan2,800fps,sowecramallthenumbersinthere,kick-startthecalculator,andcomeupwithaGreenhill-predictedtwistrateof16.5inches.Greenhillisgood,andGreenhillcanbeuseful,butItookitastepfurther,and
cameupwithavalueImodestlynamedaftermyself,theSweeneyStabilityRatio,orSSR.First,wedroptheadjustmentfordensity,sincewe’reonlyconsideringlead-
corebulletsfornow.Thisleavesuswith;
Thenwedividebothsidesbythediametersquared,andsolvefortheconstant;
Sofar,sogood.Next,weusethelatestequationtosolvefortheconstantascalculatedwiththedimensionsofthebulletandtwistwehave.Andtogenerateourratio,wedividetheGreenhillconstant(150forlessthan2,800fps,180abovethat)byourcalculatedconstant,andwenowhavearatioofwhatwehave,comparedtowhatheexperimentallyderived.Ifthetwistwiththebulletwe’reusingandthevelocityagreewithGreenhill,
thentheSSRwillbe1.0.Alessstablebulletwillbelowerthan1.0,andoverlystablebulletswillhaveanSSRhigherthan1.0.
WhenIfirstdidthis,Icalculateditfortwosetsofconditions:theM-1935.56cartridge,ina ⁄ twistbarrel,andtheM855ina ⁄ twistbarrel.TheM193- ⁄setofparametersgiveacalculatedSSRof1.003.Hmm.TheM855- ⁄parametersproducedanSSRof1.19.TheM855hasareputationforbeingoverlystableandproducing“throughandthrough”wounds.WecanusethatobservedperformanceoftheM855asabenchmark,and
1 12 1 7 1 12
1 7
WecanusethatobservedperformanceoftheM855asabenchmark,andconsiderthatanSSRashighas1.2isperhapsabittoostable.
FMJbulletshaveastheirfinalmanufacturingoperationthecorebeingseatedinthejacket.Hereyouseethedished-inseatingattribute.NexttotheseisanOTM,withasolidbase.Nodish.
TheM193,forallofthecomplaintsbroughttoit,performsquitewellwhenyoudon’thavetodealwithbarriers.TheFMJboat-tailbulletwillyawprettyquickly,andinballisticgelatin,typically“J”hooksandexitsthesideofagelblock.Sinceablockis16inches(handguns)or18inches(rifles)andthebulletexitstheblockatthehalfwaysection,ithashookedenoughin8or9inchestohavechangeddirectionby90degrees—thatis,whenthevelocityofthebullethasnotdroppedtoolow(atdistance,forexample).Ifthetargetiscloserthan200metersorso,whenthebulletbeginstoyaw,itcannotwithstandthestresses.TheM193yawstypicallyatcloserthan200meters(fromarifle,carbineorSBRashortermaximumdistance)thenbreaksatthecannelureandthefragmentscausingsecondarywounds.TheM193hasitsfaults,butopenairshots(notbehindbarriers)onunarmoredtargetsisnotoneareainwhichitfails.Andthat’swithastabilityratioof1.03.Clearly,wewanttobecloserto1.0
thannot,and1.2(theM855- ⁄ parameters)isalreadygivingussomeproblems.TheproblemwiththeM855isnotthatthebulletwon’tbreak,itwill.Butthebulletissostablethatitdoesn’tyawenough,intime,tobreakapartbeforeithas
1 7
exitedthesubject.Ifapersonis(asanexample)10inchesthick,andthebulletbeginstoyawat12inchesormore,ithaspassedthroughbeforeitcanyaw.Agunwriteracquaintanceofminehashadatotaloffouroverseastours,two
inIraqandtwoinAfghanistan.HisreportontheM855was,“Sometimesitworks,andsometimesitdoesn’t.Therewasnopredictingit,andyoujustkeptshooting.”
The7.62x39isnot“equalto”oreven“closeto”abig-bore.30.Caseinpointisthebullet.Left,a168-grainAPfroma.30-06(andthesamebulletwouldbeina7.62NATO).Ontheright,anAK
123-grainFMJ.Thearmorpiercingalsohasastartingadvantageof400-500fps.
MEASURINGTWISTThetwistrateofaboreisnotalwaysaneasythingtomeasure.
Thecommonmethodistouseatight-fittingpatchandarotatinghandlecleaningrod.Poketheroddownthebore,bare.Insertacleaningpatchintothetip,inthereceiver,andthenpullbackuntilyougetitstartedinthebore,andyoucanseetherodturning.Takeasectionofmaskingtape,andtapeitaroundtherod,atthemuzzle,withthetailendsofthetapepointingstraightup,asclosetothemuzzleasyoucangetit.Pullsomemore.Asyoupullthepatchthrough,therodrotatesto
followthegrooves,whilethehandledoesnot.Thetapeactsasaflagtoshowyoutherotation.Usetherotatingrodtomeasureonefullrotationasyoumovethepatch.Whenthetapeflaggetsbacktofullyvertical,stop.Measurethedistancebetweenthemuzzle,andwherethetapeisnow.Thatisyourtwistrate.Thissoundsaccurate,butcanvaryabit.TheMosinrifletwist
specwas ⁄ .I’veseensomesourcesfortheAK-47as ⁄ .Ifyoumeasureyourtwist,don’tbesurprisedifyoucomeupwithmeasurementsbetween ⁄ and ⁄ ,fromthesamebarrel.Ahalfanincheitherwayisn’tmuchespeciallywhenyouareasstableastheM43intheAKtwist.Andthedifferencesmightbemore.Idon’tknowwhattheSoviet
mil-specwasfortheAK—andIsuspectnooneoutsideofthefactoryknows,either—buttherehadtobesometolerances.So,thetwistrate,measuredinmetric,is240mm,whichcouldhavebeen
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allowedtovary.So,wasit240+/-5mm?+/-10mm?20mm?Differentarsenals,ondifferentdays,fromdifferentriflingmachines,couldtheoreticallyproduceaspecbarrelhavingatwistofanywherebetween230mmand250mm.Whoknows.Buttheywouldallhavebeenoverlystable.
So,fortheWinchester123FMJweplugthenumbersinandcomeupwithanSSRof1.73.Yowza!Thisisinterestinglystable,anditalsobearscomparison.Ifweweretofirethe55-grainFMJM193inariflewithatwistof ⁄ ,we’dhaveanSSRof1.71.So,theAK-47,withtheWinchester123-grainflatbaseleadcorebullet,hasthesamestabilityratioasalightweight55FMJoutofanM16A2.TheAKbulletissostablethatitclearlydoesn’thavetimetoyawmuch,ifatall,beforeithasexitedthesubject.Now,thecommonM43bulletisnotquitethesameasthebulletusedby
Winchester.ImanagedtowrestleabulletoutofaloadedWolfround,whichwasn’teasy.(The5.45roundofthe7N6loadwasevenworse.)TheWinchesterbulletisaflat-basebullet,buttheM43hasaboat-tail.Andtomakeitevenasmidgelonger,thefinalcore-bump,tomakesurethecoreistighttothejacket,meansthebaseisslightlyconcave.Asaresult,theWolfbulletis1.047incheslong.ThecalculatedSSRfortheWolfM43123FMJis1,44.ThisismarginallybetterthantheWinchesterforyaw.Andthatexcessivestabilityiswhatleadstothethrough-and-throughwounds
ofthecommiecartridge.Aquickstepbackatthispoint.Theoriginalsmall-borebullet(smallerthan
thecommon.45ofthetime)wasa220-grainFMJorsoftpoint.ThecurrentclosestthingtothatisaSierra220-grainsoftpoint.(HadIanoriginal.30-03cartridge,witha220FMJ,Iwouldnotbetakingitaparttomeasurethebullet.)Thebulletlengthis1.310inches.Also,asareminder,thatbulletwasnowherenear2,800fps,sowe’llbeusingthe150constantfromGreenhill.
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TheGreenhillformulacalculatesadesiredtwistof10.86inches.TheSSRforthebullet,firedina ⁄ twistbarrel,is1.09.That’sabig,heavybulletthatisgoingtoyawprettyquickly.Whatwouldittaketobringthe7.62x39downtoanSSRof1.0?Atwistof ⁄ .That’sprettyslow,butthe123-grainflat-basebulletisprettyshort.Shortmeansslowtwist,justaslongmeansafastertwist.Toputthisallinperspective,let’sconsidersomerecenthistoryinsmallarms
development.In1940,theU.S.Armyrealizedthatwarwasimminentandthatnoteverysoldierwaswellservedwiththeissue1911A1.Notthatitwasn’t,andisn’t,afinesidearm.Butsoldiersneededmore,andnotallcoulddealwiththebulkandweightofthenewM1Garandriflewhileperformingtheirassignedduties.HencetheM1Carbine.Thecarbinecartridgefiresa110-grainround-nosedjacketedbullet.Thenormaltwistofthe.30boreinusethen, ⁄ ,wouldhavemadeitobnoxiouslyover-stable.Thedesignerssettledonatwistrateof ⁄ .NotthattheM1Carbinebullet,tumbling,makesforthatmuchmoreeffectiveawoundtrack,butitisenoughtomakeitstable,andtheywouldn’thaveproblemswithbulletconstruction,runningthelittlebulletattwicetheRPMitneededtobestable,thesituationthatthey’dhavehadwith ⁄ barrels.Whiletheywereatit,theyalsospec’dthecartridgetohaveanon-corrosive
primer.Thatmadeitaloteasiertoclean,andcutdownoncorrosion,atleastcorrosioncausedbyitsownammunition.TheM1Carbinewasn’tperfect,buttheydidgetalotright.Andtheydidnot
limitthemselvestotheone-and-onlyboresizeandtwistofthestandardrifle,unliketheAK.
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Youdonotsimplyripthebandoffbyhand.Ifyoucan,youprobablydon’tneedarifle,doyou?
Theinspectors’tag,lettingyouknowwhoboxedthesecans.
BULLETCONSTRUCTIONANDSERVICELIFEThewaybulletsaremadejustmakesthingsworsefortheAK.Copperjackets
areactuallyanalloyknownasgildingmetal.Thisisanalloyof95%copperand5%percentzinc,alsoknownbythetradevernacularas“ninety-five-five.”Itissoft,easytowork,easytoanneal,andtherifling“bites”intoitverywell.Ithasareasonablylowcoefficientoffriction,soyoudon’toverworkthebulletorborewhilepushingabulletoutthemuzzle.Bulletsaremadebytakingcoilsofgildingmetalstrip,andpunching“coins”
outofit.Thecoinsarethenshapedinstepscalled“draws”wherethebulletisbystepspunchedmoreandmoreintoabulletshape.Itgetswork-hardened,andhas
stepspunchedmoreandmoreintoabulletshape.Itgetswork-hardened,andhastobeannealed(softened)andcleaned.Neartheend,asectionofleadwireiscut,inserted,andslammedintothe
jacketbymeansofahydraulicram.Onepeculiarityofgildingmetal,vis-à-vislead,isthatithasacertainamountofspringiness.So,ifyoupushajacketedbulletthroughasizingdietobringittoafinaldiameter,thejacketgetspressedin,andthenspringsback.Microscopically,butatriflevelocitiesandRPMs,itmatters.Yousee,theleaddoesnotspringback,andthatcanleadtolooseness,orgaps.Sothefinalstepofbulletmakingistoholdthebulletinsideofacorrectdiameterdie,andhydraulicallypressthebaseofthebullet,topressthecoretightlyintothejacket.Outofthedie,thejackettriestospringbackagainstthepressure,andcannotbecauseofthetightlypressedleadcore.Lookatthebase,andyou’llseetheimprintoftheram.ThepulledbulletfromtheWolf123FMJisaperfectexampleofthis.Mil-specAKbulletsaretoughbullets.I’vejokedthatthe.45ACP230FMJis
sotoughyoucouldshootitsidewaysthrougharailroadtieandnothaveitdeform.TheAKbulletisalmostthattough,ingildingmetaljackets.Steel?Eventougher.ThebimetalbulletsthatarefeaturedinalotofEuropeanandformercom-bloc
arsenalsaremadebyselectingfromacoupleofdifferentlyconstructedcoilsofmetalasthestartingpoint.Oneistogalvanizethemildsteelofthejacketmetalcoilofmaterial.Galvanizingisazinc-platingprocessthatinhibitsrust.Theycouldalsogalvanizethejacketsafterforming,butdoingittocoilsiseasier.Anothermethodistoelectroplateonesideofthecoil,thesidethatwillbeoutsidewhenthebulletisfinished.Thelastistouseheavyrollingpressestobondathinsheetofcopperorgildingmetaltoonesideofthesteelribbon,againthesidethatwillbeoutsidewhenfinished.Thesteelusedisverysoft.Tocallitmildsteelisactuallygivingitmorecredit
thanperhapsisdue.Apedanticmetallurgistmightbetemptedtotermitamalleableiron,asthecarboncontentisverylow.I’dwageragooddealofmoneythatthehighestgradeofsteelusedinjacketsisnotgoingtobebetter
moneythatthehighestgradeofsteelusedinjacketsisnotgoingtobebetterthanSAE1030inequivalence.Andmorelikely1020.(Youcan,ifyouareaverageinstrength,bendarodof1030steeloveryourknee.ThemanlymenamonguscoulddoittoarodofSAE1020withoutakneeinvolved.)Butitissteel.Thatmeansitishardonbores.Abimetalbulletwillhave
doublethewearofagildingmetalbullet.Andthegalvanized?Offthecharts,duetotheabrasivenessofthezincplating.There’sanonlineammunitionsellerwhodidanextensivevolumeammotest
withAR-15s.Theyfired10,000roundsthrougheachoffourrifles,andusedadifferentammunitionforeachofthem.Theriflessubjectedtothegildingmetalbulletammunitionhadsomeservicelifeleftoncetheammowasgone.Thebarrelsthatweretreatedtothebimetalbulletswereusedupbeforetheroundswereconsumed,andaccuracyanalysisindicatedthattheyhadlastedforabout5,000rounds.Keepthatinmind,asyoumerrilyshootthroughtheAKammoyouboughtso
cheap.
5.45x45The5.45x45isadifferentsituation.Firstofall,thebulletislongerthana55-
grainFMJ,inpartduetothelargeamounts—relativelyspeaking—ofsteelintheconstruction.Wealsohavetogobackandrecalculatethingsbasedonthechangeddensity.Let’suseballparkfiguresforstarters.Withmuchhammering,cursingandeffort,Imanagedtoextractabulletfrom
aloadedroundof7N6.I’mgoingtomakesureIsaveandkeeptrackofthisbullet,becauseIdon’twanttohavetodothatalloveragain.Thebulletis1.003incheslong!The7N6bullet,comparedtotheFMJboat-tailM193at.755inches,makes
the7N6athirdagainaslong.Plugginginthenumbers,wecomeupwithanSSRthatis0.937ifweusethe150Greenhillconstant,and1.125ifweusethe180constant.(The5.45x39straddlestheborder,soitcanbedifficulttoassigna
properconstanttoit.)Thatmeansthe5.45isjustabouton-parwiththeXM-193whereyawisconcerned,andifthevelocitydropsbelow2,800fps,itbecomeslessstableinwoundingthanthe55FMJboat-tail.Hmm,abulletthatcausesgreaterwoundingatdistance,thanupclose?Orrather,ismoreefficientinwounding?There’ssomethingthat’sjustwrongwiththat,butitwillrequireadifferentbookthanthisonetoparseout.
Lackingthecanopener,youcantryalotofwaystogetanammocanopen.Thisisoneofthemoreexpensiveways.
Atleast,withtherimmilledoff,Icanframetheammocanlid.
ThatSSR,however,ignoresthedifferenceinmass.Ironhas70percentthedensityoflead.Ifweassumetheemptyspaceinthe
7N6bulletpartiallybalancesoutthedensityoftheleadlining,wecanassignadensityof75percentforthe7N6bullet,comparedtoalead-coreone.Thatmeansourcalculationhastobethesquarerootof75percentof10.9.75
percentofthespecificgravityGreenhillusesis8.175.Butweneedthatasapercentage,sowe’recalculatingthesquarerootof0.8175.Thesquarerootis0.9041.Bycrankingthevariousnumbersin,wedeterminethatourbullet,the53-grain
boat-tailfromthe7N6load,willneedadifferenttwistwhenitisallsteel.So,bytheGreenhillformula,itneedsatwistof ⁄ tobehappyandhaveanSSRof1.0.Therefore,alighterbullet,allotherthingsbeingequal,requiresaslowertwisttoremainstable.Whatallthisarithmeticaljugglingdoesisconfirmthatthe5.45isindeeda
lessstablebulletintissuethantheoriginal7.62X39,andthuswill(anddoes)woundbetter.
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TESTRESULTSThefirstactualinquiryintotheusefulnessofthe7.62x39camefromDr.
MartinFacklerandtheInternationalWoundBallisticsAssociation.Dr.Facklerused10percentgelatinasatissuesimulant.Theideawastofindasubstancethatwouldcorrespond,moreorless,withtissue,totelluswhatbulletsdidtotissue,andwhattissuedidtobullets.Therearetwoimportantfactorstokeepinmind.Oneisthatitisasimulant,
andassuchitisnotperfect.Youcanquibbleabouthowwellitreplicatesmuscle,orfat,complainthatitlacksbonesandother,tougher-than-fat-or-musclesubstancesinthebody.And,youcanreportthatwhilebulletsexpandconsistentlyin10percentgel,theydonotseemtodosoasconsistentlyintissue.Noonesaiditwasperfect.Second,thatitisconsistent.Ifexperimentersonthetwocoaststestthesame
bullet,atthesamevelocity,intheirgelblocks,theywillcomeupwiththesameresults.Thatistheessenceofthescientificmethod—repeatability.Previoussubstancesusedeitherwerenotatallclosetosimulatingtissue,or
weresovaryingintheirconsistencythatyoucouldprovejustaboutanything,ifyoucoddledthetestmediumtheright(orwrong)way.Forallitsfaults,10percentgelatinoffersconsistency.Anddensitythatoffersusawaytoexplorenon-expandingbullets.Remember
earlierwhenImentionedthatbulletstabilitydependsonthedensityofthatthroughwhichitproceeds?Whenabullettransitionsfromair,lowdensity,intotissue,highdensity,itbecomesunstable.Thatinducesyaw.Thelessstable,thesoonerityaws.Formanyyears,thoseextollingthevirtuesofthe7.62x39weretooneextent
oranotherequatingitwiththe7.62NATO.Thisisnotthecase.Let’sreviewthespecs.7.62x39;a123-grainbulletat2250fps.7.62NATO,a148-grainbulletat2650fps.TheAKroundisfromabarrelwitha ⁄ twist,over-stabilized.The7.62NATOfromabarrelwitha ⁄ twist,notsomuchover-stabilized.TheIWBAprocessdevelopedbyDr.Facklerwassimple,itusedablockofa
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TheIWBAprocessdevelopedbyDr.Facklerwassimple,itusedablockofaknownsize,density,temperatureanddistanceintowhichabulletwasfired.Itwouldcapturethebullet,andyoucouldassesstheeffectsontheblock.Rifleblocksmeasure8x8x18inches.(Handgunblocksare6x6x16.)SincetheformationoftheIWBA(Iwasoneoftheoriginalmembers,joining
assoonasIheardaboutit,andcorrespondingwithDr.Facklerbackinthelate1980s.)I’vehadachancetotestriflebulletsingelatin.Whathefound,backinthedaysbeforewehadreliableexpandinghandgun
bullets,andriflebulletswerestillmuchofamystery,wasthatthe7.62x39as-issuedwasagreatpenetratorandwounder,yetnotsomuchakiller.ThetypicalbulletfortheM43wassteelcored,withaleadlinerbetweenthecoreandthecopperplatedmildsteel,orcopperjacket.Why?Steelwascheap.Oneofthecontinualfive-yearplanswastheincreaseinsteelproduction.(Alongwithconcrete.)Steelwascheap,easytoform,anditworked.So,thissteelbullet,over-stabilizedbythefasttwist,performedintheballistic
gelatinjustasyou’dexpect.Butbackthen,itwasnews.Thebulletwouldtravel,onaverage,some10inchesintothegelbeforeit
wouldstarttoyaw.Itwouldturnend-for-endinthenext4inches,andthendoitagain,beforereducedvelocitystartedcausingittowanderofftheoriginaldirection.Itwouldstopatthe75cm,or29-inchdepth.So,forthefirst10inchesofdepth,itwastravelinginastraightline,andnotexpanding.Itisahuskypersonwhoismorethan10inchesdeep,fromsternumtospine.
Asaresult,the7.62x39causedwhatisknownasapunctuatewound.Anin-and-out,withnoexpansion,andnoextradamageduetoyaw.Ifithitavitalorgan,orastructuralpart,theeffectwasimmediate.Butlackingthat,well,therearemorethanafewVietnam(andnowIraqandAfghanistan)veteranswhohavesimplecircularscarsfromwheretheywerehit,tonotmucheffect,byAKrounds.Howdidthisdifferfromthecomparator,the7.62NATO?Theheavier.308bullet,travelingatahighervelocity,andwithlessstability
beginstoyawat6inches.Anditdoessowithmoreenergy.Thisiswiththe
standardFMJ,aboat-tail ⁄ -grainbullet.Ifthesamerifleisusedwithaheavierbullet,suchasa178-grainer,theyawbeginssooner.Thisisoffsetsomewhatbecauseinmanyinstancestheusersofsuchbulletsarealsousingsniperrifles,commonlywitha ⁄ twist.Theheavier,fasterbulletyawssooner,andhasnotyetexitedthebody,thuscreatingamoreeffectivewound.Thetwo7.62sarenotcomparable.Intestingthemongelatin,Ihavefound
thatwhiletherifleblockssubmittotheimpactoftheAKround,theymustbelashedinplacewhentestingwitha7.62/.308round.Otherwisetheforceswillbouncetheblockupoffofthesupports,andifthesupportortableisnotwideenough,yourtestblockgoescrashingdownintothedirt.Oneshotofeachisenoughtodispeltheideathatthetwoareatallequivalent.Howdoesallthiscomparetothe5.56?TheoriginalwastheM193,a55-grainboattailfullmetaljacketbullet,witha
nominalvelocityof3,200fps.Thatwasfromthe20-inchbarrelofafull-sizedM16/AR-15.Outofacarbineitdeliveredless,butnotalotless.I’vegottenover3,100fpsoutofa16-inchcarbine,andover3,000outofanSBR.Inthe ⁄barrel,theeffectisimpressive.Thebulletbeginstoyawjustpast4inchesofdepth.However,thevelocityissogreat(withinwhatisknownasthe“fragmentationrange”)thatthebulletisnotstrongenoughtoyawsuccessfully.Itflattensandbreaksapartatthecannelure.Meanwhile,thefragments,drivenattheremainingvelocity,causeamuchmoreseverewound.Evenifthebulletdoesnotfragment,theforcesatworkcausethebaseto
flatten,andthebullet“j-hooks,”turningindirectiontoexittheblocktooneside,toporbottom.WehavelearnedthatifwewishtosavesampleM193bulletsfiredintoballisticgelatin,wehavetowraptheblocksinoldsoftbodyarmorvests.Theywillstopitwhenittriestoleave,almostinvariablybetweenthe8-10inchdeeppartoftheblock.Thelaterloading,theM855,firedfroma ⁄ twistbarrel(itisnotatall
accuratewhenfiredfroma ⁄ barrel)isnotsosuccessful.SometimesitwillperformastheM193,andsometimesitactsmorelikethe7.62x39.Inorderto
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savesamplebulletsofM855,wehavetoputvestsonallsidesandontheback.Ifitdoesnotyawandj-hook,itwillyawandtravelstraight—exitingtherearoftheblock.The5.45isaninterestingmixtureoftheabove.Firstofall,itislessstable
thananyoftheothers.Thebulletbeginstoyawalmostimmediately,atthe3-inchdepth.However,sinceitisprettymuchanall-steelbullet,itdoesnot(indeed,itcannot)breakapart.Itthenproceedstoyawagain,beforecurvingoff-trackandstoppingatabout20inchesintothegelatin.Itoccasionallyexitsthesidesoftheblock,butnotasconsistentadepthasdoestheM193.Iwon’tsaythata1-inch-longbullet,travelingsideways,isn’tmakinga
seriouswound,butitisn’tanythinglikethewoundtrackoftheM193,ortheM855whenitisworkingthewayitissupposedto.
FRAGMENTATIONRANGEAsabullettravelsdownrange,theresistanceoftheaircausesittolose
velocity.VelocityistheforcecausingfragmentationoftheM193andM855bullet.Oncethevelocityhasdroppedbelowthelevelneededtobreakthebullet(andthisvelocitydiffersfromonedesigntothenext)itwillnotfragment.Itwillyaw,anditmayflattenandj-hook.Thisisnotofmajorconcerntothemilitary,asanopponentat300meterswho
mayhavebeen“knockedflat”byafragmentingbulletatashorterrangeisnotgoingtobeaproblemwith“only”apuncturewound.Well,notintheaggregate.Hemaystillbeaproblemtothepersonwhoshothim,andthatperson’steammates,butatleasthegotpokedandisbleeding.Givehimtime,he’llgiveup,andthingswillworkout.Herearesomereal-worlddatapoints.Alotofpeoplehaveexperienceshootingpeoplewithrifles.Thisincludes
non-swornprivatecitizens,policeandmilitary.Thefactsareclearonwhatcartridgesdowhat,theconfoundingfactorsarethatpeoplearenotequallymotivated.Somewillcontinuedoingwhattheysetouttodo,prettymuchregardlessofwhatcaliberyouhitthemwith.
regardlessofwhatcaliberyouhitthemwith.Andotherswilluseconvenientobstaclesforcoverorconcealment.Thereisnosuchthingasaone-size-fits-allcartridge.Biggermaybebetter,
butitcomesatacost—recoil,weightofammo,weightofrifle.Youhavetopickforyourself.
SHOOTINGWATERJUGSAsaquickanddirty(well,atleastaquickanddamp)methodofcheckingyou
canshootinto1-gallonwaterjugs,lineduptotestpenetration.Whatyouwilllikelyfind(andIdidthisagainrecently,justtorefreshmymemory,andtochecktheinfo)issimple.The7.62x39bulletwillexittheside,toporbottomofthefourthjug.The5.45x39,atleastwith7N6ammo,willexittheside,toporbottomofthesecondjug.
HUNTINGAMMOHowdoesthisdifferfromsoft-pointhuntingammo?Theexposedleadofthe
soft-pointbulletismeanttobeginexpansion.Thebulletdoesnotyaw,becausetheexpansionbeginsalmostimmediately,andastheexpansionproceeds,thecenterofmassofthebulletshiftsfrombehindthecenterofform,toatorinfrontofit.Asaresult,thesoftpointwillpenetrateinastraightline,expandingaslongasthevelocityishighenoughtohydraulicallydeformtheleadcoreandcopperjacket.
WHYSOFEWHUNTINGLOADS?WhilewenowseemorehuntingloadsfortheAKthaneverbefore,thereare
notnearlysomanyasinanynormalhuntingcaliber.Whyisthat?Asimple,andironic,detail:thesupplyofcheapimportsthatmaketheAKsopopular.Let’stakethe.30-30asanexample,sincewe’vecomparedthetwobefore.Ifyouwanttopracticewithyour.30-30,youcanbuyrelativelycheapsoft-
pointammo,thevanilla-plainstuff.Itwillnot,however,beasinexpensiveasimportedFMJ,orsoftpoints.Thehugevolumeofimportscreatesalower-priceniche,orlevel,forammunitionexpectationandconsumption.Simplyput,any
niche,orlevel,forammunitionexpectationandconsumption.Simplyput,anyAKshooterwhowantstopractice,willlookattheimportprice,let’scallitatthemoment$250perthousandrounds.Then,thepriceofhuntingammo,whichisontheorderof$950perthousandrounds,andsaytothemselves“I’llpracticewiththeex-commiestuff,anduseaboxortwoofthehuntingammowhenIhaveto.”Thelowvolumeofproductionandsales,relativelyspeaking,meansthe
huntingloadin7.62x39willalwaysbemoreexpensivethantheFMJ,evenwhenbotharemadehereintheU.S.Bycomparison,theAmericanFMJrunsaround$800perthousandrounds.EveniftheammomakerscouldgetthepriceoftheFMJAKammodownto
thatofvanilla-plain.30-30ammo,thetypicalAKshooterwouldlookatthe$700perthousandpriceofthe.30-30andwonderiftheycanstillfindtheimportstuffatthe“old”price.Thatsaid,theaverage.30-30shooterisnotgoingtoshootanywherenearthe
volumeofammoasthetypicalAKshooter.Ifthe.30-30shooter,practicingforhunting,puts40roundsdownrange,hefeelsithasbeenafullday.AnAKshooterismorelikelytobeshooting200roundsdownrange,andmightwanttodomore,ifhehadonlyrememberedthesecondrangebagfullofammo.Untiltheimportsupplydriesup,orthepricescomeup,therewillalwaysbea
fewhuntingloadsavailablefortheAK.Theywillbegoodloads,buttheywon’tbenumerous.Andhowgreatisthisdisparity?Ididaquick,butnotcomprehensivesearchforhuntingammoforthe7.62x39and.308Winchester.TheAKround?Icameupwithadozen,threeofwhichwereU.S.-made.Andthe.308Winchester?IcameupwithnearlyadozenjustfromWinchester
alone.IhavenodoubtthatifIweretototetheofferingsjustfromthefourmakersthatcometomeatthemoment—Winchester,Remington,FederalandHornady—I’dhaveover50huntingloadsin.308Winchesterwithoutbreakingasweat.It’snotaconspiracy,itissimpleeconomics.
CHAPTER7AKMAINTENANCE&ASSEMBLY
IKNOWTHERE’SSOMEONEREADINGTHISwhothinks,“Thisismoronic.EveryoneknowshowtotakeanAKapart.”Aucontraire,monami.Yes,itissosimplethatevenanilliteratepeasant(thebulkoftheSovietArmyformuchofitsexistence)coulddoit,butevenso,theyhadtobetaughthowtodoit.Eventhesimplesttoolhascertainmaintenancerequirements,andeventhecleverestpersoncangetitwrongiftheyjustjumpinwithoutinstruction.Anexamplemightbeillustrative:the1911pistol.The1911isassimplea
pistolasexists.However,youcanstillgetitwrong.Therewasatop-rankedshooterinourclub,onewhowasperhapsasinglestepbelowtheproshootersofthe1980s,whoonedayatamatchwastalkingabouthowhe’ddoneatriggerjobonhispistol.Fromlisteningtotheblow-by-blowdescription,itwasprettyclearhehadnoideahowthe1911worked.Yousee,he’dpolishedjustabouteverysurfaceonthehammer,sear,disconnectorandassociatedsprings—allthesurfacesexceptthosethatreallymattered.Howitwasthatheendedupwithatriggerpullthathelikedwasamysterytome.TheonlythingIcanassumefromthatwasthatI’djustseenanexampleofoneoftheaphorismsofsportsinaction:“Ifyouthinkitmatters,itdoes.”YoumaybelearningtotakeyourAKapartinordertoproperlycleanand
lubricateit.Oryoumaybedisassemblingapartskitpreparatorytobuildingyourown,onaflatyou’vebentorareceiver—thereisnolower-and-upperreceiver,asontheAR-15—andneedtoseparatethevariousparts.Thereareminorvariationsbetweenmodels,countryoforigin,timeperiod,andbetweentheAK-47andtheAK-74.Adaptasyougo.
IfyouhaveexperiencewithotherriflesyoumaybesurprisedathowmanyofthepartsofanAKaremadeaspermanentattachments.ThebasicideaoftheSovietEmpirewasthatAKriflesweremade,issued,maintained,servicedandthenscrapped.Iftheybecametooworntheywerereplaced.Incidentalitemslikestocks,pistolgripsandhandguardscouldbereplacediftheyweredamaged,butotherwiseitwassimplycheapertobuildnewriflesthanoverhauloldones.Getyourmindwrappedaroundthat,andyou’lldofine.Ifnot,you’llberegularlyfrustratedthatyoucan’treplacesomepartoranotherwitha“better”one,oronewithahigher“ChicksDigIt”(CDI)factor.
Itmaybesimpletomakeandtokeepoperating,butyoustillhavetoknowthedetailsofwhatgoesoninyourAK.Thisistheselector.
Thisisyourselectoron“Fire.”
Withtherifleempty(youdidcheck,didn’tyou?)pushtherecoilspringguidebuttonin.
Withtherifleempty(youdidcheck,didn’tyou?)pushtherecoilspringguidebuttonin.
So,totakeyourAKapartwithoutembarrassinghammermarksorchewingthingsupwithprymarks,youneedtoknowhowitgoestogether.Grabyourrifle,andfollowme:
[1]Oncetherecoilspringguidebuttonpassesflushwiththecover.
[2]Liftitwithyourthumbandtakeitoffthereceiver.
[3]Setitaside,thespringwillstayinplace.
[4]Noticethattheguideridesinitsownslot,andiskeptinplacebytherearlipofthetrunnion.
[5]Pushthebuttonforward,andliftitoffthetrunnion.
[6]Withpractice,youcandoitonehandedandlookcool.Ifyoufumble,thespringwon’tgofar.
IfyouhaveopticsonyourAK,youmayhavetoremovethembeforeyoucanproceed.Someopticalmountsmaycrowdthetopcoversomuchthatyoucan’tweaselthecoveroutfromunderneaththemount,soithastocomeoff.Inothersituations,youaregoingtobedoingsomeheavydutyscrubbing,hosingandcleaning,andyoudon’twantyouropticsorbattery-poweredsightsystemsexposedtothesolvents.Youmayormaynothavetoremovetheoptics,butbeawarethatifyoudo,itwouldbeprudenttocheckyourzerowhenyouputitbackon.Yes,yes,yes,themanufacturerhasassuredyouthatitwill“returntozero”butwhatifitdoesn’t?Youshouldhavecheckedthatbeforeyouwentandtookthescopeoffforathoroughcleaning.First,makesurethegunisempty.Pushthemagazineleverandrockthe
magazineout.Nocartridges?Agoodstart.Pushtheselectordownandrackthebolt.Nothingfliesout?Again,good.Takeamomenttopeerintothechamberandmakesurethereisn’tastraycartridgethere.Iknow,youpulledthebolt
andmakesurethereisn’tastraycartridgethere.Iknow,youpulledtheboltback,soanythingthathadbeeninthechamberwouldhavebeenextracted,right?Notnecessarily.Perhapsyouhaveabustedextractor.Orthecartridgeislockedinthechamber,rustedinplace,andtheextractorrippedtherimoffwhenyouslammedthecharginghandleagainstthebenchtopatthegunclub.Becertain,takealook.Iknowthoseofyouwhohavereadmyotherbooks
willbesensitizedtothis,butthenewreadersshouldknowabitofbackground.Ispentovertwentyyearsworkinginvariousgunshops,andinthattimeIlostcountofthenumberoftimessomeonewhohadjustpresentedafirearmforsaleorrepairremarked,“Oh,itisn’tloaded,”whenIwenttocheck.Andequally,I’velostcountofthetimesacartridgewouldclatteracrossthecounterandontothefloorrightafterthatconfidentdeclaration.Heck,there’saGalilontheeasychairrightbehindme,onethatIcheckedtomakesureitwasn’tloadedwhenIbroughtitoutoftheshop.AndthenexttimeIpickitup,whethertochecksomedetailwhilewritingortoreturnittotheshop,I’llcheckagain.DoIreallythinkthatmydogshaveplayedatrickonme,andloadeditwhenIwasn’tlooking?No.Butcheckingeachfirearmforitsloadedstatuseachtimeyoupickitup,evenifyou’vejustwatchedsomeoneelsedotheexactsamething,isperhapsthebesthabityoucanadopt.Enoughlecture,ontothefunstuff.SoyouhaveanemptychamberAK,withmagazineremoved.Pushthe
selectorallthewaydown.Lookonthebackofthereceivercoverandyou’llseeasquarebuttonprotrudingfromtherearofthecover.Thatisthebackendoftherecoilspringguide,whichkeepsthereceivercoverinplace.Pushthebuttonforward(usuallywithathumb)and,onceitisbelowflushwiththesurfaceofthereceivercover,leveryourthumbuptoliftthecoverfromitstrackinthereceiver.Onceclear,liftthecoveroffandsetitaside.Lookatthereartrunnion.You’llseethetransverseslot(crossways)attherear.Thatistheslotinwhich
thebottomrearlipofthecoverrides,keepingitfromsimplyscootingofftherearofthereceiver(andintoyourface)eachtimeyoushoot.Noticealsothattherecoilspringguideridesinitsownslot.Therecoilspringguideslotkeepsthat
recoilspringguideridesinitsownslot.Therecoilspringguideslotkeepsthatassemblycenteredinthereceiver,andfromspringingofftherearofthereceiverwhenyouliftthecoveroff.Toremovetherecoilspringanditsguide,pushthesquarebuttonendforward(towardthemuzzle)untilitclearsthetrunnionslot,andlift.Pulltheassemblytotherearandoutofthecarrier.Noticethattheassemblyisaself-containedunit.Itdoesnotcomeapartin
normalmaintenance,andyouprobablywillwearoutthebarrelbeforeyouwearoutthespring.TheonlyreasonIcouldseetotaketherecoilspringassemblyapartwouldbetorefinishtherifle.AndthenonlyifyouwantedtoParkerizetherecoilspringbuttonendofit.Then,youmightwanttotakethespringoffbeforethrowingthepartsintotheParkerizingbath.NotbecauseParkerizingwouldharmthespring,butbecauseyoucanfitthepartsintoasmallertray,requiringlesssolution.Therecoilspringsystemisasingleunit.Unlessyouaregoingtoreplaceabrokenorworn-outspring(andwhoknowshowmuchammoonehastoshootinordertohavetogoaboutaccomplishingeitherofthose)youdonothavetodisassembletherecoilspringsetup.No,letmebemoreclear,andforceful,onthat;donotdisassembletherecoil
springsystem.Period.Itneedsnothingfromyoubuttobebrushedclean,ifatall,andsprayedwithabitofoiltokeepitfromrusting.Thenleaveitalone.Nogoodcancomefromadjusting,tuningor“beefingup”thatspring.Leaveitalone,unlessyouaregoingtoreplaceentirelywithsomethingliketheDPMSystemsrecoilspringassembly.
Withthespringout,thecarrierstaysinplace.
Pullthecarrierbackuntilitstops.
Pullthecarrierbackuntilitstops.
Thenliftitstraightup.Ifthebuildermadeitcorrectly,itshouldliftwithnoproblem.
Theboltwon’tfallout.
Turnthecarrierover.
Setthespringassemblyaside.Beforeyougrabthecarrierandyankitoutofthereceiver,takeanotherlookat
thereceiverrails.Noticeatthebackthattherailsarecutawayfromtheupperlipofthereceiver?Thatgapattherearofthebolt/carriertravelistheplacewhereyouliftthecarrierout.Pullthecarrierallthewaytotherearandlift.Itshouldcomefreeofthereceiver.Ifitdoesn’t,orbinds,thatsimplymeanswhoeverbuiltthatrifledidn’tcuttheslotproperly.Ifyourriflehasabufferinit,you’llhavetoremovethebufferfirst,oryouwilllackclearancetoliftthecarrierout.Buffers,orshokbuffs,aresyntheticbumpersthatyouputintherearofareceiver.Theideaisthattheshokbufftakestheimpactofthecarrierwhenitcycles,savingwearandtearontherifle,receiverandthetrunnionrivets.Somehow,IthinkMikhailwascleverenoughtohavetakenthatintoaccount.AndI’veseenhigh-speedvideoofAKsfiringonfull-autowiththecoveroff.(Yes,therifleworkedjustfine.Abithazardous,asthecyclingpartsaren’tcovered,andyoucanfindbitsofclothingandsuchgrabbedbythecyclingparts.Butmechanically,itworksjustfine,andasnormallyaswiththecoveron.)Thecarrier,atleastinthevideoclipsI’veseen,doesnotstrikethereartrunnion.Maybeonsomeitdoes.Maybeonyoursithitshard.Andperhapstheshokbuffyouinstalledisn’tneededatall,andisjustlookingforawaytocausetrouble.Backtodisassembly.Pullthecarrierallthewaybackandlift.Thecarrierand
theboltwillcomefree.Continuepullingtotherearuntilthegaspistonclearsthefronttrunnion,andyou’reout.Settherifledown,andlet’stakealookattheboltandcarrier.Turnthecarrierupsidedownandlookatthebolt.You’llnoticethatitisfreetorotateinthecarrier.Spinitbackandforth.Rotatedownwayitgoesforwardandstops.Rotatedtheotherway,itmovesbackwardandstops.Rotateitback,thenkeepturning.Thelockinglugthatiscapturedinthecamslotwillcomefree.Onceitdoes,pulltheboltforwardandoutofthecarrier.Theboltcontainstheextractorandfiringpin.Theextractorhasanextractorspringandanextractorretainingpin.Again,unlessyou’replanningtorefinishtherifle,there
extractorretainingpin.Again,unlessyou’replanningtorefinishtherifle,thereisnoneedtoremovethefiringpinandextractorfromthebolt.
[1]Noticetheboltslidesbackandforthinthecarrier,cammedbytheangledslot.
[2]Pushtheboltwithafinger.
[3]Pushtheboltbackuntilitstops,thenrotateittogetthelugoutofthecamslot.
[4]Thenpulltheboltforwardoutofthecarrier.
[5]Thatangledslotiswhereyouwanttoputthegreasewhenyoureassemble.
Thereisonedetailofwhichyouneedtobeaware,shouldyoudetailstripthebolt.Theextractorretainingpinhastobeflushwiththeboltsurfaceoritcancauseproblems.IwasonceatafirearmsclasswherethestudentswerefussingoveranAK,tryingtofigureouthowtofitanewbolttoit.Itseemedtheboltnolongerfit.Theyweretryingtofitasparebolt,andwonderingjustwhatpartstheyhadtostone,fileorgrindtomakeitwork.Alarmbellswentoffinmyhead.AnAKboltthat“stopsfitting?”Somethingwaswronghere.SoItookalook,andafterperusingthingsforaminute(andbeingdistractedbybeingasked“Wheredowestonethisnewbolttofit?”)Inoticedthattheextractorpinhadbeenincorrectlyassembled—asin,notflushtotheboltsurface.Afterworkingonit(timespentmostlytryingtofindthecorrectlysizeddriftpunch)Ipositionedthepinsoitwasflush,andfittheboltbackintotherifle.Ifitfitbefore,andnowdidn’t,weneededtoputawaythecuttingandgrindingtoolsanddeterminehowitgotputtogetherincorrectly.Therifleworkedfineforthatclass,andasfarasIknow,workedforaslongasthebarrellasted.
AKCLEANINGOK,weallknowhowtocleananAK,right?Ifweeverfallpreyto
theurge,wesimplypopoffthetopcover,sloshitaroundinaditch(hopefullyoneexquisitelyslimedwithalgae,ofcourse)andputitbacktogether.That’sallitneeds,right?Therearealargenumberofpeoplewhotakegreatprideinhaving
neverrunabrush,patchsolventoranythingbutabulletdowntheboreoftheirAK.Theirideaofcleaningistousehot,soapywater(becausetheammoiscorrosive,dontchaknow)andairdry,blowdry,orsimplyspraywithwater-displacingoiluntiltheoildripsoff.Well,ifyouwanttodothatwithyours,goahead.Butyou’renot
doingitwithmine.AndnowthatIthinkaboutit,no,youcan’tborrowoneofmyrifles,either.IfI’mgoingtocleanmyAK(andI’lladmit,therearesomeintherackthathavenotseenmuch,ifany,cleaning)
therearesomeintherackthathavenotseenmuch,ifany,cleaning)thenIdoitright.ThecleaningoftheAKisinsomeaspectslikeprettymuchevery
otherfirearm,butbecauseofthedesignelementsstolenfromotherrifles,hassomethingsrequiringspecialattention.YoualsowillwanttobeabletotaketheAKapartinordertoinstallnewparts,upgradedproducts,orjustneat-ogear.So,oncewehaveitapartenoughtoclean,we’lljustkeepgoing,soyouknowwhattodowhenitcomestimetoinstallnew,replacement,orupgradedparts.You’llneedafewtools,butnotmany,andnotmanyofthem
specialized.However,therighttoolcantakeathankless,mindlessanduglytask,andifnotturnitintoafunexperience,atleasttakethehorribleedgeoffofit.ThereareabunchoftoolsavailablefortheAK,butI’mafanoftheonesfromRealAvid.First,there’sacleaningmatthatkeepsthegunkandfunkoffofyourworkbench.Keepingthegreaseyouusedononeriflefromgettingontheopticsofthenext,canbeagoodthing.SecondaretheAKScraper,MicroToolandtheGunBosscleaningkit.Thecleaningkitincludesthescraper.It’sasimpletool,butonemadespecificallyforthetasksofcleaningtheAK.EachedgeandrecessonitisdesignedtogetintoaparticularpartoftheAKandscrapethegrimeoff.Thecleaningkitaddsarod,brushesandpatchestothescraper.TheMicroToolhassomecleaningedgesonit,too,andasightadjustmenttoolbuiltin.Thecleaningkitcomesinazippedhard/semi-softcase,andthat’s
agoodthing.Itletsyousealthingsup,sotheywon’tgetlost,orfallout.Anditkeepstheoilandsolventtheywillaccumulatefromgettingonotherstuff.But,toolsaretools,andyouhavetousethem.
Nextupisthegastubeitself.Forthat,youneedtolookattheleverontheside
oftherearsightblock.That’sthepartthatisabovethebarrel,aboveandforwardofthetrunnion,andwhichappearsonsomeriflestobeonepiecewiththetrunnion.Theleverisaflatpiecewithalittleturned-uptabonit.Itcanbeferociously
difficulttoliftandmove.Carefulyoudon’tbendit.Anddon’tgetallhigh-octanewithascrewdriver,tacticalknifeorothertool,becauseitiseasytoslipandstabyourself.(No,Ihaven’tdoneit,butI’veseentheresults.Itwasnotpretty.)Useadriftpunchandahammertobangitopen.Itrotatesuptowardtherearsight.ThisiswhereRealAvid’sMicroToolcomesinhandy;ithasaslotthathelpsyougrabthetabandmoveit.
Fixedstocksareheldonwithwoodscrews.
Theremaybeone,twoorthreescrews.Useaproperlyfittingscrewdriver,asthescrewsmayhavebeenintherefordecades.
Onceyougetitmoving,rotateituntilitclearsthegastube.Therotatingshafthasaflatmilledonit,andthatflatiswhatletstherearofthegastubeliftupoutoftherearsightblock.Luckily,youcanseethiswhenyoulookdownonthegastube.Oncetheleverhaspivotedenoughtoclearthetube(someleverswillstopatthecorrectpoint,otherswillfloparound)youcanlifttherearofthegastubeoutoftherearsightblock.Standardreferencesonfield-strippingtheAKwilltalkofmovingtheleverwithyourbarehands,inwhatIconsideralaughableattempttomakeitlookeasy.Itisn’t.Atleastnotinanew,properlybuiltrifle.Ifyoudecidetogowithahammeranddriftpunch,becareful.Youcanbreaktheleverifyouhitittoohard.(NotthatI’vedoneit,butI’veseenrifleswhereitwasdone.)
done.)
Thepistolgripisheldonbymeansofaboltrunningupthroughthegrip.Again,aproperlyfittingscrewdriveriscalledfor.
Hereitis,apart,completewiththestirrupthatlocksintothereceiver.
Onceitcomestimetoremovethetube,yourhasslesarenotnecessarilyover.Youmaywellhavetouseabigscrewdrivertoprythebackendofthetubeuptoremoveit,anditcanbeaprettytightfit.Oncefreeonthebackend,pullitoffthegasspigothousingonthefrontendandsetitaside.Abovethegastuberetainingleverontherearsightpillaristherearsight.Itis
anon-removablepartunlessyouaregettingtheriflerefinished.Then,ifyoupivottherearsightallthewayupyou’llseeaflatspringunderneathit.Thatpowerstherearsight,andkeepsitfromfloppingaround.Toremovetherearsight(again,notsomethingyouneedtodofornormalmaintenance)youdonotdriftoutwhatappearstobetherearsightpin.Instead,putthesightdownflatagainandpressdownonthefrontendofthesightassembly.Presshardenoughsoyoucanslidetherearsightbackward.Whatlookslikeapinaretheshouldersoftherearsightpivotposts.Oncethesightisclear,pulltheflatspringoutofitsseat.TherearsightdesignissoclearlytakenfromtheMauserdesignthat,hadit
seat.TherearsightdesignissoclearlytakenfromtheMauserdesignthat,haditnotbeenfortheSovietsthathadjustrolledoverGermanyfromtheeast,theMauserCompanycouldhaveeasilyfiledpatentinfringementsuitsin1947andwon.Well,theywouldhavewoninGermancourts,notRussian.Andnotcollectedasinglekopekindamages.
[1]Useascrewdriverorsomeotherlevertopushthegastubelockupoutoftheway.
[2]Ithastopivotallthewayup.Don’toverpivotoritwillblockthetube.
[3]Onceclearontheback,pivotthetubeupandout.Done.
Nowwe’reofftothehandguard.Well,whatislaughinglyreferredtoasthe
Nowwe’reofftothehandguard.Well,whatislaughinglyreferredtoasthehandguard,asitdoesn’treallydomuchtoprotecthandsfromheat.Thehandguardisheldontothebarrelbyacrosspinandthatpinisheldinplacebyalittleleverarm,nestledinsideofthehandguard.Thiswillrequiresomedelicateandinvolvedprying.Therearsightblockcrowdsyourapproachangle.Theleverisatightfitinsidethehandguard,socomingatitfromthesideisn’talwaysanoption.Basicallyyouhavetoworkatitwiththecornerofalargeflatheadscrewdriver,untilyoucanrotatetheleverup.
Don’tyoulovetheparsimonyofgovernmentagencies?Evenbeforethisriflewaspartedout,ithadanewgastubeinstalled.Soofcourse,they“X’d”outtheoldserialnumberandstampedthe
newone.
Turnitcompletely,untilthetipthathadbeeninsidethehandguardisnowpointedtowardthemuzzle.Slidethefronthandguardbracketforward.Again,thisislikelytobeatightfit,andyoumayhavetotaponitwiththebackendofyourscrewdriver,oraplasticmallet.Oncethefronthousingclearsthehandguard,youcanleverthehandguarddownandawayfromthereceiverandremoveit.
removeit.Outonthemuzzle,lifeissimple.Thelittleplungeryouseeonthetopofthe
muzzlebrakeorslantbrakeisspring-loaded,andholdsthebrakeinplace.Presstheplungerintothefrontsighthousingandrotatethebrakeoff.Oops,theclevercommiesmadeitaleft-handthread,soyouhavetospinitintheoppositedirectionyou’reusedtowithnormalthreadedfasteners.Onthebackend,thestockcomesoffoneoftwoways.Afixedstockisheldto
thetrunniontangwithwoodscrews.(Generallyspeaking,milledreceiverswillhaveonescrew,whilestampedreceiverswillhavetwo.YourAKmayvary.)Nothingcomplexhere,justuseabig,well-fittingscrewdriver,andremovethescrewsholdingthestockinplace.Dittothepistolgrip,there’sascrewupinside,useaproperlyfittingscrewdriver.Noleft-handthreadsoneitherstockorpistolgrip.Thestockonstampedreceiversismilledormoldedwithasectionthatgoes
intothesocketintherearofthereartrunnion.Thisistogiveitabitmorestrength(inthecaseofthesyntheticstocks,alotmorestrength)topreventlooseningorwobble.Grabthestockinonehand,thereceiverintheother,andwiggletopullapart.Iftheydon’tseparateeasily,getabig,flat-bladescrewdriver.Stickthebladeendintothereceiverandleverthestockbackward,outofthetrunnion.Youarewearingsafetyglasses,right?Thepistolgripisabiteasier.Thescrewontheinsidegoesintoanutthatrests
inthebottomofthereceiver.Unscrewandremovethepistolgrip,andretainthenut.You’llneeditwhenyoureinstallthepistolgrip,orreplaceitwithanother.Thosewithamilled-receiverAKmaylookatthenut—whichismadeasan
angledpart,andonlyproperlygoesbackinoneway—andask,“Whythis?”Sure,onastampedreceiveritseemstomakesense,butamilledreceiver?Whynotjusttapthebottomofthereceiver,youmightwonder.Theansweris,becausethedesigners,forallthesocialistillusionstheywereworkingunder,understoodtheyweregoingtobedealingwiththeuntrained.Soonerorlater,someonewasgoingtocross-threadthepistolgripboltorotherwisemangletheparts.Anewscreworbolt,that’seasy.Butthereceiver?Ifsomeonemanglesthe
parts.Anewscreworbolt,that’seasy.Butthereceiver?Ifsomeonemanglesthethreads,theunitarmorercan’tfitit.No,aseparatenutandboltistheeasyway.Thatway,whensomeonemanglesthem,youreplaceboth.Andifsomeonelosesthenut?Thearmorercanhaveaboxoftheminhiskit.
Toremovethehandguard,pryupthelockonitsfrontrightend.
Upisnotenough.
Turnitallthewaytowardthemuzzle.
Turnitallthewaytowardthemuzzle.
Thenthebracketcomesfree,andyoucanpushitforwardtoclearthehandguard.
Onceoff,youcanclean,refinishorreplacethehandguard.Remember,everythingonanAKishand-fitted.
TheRealAvidAKscraperletsyoucleanlotsofareas,includingthepistonhead.
INTERNALSFirst,doyoureallyhavetotaketheinternalsout?Ifyouaresimplycleaning,
theanswerisno.Anaerosolcleaner,abrushthatreachesinfollowedbytheapplicationofproperlubricantwillgetthereceiverclean.If,ontheotherhand,youarereplacingtheinternalswithabettertriggerpartsassembly,oryouhavetotakeitaparttodealwithtriggerslap,thenyes,youhavetogettheinternalsout.Bereadyformorestruggling.Forthispart,youdon’thavetotaketherestofthepartsoffwediscussed
above,justthetopcover,boltcarrier,springandbolt.
Themuzzlebrakeisheldonwiththreads,andlockedinplaceviaaspring-loadedplunger.
Holdtheplungerdownwhileyouunscrew.
OK,wehavealltheoutsidestuffpriedoff,let’sgettoworkontheinsides.First,takealookinside,andmemorizewherethingsare.Youcaneventakeaphotowithyourdigitalcamera.Itneedn’tbeperfectlylitordetailed,yousimplyneedsomethingtojogyourmemory.Wehavephotoshere,buttheymaynotbeexactlytheangleyouneed,orbeofyourparticularrifle.Startwiththeselector.Pivotitallthewayup.Normally,thereceivercover
willstopit,anditcan’tpivothigherthaninlinewiththeejectionport.First,putyourthumbinfrontofthehammer,anddry-fire,loweringthehammerwithyour
yourthumbinfrontofthehammer,anddry-fire,loweringthehammerwithyourthumb.Ifyoudon’t,whentheselectorispivotedup,thecentercamontheselectorwillcamonthedisconnectorandtrigger,releasingthehammer.Withthecoveroff,theselectorpivotsallthewayup.Onceitisup,pullitfromthereceiver.Setitaside.Insidethereceiveryou’llfindoneoftwothingsasyournextstep:aretainingspring,oracurvedplate.Reachinandlifttheendofthespringoffthepinitlockson,orweaseltheretainingplateout.
TheMicroToolhasonegadgetthatmakesitagem:aslottoleverthegastuberetaineropen.
Noriskofstabbingyourself,andyoucanunlatchwithonefinger.WishI’dthoughtofit.
Withthespringorplateout,thetriggerandhammerpinscanberemoved.Makelifeeasieronyourselfandlifttherearofthetriggerspringsoffthetriggerlegstoeasethetension.Thenpushthehammerandtriggerpinsout(youmayhavetouseasmallball-peenhammerandadriftpunch).Theyexitthereceiverontheleftside,asnotedbycomparingthesideofthepinheadsontherightandleftsides.Oncefree,liftthemout.Thehammermayrequireabitoftipping,asthepivotdrumsreachtotheinsidesofthereceiver,andwithouttippingyouwon’tbeabletogetthehammerpasttheinternalrails(thosebeingtheejectorandboltguide).ThosewhoprofessionallyassembleordisassembletheAKusehookedrodsto
liftthespringendsoffthetriggerarms.Suchdevicesarenothardtomake.Cutoneortwofromcoathangerwire,andbend/cutanotchontheend.FortheaverageAKshootertheyareasmuchworktomakeastheysaveinannualcleanings.FortheguywhostripsandcleanshisAKweekly,theyareaworthysetoftoolstomake.
TheRealAvidAKcleaningmat.Arubberback,asoftbutoil-resistanttop,andinstructions.
Ifyouforgothowtotakeaboltapart,orputitbacktogether,themathelpsyou.Thanks,mat.
Noteyourtriggerandhammerassembly.Theycomeintwotypes:singleanddoublehook.Doesthetypematter?Notreally,exceptthatyoucan’tmixandmatchthetypeswithoutheadaches.Thebottomofyourreceiver,inthetriggerarea,ismilledwithreliefareasforthetrigger.Youcan’tinstalladouble-hooksetupinareceivercutforsinglehooks;itwon’tfit.Ifyouinstallasingle-hooksetupinareceivermilledfordoublehooks,therewillbeagap.So,ifyouplantoreplacethetrigger/hammerparts,replacethemwiththesametypethatyouhave.Or,accepttheneedformodificationsoragap.
AKCLEANINGRODSOneaspectoftheAKthatIdidn’taddressinthefirstvolumeofthisbookis
cleaningrods.ThereceiverdesignoftheAKissuchthatthereisnotastraightpaththroughthebore,andtotheoutside.Unlikewithaboltaction,youcan’tremovetheboltandthenstuffacleaningrodstraightthroughfortherearlipoftheAKreceivergetsintheway.Thisrequiresthatyoubendtherod,tomakeitenterthechamberandbore.Thisisbadforacoupleofreasons.
Apart,cleanedandbacktogether,shouldonlytakeafewminutes.Let’ssay15minutesifyou’re
Apart,cleanedandbacktogether,shouldonlytakeafewminutes.Let’ssay15minutesifyou’rereallythorough.
First,bendingtherodisbadfortherod.Benditoftenenough,anditwillstaybent.Second,thebentrodbearsagainstthetopsurfaceofthechamber,leadeandbore.Thishastheeffectofwearingtheriflingunevenly.Itcanhurtaccuracy.Finally,itishardonborebrushes.You’llusethemupfaster,andperhapsevenleavebristlesinthebore.Therearetwosolutions.Oneistouseashorterpieceofasectionedrod.
Screwsectionstogetherthatarejustlongenoughtoreachfromthemuzzletoreceiver,andstillgiveyouahand-hold.Poketherodwithoutpatchorbrushinfromthemuzzle.Installthebrush,pullingitouttowardthemuzzle.Swapthebrushforajag,repeat.Installthepatchwhenthejagisinthereceiver,applysolvent,andpullouttowardthemuzzle.OruseaBoreSnake,orotherflexiblecleaningtool,thatyoudropdownthe
boreandpulloutofthemuzzle.
SPECIFICSLet’sgetdowntothespecificsofwhatyouneedtoclean,startingwiththe
bore.Facefacts,alotofAKammoiscorrosive.Eventhestuffthatistoutedas“non-corrosive”probablyisatleastmildlycorrosive.Theonlystuffyoucancountonbeingtrulynon-corrosiveisAmericanmade,ortheferociouslyexpensiveammofromLapua.(Lapuaisworthit,inmyopinion.)Thecorrosivepartoftheammoisthechemicalcompoundsusedintheprimers.Theyproducehygroscopicsalts,whichattractmoisture.Nomoisture,nocorrosion.However,unlessyouliveintheSaharaorthedesertofNamibia,moistureisgoingtobeaneverydayoccurrence.Therearemanysolventstouted,buttheonlythingyouhavetokeepinmindisthis:saltsdissolveinwater.Themorewaterinyourcleaningsolution,thebetterthesaltsareflushedaway.Youcan’t“neutralize”or“deactivate”thesalts,theydon’tworkthatway.Youwashthemout.Iusedtoadvocatethe“dishwasher”methodofpumpinghot,soapywater
throughthebore.AfterworkingwithabunchofAKs,Igavethatup.Ijustusea
throughthebore.AfterworkingwithabunchofAKs,Igavethatup.Ijustuseastartingpatchwetwithhotwaterasaprelim.Thatgetsthesaltytangoftheresidueoutofthebore,wellenoughfortheboresolventstodotheirjob.ThenIuseboresolvents.
Noteherethelargediameterthreads.UsuallyforanAK-74,buthereona“Krink.”
Therearsightpillarguidesthegaspiston,andprovidesaplacefortherearsight.Here,itisthelocatingblockfortheKrinkrearsight.
Oncetheboreisclean,setthereceiverasideandscrubthegaspistoninhot,soapywater.Dumpthewaterandreplacewithclean,hotwater.Rinsethepistonwithhotwater,ashotascomesfromthetap.Thegastube?Trainingsergeantswhoreadthiswillshiverinhorrororanger,butIdon’tbother.Thepistonneedsitonlyasaguide,andnotmuchofthat.Iftheinsiderusts,sowhat?Itcan’tbindthings,andIhavetoomanyotherthingstodototryandkeeptheinteriorofthegastubeclean.RegardingthemuzzlebrakeofanAK-74,takethebrakeoffanddropitinto
thebottomofabucketofhotsoapywater,lettingthewaterdissolvethesalts.Dumpthewaterandretrievethebrake.IfI’vebeendoingalotofshooting,I’llscrubthebrakewithastiffbrush,andgiveitanothergo-aroundinthesoapy,clearwater.Rinseinhotwaterandairdry.Thenoilthethreadsofbothbarrelandbrakeonreassembly.Nextwegototheinteriorofthestrippedreceiver.Asimplebrushingwitha
firearmscleaningbrush,followedbyafewshotsofanaerosolguncleaner,will
suffice.Yes,thepowderresiduewillbelacedwiththesaltsfromtheprimingcompound.Scrubtheinteriorofthereceiverinthesamehot/soapy,hot/clearwaterbath.Then,ageneralspraywithsomeaerosolpenetratingoiljusttoputdownanon-corrosivebarrier,andyou’redone.Spraytheexteriorifyoulike,butalotofshootersarejustashappyleavingtheexteriordry.Itislesslikelytoattractdust,dirt,grit,andtransfertheoiltoyourhands,clothesandguncase.Agoodexteriorfinishwillworkjustfinewithoutoil.
[1]Youhavetodropthehammer,orwhenyoupivottheselectoritwilldropthehammerforyou.
[2]Pivottheselectorallthewayup.
[3]Pullitoutofthereceiver.
[4]Pulloutthecurvedplatethatretainsthehammerandtriggerpins.
[5]Setitasidebutdon’tloseit,asitisfarsuperiortotheshepherdscrook,andyoudon’twanttohavetogobacktothatwretchedthing.
Whileyou’rescrubbingthestrippedreceiver,spendsometimeonthegasportblockandthemuzzlebrake.You’relikelytofindaresidueofcarbonizedpowderlacedwithlacquerandcopper.Iflefttoatmosphericmoisture,thismixturewillturnalightgreenfromthecopperoxidizing.Also,theprimersonsurplusAKammotendtobecorrosive,evenwhentheyaretoutedasnot.Ifitbothersyou,cleanthisoff.Itwillsimplybuildupagain.Ifyouaren’tbotheredbyit,putsomepenetratingoilonittoreachunderandloosenthecaked-onresidue.Themuzzleblastandreciprocatingpartswillknockoffchunks,whichwillre-accumulateasyoushoot.Itisaself-limitingproblem,withoneexception.Ifyoudoalotofshooting,andbuildupaheavyresidue,thenputyourAKawaywithoutcleaningorapplyingoil,theboltmightlockforward.Whathappensis,thegaspistonhasbeengrabbedontobytheresidue,anddespitebeingstainlessorchromed,andwillbeheldfast.You’llhavetobangthecharginghandleagainstasolidobjecthardenoughtofreeit,andthenyou’reinbusinessagain.Speakingofthegaspiston,itisattachedtothecarrierbymeansofacrosspin,
thefitissupposedtobeloose,sothegaspistonisself-centeringinthegastube.Ifyoutightenitto“removetheplay”thenyoumayormaynothaveitcenteredinthegastube,anditmayormaynotridefreely.Scrubthecarbonandincidentalrust(itcomesfromthegastube)offthepiston,andlightlyoilit.Anyrustthathappensbehindthegaspiston,onthecarrieritself,shouldbescrubbedoff.(Rustasanormaloperatingcharacteristicofthesteelpartsofafirearmisahardconcepttodealwithforsome.Getusedtoit.)Thecarriershouldhaveallrustscrubbedoff.Theangledtrackoftheboltlugthatcamstheboltintoandoutoflockingshouldbescrubbedclearofrust,debrisorpetrifiedgrease.Whenyou’reputtingitbacktogether,anapplicationofagoodgungreaseisadvised.Yes,aplainoldoilwilldo,butinthislocationmoreisbetter.SomethinglikeLubriplate,usedasawater-resistantlubeforbearings(andtheM1GarandandM14inthesameapplicationastheAK)isagoodchoice.Atubewilllastyoumanyrifles,manyyears,andmuchshooting.Youdon’tneeddollopsofgrease,
butenoughtogivethewholecamslotacoating.Thecarrierhasnomovingparts,andissuchalow-wearpartthatyoucouldprobablyswapthesamecarrierthroughthreeorfourbuildsbeforeitbecamewornenoughtobeaproblem.Sinceeachpartskitcomeswithitsowncarrier,Idon’tseecarrierwearasanissue.
BOLTTheboltisarelativelyhighwearpart,butcomparedtootherdesignstheAK
boltislowstressand,again,couldprobablyworkthroughseveralrifles.Infact,whenthefuturetimecomestoconsiderit,I’dbetthatyoucouldusethesameboltandcarrierthroughtwo,threeorfourbarrels.Thetrickthenwillbeinfiguringouthowtodoabarrelchangethatisinexpensiveenoughtomakeitattractive,versusbuildingorbuyinganotherrifle.Thebolthastwocrosspins,oneforthefiringpinandonefortheextractor.
Theyaresimplydriftedoutwithacorrectlysizeddriftpunchandhammer.Becarefulwiththeextractor.Theextractorspringpowerstheextractor,anditislikelytojumpfree(ortry)whenyoupullthepunchout.ThefiringpinisnotspringloadedinmostAKs,butthosechamberedin.223oftenhaveafiringpinreturnspring.Thespringistheretopreventthefiringpin,undertheinertiaofchamberingaround,fromkissingtheprimer.AKammunitionismadewithprimersofextraordinaryinsensitivity.Americanprimersareabitmoresensitive,andtoavoidanyproblemsthemakersof.223rifleshavebeenknowntochangethebolttooneusingafiringpinspring.Justkeepaneyeoutforaspringinwiththefiringpin.Ifithasone,youwanttoputitbackwhenyoureassemble.Ifnospring,thennoneedtoworry.Theboltsimplyneedstobescrubbedcleanofpowderresidueandre-oiled.
Thegreasegoesinthecamslotofthecarrier,sothereisnoneedtogoopuptheboltlugswithit.Wipe/scrubthehammerandtriggerclean,andlightlyoil.Dittothehammer
springandretainer,eitherspringorplate,andtheselector.
REASSEMBLYTheusualroutehereis“reversetheabove.”That’stooeasy,andtherearea
fewthingstopointoutontheway.Firstthehandguardandstockfit.Placethestockbackintothetrunnionandpushitintoplace.Ifyouhaveto,smackit.Ifyoufindyourselfwhackingthebuttofthestockagainstyourworkbenchtoseatthestock,youmightwanttostopandlook.Istheresomethingintheway?Ifso,removeit.Ifnot,thetightfithastoleaveobviousmarksonthestocktank.Takealarge,flatfileanddressdowntheareasthataresuchatightfit.Youdon’twantyourstocktowobble,butahandpressedfitisaloteasiertolivewiththanahammerfit.(Congratulations,you’vejusttakenthefirstcourseintheSovietArmorerscourse.)Onceitfitsthewayyouwant,installthescrews.
[1]Afteryou’veliftedthespringlegsoffofthetrigger,pushthetriggerpinout.
[2]Notethatthepinsareheaded,andhavearetaininglip.(That’sthepartthecurvedplatehooksonto.)
[3]Frequentassemblersusehookstoliftthehammerspringlegs.
Herethetriggercomes.
Thetriggeranddisconnectorfreeofthereceiver.
Thehandguardshouldbeatightfit,butnotoneyouhavetoforce.Ifitislooseyoucanbendthelipsofthehandguardretainer(sometimes)orshimthehandguarditself.OnewaytoshimtofitistoapplyabitofJBWeldorotherepoxymixtothefrontlipofthehandguard.Applyareleaseagenttothefrontbracket,orbuildthelipandthenfileitbackonceithashardened.Youwantahandfitthatstayssnug,butdoesn’trequireforceorimpacttogetittoclose.Thegastubecansometimesbeahammerfitaswell.Useafiletodressdown
thebindingpartsoftherearendofit.Ifitisaloosefit,thereisn’tmuchyoucando.Bothendsaremetal-to-metalcontactareas,andtheonlywaytocorrectaloosefitistoeitherswaptubesuntilyoufindonethatisatightfit,orbuildoneortheotherendupwithweld.Personally,Ican’tfindthetimetowastecorrectingaloosegastubefit.Ifyouswapthegastube,beawareoftheports.Somedesigns/modelshaveports,othersdon’t.Thedifferencedoesn’tmatterfor
function,exceptthatariflebuilttouseoneortheotherhasthepistonfitmanufacturedaccordingly.So,ifyouwanttoswapagastubethathasports(two,fourormore)foranother,useonethathasthesamenumberofports.Or,onceitisfitted,drilltheextrayouneed.Ifyoutakeoffanunportedtubeandinstallonewithlotsofholes,youmightfindyourriflenotworkingproperlyinextremecircumstances.Thenagain,theAKissoover-gassedanywayIsometimeswonderifwecouldmakeoneworkwithoutagastubeatall.(Notreally,therewouldbenothingtoguideitbackintotheopeninginthegastubeblock.)Reinstallingthetriggerpartsiseasy,iffussy.Firstmakesuretheyareoiled.Yes,oilypartsareabithardertohandle,butoncethefirecontrolpartsarein,gettingoilontosomeoftheirsurfacescanbedecidedlydifficult.Triggerfirst,withdisconnector.Pushitdownintothereceiverandrunthetriggerpin(thehammerandtriggerpinsarethesame)throughthem.Makesureitsitsflushontherightside.Thentiltthehammersideways,makingsuretheattachedspringlegsrundownoverthetriggerbar.Pushthehammerdown,tiltitupright,andpressitspinacross.Makesurethehammerspringlegsrestontherearofthetriggerbars.Placethecurvedplate,ortheretainingspring(calleda“shepherd’scrook”)inthereceiver,lockingintotheturnedslotsinthehammerandtriggerpins.Thentakeyourselector,turnedupright,andpushitintothereceivertotrapthecurvedplateinplace.Turntheselectordowntothe“Fire”position.Pushthefrontofthetriggerdown,tomovethedisconnectoroutofthewayandcreateclearanceforthecentercamoftheselector.Oncetheselectorisinanddowntothe“Fire”position,cockthehammer.Checkthehammerspringlegsonemoretime,andthetrigger/hammer/selectorfunctionafewtimestomakesureitisallbackthewayitissupposedtobe.AtthispointI’dusuallysay“Youcan’tgetthembackincorrectly,”buteventheingenuityofmancandefeatthedurabilityofSovietengineering,andsomeonewillbeabletogetitwrong.Checkthatitisright,andmoveon.
[1]Withthetriggerout,removethehammerpin.
[2]Thehammerandtriggerpinsareidenticalandinterchangeable.
[2]Thehammerandtriggerpinsareidenticalandinterchangeable.
[3]Hereyouseethehammer,withspring,andthelegsthatbearonthetrigger.
[4]Thereisnoneedtotakethespringoff,unlessyouarereplacingabrokenspring,orsendingthepartsofftoberefinished.
[1]Notethereinforcingbarinthemiddleofthereceiver.Itkeepsthereceiverfrombeingpinchedortwistedduringroughuse.
[2]Slotsmilledintothereartrunnion.Oneguidestherecoilspringassembly,theotherkeepsthecoverfromcomingoffthereceiver.
coverfromcomingoffthereceiver.
[3]Thepinsareheaded.Theygoinandcomeoutontheleftside.
[4]Therearsightpillarguidesthegaspiston,butalsoindicatesverticaltobuilders.Itdoesnotcomeoffthebarrel,unlessyouareusingtheoldpartsonanewbarrel.
[5]Reliefslotscutinafreshlybentreceiver.Thecutsallowthecarriertobeliftedoutofthereceiver.Thereartrunnionfillsthegapattheendonceassemblyiscomplete.
Onthecarrier,makesurethegaspistoniscleanandwipedwithanoilycloth,andthenapplygreasetothecamslotsofthecarrier.Onthebolt,applyoiltotheextractorpivotpointandthespringthatpowerstheextractor.Dropoildownthefiringpinchannel.Installtheboltbackintothecarrier,andshovethecarrierandboltbackintothereceiver.Therecoilspringassemblyissomethingyouneverneedtotakeapart,butif
youreallyfeellikeyouhavetohere’show:Grabthespringstackwithonehandandholdthesquaresticks-through-the-coverendonthebench.Compressthespringtowardthebench.Withyourfreehand,weaseltheendcapoutofthefrontwireoftheassembly.Thenallowthespringtoeaseforwardandoffthewireassembly.Youcanthendowhateveritisyouneedtodowiththeparts.(I’dassumerefinishthem,butsomepeoplejusthavetotakethingsapart.)Ifyou
assumerefinishthem,butsomepeoplejusthavetotakethingsapart.)Ifyoudon’tfindthiseasy,that’syourcluethattheSovietArmydidnotexpect,orintend,foritssoldierstobetakingthespringassemblyapart.Toreassemble,reattachthewires(ifneeded),runthespringon,compress,andworktheendcapbackwhereitwasontheendofthewireassembly.Makesurethespringiswelloiled,thenshovethefrontendofitintothe
tunnelinthecarrier.Compressthespringenoughsothatyoucanreintroducetheretainingendoftheassemblyinitsslotinthereartrunnion.Toinstallthecover,ensurethatitsfrontendisintherecessedslotofthefronttrunnion.Ifyoudon’t,you’llbewrestling,hammeringandcursingthecoverwhileitresistsyoureveryeffort.Onceintherecess,pressdownontherear.Theangleoftherearofthecoverwillcompresstherecoilspringguide,allowingthecovertosnapdownintoitsrearslotinthetrunnion.Therecoilspringassemblyshouldpopoutthroughthesquareholeinthecover,andyou’redone.
LUBRICANTLubingiseasy.Putoilontheextractorandinthejointwheretheextractor
pivotsinthebolt.Standtheboltonitsfaceonthebench,anddropoildowntherearofthebolt,insidethefiringpintunnel.Whileyouletthatwickitswayin,greasethecarrier.Asmentioned,Lubriplateworkswell,butanygungreasewilldo.Alightfilminsidethecamtrackofthecarrierisallyouneed.Doyouneedanyatall?Notreally.UnliketheAR-15,whichdoesneedlube,andcannotbecountedontoworkwelldry,theAKworks.Butlubemakesitbetter.Congratulations,you’vejuststripped,cleanedandreassembledwhatwas,up
untilthemid-1980s,oneoftherarestfirearmsinAmerica.Afterthat,itquicklybecameoneofthetopfivemostcommon.You’vemanagedwhatanyilliteratepeasantcando,withtheexceptionofthelubricationpart.Theyknownothingofthat,andforthemostparttheirAKsseemtoworkjustfine.Thenagain,iftheirsstoppedworking,they’djustpickuporbeissuedanother.However,youwanttoprotectyourinvestment,sospendsometimeandcleanit.
CHAPTER8TRIGGERS
THEAKHAS…AVERYINTERESTINGtrigger.Forariflemanaccustomedtoa“clean,crisp,3-pound”trigger,theAKisnotjustodd,itcanbemaddening.Firstofall,thereisnothingcrispaboutit.Ithasalotoftravel.Now,youcancallthiscreep,oryoucanviewitmorelikethedouble-actionstrokeofarevolvertrigger.Italsoislightforarifletrigger,orsoitseems,onceyougetthetrigger
moving.Justaboutthetimeyougetusedtothetriggermoving…oops,itjustwentoff.Youdonot“prep”anAKtrigger.Onceyoudecidetofire,youstrokethroughit,keepingthesightsaligned.ThisisnotanaspectoftheAKthatwecoveredinthefirstvolume,aswewerefocusedonbuilding,nottuning.And,wewereallbuildingthemtobeasmuchliketheoriginalsaspossible.Theattitudewas,“IfSpetsnazcandealwithtriggerslap,thentherestofuscan,too.”Oneannoyingthingisthatinsomemodels,thetriggerispronetowhatis
knownas“triggerslap.”Thishappenswhenthehammer,beingcockedbytheboltcarrier,slamsbackdownagainstthetrigger,forcingitbackagainstyourtriggerfinger.Itwouldbebadenoughifitweresimplyslappingyou.Butsinceitoccursinthefollow-throughphaseoftheshot,yourtriggerfingerispressinghardonthetrigger,holdingitback.Onesolutionistoreplacealltheparts.Andsinceyouhavetodothatwhen
buildingapartskit(notthatthere’salotofthatanymore)yousimplyreplacewithpartsthatdon’tslap.However,ifyouhaveanimportanditslaps,youcandothesamething—replacetheparts.Notbecauseyouhavetobe922(r)compliant,butbecauseyouwanttoenjoyshooting.
Ifyouexperiencetriggerslap,lookontheundersideofthedisconnector.Seewhereitishitting,andremovemetalthere,andonlythere.
Beforewegoswappingoutparts,let’slookatwhyithappens,andhowyoucantakecareofitwithoutbuyingnewparts.TheAKhaswhatisknownasatwo-stagetrigger.Thesearanddisconnector
hooksarebuiltintothetrigger.Thesearhooksareafixedfeatureofthetrigger,whilethedisconnectorisahinged,spring-loadedpart.WhenyoufireyourAK,thehammerpivotsbackviatheboltcarrier,andthe
dualhooksofthehammerslamdownintothecamedgeofthedisconnector.Thedisconnectorpivotsoutoftheway,andthen,poweredbyitsspring,snapsbacktocatchontotherearhookofthedual-hookhammersearsurfaces.Whenyoureleasethetriggerforthenextshot,thetriggerpivots,allowingthedisconnectortopivotoutofthewayandreleasethehammer,intheprocessdroppingitontothetriggersearhooks.Thenextstepiswhenyoufire.Thetriggerpivotsunderyourfinger,andthe
searsurfacesofthetriggerpivotforward,eventuallyslidingoffofthehammersearsurfaces,releasingthehammer.Asthetriggerpivots,italsobringsthedisconnectorhookbackintothepivotpathofthehammerhooksontheirreturn.(Butinthispartofthecycletheyareunderneaththehammerhooksanddonot
(Butinthispartofthecycletheyareunderneaththehammerhooksanddonotinterferewiththefiringpress.)
TheCenturyArmsRAK-1isareplacementtriggerthatnotonlycountsasthreeU.S.-madepartsforcompliancepurposes,butgreatlyimprovestriggerpull.
Triggerslaphappenswhenthedisconnector,whackedbythehammer,pivotsbackoutoftheway.Ifthereisnotenoughclearanceinsidethetriggertrough,thebackendofthedisconnectorslamsintothetriggeritself.Sincetheimpactpointofthedisconnectortriggerstrikeisbehindthepivotpointofthetrigger,theimpulseactstocamthetriggerforward.Thishappensatspeedwhileyouareholdingthetriggerdown,soyourfingertakesthebruntoftheimpactasthetriggerisslammedforward.Ouch.So,thesolution,intheory,istoremovemetalsothebackendofthe
disconnectorcan’tcontactthetriggerwhenthedisconnectoriscammedback.Thismeanstakingallthetriggerpartsoutofthereceiver,lookingforthecontactpoint,andthenfilingorgrindingthatareaclear.Thisissimpletodescribe,butnotalwayseasytodo.First,thehardnessofthe
metalcanvary.Youmayfindthatafileslidesrightoff.Oryoumayfindthatthepartsaresoft,andabrieftouchuponthebenchgrinderwheelisallthatisneeded.Avoidthetemptationtoaddresstheproblembyremovingmetalfromtheback
ofthetrigger.Unlessyouhaveamillingmachine,andcanreachintotheslottotakesomemetalout,you’rebestjustdoingtheworktothedisconnector.That’swhatyoudoifyouaregoingtoworkwiththeexistingparts.Why
modifytheexistingparts?Ifyouhappentohaveatriggersetthatproducesanacceptabletriggerpull,that’sreasonenough.Ifyouhaveatriggerpullthat,asidefromthetriggerslap,isgoodorevenexceptional,youwouldbeanidiottoreplacethepartswithnewones.Unlessyou’reaninveterateexperimenter,ofcourse.Soifitisgoodenough,leavewellenoughalone.Ifnot,youcanalwayssimplyreplacewithanewtriggerassembly,suchasthe
RAK-1fromCenturyArms,oroneoftheALGDefensetriggerkits.There’soneotherdetailtokeeptrackof—singleversusdoublehook.
There’soneotherdetailtokeeptrackof—singleversusdoublehook.Mechanically,thedoublehookusesthedisconnectorasatriggerstop.Thismeansthedisconnectorcatchesthehammerandreleasesit,andisusedasatriggerpullstoptobearagainstthetriggerneartheendofthetriggerpress.Thissometimescanbefeltasastop,whileatothertimesitcannot.ThisdesignfeatureisstolendirectlyfromBrowning,andheusedittomake
thetriggerpullcleaner.ItwasusedtogreatadvantageontheGarand,andwasagreatpartofitssuccessasatargetrifle.Thesinglehookdesigndoesnotusethedisconnectorasastop,anddepends
onaverylargesearoverlapservingasthesafetyandtriggerpresscontrol.Thehistory,design,implementationandincorporationofthedoubleand
singlehook,overthedecadesandinvariouscountriesandmodels,couldfillabook.Oratleast,severalchaptersofanencyclopedia,andisnotsomethingweneedtodiveintohere.Justkeepinmindthatsomemodelswillhaveadouble-hookdesign,someasinglehook,andreplacementtriggersusuallyaremadetofitintoeither.Yes,that’sright,thedouble-andsingle-hookpartsaremeanttogointodouble-orsingle-specificreceivers.So,ifyouhappentohaveasingle-hookreceiver,anddouble-hookparts,you’llfindtheywon’tfitwithoutmods.That’sannoying,buttheSovietsandChicomswerenotinterestedinmakingthingseasyforus.Onthecontrary,theysimplywantedasmanyriflesastheycouldmake.
CENTURYARMSRAK-1TheRAK-1isapartssetfromCenturyArmsthatreplacesalltheinternalsof
yourAK.So,ifyouarebuilding,theycomprisethreepartsfor922(r)compliance.Ifnot,youwouldbewisetoreplaceall,ratherthanmessaroundtryingtoinstalloneortwooftheminavainattempttoproduceabettertriggerpull.You’llbebetteroffwithallthree.
ALGDefensemakesacrackinggoodtriggerset,asyouwouldexpect.Itcomeswithallthespringsandpartsyouneed,plusarollpinsetformakingsurethesafety/selectorfunctions
properlywiththenewparts.
Centurymakesthepartsoutofasteelalloy,thenheattreatsthemforalongservicelifeandsmoothengagement.Theyalsomadesurethedisconnectorwasmodifiedsoitdoesn’tcreatetriggerslap.Whiletheywereatit,theymodifiedthedesignsothat,despitebeingadouble-hooktrigger,itwillfitintoreceiversmadeforsingle-hooktriggers.Asabonus,Centuryincludesatriggersleeve,whichservesasaslavepin.It’s
handybecauseyoucanassemblethehammer,springandtriggerwiththesleeve,andthenslideeverythingintothereceiver.Then,whenyoupressthetriggerpinacross,itpressesthesleeveoutoftheway,soyoudon’thavetohavethreehandsandasticktoinstallalltheparts.Thepartscomewithinstructions,asifyouneedinstructionstoswappartsin
anAK.Butstill,itisagoodthingontheirpart.
ALGDEFENSEALGDefense,whilemaintainingthecriticaldimensionsoftheAKtriggerand
hammer,tooklibertieswiththeparts’cosmetics.Thesinglehook,whileshorterthanyourtypicalAKsinglehook,ismachinedtoacrisperengagement,andthelinesofthepartsaremoreEuropeanorAmericanthanRussian.(Itishardtodescribe,buttakealookandyou’llsee.)Theyusetriplealloysteel,whichmeansitismostlikelyachrome-moly
Vanadiumsteel.Whateveritis(andALGDefenseisn‘tsaying)itisgood,whichiswhatwe’dexpectfromthefolksthere.Itcomeswiththeneededdisconnectorspring,butyou’lleitherhavetousetheoriginalhammerspring,oraddanALGDefenseAKhammerspringtomakethingswork.OnevisiblechangetothetriggerfromALGDefenseistheshapeofthebow.
TheoriginalAKtriggerhasasharpcurvethathugsyourtriggerfinger.TheALGtriggerisamoreopencurve,providingasmallercontactpad,whichaidsinacleanertriggerpull.Asanaidtofitting,ALGDefenseincludesapairofrollpins,andhaveadded
aspotonthetriggertoinstalloneofthem.ThisistoensureyoursafetyleveractuallymakescontactwiththetriggerwhenonSafe.
Thetailonthebackend(totheright)ofthisdisconnectoriswhereyouneedtolookifyouhavetriggerslap.
TheAKhasbeenbuiltonfivecontinents(asfarasIknow,noonemadeAKsinAustralia,andtherearen’tanyinAntarctica)overtheprevioussevendecades.Theideathattheyallhavetriggersthatproperlycontactallsafetyleversisabsurd.So,ALGmadeiteasy,there’sawaytomakethetriggerandsafetymeetwhenandwherethey’resupposedto.TheALGDefensetriggersetcomeswithextensiveinstructions,thekindof
explanatoryoverkillofwhichIheartilyapprove.
CHAPTER9AKACCURACY
JUSTHOWACCURATECANANAKBE?Beforewecananswerthatquestion,wehavetoaskafewothers.First,howaccurateistheammunitionitself?Andhowdowegoaboutmeasuringaccuracy?Thecommongunwritermethodis,shootagroup,slapascaleacrossthe
widestspreadholes,subtractthebulletdiameter,andvoilà!There’syourgroupsizeandaccuracy.Butisthisreallyavalidmeasurementmethod?Notexactly.Themoreinformativemethodistoshootmorethanonegroup,andmorethanthethree-shotnormforhunters,andthosewhowriteforhunters.Huntershavereasonable(you’llnoticeIdidnotsay“good”justreasonable)reasonsforthree-shotgroups.Oncemeasured,thisistranslatedfromtherulertoatheoreticaldispersion
called“minuteofangle,”orMOA.Anglesaremeasuredindegrees.Eachdegreeissubdividedintominutes.A ⁄ thofadegreeisoneminuteofangle,andisprettycloseto1inchat100yards.So,a“1MOArifle”willtheoreticallyshoota1-inchgroupat100yards,a2-inchgroupat200,andsoon.Ahunterisnotgoingtotakemorethanthree,fourshotsatanygivengame
animal.Ifyouneedmorethanthat,itisn’tahunt,itisafight,oracullingoperation,andyoudonotneedtoworryaboutminute-of-angleaccuracyforthefollow-upshotsinafight.Plus,mosthunterstakea“coldbore”shot.Therifleandammunitionarebothatambienttemperature.Theyaren’theatedupfromalongstringoffire,sohowaccuratetherifleisorisn’t,whenitisheatedup,isimmaterial.Atargetshootercaresaboutaccuracyfromahotbarrel.Ifyouarecompeting
1 60
inHighPower,you’llbefiringtenshotsinaminute,or70seconds.Thatbarrelwillgethot.Ifitchangespointofimpactorgroupsizewhileitheatsupyou’reprettymuchnon-competitiveregardlessofyourskilllevel.Militaryriflesareexpectedtoworkregardlessoftheclimate,temperature,
lackofcleaning,etc.Andahotbarrel,well,whenyou’reinafightthere’snosuchthingasatimeoutforbarrelcooling.Keepthatinmindwhenyoureadabouttheacceptableaccuracylevelofservicerifles.So,hunters,competitiveshootersandthemilitaryalllookataccuracyfrom
differentperspectives.Eachperspectiveweighsthevariablesdifferently,andmeasuresresultswithadifferentyardstick.Theuse-a-rulermethodlacksacertainstatisticalprecision.Ifthegroupsare
widesidetoside,orupanddown,orarecomposedofaknotofholeswithoneflieralwayspresent,simplymeasuringthewidestholesdoesn’ttellyoumuch.Thenthereisthetendencytoimproveourskillsbyculling.“Well,Islappedthetriggerononeshot.Thathastohavebeentheoneoutofthegroup,sowe’llcallitgoodwiththerest.”Uh-huh.Goodluckwiththat,Bucky.A“calledflier”isjustthat.Ifyousawthefrontsightgohigh-leftonthebreak,andthewideshotisindeedhighandleft,thenyoucancallthatshotoutofthegrouponaccountofyourtriggercontrol.(Orlackthereof.)Butifyouhavenoideawhereitwentwhenyouslappedthetrigger,youcan’tjusttossthebadone.Forallyouknow,thatoneyouslappedwentintothecenterofthegroup,andtheflierwasacleantriggerpress.Butenoughsoapboxing.Themilitaryusesseveralprocesses,onecalledtheMeanRadius,theother
RadialStandardDeviation.Basically,theprocessissimple,ifnotarduous.(Youcanreadpagesandpagesofanalysisonthemathematicsinvolved,theyarenothardtofind.)Theammotobetestedisfiredthroughamachinerest,auniversalreceiverintowhichisscrewedaprecisionbarrel.Thelocationofeachandeveryshotismeasured.Thenthecenterofthegroupisplottedorcalculated.Next,eachshotismeasuredforitsindividualdistancefromthecalculated/measured
groupcenter.TheaverageofthedistancesistheMeanRadius.Thedistancescanbemathematicallymassagedbycalculatingthestandarddeviationforthedistancesoftheholesinthegroup,wherethestandarddeviationisavalueofthedispersionoftheplottedlocations.
Don’tletanyonetellyouanAKcan’tshoot,orisjustabullethose.Here,I’veshotaperfectscoreonthequalificationcourse,usingaborrowedAK-74.
Themoreaccuratetheammunitionbeingtested,thelowertheMeanRadiuswillbe,andthelowertheStandardDeviation.Theydonotnecessarilytellyouthesamething,andtheywillnotbethesamenumericalvalues.Also,thereisno“conversionfactor”forMOAtoMRorRSD.MOAisasimplemeasurement,andtheothertwoarestatisticalcalculationsthatalsocomewithapercentageofconfidence.Asin“theRadialStandardDeviationofproductionload#123is1.59inches,witha95percentconfidencelevel.”Whenyoureadthat(asan
1.59inches,witha95percentconfidencelevel.”Whenyoureadthat(asanexample)the“acceptedaccuracy”ofagivenlotofammunitioniswithinthe3inchesat100meterstheArmyfeelsisuseful,theyarenotbuyinginaccurateammunition.Or,whenyoureadthat“AnaverageM16A2,withM855ammunition,typicallyshoots3.5MOA”theArmyisnotbuyingcrap.Themilitarystandardismeasuredwithten-shotgroups.Theydonot“throwoutfliers”becauseinamachinerest,therearen’tany.Everyshothitswhereithitsbecausethatiswhattheammunitiondoes,notbecausethequarter-tonuniversalrest,barrelandstand,flinched.Whentheytestrifles,theyuseknownsamplesthatarerelevantexamplesofthetypetobetested.Theyarefiredfromfixedrests,withnohumaninterference.Onlyafterallthatdoesapersongetinvolved,andtheresults,withgoodrecordkeeping,canbeplottedovertimeandbeverypredictable.Andremember,theArmyrightlyexpectsarifletogobangeverytime,andto
deliveritsbulletprettyclosetotheintendedspotonthetarget.Inanyclimate,situation,orlocation.Thinkofitthisway.Ariflethat“only”shootsa3.5MOAgroupwilldelivera
bulletwithina10.5-inchcircleat300yards.Holdarulerup,acrossyourchest.Thentellmethat“3.5MOAisn’taccurateenough.”But,howdowetellaccuracyinanAK?First,weneedsomethingmore
accuratethananAK,totesttheammoandparseoutitscontributiontothesystem.That’swhereCZcomesin.Lackingamachinerestorauniversalreceiver,abolt-actionriflewithagoodscopeontop,firedfromasolidbenchandariflerestisthebestwaytodetermineammunitionaccuracy.Thelistsofbolt-actionriflesarenotexactlyrepletewithmodelschamberedin7.62x39.TherewastheRugerHawkeyeCompact,from2009-2012;theMiniMauserMarkX,importedbyInterarms—theMinihasbeenavailableoffandonin.223sincethelate1980s,butthe7.62x39versionwasonlysporadicallyavailable;andtheSavage10FCMScout,whichwasavailableforawhile,andSavagerifleshaveverygoodbarrels.Butwearereallyleftwithonechoice.Theonlybolt-actionfactoryriflechamberedin7.62x39(withabonus:a
Theonlybolt-actionfactoryriflechamberedin7.62x39(withabonus:adetachablemagazine)thatI’mawareofistheCZ527carbine,oneofwhichIhappentopossess.BasedonashortenedBrnoaction,ithasasingle-feed,single-stack5-roundmagazine,andsinceitwasdesignedandmadeinEurope,theyhaveaclueabout7.62x39.ThechamberisdimensionedtoCIPspecs,andtheboreismadefor.311-inchdiameterbullets.Beingaeurorifle,itdoesnothavethereceiverdrilledandtappedforscopemounts,insteadusingadovetailsystem,thusCZ-specificringsandbases.SinceCZUSAalsohastherings,thatisn’tanissue.Thisdoes,however,posesomethingofaproblem.Ifwehaveabarrelmade
for.311-inchbullets,andweuseammunitionthatisloadedwith.308-inchbullets,accuracymaynotbeallitcouldbe.Butthen,we’reusingtheammoelsewhereinrifles(AKs)thathaveboresdimensionedfor.311-inchbullets,sotheaccuracyresultsshouldtranslatewell.ThetwistrateoftheCZ527islistedas ⁄ ,whichisabitfasterthanthespecratefortheAK,withatwistof ⁄ .Asmallthingwhenpunchingpaperfromthebench.
THETESTINGPROCESSItooktherifletotherange,andshotgroupswithit.Ifiredfour,5-shotgroups
witheachtypeofammoavailable,at100yards,andmeasuredallthehits.Theresultswereasexpected.Agoodbatchofammo,fromthebench,witha
scope,fromabolt-actionrifle,shottoabout2MOA.Theless-premiumammunitionraninthe3-4MOArange.Whichisn’ttoobad,really.Oh,Iknow,asIpointedoutearlier,thatweAmericansareallsuperbshots.AnditisourbirthrightasAmericanstoown(andexpecteveryrifletobe)asub-MOArifle.Yeah,butwearen’t,andtheyaren’t.Andalightweight,handylittlecarbinelikethe527,especiallywithnoextra
effortputintobeddingit,isn’tgoingtobesub-MOA.Butasacross-checkforAKaccuracy,itisasolidperformer.
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So,whenyoumountascopeonyourAK,andyoufindyouarestill“only”shooting3MOAfromthebench,keepthisinmind—you’redoinggood,runningprettymuchatthelimitsofthesystem.
There’sareasonAKshavebeenwithusforthree-quartersofacentury,andwilllikelybewithusforthatlongintothefuture.
forthatlongintothefuture.
CHAPTER10SIGHTS&OPTICS
IHAVETOADMITTOACERTAINAMOUNTofguiltoverhavingdissedandmockedtheallegedaccuracyoftheAK-47prettyrelentlessly.Iwon’tsayI’mwrong,butIwillsayImayhaveoversoldthecasualaccuracyoftherifle.TheSovietsknewhowtomakegoodbarrels.Howaccurateaparticularone
endedupdependedonthevagariesofthespecificplant,supervisor,productionquotasandtheammo.Whenallthatcametogether,theaccuracywasuptosnuff.Ifnot,well,theyweretobeusedasbullethosesanyway,comrade,sowhat’syourproblem?Besidesammo,thebigholdupintheaccuracyequationhasalwaysbeenthe
sightingsystem.Withanopennotch,andapostoutfront—thewholeassemblynothavingmuchinthewayofsightradius—youcanonlyexpectsomuchperformance.But,minute-of-capitalist-running-dogwasalltheywereafter,anyway.AssumingyourAKisinherentlyaccurateandyouhavegoodammowith
whichtofeedit,whatsightsoropticscanyouupgradetoinordertobolsteraccuracy?Andhowcanyoumountthem?Let’sdotheironsightsfirst.
Notetheheightofthescopeabovethereceivercover.
INDOORPLUMBINGTomymind,thenotch-and-postsightingsystem,atleastonrifles,isthe
equivalentof19th-centuryplumbing:itworks,butyoureallywishtherewassomethingbetter.Yes,lotsofmenduringwar,andlotsofdeerduringhuntingseason,havebeenkilledwithriflessportinganotchandpostsightingsystem.Andawholelotofpeople,andgameanimals,werekilledwithstonespears,bronzebladesandleadshothurledfromslings.Heck,ourEuropeanpredecessorscleanedthecontinentoutofcavebearswithfire-hardenedwoodenspearsandtheproperapplicationofsmallteamtactics.Thatdoesn’tmeanyouwanttobeusingthosetoolstoday.TheproblemwiththeAKisthatreplacingtherearnotchwithanewer,
higher-technotchisn’tmuchofanimprovement,ifanimprovementatall.Sure,someoneouttheremakesanight-sightvariantofastandardAKsight,butso
what?You’restillstuckwithanotchthat,dependingonhowmuchyoucrawlthestock,is11or12inchesawayfromyourface.Andthesightradiusisamere15 ⁄ inches.Addinganewnotchsightisn‘tgoingtohelpmuch.However,installinganaperturesightbackontherearofthereceivermakes
thesightradius23inchesandchange.That’sanappreciabledifference,andonethatislongerthanthesightradiusontheAR-15.Allisnotsweetnessandlight,however.Theonlyplacetoputtherearapertureisonthetopcover,anditwasnevermeanttobeasolidmountingplaceforanything.Itistheresimplytokeepstuffoutofthemechanism,andtokeepthemechanismfromgnawingawayattheuser’shands,faceandclothing.Andbeingmadeofcheapsheetsteel(Youaren’tundertheimpressionthattheSovietsgaveitanymorethanacursoryheattreatment,areyou?)thetopcoverjustisn’tthickenoughformuchinthewayofattachments.Inordertosolidlymountanaperturerearsightontothetopcover,youneedanewtopcover,onedesignedforit.Otherwisethesharpradiusofthecover’scurvewillmakeyourlife…interesting,asyoutrytofindalocationthatkeepsyournewrearsightverticaltotheboreaxis.
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Thedaysofironsightsonlyonmilitaryrifleshasended.Ifyoudon’tmakeariflethatcanreadilyacceptareddotsight,youwon’tsellverymany.Oldriflesmustbeupdated.
TheUltimakopticsmounthastobecenteredbetweenthegasblockandtherearsightblock.
Also,inordertoinstallanaperturesightonthecoverrequiresthetopcoverto
Also,inordertoinstallanaperturesightonthecoverrequiresthetopcovertobetight.Howmuchcanloosenessmatter?Thelawofequaltrianglesletsuscalculatehowmuchmovementattheaperturechangespointofimpactofabullet.Let’sassumethattherearsightwobblesaminisculeone-thousandthofaninch,or0.001inches.The23.5-inchsightradiusmeansachangeinthepointofimpactofthebullet
by0.115inchesat100yards.Notmuch,right?However,Iwasnotover-statingitwhenIreferredto.001asminiscule.Itisamovementsmallenoughthatitisnoteasytofeelbyhand.Five-thousandthsisanamountyoucanfeel,andisalsoroughlythethicknessofadollarbill.(Actually,byTreasuryspecs,itis0.0043inthickness.)So,.005meansanerrorofjustover ⁄ ofaninch.Thatmaynotseemthatbad,
butrememberthatwe’retryingtoimprovethings.Goingfromarock-solidnotchrearsight,toawobblyaperturesightmeanswe’veprettymuchgivenuptheextrasightingadvantagethelongersightradiusgivesus.Whichiswhyareplacementtopcoverfitssotightly(asitshould)andwhyit
makesassemblyanddisassemblyabitmorework.So,withthatinmind,Isourcedreplacementtopcovers,andparkedaperture
sightsonthem.Now,thetoughpartisinassessingjusthowmuchtheyhelp.Todothat,Ihadtocarefullyshootforgroupswiththeregularnotchsight,thenreplacethenotchrearonthetestrifle,andinstallareplacementcoverandaperturesight.Thenshootthesamedistancewiththesameammo.
MOUNTSINTHE21 CENTURYConsideringhowrecentlywe’vebeentryingtoputopticsonAKs,thefact
thattherearefourlocationsyoucanuseformountingissurprising.Whatisn’tsurprisingisthatofthose,onlyoneistheoriginal,Sovietlocation.Thosefourincludethesidemount,rivetedtothereceiverwall(theoriginal,
albeitlater,Sovietadvance);areplacementtopcover,witheitherapicrail,orsomekindofscope-specificmountonit;therearsightsocket,wheretheopennotchrearsightwouldbe;andfinally,arailedhandguard.
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notchrearsightwouldbe;andfinally,arailedhandguard.However,sincealloptionsformountingascopeareafterthoughts,noneareas
satisfactoryastherailedupperreceiverofaflat-topAR.IhavetoadmitthattheARlocationisalsoanafterthought,andanadded-onlocation,nottheoriginal.But,luckilyforus,theARlocationisactuallyausefulone,andcanmakeforaverysecure,repeatable,ergonomicscopemountingsolution.AndnowthatI’veopenedthesubject,you’llhavetogetusedtocomparisons.
AsmuchasAKfansliketheKalashnikov,itdoesnotexistinavacuum.Ithastocompeteagainstotherrifles,andtheirfeatures.TheAKisnotaloneinthis.Themuch-laudedFALisalsoadisasterwhenitcomestomountingascope.Notonlydoesithaveameagersheetmetaltopcover,butitsportstherecoilofthe.308.So,assolidasthenewmakersmakethemountingsystems,theyarealllessercompromiseswhencomparedtoaflat-topARandasolidmount.Doesitmatter?Notmuch,really.Let’slookfirstatthesidemount.Thesidemountbecomesanissuewiththe
upgradesthatweretobetheAK-74.The5.45isgenerallymoreaccuratethan7.62x39,andinitsbestlotsmarkedlybetterthanrun-of-the-mill7.62.TheSovietswantedtotakeadvantageofthat,andtheonlycost-effectivewaytogetopticsontheAKwasthesidemount.Remember,thiswaslongbeforetheM4,andflat-topARs,sotheycouldn’t
usethatasatemplate.Andnooneelsewasthinkingthatway,either.TheGermans,excuseme,theWestGermans,werelookingatoptics,buttheywereusingthehideouslyexpensiveQDclawmountfortheirG3,apieceofgearthatcostasmuchasagoodAmericanscope.(NotthattheGermanswouldhavebotheredwithsomethingaslow-rentasa“good”Americanscope,ca.1974.)Despitethat,theydidthebesttheycould,whichisn’ttoobadatall.
TECHSIGHTSTheoriginalaperturerearsightforAKs,theTechSightssystemandtop
cover,isasolidandusefulupgrade.Theaperturesightisanassemblythatreplacestherearoftherecoilspringassembly.Toinstall,taketheassembly
apart,andassemblethefrontwireloopandrecoilspringtotheTechSightassembly.AtthispointIknowyou’retiredofhearingit,butnotallAKsarethesame.
You’llhavetoconsulttheTechSightscharttoseewhichmodelyou’llneedtoworkwithyourAK.Whenyouassembleyourrifle,plugthesightandspringintotherearofthecarrier,lettingthespringpushthesightassemblybackintothereartrunnionslot.Dependingonthetolerances,youmayfinditnecessarytodosomefitting.Fittingisgood,asitensuresatightfit,andnoslop.Installthecover.Insertthefrontlipofthecoverintothegrooveintherearsightblock.Hingeitdownand,whenyougettothetwocircularlumpsonthesideofthesight,pressthoselumpsintotheassembly.Theyarethespring-loadedcoverretainers.
TheTechSightaperturerear.Takethespringassemblyoutofyourrifletogettherequiredparts.
Onceassembledontherifle,everythingstaystogether.
Theplungersonthesideholdthecovertothesight,andthesightistrappedintheslot.Clever.
Thespringkeepsthesightwedgedbackintotheslot.Thecoverkeepsitfrommovingforward.Thecovercan’tlift,becauseitishelddownbythetwoplungersintherearsightblockthataretrappedintheslot.Cleverandsolid.But,noplaceforareddotoptic.You’llhavetomountthatsomeplaceelse.
TEXASWEAPONSSYSTEMSTheguysatTexasWeaponsSystemswentatanaperturesightforAKs
anotherway.TheGen2&3DogLegrailreplacesthetopcoverwitharailedcover.Onthebackendofthecoverisclampedasimpleaperturerearsight.Therearofthecoverhasaslitontherightside,andthecovermetalisbentinslightly,whichclampsthecoverontothereceiver.Also,thecoverretainerhastheengagementsurfacemachinedatanangle,andthatangleusesthespringpowertocamtherearofthecoverdown,tighttothereceiver.Itiscalledthedog-legcoverbecausethetopcoverdropsdownfromthehinge
Itiscalledthedog-legcoverbecausethetopcoverdropsdownfromthehingeintherearsightblock,keepingthecoveraslowaspossible.
TheTexasWeaponsSystemsreplacementtopcoverwithrailandrearsightisanotherchoice.Ireceivedabetaversion,sentfortest&evaluation.Howwelldiditwork?Let’sjustsayit’snot
goingtobereturned.
IfyouwantanaperturesightonyourAK,boththeGen2andGen3willwork.However,TWShaschangedfromtheGen2,totheGen3designentirely,sothoseofuswithlegacysightswillhavetogetGen3sifweexpandtheinventory.Thedifference?TheGen2usesacrosspinintherearsighttoholdthecoveron.TheGen3employsareplacementhingeassembly.TheGen3isalsomadeofthickermetal.Asalastdetail,theGen2wasintendedtobeaslowaspossible.However,notallthrow-levermountsfitwithit.So,theGen3wasmadetoaccommodateallthemounts.Therearsightissimple,butthelongrailonthecovermeansitisreddotsight
city.
RSREGULATETheoriginalsidemountswehadwereSoviet-made.Whattheywerethinking,
Ihavenoidea.Themountputsthescopesofarovertheriflethatyouhaven’tahopeofgettinganykindofapropercheek-weldoreventheslightestamountof
contact.Well,RSRegulatetookthebasicdesign,keptthesiderailbaseasthestarting
point,andthenranwithit.Therewasnowaytomakeaone-size-fits-allmount,sotheydividedit.That’sthesimpleandcleverpartoftheAK-300ModularSideMountsystem.YouassembletheRSRegulatemountyouneed,fortheopticyouwillbeusing,fromoneeachofthecorrectupperandlower.
RSRegulatemakesbasesandrings.Thesearethebases.Picktheoneyouneed,forthelocationofyourscopethatyoudesire.
Aforward-biasbase,readytoreceiveareddotsighttop.
Therearesevenlowers,forabias-to-the-rear,biasfront,orfull-length.ThentheVZ58getssomelove,aswellasYugo,andtheRomanianPSLgetstwomore.Thenpicktheupper.ThereareAimpoint30mm,AimpointMicro,BushnellTRS25,Trijicon,andevenaraileduppertouseforscoperingsorabasicthrow-leverbasedoptic.Withthelengthandbiasoptions,youcanputtheopticwhereveryouwantittobealongtheupperlineoftherifle.Basically,ifyoucan’tfindacombinationofRSRegulateupperandlowerhalveswithwhichtoparkopticsonyourAK,youprobablyshouldn’tbeusingit.Theoptic,thatis.
Withthecorrectbase,thetopallowsyoutoinstallareddotsightormagnifyingoptic.Mixandmatch,assemble,andyou’regolden.
MIDWESTINDUSTRIESMidwestIndustriesmakesabunchofmountsforinstallingopticsonyourAK.
Let’staketheminturn.
MidwestIndustriesAK-H-ML-2TheMidwestIndustriesAK-H-ML-2isareplacementhandguardandtopthat
hasrailsonthebottomandside,andaplaceforareddotopticontop.ItisobviouslymeantforuseonAKsthatlackasiderail,sinceifyouhavesucharailyoucanuseittoinstallascope.Toinstall,removetheoldhandguardandtakethewoodorplasticoffthegastube.Installthemilled/stampedadaptersontherearoftheMidwesthandguard.Milledandstampedreceivershavedifferentlyshapedandsizedsocketsforthehandguardtenon.Midwest’smodelmakesthehandguardandthetenonstofit.ClamptheMidwestlowerhalfontothebarrel,withtheprovidedclampandscrews.(Quicknote;therailsarenumbered,and
withtheprovidedclampandscrews.(Quicknote;therailsarenumbered,andmarkedLandR.LandRshouldbeobvious.)
Putthegastubebackintoplace.Placethetopcoveronthelower,andfastenthescrewsholdingthetwotogether.Checkthefitandfunction.Everythingfine?Great,nowinstallthereddotsight.Whenitcomestimetoinstallthereddot,removetopofthehandguard.
There’samachinedsectionmarked“T1”inthetopofit.Installyourreddotscopethere.Thesocketismachinedtobethebase,liketheriserorQDclampbase.Putthetopcoverbackon.Tighteneverythingandreassembletherifle.Testfireandzero.Ifeverythingiscorrect,removethescrewsoneatatime,
applyblueLoctite,andreinstall.
MidwestIndustriesAKRailedScopeMountThismountgoesdirectlyontotherailattachedtothesideofyourreceiver.
Unlatchthethrowlever.Slidethemountontotherail.Clampthethrowleverclosed.Ifyouneedtoadjusttension,openthethrowleverandremovethe
closed.Ifyouneedtoadjusttension,openthethrowleverandremovethemount.Withtheleveropen,presstheleveruptowardthemountbase.Thisliftsthelockingscrew,withitsflats,upoutofthesquareslotinwhichitrides.Useascrewdrivertotighten(orloosen,ifthemountistootight)thenut.Lineuptheflatwiththesquareslot,andlevertheclampclosed,topullthenutdownintotheslot.Checkfituntilyouhaveitsettobeclampedastightlyasyoucan,andstillget
itapartwithyourbarehands.Next,mountyourscopeonthetoprailwithcorrecteyereliefaswithanyotherrifle.
TheMidwestIndustriesrailtopisidealformountingscoperings,andallowstheuseofamagnifyingoptic.
MidwestIndustriesRedDotMountMidwest’sRedDotMountusesthesameclampingsystem—andadjustments
ifneeded—astherailedmount.Thedifferenceis,thetopisboredfora30mmreddotoptic.Thelatestreddotshavetheirownbuilt-inbaseandarenotjusttubes.Butforthosewithlegacyoptics,orwhowanttousesomethingthatis
tubes.Butforthosewithlegacyoptics,orwhowanttousesomethingthatisdirt-cheapasatestbed,thenthiswillcertainlydothetrick.
A30mmreddotsightwillfeelrightathomeinthisMidwestIndustriesmount.
OPTICSReddotopticshavecomealongwaysincetheearlydays.Whenwefirst
Reddotopticshavecomealongwaysincetheearlydays.Whenwefirststartedusingthemincompetition,theywerenotwell-received.However,oncethefirstguywon(thatbeingJerryBarnhart,atthe1990USPSAnationals)everyoneelsetookalook.Whenthesecondguywon(DougKoenig,atthe1990IPSCWorldShoot)thatwasit,wewereallin.Notonlydidweusethem,webrokethemleftandright.Sincethen,reddot
opticshavebeenredesignedmultipletimes,andthemodernonesareaboutasbulletproofasyoucanmakesomethingelectronic.Butthereareafewthingsyouhavetokeepinmindwhenmountingareddot
sightonanAK.Thehandguardtopmountinglocationcanbeveryhandy,butthere’salotofheatthere.Thegastubegetshotandthehandguardsconductheatfromthebarrel,soitisnotahappyplaceforelectronics.Thetopcoverblocksorabsorbsmuchoftheheat,butitisanareasubjecttoalotofvibration.Thesiderailmountavoidstheheatandsomeofthevibration,butitcanalsogetshakenifthemountisn’trigidoristheleastbitloose.Thatsaid,thelifeofareddotonanAKisn’tsignificantlylessstressfulthan
onanAR,butitisn’taneasyride.I’veincludedthereddotsItestedforthisbook,butnoteverythingavailable.Thisis,afterall,anAKbook,notanopticsbook.Butthesesurvived,sobasedonthatIcansuggestthemwithoutreservation.
MeoptaTheMeosightIIIisacompactreddotsightwithabuilt-inmountingsystem.
Allitneedsisarailontowhichitisclamped.Thezeroadjustmentsareobviousandmarked,andwithacorrectlysizedsmallscrewdriveryoucaneasilycrankthedotaroundtoadjustyourgroups.Thebatteryisheldinasmalltraythatslidesouttotheside.Youdon’thavetoremoveordisassembletheMeosightIIItochangebatteries.Ittakesyourbog-standardCR2032battery,whichyoucanfindprettymuchanywherethesedays.
TheStyrkareddotoptic,mountedontheKrebsCustom,anddoinganexcellentjob.Handy,butoutoftheway,andcompactaswell.
StyrkaS3TheStyrkaS3alsohasabuilt-inclampingsystem,andmountingitontoarail
isapieceofcake.TheS3hasanumberofinterestingfeatures.There’sanautoshut-offafteronehour,itiswaterproof,testedtoonemeterfor30minutes.Itcomeswithahigh-risemount,whichARuserswouldfindusefulbutAKownerswillnot.(Soleaveitinthebox.)Itcomeswithahandyneoprenecovertoprotectitwhileitisintherackorcase,andano-glarehoneycombfilter—incaseyouworryaboutreflectionsgivingawayyourposition.
AimpointTheAimpointMicrocomeswithnotonlyitsownmountingbase,butariser
topositionitatthecorrectheightoveranAR.OnanAK,youdon’tneedthe
topositionitatthecorrectheightoveranAR.OnanAK,youdon’tneedthemountingbase,sothefirstthingyou’lldoisdisassemblethebasefromtheriser,andreattachthebasetotheMicrobyitself.ThissimplemodpositionsitlowenoughforuseonanAK.Itsthrow-levermountissoover-engineeredyou’dthinkGermanswereinvolvedinsteadofSwedes.
ADVANTAGESAftergoingtoallthistrouble,whatkindofresultscanyouexpecttosee?To
beblunt,mostshooterswon’tseemuchimprovementinaccuracy.Yousee,theAKiskindofstubbornaboutaccuracy.Thetrigger,theun-ergonomicstock,thelight,whippybarrel,allworkagainstyou.Theammodoesn’thelpmuch,either,aswediscoveredinthepreviouschapter.Let’sputsomenumberstoit.Mostshooters,workingfromthebench(ifyou
canfindeitherabenchthatletsyouusea30-roundmagazine,oruseashortermagazine)withaplainoldAK,andsurplusorimportedammoandthenotchandpostsightscanshoot4-5MOA.Stopscreaming,that’snormalshooting.Oh,ifyouprowltheinterwebs,you’llfindlotsandlotsofpeoplewhowillclaimtheyare“1MOAshootersalldaylong.”WhatcanIsay?Theylie.Agoodshooter,withsharpeyes,canshadedownbelowthat4MOAfigure.If
hehasagoodAK,withacleantrigger,andgoodammo,hecangetitdownto3MOA.Ifyouhaveallthat,andtheninstallareddotscope,orbetteryetmagnifyingoptic,youcangetdowntoaround2MOA.Andthat’sgoingtobeit.Ifyouwantbetteraccuracythanthat,youaregoingtohavetojumpupin
equipment,startingwithamuchbetterbarrel.But,anaperturesightandreddotopticdon’tjustimproveaccuracy.They
speeduptargetacquisitionandshottimes.You’llstillbeshooting2-3MOA,butyou’llbeabletogetontarget,makefollow-upshots,andtransitiontothenexttargetalotfaster.Anaperturesightwillspeedyouup.Areddotoptic,comparedtothenotchandpostsight,willmakeitseemlikeyou’reatwarpspeed.That’swhatsightimprovementsreallydoforyou.
So,ifyou’veinvestedinanaperturesightorareddotsightmount,don’tbedisappointedifyourgroupsdon’tsuddenlyshrinkdowntosniper-rifleterritory.Remember,comrade,theAKisnotasniperrifle,andwasneverintendedtobeone.ThatwecanmakeitshootaswellasitdoesisatributetotheclevernessoftheAmericanexperimenter.Sofocusonwhat’sleftthatyoucanimproveon.Workonyourspeed—thereismorethanenoughaccuracytohittargetsatthedistancesforwhichthistoolwasdesigned.
CHAPTER11AKDURABILITY&SERVICELIFE
Ifyouareamongthedevoted,andhavedrunktheKool-Aid,you’llbelievethattheAK-47issodurable,soutterlyindestructible,thatafterthenuclearholocaust,andtheinevitablecockroachevolution,thatthosefutureBlattodeidswillbeabletoarmthemselveswithAKstheypulloutoftherubble.Puh-leeze.Andeveniftheydo,thoseAKswon’tbeanymoreergonomicforthem,thantheywereforus.Yes,theAKisdurable,butnomoresothanotherfirearms.Somedesignsare
fragile,andsomedon’tlastlong,buttypically,amilitaryorganizationattemptstoissuetoolstothetroopsthatwillstanduptouse.Rememberthatnotalltypesofabusearethesame.Ihadanillustrationofthisrecently.Iwasoutwalkingthedogs,andsaw
somethingshinyonthesidewalkahead.Ofcourse,thedogshadtoinvestigate.Itwasabustedsmartphone.I’mnotupenoughonsmartphonestoknowwhatmodelitwas,shortofdoinganautopsy.ButwhatIcantellyouisthatitwasbusted.Thrown,dropped,stomped,whatever,ithadgivenuptheghost.Innormaluse,itwouldhaveserveditsownerwelluntilthebatteryfinallydied.Butthisabuseitcouldnotwithstand.Everyobjecthasitslimits.So,ifyouseeinthenewsthatsomeonerecoveredanAKinAfghanistan,one
thathadthemarkingstoindicateitwasmadein,oh,let’ssay1950,whatcanyoulearn?ProofoftheutterdurabilityoftheAK-47?Uh,no.Withanyproduct,youwillhaveasmallsamplethatwillsurviveanything.Imean,we’refindingdinosaurbonesfromdeadcrittersthatexpired100,even200millionyearsago.AKswon’tlastnearlythatlong,evenwhenkeptstoredproperly.(Mostlybecausethebuildingtheyarestoredinwillhavecrumbledafterafewtensof
becausethebuildingtheyarestoredinwillhavecrumbledafterafewtensofthousandsofyears.)So,howlongwillyourAK-47,AK-74,orSKSlast?Thatdepends.Let’sconsiderthethicknessofyourstampedreceiverAK.Thecommon
measurementorstandardfortheshellisa1mmthicksheetofsteel.Howthickisthat?Well,theU.S.TreasuryDepartmenttellsusthatadollarbillismadeofcloth(actuallyakindofacloth/paperhybrid)thatis.0043inchesthick.Andweknowthat1mmequals0.0393inches.So,ninecrisp,new,$1-dollarbills,pressedintoaflatstack,isaboutthesamethicknessasyourstampedAKreceivershell.Hmm,notsothicknowthatyouthinkaboutit,eh?Theupsideisthatsteelisincrediblystrong.That’swhywewenttothetroubleofdevelopingit,afterall.And,theshelloftheAKreceiverisaself-supportingstructure.Internalforcesworkinthedirectionsofitsshape-strength,anditisnotstressedinthedirectionofitsweakness.Oneweaknessitdoeshaveislateralcrushresistance.Empty,youcouldjust
aboutcrushitwithyourhands.But,itisn’temptyexceptwhenitis,andwhenitisassembled,theinternalpartsandtheinternalbraceacttosupporttheshellfromlateralstresses.Thoseinternalpartsalsoactasstrutstosupportitwhenitisstressedfrom
firing.Whenyoufirearound,theloadofthechamberpressureisbornebytheboltlugsandthelockingrecessesofthefronttrunnion.Thereceiverdoesn’ttakeanyofthatload,notinarealsense.Theloadthereceivertakesisthetransmittedrecoil.Asthebulletishurledforward,therifleasawholeisthrustbackward.Yourshoulderstopsthat,andtheimpactistakenbytherivetsonthereartrunnionforthemostpart.Thefrontrivetsalsotakesomestress,fromthemassofthebarrelandtherestoftherifle,forwardofthoserivets.Iforwhentheboltcarrierbottomsoutintherearoftherecoilstroke,the
impactisagaintakenbytherearrivets,withnothinguponwhichthefronttrunnionandrivetsmustbear.So,betweenthefrontandthereartrunnion,thereartakesmostofthework,
andifyouarebuildinganAKyoushouldpayextraattentiontotherearrivets.
andifyouarebuildinganAKyoushouldpayextraattentiontotherearrivets.Besuretheyarefirmlyseatedandrivetedtight.And,itisworthpointingout,howeverobviousitmayseem,thatthemilledreceiversdonothavethispotentialproblem.TherearenorivetedtrunnionsonamilledreceiverAK,thefrontandrearofthereceiverareintegralpartsofthemilledblockofsteel.EvenintheAK-usingpartsoftheworld,thereisahierarchyofperceived
value.Finlandisagreatexample.HavingadoptedtheAK(theValmetisaFinnish-madeAK,withimprovementstheFinnsfelttheyneeded)theyhavebeenhappywithit.Awhilebacktheyboughtametricbuttloadof7.62x39AKs,EastGermanandChinese,foremergencyuseandtraining.Theideawas,inanemergency,they’dneedwarehousesfullofAKstoissue.(WhenyoushareaborderandalongandsometimesfractioushistorywithRussia,youtendtothinkofthesethings.)RatherthanspendthebigbuckstomakewarehousesfullofFinnish-qualityValmets,theywrotecheckstobuyupsurplusEastGermanAKs,andnewly-madeChinesetype56s.Theyalsousedthecheapimportsfortraining.TraininginFinland,infactany
countryororganizationthattakestrainingseriously,isnotlikeanafternoonatthegunclub.Riflesaresubjectedtoalotofwearandtear,eveniftheyarenotfired.(TheU.S.militaryuseswhatarecalled“rubberducks,”whicharesynthetic,non-firingclonesofM16/M4s,forjustthispurpose.)Backin2012,Finlandwaslookingtosellofftheunusedinventory,asthey
werereducingtheirreserviststrengthfrom350,000to250,000.Giventherecentsaber-rattlingthathasbeengoingon,andtheRussianactivities,Iimaginetheyarereactivatingsomeofthosereservists,andaregladtheydidn’tmanagetobroomoutallthat“excess”inventory.
IfyouscourtheInternet(anditwon’ttakemuchscouring)you’llfindphotosofcheerfulAKenthusiastsshowingoffinapeculiarSovietfashion.TheyaredoingpushupsontheirAKs.HoldtheAKhorizontally,magazineinplace,crosswaystoyourbody.Kneeldown,pressthemagazineintothedirt,andstartdoingpushupsontherifle,balancingonthemagazine.Asamachoshowoff,itisimpressivenotbecausetheriflewithstandsit.Ifyoucandopushupswhilebalancingononepoint,that’snotbad.Therifle?OK,soanARmagazinewon’twithstandthat.Sowhat?Slapinanall-steelmagazine,anditwill.Heck,I’vedrivenoverARswithcarsandtrucks.Sobigdeal,Isay.Asfarasservicelifeisconcerned,that’samatterofbarrellife.TheARhasa
barreldesignthatiseasytochange.TheAK,notsomuch.TheARhasbeenmadewiththebestbarrelsteeltobehad.Imean,ARshooterswillcomplainabout“inferior”steelinaparticularbarrelmade“only”of4140steel.Asifthesteelusedtomaketheirgrandfather’sGarandwasinferior.AKs?I’msuretheSovietsmadethemofthebeststeeltheycould,butyoudon’tmaketensofmillionsofanearlydisposablerifleoutofthefinestchrome-molyVanadiumsteel.Especiallyifyouarehard-chromingtheboreforcorrosionresistanceandwear.Combinedwiththecommonbi-metalbulletsusedinimportedorsurplus
ammo,anAKbarrelwillnotlastaslongasanARbarrel.So,realisticallyspeaking,whenyourAKhaslostitsaccuracy,whentheboreisterminallyworn,thenthat’sit,therifleisdone.Youcanretireit,pryofftheuseableparts(thepartsthatremainunbrokenforuseonyourotherAKs)andmoveon.Aswe’vediscussedelsewhere,youcanreplaceanAKbarrel.Butitisn’t
nearlyaseasyaswithanAR—ittakesareal-dealgunsmith,andonlytimewilltellifthereisasufficientdemandforthatservicetowarrantgunsmithsofferingit.Lookatitthisway:youoryourbuddyhavespent$450-500onaplain-JaneimportedAKoflessthanstellarquality.You’vehosedfivecasesofimportammothroughit,andnowitwon’tkeepitsshotsonthetargetboardat100yards.Anewrifleisnow$600.Thegunsmithquoteonreplacingthebarrelishalfthat.(Currently,thecheapestreplacementbarrelis$150orso.Thelabortofit,drillthegasport,cutthetrunnionpinrecess,fitthegasblockandfrontsight,andwe’resimplyball-parkingatanother$150.)Whichisit?Replacethebarrelonatired,worn,unrefinedAK,orbuyanotheronethatprobablyhashadabitmorerefinementdonetoitsincethefirstpurchase.Notallrifleswouldbeinasimilarsituation.Ifyou’vesprungforthebucksto
buy,forexample,anIWIAce,at$1,700–1,800,thena$300replacementbarrelisnotaproblem.Also,therifleitselfisalotmorerefinedthanthevanillaimportinthefirstexample.Alotofshootersjustmightgoforareplacementinthatinstance.Inotherwords,we’llsee.
IraqisoldierspracticeurbanwarfaretacticsatanadvancedtrainingcourseinMosul,ledbysoldiersfrom5thBattalion,20thInfantryRegiment.PhotobySpc.ChristaMartin
CHAPTER12KRINKREDUX
THEREISACLASSOFFIREARMSKNOWNasShortBarreledRifle,orSBRfor…short.Federallaw(yourStatemayhavetheirownopiniononthesubject)declaresthatinordertobeaplainoldrifle(let’scallitaPOR,comparedtoSBR,OK?)yourblasterhastohaveanoveralllengthofnotlessthan26inches,andabarrellengthofnotlessthan16inches.Inamomentaryfitofrationalthought,theFedsofficiallymeasureariflewiththestockextended(whichcausesnoendofheadachesforthosewholiveinastatewherethemeasurementismadewiththestockfolded).Over16-inchbarrel,over26inchesoverall?Congrats,it’saPOR.EveryAKoutthere,inregulartrim,iskosherbytheFeds.Thebarrelsareall
16inches(theyhadtobe,simplytohavebeenimportable)andthelengthofthereceiverissuchthatthefoldedlengthisnearly30inches.SBRsareshorterthanthat.TogetanSBR,youfirsthavetoliveinaStatethatallowsthem.FederallawonthissubjectdoesnottrumpStatelaw.(Toexplainwhy,isalong,convolutedlegaldiscussionthatweneednotgetintohere.JustacceptthefactthatifyourStatesays“no,”that’susuallytheendofit.)WhenitcomestoanSBRintheAR-15world,therearequiteafewtypes:TheretroXM-177,177A1and177A2.WehaveMr.M4,ColtCommandoandin9mm,theColtbuzzgunclone.
I’vehadachancetoshootKrinksmoresincethefirstbook.Istilldon’tlikethem,andthinktheycanbegreatlyimproved.Oratleastmadetobemorecivilized.
TherearsightontheKrinkovisattachedtothereceivercover.
Theshortergassystemmeansashorterpiston,whichcomplicatesthings.
Theshortergassystemmeansashorterpiston,whichcomplicatesthings.
IntheAKworldwehaveone:theKrinkov.Andthemysteryarounditisentirelyaboutthename.Thereasonforitis,theSovietswantedsomethingmorecompactthantheAK.Havingscrappedorstoredallthe7.62x25submachinegunsthey’dwonthewarwith,theyfoundtheyneededsomethingmorecompacteventhantheAK-47.EvenwithafoldingstocktheAK,AKM,etc.canbeabitbulky.IntheinterestsofmakingsomethingshorterfortheirparatroopersandSpecialForces,theSoviets,inadditiontotheirlaterupgradeoftheAK-47,developedtheshort-barreledAK-74—knownastheAKS-74U.OnceadoptedinRussia,otherWarsawPactcountriesmadetheirownversions.ThemembersoftheRedArmydidnotcallittheKrinkov.Ispenttime
discussingthissubjectwithtwoofthepublishingworld’sexpertsonthesubject,DaveFortierandPeteKokalis,andfoundoutthatmembersoftheRedArmyhavemuchthesamesensibilityassoldierseverywhere.RedArmysoldierscalltheshortriflethe“Ksyuka,”sortofavocalizationofthesymbolsof“AKS-74U”andsoundingsimilartothewoman’snameXenya.Orthesameprocess,leadingtoSuchok,“littlebough.”Thenthereare“Suchka”and“Okurok,”whichmean“littlebitch”and“cigarettebutt”respectively.(Ifnotrespectfully.)Aslightlyirreverentnameforanessentialtool,andatoolandnicknamethatmarksthepossessorasbeingmorethanjustanotherSovietgrunt.
Asyoucansee,therearsightisjustanotch—evenlessusefulthanthestandardAKrearsight.Thenagain,youaren’tshootingbullseyesat600yards.
ButnoKrinkov.TheearliestcitationanyonecanfindisfromDavidIsby,inanissueofSoldierofFortune(S.O.F.).Butnooneknowswherehegotit.
anissueofSoldierofFortune(S.O.F.).Butnooneknowswherehegotit.KokaliswasaneditoratS.O.F.backthen,andthesourceofthenameeitherdidn’tcomeupthen,orhedoesn’tremember.(Thosewhohavehadachancetotalkwithhimwouldfinditdifficulttobelievethathe’dforgetsomethingsomemorable,so“nomention”itis.)SinceDavidhasn’tsaidanythingsince,noonereallyknowswhereitcamefrom.OnespeculationisthatitcomesfromthenameoftheSovietGeneralcapturedbythemujahideen.Exceptthatthehighest-rankedSovietofficercapturedwasactuallyaCaptain(apilot)whosenamesoundsnothinglike“Krinkov”andnoonewithanameanythinglike“Krinkov”wascapturedorlistedasmissingintheAfghanistanwar.Anotherspeculationwasthatitisthenicknamegivenitbythemujahideen
themselves.ButwhywouldtheRedArmysoldierscalltheirriflebyanametheiropponentsuse?Weknowitdidn’tcomethroughthesoldiers.Ifthesourcewasthemujahideen,thatcertainlywouldhavebeenmentionedwhenitwasbroughtupintheS.O.F.issue;Ireadthepublicationmyselfbackthen,andthestylecertainlywouldhavebeensomethinglike,‘theKrinkov,thenicknamethemujahideenfightersusefortheshort-barreledAKinSovietuse,isaprizewhencaptured’orsomesuchpolished-upattribute.Sincethementiondoesn’thavesuchanattribution,thenweareleftinthedark.Inanyevent,bepreparedtogetapuzzledlookifyouusethewordwhen
talkingtoanyonewhoisn’tanAmericangunowner.Butthenameseemstobeonewearestuckwithhere.So,getusedtoit,andgetoverthefactthatnooneknowsfromwhereitcame.
ThisKrinkovischamberedin7.62x39,buthasanAK-74foldingstockonit.OnlyinAmerica,ortheNorthwestProvinces.
TheauthorshootingaKrink.The7.62modelkicksalotmore,asyou’dexpectfromsuchalight,smallrifle.
Areal-deal,SovietAKS-74U,broughtbackfromAfghanistan.Notethecorrectmuzzlebrake.
HowdoyoumakeaKrinkov?TherearetwoaspectstomakinganSBR,themechanicalandthelegal.Let’stakethemechanicalfirst,sincethedesignoftheAKmakestheprocessmoreinvolvedthanitisforotherrifles.TheshortlengthoftheSBRbarrelprecludesusingtheoldgasport,astheAKS-74Ubarrelisamere8 ⁄ incheslong.Thatrequiresanewport,andoftenanewbarrel.Thenewportlocationdefinitelymeansanewpiston,theoldonebeingtoolong.Dittohandguards.TheSovietdesignalsoputsthepistonthroughashorterpistonguide/rearsightpillar.Andthereceivercoverishinged,attachedatthefront.So,therearsightismadeasanassemblythatisspotweldedtothecover.Basically,todoitright,andauthentically,onemustreplaceeverythingforwardofthefronttrunnion.Thatamountstoalotofwork,startingwithanalreadyfinishedrifle.One
approachtohaveanSBR-readyriflecomesfromArsenal.Theymakeeverythingasitshouldbe,butleavethebarrelat16-inchesplusandyouthensimplygothroughthelegalworkandshortenthebarrel.(Ordon’tgothroughthelegalwork,leavethebarrelasis,andhavefun.)Anotherapproachistostartwitha
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partskitandreplacethefrontendduringassemblywithanSBRset,aKrinkovpartskitormade-uppartskit.
Thefinishismostlyafine,hardlayerofrust.
Me,IthinkI’drathergothefrom-the-ground-uproute,asitiseasiertobuildonefrompartsthanitistorebuildonethathasalreadybeenarifle.Ofcourse,astimegoesonandwestarttoseemanymoreAKsinneedofnewbarrels,thatsituationmaychange.
SomeAfghanigunsmithing:anemptycaseweldedorbrazedtothecharginghandle.Makesiteasiertodealwithmalfunctionsinthedark.
Thelegalpartiseasier:assumingyourStatehasnoproblemwithit,youapplytotheATFonaForm1tohaveyourrifleputontheSBRlist.Onceyouhavetheapproval,thestampitselfaffixedtotheapprovedForm1,(thetaxstamp,whichislegallypartofyourtaxrecordsandcoveredassuch)youcanthensendtherifle,acopyofthetaxstampandacheckofftoanSBRspecialist.IntheARworldyoucoulddoityourselfwithanewbarrel,butintheAKworldthegunplumbingisalotmoreinvolved.Oh,yourriflemustalsobeproperlymarkedwiththenewmanufacturer’sname;thatis,withthemakeroftheSBRyouwillbeowning.Ifyoudoallthestepscorrectly—taxstamp,approval,mechanicalwork—butyoudonotmarkyournewSBR,youareinviolationofthelaw.I’mnotkidding,andwhenitcomestomachineguns(whichishowyourSBRwillbecategorized,atleastatthefederallevel)theATFhasnosenseofhumorwhatsoever.Getitmarked.
whatsoever.Getitmarked.
Thehandguardlookslikeacamelchewedonit.Thispoorthingsawsomeharduseinthemountains.
TheSBRalsohasanotherinterestingattributeunderthelawthatotherfirearmsdonot.Perhapsyou’veheardtheadage:Onceamachinegun,alwaysamachinegun?”Thatis,afirearmthathasbeenmadeas,orbeenmodifiedtobe,amachinegun,canneverbeturnedbackintoasemi-autorifle.Noamountofweldingwillbeenoughtoturnitbacktowhatitwas.Well,SBRscangobackandforth.IfyougettiredofowninganSBR,youcanpetitiontohaveitdelisted.Thatis,removedfromthelistofSBRitems.Youcanmakeitafull-sizerifleanytimeyouwant,whetherornotyougetitdelisted.ButuntilitisdelisteditremainsanSBRunderthelaw,withallthesalesrestrictionsthatgowithit.Onceyougettheapproval,youcansellyourproper-lengthriflelikeanyother.Aninterestingbitoftiminghere:ifyouwishtoownanSBRthatyouare
making,youcannotbeginanyoftheworkuntilyouhaveapproval.Ifyouwishtohaveitdelisted,youmustdotheworkfirst,thenrequestdelisting.Otherwise,assoonasyoureceivedelistingnotice,yourrifleisanunlawfulSBRforthe20
minutesittakestoreversetheprocess.(Hey,it’stooshort,andyoujusttookitoffthelist.Whosefaultisthat?)Approvalfirst,thenSBR,de-SBR,thengetdelistingapproval.
AKSBROPERATIONOperationally,anSBRcanbeabitfussy.Theshortpistonandchamber,
whicharelocatedclosetotheport,canmeantimingandfunctioningproblemsunlesstheworkwasdonebyanexpert.SomethinkthatapistonsystemrifleislesspronetoSBRproblemsthanagasimpingementsystemliketheAR-15.Noso,theyallhavethepotentialforfussiness.Whatyouwillhaveforsureislessmuzzlevelocity.The7-inchesplusyou
hadwhackedoffthebarrelwillensurethat.Youcanexpecta7.62x39SBRtoclockinatlessvelocitythana.30Carbine,albeitwithaheavierbullet.The5.45rifleswilldemonstratethesamesortofvelocitylossastheAR-15SBRs.Expect60-grainsurplus5.45x45ammotoclockinat2,200fps,andthe70-grainWolfat2,100-2,000fps.Also,theshortersightradiuswillmakeaccurateaimingmoreofaproblem.
Sincetherewon’tbemanyAKS-74UownersshootingtheirshortyinanNRAHighPowermatch,Ireallydon’tseeaccuracylossasmuchofaproblem.OneaspectoftheKrinkistheflashhider.Whichactuallyisn’taflashhiderat
all,butagas-storer(I’mthewriter,Igettoinventsometerms).Theproblemwithsuchashortbarrelandthegasportbeingsoclosetothemuzzleisthatthegasportonlyhasashorttimeinwhichtodoitsjob.Oncethebulletleavesthebarrel,thesealedsystemofgasflowisopenedandthegasescapes.Compoundingtheproblemisthenatureofthegassesattheportlocation,namelyhighpressure.Thehighportpressuremeansthedesignershadtouseasmall-diametergasport,orthesystemwouldbeoverdrivenandhaveashortservicelife.But,becausethegassoondissipates,asmallportmightnotbelargeenoughtodivertenoughgastoworkthesystem.Enterthemuzzlecap.Theshapeofthecapactstoslowdownthelossofgasthroughthemuzzle.Bydoingso,itmaintainsgaspressureintheborelongenough(andhighenough,althoughthe
maintainsgaspressureintheborelongenough(andhighenough,althoughthedurationofanyactiononthepartofthecapisshort,indeed)forthesystemtoreceivethegasitneeds.Theoriginalisacylinderwithaconedmuzzleontheend,withakinkbetweenwheretheyjoin.(Hey,“kinkoff,”“Krinkov,”hmm.Nah.)Theoriginalistheonepuristswouldwant.Thelaterone,refinedbyNoveske,doesactuallydosomeworkasaflashhider.(Butwe’llkeepthatasecret,lesttheStateofCaliforniafindsout,OK?)
Here,amilled-receiverAKisgettingtheSBRtreatment.
Lookcloselyandyou’llseejusthowshortadistanceitisfromthegasporttothemuzzle.Aninch?Thatisn’tlongtogetthejobdone,hencetheKrinkmuzzlebrake.
Notethecoverhingeonthemuchshorterpistonguide.
ShorteningabarreltouseitasanSBRisalotofdelicatelathework.Notallgunsmithsareupto
ShorteningabarreltouseitasanSBRisalotofdelicatelathework.Notallgunsmithsareuptothetask.
Traditionally,a“Krink”shouldonlybechamberedin5.45x39.That’stheonetheSovietsmade,andthat’stheonethatpuristswant.But,youcanmakeorhaveonemadeinanycaliberyoudesire.Justgetthetaxstampandpayforthework.OneKrinkovIhadthepleasureofinspectingwasareal-dealSovietshorty
thathadcomeoutofAfghanistan.IwasinthevaultsoftheBelgianArmyMuseuminBrussels,andmyhostsaid,“Oh,you’llenjoythisone,”ashehandedittome.ItwasaRussian-madeAKS-74UthathadsomehowcomeoutofAfghanistaninthelate1990s.Theconditionwasfarfrommuseumquality.Infact,you’dhaveahardtimesellingitanywherebutatanarmsbazaarintheNorthwestProvinces.Thefinish,exceptwheretracesoftheoriginalbaked-onlacquerremained,wasanevenlayerofrustovertheentirething.Onan18th-centurymusketwe’dcallthata“patina,”butona20th-centuryfirearmitisasignofnegligence.Allthepartswerethere,andmiraculouslythestockwasstillsolid.Thehandguardoverthegastubewasseverelyworn,andsometimeinthepastapreviousownerhadobviouslygottentiredofdealingwiththeundersizedcharginghandle.Attachedtothehandlewasanemptycartridgecase.Irecalllookingatit,butdonotremembertheproofmarksexceptthattheydidnotseemoutofplacegiventherifle’splaceoforigin.Soitwasprobablysomecom-blocproofmark.Sorry,collectorsofAKminutia.However,theborewasbright,contrastingwiththerestoftherifle.Ithadasling,andoncethey’dscrubbeditenoughtostoptherust,thecuratorsplannedtoputitondisplayina20th-centurywarexhibit.Alas,Iwasnotallowedtofireit.Abriefaside:museumsdonotfiretheweaponstheyhaveintheircollections.
Shootingaddstothewearmanysamplesalreadyhave,andthelastthingamuseumcuratorwantsistodecreasetheconditionoftheitemsintheircollection.Oftentheywillbeimmaculatelyinspected,gaugedandrestoredtolike-newcondition,butneverfired.Theideaistoretainimmaculatesamplesforfuturereference,sothatwithagoodscrubbingandproperlubetheywouldbeshootabledecades,evencenturiesfromnow.Itisnotuncommonformuseumsto
shootabledecades,evencenturiesfromnow.Itisnotuncommonformuseumstouseaspecialkindofwax,onethatdriesclearandunnoticed,butwhichsealsthesurfacesfromoxidation.Theideaistoputthereal-dealitemondisplay,andnothaveittarnishordecay.Although,whenIvisitedtheImperialWarMuseuminLondon,I’mprettysureIspottedsomefakesinthedisplaycases.ButwhatcanIsayabouttheBritishandtheiranti-gunkickthatwouldn’tgetmestrip-searchedthenexttimeIpassedthroughHeathrow?Oh,whatIwouldn’thavegivenforaborescopethatmomenttohaveseen
whattheborereallylookedlikeinthatAKS-74UafteradecadeormoreofknockingaroundAfghanistan.Sincethefirstbook,I’vehadachancetoshootabunchmoreSBRs,including
someKrinks.Actually,ifwe’regoingtobeimpossiblypedantic,a“Krink”wouldhavetobein5.45.AnSBRin7.62x39wouldbecalleda“KyberPassSpecial”becauseofthenumberofgunmakerstherewhowillmakeanything.Oneofmyfellowgunwritersdidjustthat,ononeofhistours.Theunitcapturedapileo’guns.HesnatchedacleanandotherwiseunmolestedAKMoutofthestack,andsentitofftoashop“downsouth.”ItcamebackSBR’d,withafoldingstock,andhewashappy.AnAKSBR,forme,musthaveonethinginparticular—somesortof
effectiveblastdampener.Themuzzleblastofftheselittlegunsissimplyobnoxious,andIreallydon’tfindtheeventasmuchfunasitpromisestobe.Afterthat,thesillysightingsystemtheSovietsputonithastogo.C’monguys,really?Afixednotch,halfwayupthetopcover,withthefrontsightpulled6inchesbackfromitspointoforigin?I’vegothandgunswithalongersightradiusthanthat.
AfinishedAKS-74Ucloneonamilledreceiver.
Herewehavea“Krinkov”in7.62,withaNoveskemuzzlecap,andtheKrebsfast-loadmagazine
Herewehavea“Krinkov”in7.62,withaNoveskemuzzlecap,andtheKrebsfast-loadmagazineguide.
Krinksneedtacticalraillove,too.HereisashortywiththeKrebstacticalquad-railhandguards,reddot,lightandverticalforegrip.
BackinthefirstvolumeIaskedthequestion,ShouldyouownanSBR?ManyshootershavefearsofmidnightinspectionsoftheirSBRbytheATF.Whisperedrumorsofcarsparkedoutfrontatallhours,andsurprisechecks.Getoverit,itdoesn’thappen.Whenyouapply,theATFrunsabackgroundcheckonyou,tomakesurethatyoudon’thaveany“dings”onyourrecord.Nocriminalhistory,nolegalproblems,nothingthatwouldkeepyoufromowningafirearm?You’realmostthere.TheATFwillalsochecktomakesureyouliveinastatethatallowsSBRs.Goodthere?Thenyoucancountonyour$200checkbeingcashed,andyourtaxstampbeingissuedasquicklyasthepaperworkflowsthroughtheoffice.
TheIntimidator:lookingdownthewrongendoftheNoveskemuzzledevice,abadguyhastothink,“Whatcaliberisthatthing?”
Theanswerfromgunownershasbeenaresoundingyes!Form1applicationshavepouredthroughtheATF,admittedlyalotofthemforsuppressors,butmany,manySBRs,too.AndwhereAKsusedtoberareonthegunranges,theyarenowcommonasdirt.SBRsusedtobewhisperedrarities,andnowtheyarealmostascommonasAKs.Itisabravenewworldthathassuchgunsinit.Sogogetone.Rightnow.Putlotsofammothroughitandbetheenvyofyour
shootingbuddies.
CHAPTER13SUPPRESSORS
ASUPPRESSORCANBEMOUNTEDONANAK,theSovietsjustdidn’tmakeitveryeasytodo.Thenagain,backwhentheriflewasbeingdesigned,noonehadacluehowcommonsuppressorswouldbetoday.TheproblemswithmountingasuppressorontheAKcomedowntothreethings:threads,barreldiameter,andgassystem.
THREADSThethreadsontheAK-47weremeanttoholdtheslantbrakeon,period.The
AK-74usesafrontsightcastingthatisthreadedtoattachthebodyofthemuzzlebrake.Thesethreadsaremetricandleft-handed.(Asifjustoneofthosewasn’tproblemenough.)TheAK-47threadpatternisM14x1L—thatis,14millimetersindiameter,onethreadpermillimeterofpitch.Thedesignationpatternis,“M”formetric,anumeralforthenominal
diameter,themultiplicationsigntoseparateitfromthepitch,andthenthepitchinmillimeters.Ofcourse,theworldofdimensionsbeingwhatitis,thereisacoarsepitchandafinepitch,plus-and-minusforthreadtolerances,andthematerialthatisthreadedhasspecificationsforhardness,smoothness,andsurfacefinish.Whattheoriginaldrawingslackedwasahard-and-fastrequirementthatthe
threadsbeaxialandconcentric.Thatis,straight.“Isslant-brake,comrade.Threadsarestraightenough.”
ThedifferenceinthreadsbetweentheAK-47andAK-74isobviousonceyoutakeofftheirrespectivemuzzledevices.
respectivemuzzledevices.
ThiswasnodoubtchangedwhentheAK-74camealong,asthebrakehadtobecenteredsothatthebulletwouldn’thitthebrake.Theycutthethreadsonthefrontsighthousing,andmadeitlargeenoughsothebrakebackendwasasimpleopencylinderwiththreadsontheinside.Thismadethethreadedportionofthemountimpossiblylarge.Thethreadsonthefrontsightassemblyare24x1.5R,whichmeanstheyarealmostaninchinnominaldiameter,butatleasttheyareright-handed.(TheRomanians,forreasonsknownonlytothem,used22x1.5R.Gofigure.)ThismakesboththeAK-47andthe74problematic.TheAK-47threads,
translatedtoEnglish,are.551inchesx25.4.Thatisprettyclosetothe ⁄ x28oftheAR-15muzzlethreads,butnotquite.Andthatleft-handedpartisarealproblem.Theissueisthatthosethreadsareona.30caliberbarreland.30-cal.threadsforasuppressor;herein‘Murica,theyaretypically ⁄ x24.Astandarddirect-thread.30suppressorwillsliprightovertheAKthreadsandnoteventouch.Youneedanadapter,whichrisksaddingevenmoredimensionalmisalignmenttothesystem.
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Scalethisdowntoarifle.ThisiswhatgoesonattheendofyourAKthatyouaretryingtocontaininasuppressor.M109firinginIraq.PhotobyStaffSgt.Cupp
TheAK-74translatesto.945x17.I’mnotsureyoucanevenbuyanEnglish-dimensiontapofthatsize,you’dhavetocutthosethreadsonalathe.That’salotoflathework,butitcan,andhasbeen,done.Whichmeansyoucan’taskasuppressormakertoprovideyouwithaleft-
handmetricthreaddirect-threadsuppressor,unlessyouarewillingtoplaceanorderforenoughofthemtocovertheirset-upcharges.No,youhavetogowitheitheraconversionadapteroraQDmount.Aquick
searchoftheavailablesuppressormakersthatcametominduncoveredanAKmountfromGemtech,fortheirSandstormsuppressors.Andforadapters,I’vefoundtwosources—InnovativeArmsandMountingSolutionsPlus.
IttakesextraworktoinstallasuppressoronanAK.EspeciallytheAK-74,wherethemuzzlebrakethreadsaresowideandodd.It’sbesttofindanotherbrakeandstartworkingonthelathe.
BARRELDIAMETERThebarreldiameterontheAK-74isnotanissue.Thefrontsightassembly
holdsthethreads,sothere’snoproblem,right?Well,notlikethe’47,butwe’llgettothat.ThebarreldiameterontheAK-47isskinny.Ijusttookapairofdigital
caliperstoanarrayofmyAKs,andthediametersmeasuredfrom.580to.630inches,buttheimportantpartisthatthethreadsextendallthewaybacktothefrontsighthousing.Thatmeansthereisn’tashoulderagainstwhichthemountorsuppressorcanbottomout.Thereistheverticalsurfaceofthefrontsighthousing,anditsspring-loadedlockingplungerfortheslantbrake.Youcan’ttorquethecantightagainsttherearofthethreads,asyoucanonan
AR.IfthethoughtofthethreadsonanAKmuzzlebeingaxialandcenteredisoptimistic,thenthehopethatthefrontfaceofthefrontsighthousingis
perpendiculartotheaxisoftheboreishallucinatory.ThebigproblemwiththebarrelontheAK—boththe47and74—isthatit
islightweight.Thatmeansitflexeswhenyoushoot.I’veseenenoughhigh-speedvideoofAKsfiringtohavenoticedhowthebarrelbends,andspringsbackandforth.Sowhat’stheproblemwiththatifasuppressorisattached?Well,let’ssupposethebarrelhasflexed,reachingitsmaximumdeflectionjustatthemomentthebulletexitsthemuzzle.Onceout,thebarrelmovementcannolongerinfluencethebullet’spath.Canthebarrelflexbackintothepathofthebullet?Goodquestion.Alittleback-of-the-envelopecheckingmightgiveusahint.Let’sassumethebarrelflexes0.010inches.Thesuppressorissixincheslong.Thebulletwillleavethesuppressor0.00023secondsafteritleavesthemuzzle.Thesuppressorwouldhavetobevibrating0.010inchesin0.00023seconds,or12,000rpm,tomovebackintheway.So,highlyunlikely.Itmaynotbeenoughtocauseabafflestrike,butitcanbeenough,
consideringtheaddedweightofthesuppressor,tocauseazeroshift.Sincethat’swhatwe’reheretotest,oncewe’velaidoutallthedetailsofthesituationwe’lltestthatout.
Thisiswhatcanhappenifyoursuppressorisnotproperlyaligned.Don’tbethisguy.
AKGASSYSTEMAsdiscussedelsewhere,theAKsystemisgrotesquelyover-gassed.Fromthe
perspectiveofanend-userinterestedinusingasuppressor,itventstheexcessgasearlyinthesystemcycle,whenitisstillatarelativelyhighpressure.That
limitsjusthowquietyoucanmakeanAK,butyoustillcanmakeitquieterthanitwouldbeotherwise.
MOUNTINGTheprocessisprettysimple,evenifitisnotatallwhatyou’dexpect,having
workedwithARsandotherrifles.Thefirstthingyouhavetorealizeisthatyouhavetogiveupontheusualmethods.YouarenotlikelytofindadirectthreadsuppressorwithAKthreads.So,thatmeansyouneedanadapter,orametric-threadedQDmount.
MOUNTINGSOLUTIONSPLUSMountingSolutionsPlusmakesathreadedmuzzledeviceadapterfortheAK.
TheMDAhas14x1Lthreadsontheinside,and ⁄ x24Rthreadsontheoutside.Here’sthecatch:thecompanycannot,doesnot,andwillnotendorseitsusewithsuppressors.Thevariablesaretoomany,andtoogreat,forthemtodoanythingbutsay“Nope,noway.”That’sbecauseoftheunknownsinvolvedwhenremovingtheslantbrake,
screwingontheadapter,andtorquingitupagainstthefrontfaceofthefrontsighttower.Therearethreevariablesatworkhere—alignmentofthethreads,centerednessofthethreads,andthesquarenessofthefrontsightfrontface.Ifanyofthemisofftoofar,yourbulletswillhityoursuppressor.Iftheyarealloff,youcouldhaveyoursuppressorlaunchedononeshot.Or,theycouldcounteracteachother,andyou’dendupwithacenteredsuppressor.MountingSolutionsPluscan’tcontrolanyofthesevariables,norcantheypredictthem.Sotheyrightfullytellyoutonottryit.However,ifyou’regoingtotryit,usetheGeisseleAlignmentRod.Makesuretherifleisunloaded.InstalltheMountingSolutionsPlusadapter.
SlidetheAlignmentRoddownthebore,screwthesuppressorontheadapter.Tilttherifle,andlettheRodslideforward,outofthesuppressor.Stopitasitbeginstoexit,andstudythealignment.Geisselehasthreeclassesofalignment:CompletePass,PartialFail,CompleteFail.ACompletepassisobvious;therod
5 8
CompletePass,PartialFail,CompleteFail.ACompletepassisobvious;therodpassesthroughthefrontfaceofthesuppressorinexactcenteredness.
MountingSolutionsPlusmakesnoguarantees,andifsomethinggoeswrongtheywon’thelp.You’vebeenwarned.Butyoualsocanmeasurebeforeyoushoot.
You’vebeenwarned.Butyoualsocanmeasurebeforeyoushoot.
WithaCompletePass,youareprettysurethingswillworkjustfine.Yes,thebarrelmightflexenoughtocauseastrike,buttheoddsaremorelikelythatithappensbecauseyoudon’tkeepthingstight.APartialFailiswherethealignmentrodtouchesthebaffleasitpasses
through,orleavesthefrontfaceoff-centerbutnottouching.Therearesomewhowillacceptanot-touching-but-off-centeralignment,andbehappy.Imight,onariflewithamorerigidbarrel.OnanAK,Iwon’t.ACompleteFailmeansthesuppressorissomisalignedthattherodcan’t
comeallthewayoutwithgravity.Don’teventhinkaboutshootingthissetup.So,ifyouinstalltheMountingSolutionsPlusMDAonyourriflewitha
suppressor,andyougetaCompletePass,youcangoahead,butneitherMountingSolutionsPlusnorIwillsayitisOK.Justthatthingslineup.Andguesswhat?IfyoutaketheverysameMDAoffthatrifle,andinstallitonthenextrifleinyourrack,guesswhattheoddsareyou’llgetanotherCompletePass?That’sright,arollofthedice.Ifyoufindasetupthatfits,aligns,andworks,stickwithit.Don’tgoputtingitonanotherrifle,orloaningthepartstoyourfriend.You,orhe,mightnotbesohappysoonafter.Allthatsaid,ifyouwanttomountanactualflashhidertoyourAK,theMDA
isjusttheticket.It’savailableinblackoxideandstainlesssteel.
HereisthestainlessadapterfromMountingSolutionsPlusinplace.Willitwork?Thatdepends.
Itlooksright,butlookscanbedeceiving.WithouttheGeisseleAlignmentRod,youarejustguessing.Guessingisbad.
INNOVATIVEARMSInnovativeArmsalsomakesadedicatedadapterforsuppressorsonAKs.
And,likeMountingSolutionsPlus,theymakenoguarantees.Itisuptoyoutomeasure,gauge,andcheckalignment.Ifthingsareallcentered,havefun.Ifnot,don’tdoit.Andifyoudo,don’tsaywealldidn’twarnyou.
GEMTECHTheGemtechmountisatwo-lugdesignfortheHVTandQuicksand
suppressors.Thesuppressorrearcaphasasocketthatiscuttoacceptthetwolugs,whicharenotofthesamesize.Thatway,youcanonlyinstallthesuppressoroneway.Toinstall,pushthesuppressorontothemountuntilyoufeelthespringpressure,thenturntolockandletgo.Thespringpushesthesuppressorforward,andthelugspreventthesuppressorfromturningandunlocking.Toremove,waitforittocool(youlaugh,butpeopleforget)pressthesuppressorin(compressingthespring),rotateandpullforwardoff.It’ssimple,easy,anddependentonthebarrelacceptingthemount,squareand
straight.OnedetailinwhichtheGemtechmountdiffersfromtheadaptersisthatitismachinedtobottomoutonthebarrelcrown,notthefrontsighthousing.
PartialFail.TheGeisselerodisrubbingthefrontcapedge,andthatisnotagoodsign.Iwon’tshootthiscombo.
TheGemtechtwo-lugmountbottomsoutagainstthemuzzlecrown,notthefrontsighthousing.
TESTINGThefirstthingtodoistotrytheadaptersandmountsonrifles,with
suppressors,andcheckalignment.ThemountsandadaptersI’vementionedarefortwosuppressors—the.30AmtacSBR762,acompactdirect-thread,andtheGemtechQuicksand,aprimo.30madewithatwo-lugrearcap.Itriedthemonacross-sectionof7.62AKs;theCenturyArmsCenturion,CenturyArmsC39V2,aHungarianmilledreceiverAK,IEWIAce,andasacheckbackintothemistsoftime,myRomanianAKM.Theresultswerealloverthemap,andlaidoutbelow.OnethingIfound,
whichwasaratherstartlingsurprise,wastheradicallyoff-axisthreadsoftheRomanianAK.Asmentionedabove,Geissele’sAlignmentRodmeasuresthreeclassesoffit—Pass,PartialFailandCompleteFail.Well,withtheRomanianAKwehavetoaddafourthclass:EpicFail.WhenitcametimetotrytherodintheRomywithoneoftheMountingSolutionsPlusadapters,Icouldnotforcetherodfullyintothesuppressorandbore.Well,atleastnotwithoutbendingthe
rodmorethanIfeltwaswise.Lookcloselyatthephoto.Atthatpoint,Icouldpointtheriflestraightdownandshakeit,andtherodwouldnotfallout.Ouch.
NotethegapbetweentheGemtechmountandthefrontsight.Thisissupposedtobethisway.
Anotherpartialfail.Atthisrate,willanythingwork?
Success!Thispasses,anditworks.
Wow,simplywow.Thisfailedsobadlywehadtocomeupwithanewterm,the“EpicFail.”
Viewatextversionofthistable
CHAPTER14AKMAGAZINES
ASELF-LOADINGRIFLETHATLACKSAmagazineisnotveryuseful.Oh,inanemergency,anyfirearmisbetterthannone,butyoureallycan’ttakeadvantageofthetacticalanddesignadvancesofaself-loadingfirearmwithoutamagazine.TheAKmagisknownasadouble-stack,double-feeddesign.Thatis,the
cartridgesareheldinthemagazineside-by-side,alternatingly.Byalternatingly,Imeantheyarenestled,andnotdirectlyside-by-side,likethoseannoyingpedestriansonthesidewalkaheadofyou,whoarewalkingmoreslowlythanyouareandstaringattheirphones.Double-feedmeanstheystripoffonefeedlip,alternatingfromonesidetothe
otherandback.Thegapbetweenthetwofeedlipsiswiderthanacartridge,butsincethenextroundinlineisbearingagainstthetoproundfrombelowandtheside,theydon’tjuststreamoutallatonce.ThisdesignaspectwasperfectedbyPeterPaulMauser,forthe1898Mauser.EarlierMausers,andcompetingrifles,hadusedsingle-stackmagazines,withallroundsin-line.Suchadesignmadethestacktaller.Asacomparison,lookatthe1898Mauserandthe1889BelgianMauser.Thecartridgesareessentiallythesameasfarasfeedingisconcerned,buttheBelgianhasasteelboxbelowthestock,wherethe1898doesnot.Andyettheyholdthesamenumberofrounds.
Magazinesusedtobemetal,untilMagpul.Beforethen,plasticmagazineswereshoddy.Nowtheyaredurable,andthenewstandard.
The7.62x39cartridgeistaperedand,whentheroundsstack,theyalsoarc.Theradiusofthestackedcartridgesismatchedexactlybythecurvatureofthemagazinetube.Thisleadstothedistinctiveshape.WhentheAKwasbeingdeveloped,stampedsteelmanufacturingwasstilla
relativelynewthing.Well,itwasanewthingforfirearmsmanufacturers,atleastoutsideoftheU.S.Pressed-steelpartshadbeenanormalwayofmanufacturingfortheautomobileindustryforacoupleofdecadesbythen.Also,stampedsteelmagazineshellsforpistolshadbyWWIIbecomeadirtcommonitem.TheapplicationofstampingtechnologyintheU.S.waslimitedtoclipsfortheM1Garand(whichweremadeinthemillions)andmagazinesfortheM1Carbineand1911A1.Wedidn’tdelveintopressed-steelmanufacturingforfirearms
and1911A1.Wedidn’tdelveintopressed-steelmanufacturingforfirearmsproper(withthenotableexceptionoftheLiberator,asingle-shot.45pistol)becausewedidn’tneedto.
Thisshooterhasaslinglashedaroundthewristofhisstock,whichworksjustfineonanAK.He’salsoholdingthemagazine.Ifitworks,doit.
ThisIraqisoldierinTahrirhasanAKwithaPolish(orEastGerman)sidefolderonit.Notehisfingerisstraight,andhissafetyison.Goodhabits.PhotobyAirForceStaffSgt.StacyL.Pearsall
OnceweenteredWWII,theU.S.automakersproceededtostampoutcars,trucks,andaircraftattheliteralrateof“theycan’tblowthemupasfastaswecanmakethem.”Whenitcametimetomakerifles,post-war,westuckwithwhatworked—makingriflesbymachiningforgedblocksofsteel.Wedid,however,makethemagazinesforthoseriflesoutofsteelstampings.ButtheapproachestakenbytheSovietUnion,andtheUSA,differedgreatly.TheM14magazineholds20rounds.Itisstraight,inpartbecausethecartridge
itholds,the7.62x51or7.62NATO,doesnottaperanythingliketheAKround.Also,at20rounds,thetaperofprettymuchanycartridge—withtheexceptionofthe8mmLebel—wouldnotrequireacurvedmagazine.At20rounds,themagazinedoesnotrequireahugelyrobustspringwithwhichtoliftthecartridgestack.Also,thestateofengineeringexpertiseintheU.S.,vis-à-visstamping,meantthatwecouldstampspringsteel,anddependonthestampingprocessto
meantthatwecouldstampspringsteel,anddependonthestampingprocesstoworkhardenandproduceaproductthathadthedesiredpropertieswithoutextrasteps.
TheMagpulRangerPlatereplacesthestandardbaseplate,andmakeswrestlingamagazineoutofapouchaloteasier.
Somemagshavearoundedreinforcement,othersafinformedbytheshellhalvesbeingbentandwelded.
IfyouneedtostripandcleanyourAKmags(arareevent)thenthisiswhereyoustart,atthebaseplate.
Asaresult,theM14magazine,forthestoutcartridgeitholds,doesnothavetobegrotesquelyover-engineered.Asanexample,thefeedlipsoftheM14magazinearethesamethicknessasthesidewallsofthetube.Theydonotneedextralayersofsteel,nordotheyhavetobeweldedtothebackofthetube,orotherextrameasures.TheAKmagazine,ontheotherhand,isaproductoftheSovietsystem.
Despitetheever-arrivingFive-YearPlans,thequalityofSovietsteelwasonlymatchedbyitsvolume.Asin,theyalwaysfellbehindthegoals.Asaresult,thecleverdesignersandengineersoftheKalashnikovprogramdesignedthevariouspartsoftherifleandmagazinewithoneideainmind:thesteelmakerswouldlie.Now,thingslikethethicknessofthesheetsteelbeingprovidedcaneasilybechecked.Anyonewithadialcaliperscanfigureoutifthedeliveredsteelcoilsmeetspecificationforthicknessornot.“Don’tsignuntilyou’vemeasured”isan
meetspecificationforthicknessornot.“Don’tsignuntilyou’vemeasured”isaneasypolicytoimplement.Butalloyingconstituents?Hardness?Crystallinestructure?Theserequirea
testlabandtime,andnooneisgoingtowaitthefewdaysittakestodetermineifthesteelmeetsthosespecs.So,whilethetestingandmodelingindicatesyoucouldmake(justasanexample)thestampedreceiveroutofa0.8mmsheetofproperalloy,youorder1mm-thicksheets,becauseeveniftheysendyoucrappysteel,therifleswillstillwork.AndthatiswhytheAKmagazineiswhatitis.Thetubeisseveralsheetsof
steel,pressedintocorrugationforrigidity.(Youcanmakesoftsteelrigidifitisridged,butyoucanonlymakesmoothsteelrigidifitisaheat-treatedalloy.)Thespineisfoldedandleftstandinginsomeversionsforextrarigidity,orgivenarounded“hump”downitslengthforthesamereason.Thefeedlipsandlockingtabsaremorethanrobust,theyareridiculouslysturdy.Becausetheyhavetobe.
TheAKmagasoriginallymadeisunbelievablysturdy.Andheavy.Ithasenoughsteelinittomakeanotherfirearm,oratleast,astampedreceivershell.
Asaresult,theAKmagazine,asitwasoriginallyproduced,isheavy.Let’stakealookattheoriginaldesign,fromapartsandmanufacturingviewpoint.Thetubeisapairofmirror-imaged,asymmetricsheetmetalstampings.The
sectionsarepresscutoutofacontinuouscoilwiththeribspressedintotheblanksastheblanksarecookie-cutterpunchedoutofthesteel.Theyareoverlappedonthelipsandspotweldedtogether.Thebottomedgeshavethelips
pressedouttocreateflangesoverwhichthebaseplateslides.Thetopendfeaturesthefrontlockingbracket.Thisisalipofheavygauge
steel(muchheavierthanthetubesteel)thatispunchedwiththeopeningforthelatchclearance,andthefrontlipbenttocreatealargeroverlapforasecurehold.Thisheavypieceisspotweldedtothefrontofthetube,atthetop.Onthebackendwehavethemagazinelatchanchorplate.Thisappearson
manyversionstobeacasting.Itwasclearlymuchmorecost-effective(IalmostchuckledcoffeeoutontothekeyboardwhenItypedthat—cost-effectiveness,inacommunistcommandeconomy)tocastitthantomachinetheanchorplatefromabarofsteel.Consideringhowmuchoftherestofthemagazineandtherifleitselfiscomposedofstampings,Ihavetofigurethattherewasaveritablecareer’sworthofR&Dpouredintotryingtomaketheanchorplateastamping,andallfornaught.Thiscastingisalsospotweldedtothetube.
Therearlatchisacasting,andastoutone.
Atthetop,thefeedlipsofthetubeitselfarereinforcedwithapairofheavysideplates,platesthatarebentupandoverthefeedlips.Thisdoesanumberofthings.First,itreinforcesthefeedlipssotheycanreliablypositionanddirectthecartridges.Second,theyreinforcethetopofthemagazinetube,tokeepitfromspreadingunderthespringloadofthecartridges.Theforceofthespring,pushingtheroundsup,putsaloadonthefeedlips.Iftheybend,theyfail.Iftheydonotbend,theloadistransferredlaterally,causingthemagazinetoswell.Thetopplatesbothkeepthelipsfrombending,andthetubefromswelling.Theyare,
topplatesbothkeepthelipsfrombending,andthetubefromswelling.Theyare,youguessedit,spotweldedtothetube.ThefirstoneIpickeduphadagrandtotalof40spotweldsonit.
ThetopendoftheAKmaghasreinforcingplatesprettymuchallthewayaround.
Quickindustrialprocessbriefingonspotwelding.Youcanattachtwopiecesofmetalwithwelding,providedyoucangenerateenoughheatwhereyouwantthembonded,bymeltingthemintoeachother.Solderislikeglue,itbindstobothpartsandholdsthemtogether.Weldingismeltingthetwo,atleastpartially,andlettingthemmixandcool.Thetrickisinknowingwhatmetalsofwhat
andlettingthemmixandcool.Thetrickisinknowingwhatmetalsofwhatthicknesses,needwhattemperaturesforwhatlengthoftime.Spotweldingiswhereyoutakeapairofbigelectrodes(usuallycopper)thatlooklikehugebeetlepincers.Youholdthetwopiecesofmetaltogether,thenpressthetwocopperelectrodestotheparts,andforashorttimepumpaverylargeelectricalloadthroughtheelectrodes.Steeldoesnotconductelectricitynearlyaswell;theresistancethesteelpresentstotheflowofelectricitycreatesheat;andatahighenoughtemperature,themetalofthetwopartsflowtobondwitheachother.
Thevariousbitsandpiecesareheldonwithlargespotwelds.
Thereisalimittohowthickthepiecescanbe.Also,youhavetobeabletofitthepartsbetweenthejawsoftheelectrodes.And,youhavetoopen,close,heat,stopheat,open,move,andrepeatforeachweld.40spotweldspermagazine?ComparethistotheUSGIaluminummag,inwhichapairofaluminumhalves
arestampedandribbed.Theyreceiveadozenspotwelds,andtheshapeandsizeofthetubemeansyoucanprobablygangweldthem—meaningafixturethatholdstheparts,andappliessixorsevenspotweldingelectrodepairsallatonce.Onthe20-roundmagazinesthefeedlipswereunsupported,andindeedneedednoextrasupport.The30-roundmagazines,duetotheextraweightofthe
noextrasupport.The30-roundmagazines,duetotheextraweightofthecartridgesandtheextraspringpressureneededtoliftthem,havetherearofthefeedlipsweldedtothespineofthetube.
Thefrontlatchislargeenoughtobeimpervioustowear.
Thefeedlipreinforcementsaretubetopexpansioninhibitors.Thisthingcouldbeabackupweapononitsown.
Thefrontofthemagazinetubehasnolessthanninespotwelds.Theremaybeanotheroneortwounderneaththefrontattachmentbracket.
TheendresultisamagazinefortheAR-15thatisalotfasterandlessexpensivetomanufacturethantheAK-47mag.Thereisalsothematterofweight.AsteelAKmagazineweighs11.7ouncesempty.AUSGI30-roundARmagazineweighs3.9ounces.WhentheSovietshadenoughmagazinesinthepipeline,theybegantheR&D
toreplacethemwithsomethingsturdier,lessexpensive,andlighter.TheresultwastheBakelitemagazines.NotactuallyBakelite,butaresinmoldingoverasteelskeleton,theyarelighter,lesslikelytorust,andmorecommonlyseenintheAK-74.But,oneoftheproblemswiththecommiemagsisthattheywereimported.
Yes,theywerecheapwhentheyweresurplus,butthesupplycouldbecutoffatanytime.So,theonlysurpriseattheappearanceofU.S.-mademagazineswasinhowlongittook.
MAGPULAvailableinbothAK-47andAK-74versionsandintwocolors(inthe7.62
30-roundmodel)plus10-,20-and30-roundcapacities,theMagpulAKmagisalreadyintothethirdgenerationofproduction.Foradollarpermagazineless,youcangettheMagpulMOE.Whatisthedifference?Theybothhavethefour-wayanti-tiltfollower,stainlesssteelsprings,andGod-knows-whatMagpulpolymer.TheGen3magssportsteelreinforcementsonthelockingtabandalongthefrontfaceofthetube,partwaydownitslength.Theoriginaldesignwasallpolymer.Ihaven’theardoflegionsofMagpulAK
magsdisintegratingasaresult,butwhenitcomestoAKs,theendusersfeelstronglyaboutsteel.Asin,itmustbesteel,atleastonthewearpoints.So,MagpulmadetheGen3magswithsteelinside.Doesitmatter?Probablynot,butsteelisavailableifthat’syourthing.You
cansaveabuckamagandusetheMOEastrainingmagazines,orjustponyup
cansaveabuckamagandusetheMOEastrainingmagazines,orjustponyupanextradollarandtrainwithallyourmagazinesasregularmags.MagpulalsomakesextrasfortheirAKmags.Youcanslaptwotogether,
usingtheMagpulcoupler,whichholdstwomagazinesside-by-side.Thisdoesmakethemaratherbulkypackage,soyou’llprobablydothiswithjusttwo.Thatway,youhave60roundsontherifle.Therestofyourmagazines,inpouchesorthevest,willbeindividualones,becauseyoucan’tgetapouchorvestwithpocketsbigenoughtoholdacoupledpairofmags.
Magpulmagazinescomeinvaryingsizes,capacities,calibersandcolors.
Youcangetreplacementbaseplatesforyourmagazines,incaseyoubangup,breakorloseoneormoreoftheplates.Youcanalsogetsand-coloredplates,andinstallthemonyourheavy-weartrainingmags,andleavethego-tomagsallblack.Or,optforRangerPlates,whicharebaseplateswithabuilt-inhandletomakeiteasiertohaulthemoutofavestorpouch.Asabonus,thehandleisangledsothebaseplaterestslevelontheground,whenyouusethemagazineasamonopod.
OnethingMagpulisn’tshyabout,andthat’smarkingmagazines.TheseAKmagsnotonlytellyouwhattypeandwhatcaliber,there’samolded-inindicatorofyearandmonthofmanufacture.
MOEmagazineshaveaplasticlatch,M3magsmetal.Metalcostsadollarmore.
TAPCOTheTapcoIntrafusemagazinesarealsopolymerconstruction,withasteel
baseplate.UnlikeMagpul,whichfeatureswhateversuper-secretpolymerformulatheirmadscientistshavecomeupwith,Tapcoisoldschoolchemistry.Theyuseglass-fillednylon,whichhasaproventrackrecordoverdecadesofuse.Theybuildonthestrengthofthenylonwithaggressiveribbingontheexterior,providingasecurehold,andaddingstiffnessandstrengthtothetube.
CAACAAoffers30-roundAKmagazinesmadeoutofpolymerwithaninteresting
addition—acartridgewindow.Theyalsohaveatexturedsurfaceforeasygripping,andtheobligatoryanti-tiltfollower.Whattheydon’tsayisthattheyaremadeintheUSA.Themagazines,liketherestofthegear,aremadeinIsrael.Ifthismatterstoyou,thenitmatters.Ifitdoesn’t,thenyouhaveanother
Ifthismatterstoyou,thenitmatters.Ifitdoesn’t,thenyouhaveanothersupplierofpolymer7.62AKmags.Theydon’toffer5.45magazines.
U.S.-MADEMAGAZINESNotonlydoesmanufacturinghereintheU.S.meanthatthesupplycan’tbe
cutoffwithjustasignature,buttherearethreepartsofthemagazinethatcounttowardyourU.S.-made922(r)compliancetotal.Ofcourse,youmusthaveonlyU.S.-mademagazinesinyourinventory,otherwiseshouldyouinadvertentlyuseanimportedmaginaborderline922rifle,you’dtechnicallybeinviolation.But,giventhecostanddurabilityoftheU.S.-mademagazines,whywouldyouhaveanyheavy,rustyoldcommiemags?
CAAmagazinesfeatureaviewwindowtoseehowmanyroundsareleft.It’sabouttimesomeonediditfortheAK.
diditfortheAK.
TheAKmagisclearlyontheleft,thecurvegivesitaway.
CLEANING&MAINTENANCEForpolymermagazines,maintenanceiseasy.Prettymuchsummedupby…
youdon’tneedto.Innormaluse,aslongasyoudon’tletbigchunksofgunkfallin,theydon’tneedanyhelp.Ifyoudropyourmagazineinsandyormuddyplaces,youmightfindaquickstripandscrubisinorder.Thedesignmakesiteasy,anditshouldn’ttakemorethanaminutepermagazine.
MAGAZINEEXTRASAsmentioned,therearemagazinecouplerslikethosefromMagpul,whichlet
youboltapairofmagazinestogether.Butwhatshouldyougettofacilitatespeedloading?SolarTacticaltotherescue.
SOLARTACTICALMFERTheSolarTacticalMFERisabolt-onmagazinefunnelthatspeedsreloads.It
attachestothebottomofthereceiverwithanattachedlip,andclampingscrews.Madeofblackpolymer,itwillnotlookoutofplaceonyourAK.OK,therearetheusualcaveats.Itworksbestonstampedreceiver7.62s,Yugoincluded.Itcanworkonmost74s,butyou’llhavetomakesomemodifications.ItwillneedsomemodificationtoworkwiththeM92,socontactSolarTacticalwhenyouorder,sotheycanmakethemods.Onceinstalled,theMFERisanaddedfunnel,awideropeningforyour
magazinetohit.Ofcourse,youstillhavetohavethemagazineverticaltothereceivertorockitintoplace,butthefunnelgetsyoutherefaster.
TheCzechsgotonethingright;theymadethemagazinesfortheirVZ58withabolthold-open,sowhenitrunsdryyouknow.
ArmyStaffSgt.JasonLyday(left)instructsIraqiArmysoldiersonmuzzledisciplinepriortoenteringaroomduringadryrunofclosequartersbattleatweaponsclassonForwardOperationsBaseMcHenry,Iraq,onNov.23,2005.Lydayisattachedtothe101stAirborneDivisionofFort
Campbell,KY.DoDphotobyTech.Sgt.AndyDunaway,U.S.AirForce.(Released)
CHAPTER15TESTINGTHEAK
YOUCOULDBETEMPTEDTOBUYARIFLEinastoreoratagunshowbutwonderwhatyoushouldlookforbeforehandingoveryourcash.OrbeunsureofhowtothoroughlyassessyourownhandmadeAKbeforeit’sbeenshot.We’llstartfirstwithbuyingone,andthenmoveontotestingyours,andwhattodoattherange.
INSPECTINGAKSFORSALEFirst,makesureitisn’tloaded.Oh,don’tbesotouchy.You’regoingtohear
thatfortherestofyourlife,let’smakesureitisalongone,andnotashortonebecauseyougottestyoverbeingreminded.Besides,thinkhowlousyitwouldlook,carvedonthefaceofyourgravestone:“Hethoughtitwasempty.”Now,atgunshowstodayitiscommontousecabletiestokeeptheactions
shutonfirearms.Theideacomesfromtwodifferentdirections.One,thedealerswhowanttokeepthenon-buyingnoobsfromhandlingthemerchandise,andinsodoingputtingwearandtearonit.Theword“shopworn”comesfromjustthat—goodsthatshowwearfromhavingbeenhandledbywould-bebuyers.Theimpulseisunderstandable,andIcancommiseratewiththedealers.Thesecondcomesfromthemoronicpeoplewhothinkthatbylockingafirearmtheycanprecludeidiotsfromgettingaroundintothechamber.Unsafepeoplearegoingtobeunsafe,regardlessofwhatyoudo.Otherthankeepinganeyeonthem,youcan’tkeepthemfrombeingunsafe.So,thereyouare,witha“banded”rifleyouwanttobuy,butnotwantingto
endupwithapiginapoke.Whattodo?Simple,getthedealertoremovetheband.Understand,oncehecutstheband,you’veboughttherifle,unlessyoufind
band.Understand,oncehecutstheband,you’veboughttherifle,unlessyoufindsomethingsoegregiousthatthesaleisobviouslyoff.Ifthegunshowrulesareabsolute—nocabletiescanbecut—thenmysuggestionistomoveon.Letthemanagementknowwhyyoudidn’tbuyanythingtherethistrip,won’tbuyanythingthereeveragain,andwon’tbeback.Leave,anddon’tbetemptedbackuntilyouhearwordthepolicyhasbeenchanged.Tocheckthegunout,startbymovingtheselectordowntofireandworkthe
action,makingsureitisn’tloaded.Removethetopcover,takeouttherecoilspringandsetthemaside.Pullthecarrierbackandliftitout.Lookinside.Areallthepartsthere?Doyouseesignsofwork?Irefertothisstageofinspectionaslookingfor“hammermarksandtiretracks.”
Youownmorethanonemagazine?Testthemall.Youownmorethanonerifle?Testthemall,withallthemagazines.Yes,ittakesammo,buthey,you’regettingpractice,right?
withallthemagazines.Yes,ittakesammo,buthey,you’regettingpractice,right?
Itemslikethe45-roundAPK-74magazinesarefun,buttheydohavedrawbacks.Like,howdoyougopronewithamaglikethis?
Putyourthumbinfrontofthehammer.Pullthetriggerandcatchthehammer.Whileholdingthetriggerback,pushthehammerbacktocatchitonthetriggerhooks.Letgoofthehammer.Noweaseoffofthetrigger.Thehammershouldcatchfromonehooktothenext.Ifitdoesn’t,thepartsareeithermodified,orthepivotpinholeshavebeendrilledinthewrongspots.Ifyou’recurious,looktoseewhichitmightbe.Inanycase,itisarifleyoudonotwanttobuy.However,ifthehammerortriggershowobviousDremeltoolmarks,thenyoucanbargainitdowninpriceduetotheobviousmalfunction,andpluginnewpartslater.Justgetthepricedownbyatleastthecostofnewparts.Lookdownthebore.Isitbright,shiny,withsharprifling?Good.Ifnot,
bargainthepricedownmore.Ifthesellerinsiststhatit’sjustresiduefromtestfiringandyoulikethatparticularmodeloritsfeatures,insistonabrushandpatchtocleanitout.Here’syourclue:ifthepatchcomesoutblack,itispowderresidue.Ifitcomesoutbrown,you’reprobablylookingatrust.
Ifyouhaveoptics,installandtest.Don’ttakeitforgrantedthatthescopeisalreadyzeroed,orthebasewell-alignedsothescopehasenoughadjustmentrangetogetyouonthepaper.
Ifyouhavethetime,takethegastubeoffandlookatthepistonwhileyou’reatit.ArustygastubeisalmostrequiredonanAK,butarustedpistonisnot.Ifthepistonhasabrownresidueonit,anditdoesnotwipeoff,itisn’tchromed,andprobablyisn’tstainless,either.Ifeverythingchecksout,askaboutaguarantee,getareceipt,andpay.
TESTFIRING
TESTFIRINGYou’reattherange,andyouwanttoshootyournewrifle.Boughtor
homebuilt,followthesameprocess.Getsettledonthebenchwithyourammo,rifle,spottingscope,softdrink,etc.andgetcomfortable.Loadoneroundintoamagazineandinsertthemag,keepingthemuzzlepointeddownrange.Workthecarrierhandle.Settleinandfirethatroundatyourtarget.Looktoseeifitcameclosetoyourpointofaim.Studytheejectionporttomakesurethehammeriscocked.Ifthehammerisn’tcocked,yourrifle“follows,”andwillneedgunsmithing.Ifthehammerstayedcocked,loadtworoundsandfirethem.Onceyou’re
certainthehammerandtriggerworkastheyaresupposedto,loadupandshoottoyourheart’scontent.Testallyourmagazines.Don’tassumethatjustbecausetheyare“commie-made”thattheyareinfallible.Anddon’tassumethatonemag,testedinaparticularrifle,willworkinallyourrifles.Ihavesomemagazinesthatarecrankyinsomegunsbutnotothers.Ihavethechoiceofeitherselling/tradingthemoff,ormarkingtheminsomewaytoletmeknow.You’llalsowanttomarkyourmagazines.Ifyougotoamatch,orareinaclass,youmightfindthatyou’reonthelinewithothers,andwindupmistakenlypickinguptheirdroppedmagazines,anobviouspotentialforproblems.Youcanusepaintandstencils,paintpensorSharpiebrandmarkers.
Whenyoutestfireforthefirsttime,loadoneround.
Havingsomeonetowatchisagoodthing.Theycantellyouifthereisexcessivemuzzleflash,pluswhereandhowfartheemptiesareejecting.
Ofcourse,inthemidstofallyourhappyblastingthereisthelittlematterofsightadjustment.OntheAK,allsightadjustmentsforzeroingaredonetothefrontsight.The
postitselfscrewsupanddowntochangeelevation.Screwthepostdowntoraisethepointofimpact,uptolower.Thetoolisalittlecirculartabwithapost;itfitsovertheflatsofthefrontsight.Itiscommontouseapairofneedle-nosepliers,buttheyinvariablyfail.Toadjustwindage(left-to-right)drivethepostyouseeinthesidesofthefrontsighthousing.Thispostispress-fit,andIsuspectthatthespecscallforittobeametricsmidgenlargerthantheholeintowhichitallegedlyfits,foritisapaininthebutttomove.ThesightadjustmenttoolisamodifiedC-clamp,inthatthefarsidehasclearanceforthesupposedlymovingbar.I’vefoundthatitisnotuncommonthatyouhavetobashthebarwitha
punchandhammertogetitstarted,thenfine-tune(ifyoucanevenusethatterminthecontextofAKs)tofinishzero.Ifyoufeeltheneed,somewickingLoctitetosecureitonceyou’redonewillkeepitsecure.Whatifthereisn’tenoughadjustment?Thenyouhavethedreaded“tipped”frontsighthousing.Whenmanufactured,thesightwasn’tputondeadvertical.Tosolvetheproblem,driftoutthepins,tapthesighttovertical,checkbyfiring,andthendrilltheholeslarger.Use ⁄ -inchdrillandpins,andLoctiteinplace.Whatifyourriflewon’tfeed?Itcouldbethemagazinesthemselves,thefitof
themagstothereceiver,thebulletguide,theammo,oratwistedreceiver.GettingworkdoneonyourAKcanbeeasyordifficult.IfyouhaveanamebrandAK,thentheimporter,wholesalerorbuilderwillbethebestplacetogo.Ifyoubuiltityourself,you’llhavetoeitherfigureitout,orthrowyourselfonthemerciesofthenearestAKbuilder/gunsmith,whichmaybedifficult,ifyoubuiltfromaflatorachannel.Yes,youcantakeittoagunsmith,butnotallwillacceptit.Somewillturnitdownonthegroundsthatitishomebuiltandtheycannotlegallyacceptit.Don’targue,theywon’trelent.Otherswillrefuseonthequiteunderstandablegroundsthattheywillbasicallyhavetoreviewyourentirebuild,inspecteverything,andthenfigureawaytocorrectwhatevertheyfindwrong.Theycouldendupchargingasignificantfractionofwhattherifleisworth.
1 8
Yes,evenAKsmalfunction.ThisisabrandnewAKthatisbeingjustalittlebitrecalcitrant.
Gunsmithsareleeryoftellingacustomerthattheywillrackupa$200bill,repairinga$350rifle.Mostgunsmithsrealizethatatthatpointthecustomerwillwalk.Theyarethenintheunenviablespotofhavingtobillforthebenchworkandinspectionthey’vedone,andthecustomerfindshimselfpayingatleast$50fornorepairsatallhavingbeendone,andariflethatstilldoesn’twork.So,ifyoufindfewtakerstorepairyourhomebuiltrifle,theyarenot
conspiringagainstyou.Ifyouhaveaworkingrifle,thenyour“testing”fromthenonissimplyamatterofseeinghowmuchammoitwillconsumebeforeitwearsout.TheAKworldisinastateofflux.Wearebeingofferednewversionsofthe
oldrifle,andimprovedversionsthathavehadafreshlook.Everythingischanging.Ideally,I’dbetestingadozen,nay,twodozendifferentAKsmadebydifferentcompanies,withasmorgasbordoffeaturesandapproaches.Well,inan
idealworldwewouldhavedoneallofthisandmoreacoupleofdecadesago,becausethatwasthetimewhenweshouldhavebeenabletolayourhandsonalltheAKsweneededforR&D.But,wecouldn’t.Theyweren’there.Andwhentheybeganpouringin,theoldguard,thehuntersandbullseyetargetshooters,couldn’tbebothered.SoeventhoughtheAKhasnowbeenafixtureintheAmericanshootingscenefor30years,itisonlyrecentlythatithasbeguntogainthekindofacceptancethattheARgotlongago.
Isuspectitisamagazine,oramagazinelocationproblem,withcartridgesthisgrosslyoutofline.
Ifitismadebythehandofman,ithasthepotentialtomalfunction.Hereisabrandnew,brandnameAR-15thatmalfunctionedwithinanhouroftheAKinthischapter.Samerange,same
conditions,etc.
Gunwritershavetodosomestrangethings.HereIamtestfiringanAKwithoutitstopcoverorgastubeinplace.Itworked,butitisjustastunt.
Theironyofthisisthecurrentmakersarealsoinflux.Istartedthisre-writewiththeintentionoftestingaslewofnewrifles.AndwhatIfoundwasthatmanywerehappytosendmearifle…“whentheyweredonewiththeR&D.”Yousee,thefieldofAKmakersisnotpopulated,forthemostpart,withbigcompanies.If(justtonameafew)Ruger,Winchester,Remington,FN,orS&Wwanttohaveaproductreadybyacertaindate,theylayoutaplan.Theyhavepeoplewithbusinessdegreeswhonotonlywereeducatedonhowtodothat,buttheyhavedoneit.Ifitlooksliketheyarefallingbehindintheplan,thebigcompaniescanaddmorepeopletotheproject,inordertogettheextraworkdoneandstayonschedule.Smallcompanies,makerswhohaveaCEO/Presidentandthreeengineers,
noneofwhomhaveanMBA,can’tdothat.Theirstaffislimited.Ifthereisanunforeseenproblem(Yes,Iknow,fromtheDepartmentofRedundancy
unforeseenproblem(Yes,Iknow,fromtheDepartmentofRedundancyDepartment.)theydealwithitasitcomesup,andtheschedulefallsbehind.TheAKmarketislargelysmallcompanies.IhadabunchofAKsplanned,but
anunforgivingdeadline.Themanypromisedriflesendedupnotarrivingintime.So,Ichangedplans.I’llbetestingasmallernumberofAKs,andanSKS,inthisbook.AndI’llbe
usingthemastestbedsforthewarehouseofaccessoriesthathavesprungupfortheAK—accessoriesthatusedtobethesolepurviewoftheAR-15.And,giventhesurgeininterestinsuppressors,I’llbeusingtheseriflesastestbedsforthevarioussuppressorsandmeansofattachment.I‘vehadafewreadersaskmeifIwouldbedoingthesamesortofabusewith
AKsasI’vedoneinthepastwithARs.Theanswerisno,foranumberofreasons.One,I’vealreadybeenthereanddonethat.Ireallydon’tfeeltheneedtosplattermyselfwithoilymudjusttoprovewhatneedsnotbeproven.Second,unliketheAR,theAKhasareputationforreliabilityanddurability,sowhatwouldbethepoint?Andfinally,itwouldnotbenovel.So,Ididn’t.Ijusttestedforthenormallevelofreliability,thatis,IshotthemasmuchasI
couldstand,andnotedthesingularlackofmalfunctions.Itestedthemoffthebench,toseewhatkindofaccuracywecouldexpect.AndItestedthemwithdifferentsightingsystems,toseewhatchangesthatwouldproduce.Allofthiswasfun,asyou’dexpect,andIhopethatfuncomesthroughinthe
writing.Becauseifitdoesn’t,thenIreallyneedtoupmycoffeedoseinthemorning.Offtotherangewego.
CHAPTER16AKREVIEW:
CENTURYARMSC39V2
BACKIN2010,TOOLATEFORTHEFIRSTvolumeofthisbook,CenturyArmscameoutwithabrandnewAK.TheirCenturionwasoneofthefirst,trueMadeintheUSAAKs.TheCenturionwasasolidrifle,andalearningexperienceforCenturyArms.LiketheC39V2testrifleI’llbeplayingwithinthischapter,itwasmadefromamilledreceiver.ButwheretheC39V2isrefined,elegant(foranAK)andgood-looking,theCenturionwas…utilitarian.Bead-blastedtomakethetoolmarksgoaway,doneupwithrailedsynthetichandguard,syntheticfixedstock,andamixtureofpolishedselector,matteparts,andChevronbrake,itwasn’twhatyou‘dcallpretty.But,itwasmadehereintheU.S.,allofit,anditworked.IwroteitupinTacticalRifles,andlikeditsomuchtoldCenturytheyweren’tgettingitback.TheV2isthelatestCenturyArmsAK,andtheevolutionoftheirMadeinthe
USAline.TheC39V2isbuiltonamilledreceiver.(TheyalsohavetheRAS47,madewithastampedreceiver,andproducedintheU.S.)Thereceiverstartsasan11-poundhunkof4140steel,andismachineddowntotheessentialAK-nessofareceiver.Thisincludesthemagazinecuts,SandFmarkings,andtheC39V2logoontherightside.TheedgesoftheC39V2receiverhavebeennicelydehorned.OnethingmanyAKslackisergonomics.Addinsomesharpedges,andsomegunscanberealworktouse.TheC39V2,ontheotherhand,hastheedgesdehornedsoyouaren’tshreddingyourhandswhilehandlingit.Itisanicetouch,andaddstotheclassylooks.Ontheleftside,myC39V2camebare,lackinganopticsmount.Theyhavereceivedsomecriticismforthat,butthe
lackinganopticsmount.Theyhavereceivedsomecriticismforthat,butthemilledvariantAKisnotcommonlyseenwithanopticsmount.Infact,whenthemilledreceiverAKwasenvoguetheveryideaofopticsonariflesuchastheAKwouldhavebeenliterallylaughedat.
TheCenturyisarefined,elegantAK.Youwon’thavetomakeexcusesaboutitsappearanceorperformance.
Ifyouwantanopticsmount,thenthestamped-receiverRAS47fromCenturyistheobviouschoice.Or,ifyouaresufficientlyskilledwithmachinetools,youcaninstallanopticsmountonyourC39V2.Thetruthis,notalotofAKownersareinterestedinmountingopticsontheircommieblaster.Andthosethatdoarelookingmostlyatreddotsights,notmagnifyingoptics.Wecoveredthatintheopticschapter.
TherightsideoftheC39V2.
C39V2,leftside.
Or,youcouldspringfortheplannednewCenturyArmsC39V2SBR.Thatwillhaveabarrelthatis12.4-incheslong,withaCenturyArmsopticsbase/rail.Thecatchis,theCenturyopticsbaseandrailwillonlyworkwiththeCentury-mademountadapter.Thatsoundsbad,buttheCenturymountissolid,anditstoprailallowsyoutoadjusttheopticspositiononthemount.Thesafety/selectorisyourusualbigsheetmetallever,butwithatwist:
Centuryhasdesigneditwithanotchintheupperedge;thisisyourbolthold-opennotch.No,itwon’tlockopenautomaticallywhenempty,butyoucanlockitopenandleaveitthatwayintherack,guncase,orwherever.Thereceiver,bolt,carrierandbarrelwithaccompanyingfurnitureareall
givenablacknitritecoating,foramatteblackfinish.
WhiletheChevronbrakedoesmitigaterecoil,thecostisflash.Icouldseeflashoneveryshot,thecameraonlypickeditupnowandthen.
Thetopcoverisyourbasicstamping,withthereartabholdingitinplace
beingstandard.Noextraplungersorshelveshere.Therearsightisalsostandard,withtheregularopennotch,withrangeadjustmentsof“S”andnumeralsfrom1to8,indicatinghundredsofmeters.Therearsighttowerholdsthegastubedisassemblylever,keepstheupperhandguardinplace.Thegasblockissculptedtolooklikeaslantblock,butthepinsthatholditinwouldindicatethatitisaverticalgasportdesign.Notthatthegasblockanglematterstothevastmajorityofus.Thefrontsightispinnedinplace,andithastheretainingplungertoholdthemuzzledeviceinplace.CenturyshipstheC39V2withtheirChevronbrake.Thisisamuzzlebrake
withaslimprofileandV-shapedslotstoredirectgasanddampenfeltrecoil.Themuzzleisthreaded14x1L,thestandardAKthreading,soifyouwishtoswapitoutforastandardcommieslantjob,youcan.Thebarrelis16.5incheslong,witha ⁄ twist,andtheboreishard-chromed.
Themuzzlethreadsareun-communist.Thatis,theyareconcentricandaxial.ThatmeansyoucanmountamuzzledeviceordirectlythreadonasuppressorforyourAK(ifyoucanfindonewiththecorrectthreads).ThefurnitureontheC39V2isalsonotverycommunist-like.Itisnicewood.
MostAKscamewithwoodfurniturethatlookedlikeitwasfromthepackingcrateinwhichtheriflewasshipped.Oh,I’msurethetopbrassgotAKswithnicewood,butforthemostpart,itwasplainasdirt.ThewoodontheC39V2isnice.Thestockisheldontothestandardfixedstocktrunnionwithasinglewood
screwfromthetop.Thestockissupportedinthetrunnionbyatenonthatfitsintoasocketinthetrunnion,makingthewholesetupquitestrong.Thebuttplateisasteelstampingwithtwowoodscrews,whiletherearslingswivelhingesandisheldinplacewithyetanotherpairofwoodscrews.Thestockattachmentdesignisdeliberate,andintendedtomaketheC39V2compatiblewithallAKMstocks.Thatis,ifyouwanttoinstallareplacementstockontheC39V2,youjustneedanAKM-fitstock.ThisisaclevermoveonCentury’spart,asthereareaslewofstamped-receiverriflesoutthere,andifastockmakermakesacool
1 10
replacementstock,theywillbeofferingoneforstampedgunsforsure.
Theselectorisstandard,andgoesfromSafetoFire.
Themarkingsareclean,elegant,andnotatallyourtypicaluglymil-specstampings.
ThewoodoftheC39V2isverynice,andthehandguardshavepalmswells.Anicetouch.
ThewoodoftheC39V2isverynice,andthehandguardshavepalmswells.Anicetouch.
Interestingly,thepistolgripisblacksynthetic,withfingergrooves.ThemagazinereleasehasaT-shapedpaddle,andiseasytoactivate.
TheChevronbrakedivertsgas.Unfortunately,there’snotmuchgasfromthe7.62x39todampenrecoil.
Inside,theC39V2usesthenewCenturyArmsRAK-1triggergroup.TheRAK-1isatwo-hookdesign,anditisatruetwo-stagetrigger.Onatwo-stage,thedisconnectornoseactsasatriggerstop.Whenyoupullthetrigger,itslidessmoothlyalongthehammerhooksuntilthedisconnectorcontactstherearedgeofthehammerhookblade.Atthatpoint,thetriggerstops,andyouhavetoadd
pressuretocamthedisconnectorbackagainstitsspringtoreleasethehammer.Thisgivesalight,smooth,easytake-up,followedbyacrispreleasethatisabitheavier.Youendupwithasolidtriggerdesignthatcanwithstandroughhandlingbutprovidesacleanandcrisptriggerpullwhenneeded.Thetriggerisabigbenefitforaccurateshooting,asitmakesgettingtheshotoffwhenyouwantitasnap.ItmaycomeasasurprisetothosewhohaveonlyevershotanAK,butthisisthewayotherrealrifleswork.Well,manyofthem.TheC39V2comeswithapairofMagpul30-roundmagazines.Youwillend
upwithalotmoremagazinesbeforeyouarefullyimmersedintheAK-verse,sojustbitethebulletandbuyafistfulmorewhenyoupickupyourrifle.
Themilledreceiverisfinishedsowelltherearenotoolmarksvisible.ApleasantdifferencefromtheusualAK.
Intesting,thesmallamountofextraweightthemilledreceiveraddedwasabenefit.Notthatthe7.62x39kicksallthatmuch,butwhenyouareworkingonbuildingskillsforfastfollow-upshots,theweightisabonus.TheChevronbrakehelpsabit.Muzzlebrakesworkbydivertinggas.Themoregas,thebettertheywork.Thehigherthepressureofthatgas,thebettertheywork.Thecloserthe
work.Thehigherthepressureofthatgas,thebettertheywork.Theclosertheportsaretothebore,andthesmallertheyare,themoretheywork.Centurydoesalltheycanwithacompactbrake,butthe7.62x39justdoesn’tproducealotofgas,noratahighpressure.Whatitdoesproduce,withsomeloads,isalotofflash.WiththeChevronbrake,ornobrake,Icouldseeflashoneveryshot,eventhoughittookawhileforthecameratohavetherightmomenttocaptureit.ReplacingtheChevronbrakewithaflashhidertookcareofthat.NoknockonCentury,yousimplycan’tgetsomethingfornothing,despite
whatDemocratpoliticiansmaytellyou.Youwantrecoilreduction,yougetflash.Youwantnoflash,youcan’thaverecoilreduction.That’slife.
Themagazinereleasehastwotabs,makingitapaddlerelease.It’seasytogettheemptyoneout.
Fromthebench,thelimitisthesightingsystem—theAKnotchandpost,whichisnotmuchhelp.I’lladmitI’mnotabenchrestkindofshooter,noralong-rangesniperguy.Mylimitwithanotchandpostsetupisrightaround3MOA,andwiththebestammotheC39V2didjustthat.IfIwantedmore,I’dfigureawaytoputmagnifyingopticsontheC39V2,orjustgetaCenturyArmsAKwitharailalreadyonit.
AKwitharailalreadyonit.
TherearsightismarkedSand1to8,fordistance(inhundredsofmeters).
TheC39V2isavailablewithsyntheticfurniture,oneversionsportingtheMagpulMOEAKhardware,theothertheMagpulZhukovset.TheMOEisafixedstock.Thecheekpieceishinged,andinsideisastoragecompartmentwhereyoucanparkacleaningkit.TheZhukovisafoldingstockthatisadjustableforlengthofpull.Youcancollapseitandhavethestandard“thisthingistooshort”AKstocklength,oryoucanextenditandmakeitcomfortablefornormalWesternshooters.ThesestocksarepossiblebecauseCenturydesignedtheC39V2toacceptstamped-receiverstocks.Thefirstmodel,theCenturion,wasabitrough.ButtheC39V2isnotrough,it
iswell-made,cleanlyexecuted,andisarifleyouwillnothavetohideattherange,ordolluptomakepresentable.Ifthereisanythingtocomplainabout,itisthatperhapsCenturyArmshasdonetoogoodajob.TheC39V2issogood-lookingthatIfindmyselfloathetostartmodifyingorupgradingit.Asniceasthewoodis,doIwanttoinstallafoldingstock,orarailedhandguard?Thereceiverhasjusttherightlevelofpolish,andpaintingitinatacti-coolcamopatternwouldbe…unfortunate.Anddrillingthesideforascopemount?I’mnotsureIcanbringmyselftodo
that.Imight,whenallissaidanddone,replacetheChevronbrakewithaslantbrake,orinstallamuzzledeviceforasuppressor.That’saboutallIcanbringmyselftodotoit.Welldone,CenturyArms.
U.S.ArmySgt.Partyka(left)andanIraqiarmysoldierclimbaflightofstairsastheyconductacombinedcordonandsearchmissioninBaghdad,Iraq,onSept.10,2006.PartykaisattachedtoBravoCompany2ndBattalion,1stInfantryRegiment.DoDphotobyMasterSgt.MikeBuytas,
BravoCompany2ndBattalion,1stInfantryRegiment.DoDphotobyMasterSgt.MikeBuytas,U.S.AirForce.(Released)
CHAPTER17AKREVIEW:
KREBSCUSTOM
HOWWOULDYOULIKETOOWNANAKTHAThasbeenworkedoverbyamastergunsmith?Someonewhounderstandseverydetailofit,andcanbuildnotjustaperfectrecreationofaSoviet1959AKM,oranAfghanistan-eraAK-74issuedtoSovietParatroopers,butanAKbuilttobearun-n-guncompetitionspecial?ThenMarcKrebsisyourman.“Krebs,Krebs,thatnamesoundsfamiliar….”Itshould.Backintheearly
1990shewasoneofthepremiercustom1911gunplumbersfortheUSPSA/IPSCcompetitionset.Hebuiltbeautifulracegunsthatnotonlylookedgood,butranlikechamps.But,assomanyofusdo,hegotburnedoutofthegame,anddecidedtoswitchgears.ThegearsheswitchedtoareKalashnikov.Withoutintendingtoinsult,whenKrebswasmakingAKsduringthefirst
book,hewasmakingriflesthatweretoogoodforthemarket.Hewasbuildingnew,improved,updatedandergonomicAKs,atatimewhenthegreatmassofthemarketwantedperiodcorrect.Guyswhowerebuildingintheirgaragewantedone“justlikeSpetsnaz,”nota21st-CenturyAK.Well,themarkethascaughtuptohim.HemakeshisriflesthebestthatanAK
canbe.HebuildsonSaigarifles,madeinIzhmash,Russia,andVepr,bothofwhichareimportedhere.Assuch,they,likeallotherimportedAKs,comeintothecountry“neutered.”Thatis,theyhavethesociallyoffendingaspectsremoved,andthatmeanstheyhavetoberebuilttobringthemuptospec—oratleastthelevelofqualityexpectedbyU.S.buyers.TherifleItestedwasaSaiga,sowe’lldiscussit,andjustmentionthatVepr
TherifleItestedwasaSaiga,sowe’lldiscussit,andjustmentionthatVeprriflesfollowthesameprocess.Let’sfollowthisAKasitgoesthroughtherebuildandupgradeprocessatKrebs,turningaplainSaigaintoaK-AC15Mod2LongUFM.
TheKrebsUFMhandguardallowsyoutouseanormalhandposition.
Ortheextended-armhandposition,yourchoice.
Ortheextended-armhandposition,yourchoice.
MadeinRussiaandimportedasaneuter,theKrebsiscompletelyoverhauledandrebuilt.
Thereddotmount,cantileveredoffoftherearsightblockandoutoftheway.
ThelongUFMshowsupwellhere.TheKrebsisarebuiltandmuch-refinedAK.
OnceaSaigaarrivesatKrebsCustom,thecrewstripitdown,inspecteverythingandmakesureitiswithinthedimensionstheyrequire.Ifitfails,itgoesnofurther,andgetssentbacktotheimporter.Theimportstockisanon-pistolgriptype.Krebsremovestheoldstockand
triggerassembly.Theoldtriggerguardisremoved,andKrebsinstallsareplacementstock,triggerguardandpistolgripbase.Thetriggerguardandpistolgripbasearerivetedinplaceastheywouldhavebeenifnotbuiltfortheimportrequirements—thatis,asnormalAKparts.
TheKrebsMkVIselector,whichyoucanactivatewithyourtriggerfinger.
WhenyouneedtochangetheselectorfromSafetoFire,youcanuseyourtriggerfinger.Andyoudon’thavetoletgoofthepistolgrip.
TherearsightisausefulAR-15A2aperture.
Thestockgetsmorework.Ifthestockorderediscompatiblewiththeexistingtrunnion,thenanewstockgoeson.Ifthestockistobesomethingdifferent,thatcanmeananadapter.Onmytestrifle,itwasaRifleDynamicsM4adapterfastenedtothereartrunnion.ThentheyinstalledanM4buffertubeandtelestock,inthiscaseaMagpulmil-specdiametertubeandaCTRtelestock.IfyouhadorderedyourKrebsCustomAKtohaveafoldingstock,theywouldhaveremovedtheoriginaltrunnionandrivetedinacorrectoneforthefoldingstockyoudesire.ThenewtriggerguardandpistolgripbasereceivedaMagpulMOEpistol
grip.Theoriginaltriggerassemblywentbye-bye,fortworeasons:theoriginaltriggerwasextended,toreachbacktotherearofthereceiverandpositionitcloseenoughtothenon-pistolgripstocksothatyoucouldreachit.And,U.S.-madepartsareinstalledtheretobringthepartscountupandmaketherifle922(r)compliant.ThisgiveKrebsachancetomakethetriggerpullawholelotbetter,by
ThisgiveKrebsachancetomakethetriggerpullawholelotbetter,byinstallinganALGDefensetriggerset.Thattriggerissmoothandlight,andentirelysuitableformarksmanship(versusindiscriminatehosing).
Nosightrailhere,butyoucanhaveoneifyouask.
TheMagpulMOEpistolgrip.
MagpulCTRstockwithaRifleDynamicsadapter.
TheRifleDynamicsadapter,tomountanM4tubetoanAKreceiver.
Thepermanentlyattachedflashhiderextendsthebarreltolegallength.
Whilehewasatit,Krebsswappedouttheoriginalselector/safetyforoneofhisown.TheKrebsMkVI,inthisinstanceforSaiga(hemakesthemforVepr,milledandotherAKvariants)hastwoupgrades.One,ithasabignotchintheupperedge,foruseasabolthold-open.TheAKwon’tlockopen,ever.Notwhenitisempty,notwhenyouusethehold-openlever/button,becausethereisn’tone.What,exactly,Soviettroopersweresupposedtodo,isnotexactlyclear.ThesecondaspectoftheMkVIistheextratab.Locatedwhereyourtriggerfingercanreachit,youcanpushthesafetyonoroffwithouthavingtoletgoofthepistolgrip.Andsincetheyarefittingitintheprocessofrebuilding,theymakeitsmoothenoughsothatyoucanactuallydojustthat—clackitupordownwithafinger.Onthetopofthestampedreceiver,thingsgetevenmoreinteresting.The
coveritselfhasareinforcingplatepermanentlyattached—theKrebswedge-lockrecoilsystem—whichensuresthattherigidcoverhaszeromovement.
lockrecoilsystem—whichensuresthattherigidcoverhaszeromovement.ThatisnecessarybecauseKrebsinstallsanaperturesightonthetoprearofthecover.ThesighthasastandardAR-15apertureandadjustmentknob,inacustomhousingthatispermanentlyattachedtothecover.Forwardofthat,thestandardrearsighthousinghashadtherearsight
removed,andadotplateinstalled,soyoucaninstallacompactreddotsystemandhaveitcowitnesswiththeironsights.ForwardstillisinstalledoneofKreb’sownUFMhandguards.TheUFMisa
superlightweightKeymodhandguardthatisimpressivelystrong.Toinstallit,theytakeofftheoriginalhandguardandbracket,gasblockandfrontsight.Theytheninstalltheirownfrontsight,gasblock,andfronthandguardanchor.ThenewfrontsighthasapairofcurvedprotectiveearsinstandardAR-style,completewithspringanddetent.So,ifyouwanttoswaptheKrebssightforsomeother,suchasatritiumnightsight,youcan.TheUFMhandguardhasatoprailformountingareddot,lightorlaser.Of
course,beingaKeymoddesign,youcanmountalotofthoseonthesideorbottomofthehandguard.ThetopcoveroftheUFMcanalsoberemovedtoaccessthegastubewhenyouarecleaning.Onthisrifle,theUFMisthelongversion,extendingpastthefrontsight,forthosewhoareusingtheenvoguelongleftarmshootingstance.
ThefrontsightsticksupthroughtheUFMLongHandguard.
Theflashhiderworksverywell,andtherewasnovisibleflashintesting.
There’sasmallamountofflashinsidetheflashhider.Itwasnevervisibletotheshooter.
Thecentraldotplatformpositionsthereddotsighttobehandybutoutoftheway.TheStyrkareddotworkedlikeachamp.
Whiletheyareatit,theyalsotrimthebarrelbackto14.25inches.Fearnot,thisdoesnotmakeitanSBR(althoughKrebscoulddothat,ifyouwishedtogothecustomroute).Theythenpermanentlyattachaflashhider,tobringthebarrellengthbackuptostandardlength.Thecoldhammerforgedandchrome-linedbarrelisthenmatchedwitha
blueprintedbolt.Krebstakesthereceiverinternalsandtunesthem,makingthetriggerandreceiverdimensionsplaywellwitheachother,theboltfaceistrued,aswellaslockinglugscheckedandfittedifnecessary.Alltheedgesaregoneover,andanysharpsedgesareremoved.Thishappens
indifferentways,fordifferentparts,andatdifferenttimes.Forinstance,thestripped-downreceiverisindustriallytumbledtotakeoffanysharpedges.Thetriggerguardisdehornedbeforebeinginstalled,soyoudon’trubyourhandsorfingersrawwhileshooting.Thentherifleisfinishedinflatblacksprayandbakedonalkydfinish,aKrebshallmarkthattheycallKrebsCoat.
bakedonalkydfinish,aKrebshallmarkthattheycallKrebsCoat.TheendresultisaninterestingamalgamofRussiaandAmerica.Therifle
appears,andfeelsatfirst,tobeabitbulky.Butthatismostlyduetoourexpectationofwhat“anAKissupposedtobe”like.Thebulkdoesnotaddweight.TheUFMhandguardissolight(justover6ounces)thatitdoesn’tweighmuchmorethanthehardwareitreplaced.Thestockmakesiteasytofittherifletoyou,anditishandyandresponsive.Allthisin7.62x39andonly7pounds.Ofcourse,ifyoudon’texercisesomerestraint,youcanmakeitportly.Addasling,light,opticsandaloadedmagazineanditgetstobeheavier,butthenallriflesdo.Intestfiring,thetriggermadeitfuntoshoot.Themiddledotmountwasajoy
touse,andallthereddotsightsItriedboltedrighton.Theflashhiderdoesthejobverywell.Inshooting,Ididnotnoticeanyflash,
arareoccurrencewithanAK.Eventryingtocaptureflashwithacameraprovedfruitless,asallIcouldgetwasahintofflash.Youarenotgoingtogetariflethisgood,cheap.AndsinceKrebsisafull-
housecustomshop,ifthereisadetailyouwantchanged,butliketherifleforthemostpartas-is,youcancertainlydiscussitwithKrebsandcrew.They’llbehappytoquoteatimeandcostforthechangesyouhaveinmind.Me,I’dbeprettyhappywiththis,butalas,ithastogoback.Apparentlythere
areothergunwritersinthisworld,andtheyalsowanttotestit.Whoknew?
CHAPTER18AKREVIEW:IWIACE
THEIWIACEISANEVOLUTIONOFANevolution,whichwasthenfurtherrefined.TheSovietsdesignedandfieldedtheAK.Theyspreaditacrosstheglobe,andwhentheIsraelisclashedwiththeirneighbors,theycapturedlotsandlotsofAKs.Intheprocess,theIsraelisgottiredofthesmallarmsthey’dbeenusing,sotheynaturallytookalookattheAK.Aswediscussedinthehistorysection,theIsraelisstartedoffwithWWII
surplus.TheythenrearmedwithFALs.Bythe1970s,theIsraeliDefenseForces,orIDFhadbecomeextensivelymechanized.TryingtoexitanarmoredpersonnelcarrierwhilehandlinganFAL,all44inchesofit(thefoldercanbemadeas“compact”as33inches)isarealhassle.TheAKismuchhandier.
TheIWIAcechewedthroughalltheammoitwasfed,andevendigestedrusty-caseammowithoutacomplaint.
So,theIDFputalltheireffortintomakinganimprovedAK.WithinputtheygainedfromlookingatwhattheFinnsdidwiththeirRK62theresultwastheGalil.Well,theGalilwasnotexactlyamarket-dominatingproduct.Infact,itwasn’t
evenwell-receivedinIsrael.Especiallythe7.62version,whichendedupnearlyaslongas,andheavierthan,anAmericanM14.Thepoweritprovidedwasn’tworththehassleofhaulingit.TheIDFendedupissuingM16sbytheswarm,andtheIWIdesignerswentbacktothedrawingboards,withtheobjectionsoftheGalilbyend-usersringingintheirears.TheendresultwastheIWIGalilAce,inthisinstancetheproductnumber
GAR1639.We’llmakeitsimple,fromnowonitwillbecalledtheAce,becausethatisa
fittingname.TheAceisaproduct-improvedAK-47/Galilchamberedin7.62x39.Ihave
seenaversionchamberedin5.56,butitwasselect-fire,andthatisn’tonewecangethereinthegoodoldU.S.ofA.Thesamegasoperation,usingthesame
gethereinthegoodoldU.S.ofA.Thesamegasoperation,usingthesamemagazinesastheAK,theAcehasbeenchangedinsomanywaysitalmostdefiesbeingcalledanAK.First,thecharginghandlehasbeenmovedtotheleftsideofthereceiver.
Usually,thiscausesproblemsintheAK,becausethecharginghandleneedsanaccessslot,andthatmeansabiggapthroughwhichdebriscanenter.IWIdesignedandinstalledadual-hingedspring-loadedcoverforthisgap.Whentheboltisforward,thecoverispressedupbythesprings,coveringthegap.Whentheactioncycles,thecharginghandlepressesthecoverdownagainstitssprings.Whentheactionclosesupagain,thecoverslidesup,coveringthegap—ta-da,thegapisopenonlyforamoment,whentheactioniscycling,andthechancesofsomethinggettinginaresoremoteastobeunworthyofconcern.Andyes,thecharginghandlereciprocates.OntheFAL,itdoesnot.ButthecharginghandleonanAKismanythings—itisacharginghandle,forwardassist,andleveryouusetogettheactionopenwhenyou’verustedormuddeditshut.Itreciprocates.
TheIWIAceisalittleodd-lookingatfirst,butyou’llgetoverit.
Sincethecharginghandleisontheleft,therightsideofthecarrierwouldbeslick.IWIputamachinedrecessthere,whichyoucanuseasaforwardassist.
ThefrontsightdesignlookslikeitwastakenrightoffofaFinnishAK.
Thetopcoveristightlyfittedtothereceiver,withnoperceptiblewobble.Whichisgood,becauseinplaceofthenotchandpostoftheAK,thesightsoftheAceareaproperaperturerear,andafrontpost.Thisgreatlyincreasesthesightradius,andalsoimprovestheeye/brainabilitytorecognizealignmenterror.Therearsightisaflipsight,withtwoapertures,andeachismarked.Oneismarked“3”andhasapairoftritiumcellsfornightuseflankingtheaperture,butabitbelowit.That’syour300-meterzerosight.Theotheronelacksthetritium,andismarked“5.”That’syour500-metersight,andifyoucanusetritiumdotsona500-metertargetatnight,youhavefarbettervisionthananyoftherestofus.OnthetopcoverisaMil-Std.1913rail,commonlymiscalledaPicatinnyrail.
OnthetopcoverisaMil-Std.1913rail,commonlymiscalledaPicatinnyrail.Thegastubealsohasthisrail,atthesamelevelandalignedwithit.Thetopcoverrailhasatenonthatwedgesintothegrooveintherearofthegastuberail,sotheyaremutuallysupported.Thisarrangementprovidesyouwithafull-lengthrail,ontowhichyoucanputoptics,magnifyingorreddot.Youcaninstalllights,lasers,nightvision,thermaloptics,whateverfitsandisfoundusefulandworthyoftheweight.Fairwarning:thegastubeonanAKcangethot,soyoumightnotwanttoparksomethingonthatpartoftherail,ifitisheat-sensitive.
Theflashhiderusesalockingnut,anditdealswithflasheffectively.
Thefrontsightisinthegasblock,andtheblockisalignedsothegasportisvertical,notslanted.Thegasblockispinnedonwithapairoftransversepins,locatedbelowthebarrel.ThisisthewaytheFinnsdidit,unliketheSoviets,whocommonlypinnedabovethebarrel.BothworkthoughIfindIlikethelooksof
commonlypinnedabovethebarrel.BothworkthoughIfindIlikethelooksofthebelowmethodmore.Thefrontsightpostisanotherinterestingdeparturefromvanilla-plainAK.
Thepostistapered,andhasatritiumcellinit.Howdotheykeepitfacingtheshooter,youask.Thepostbasehastwoflanges.Ifyouareadjustingthesightsforzero,pressdownthespring-loadedplungerforadjustment,turnthepostandcheck.Onceyougetthezerodead-on,depresstheplungeronlyenoughtofreethetopflange,andturnthepostcoveruntiltheopeningforthetritiumcellfacestheshooter.Andthemysteryofthelowtritiumcellsontherearsightisnowsolved.Sincethetritiumonthefrontsightcan’tbeattheverytipofthesight,butbelowthetip,therearcellsarealsolower,soyou’llbeproperlyaligned.Clever,no?Thesightadjustmentsare1inchatonehundredyards,perclickoradjustmentnotch.Interestingly,therearsightcanberemovedfromthetopcover.I’dhazardaguessthat’stomakeiteasytoreplacewhenitgetsdroppedbysomefumble-fingeredrecruit.
Theleft-sidemountedcockinghandle,andthespring-loadedplatecoverthegap.
Thethumb-activatedsafety.Bothwork,usethemasneeded.
Onthebackend,thestockisbothadjustableandfolding.TheadjustmentsworkliketheAR—squeezethelevertounlockit,andslidethebuttstockforwardorbacktothelengththatiscomfortable.Fullyshortened(11.85inchesofpull)mynosealmosttouchesthereceiver,andthereceiverbumpsmeabitwhenI’mfiring.Icanseethefrontsightwingsthroughtheaperture.Fullyback(15.25inchesofpull)thewingsarealmostbutnotquitevisibleoutsideoftherearsightplate.That’salotofadjustment,withfiveseparatestops.
Thelockingmechanismofthefoldingstockisaspring-loadedpairofwedgesurfaces.
Thebuttplateisridged,hardplastic.Thereisaclip-oncheekpieceyoucanusethatallowsyoutohaveapropercheekweldforusewithoptics.
Fromhere,youcanseeboththefull-lengthpicrailontopofthereceiver,andhowthefoldedstockbearson,butdoesnotbindtheselector.
Thestockfoldstotheright,theejectionportside.Itdoesn’tinterferewithejection,anddoesn’tbindthesafety/selector(moreonthatshortly).Thestocklocksinplacewhenitisunfolded,soitwon’tfoldonyouwhenyouareusingit.Thelockissimple;itistakendirectlyfromtheFNdesignforfoldingstocks.Tounlockandfold,pressthestockassemblydowntowardtheground,againstthelockingspring.Oncethelockinglatchclearsthenotch,hingethestocktotheright,towardtheejectionport.Thehingepinhasanangledhead,andtheanglewillletthepinrideupwhen
youfoldthestock.Thepinwillcamdownwhenyouforcethestockopen,butthestockisnotmechanicallylockedwhilefolded.Thisiscleverandcorrect.Youwantthestocklockedopenwhenyouuseitasastock.Youdonotneedthestocklockedwhilefolded,becauseifyouwanttounfoldityoudon’twanttobe
stocklockedwhilefolded,becauseifyouwanttounfoldityoudon’twanttobemessingaroundwithbuttons,leversorothersuchproblems.Justgrabthestockandflipitopen.Insidethetopcoveristheexpectedcarrierandbolt.Gettingthecoveroffcan
beanadventure.TheretainingtabislongerthanonaSovietAK(asontheGalil/Golani),thetightfitofthetopcovercanmakegettingtheretainerpressedin—andkeptinwhilethecoverislifted—awholelotofwork.Insidetherecoilspringassemblynotonlyhasasyntheticimpactblock(I’m
goingtotryashardaspossibletoavoidcallingitashok-buff)butthebackoftheretainerfeaturesarubberslippad,orcover.Thisridesbetweentheretainerassemblyandtheinsiderearofthecover.Interestingly,thepartslistdescribesitas#23,Blocker,GasInjection.Hmm,neverdidgetgasupthenosefromanAK,butOK.Theboltandcarriercomeouttotherearandliftupjustaswithastandard
AK,butasyoumovethemyou’lldiscoveranimprovementtheIsraelisaddedin—thegastubeisnotheldinwithalever,asonastandardAK,butslidesintoplaceonashortsetofrails.Thetopcoverholdsthegastubeinplace.Youcantakethetopoff,theboltandcarrierout,andthegastubeoffinamatterofsecondswithnoriskofstabbingyourselfwithascrewdriver,orgougingthefinish.Insidethemilledreceiverisastandardtwo-hook,two-stagetrigger,withthe
disconnectorpositionedandtimedtoactasthestoponthesecondstage.Thesafety/selectorisaleverontheupperrearrightofthereceiver,andisnot
thecoverovertheejectionport.Infact,thereisnocoverovertheejectionport.Ifyouthinkitisoutofthewayandabitdifficulttoreach,you’rewrong.Well,thosewithsmallhandswillfindittough,buttheleverispositionednicelytoyourtriggerfinger.Butyouneedn’tfear,there’soneontheleftside,justabovethepistolgrip.That’sright,IWIhasfiguredouthowtonotonlyputasafetyleverintwoplaceswhereyoucanreachthem,butgiveittheleverageitneedssoyoucanactuallymoveit.It’sasafetyyoucanworkwithouttakingyourfiringgripoffoftherifle.Thesafetyontherightsidebearsagainstthestockwhen
gripoffoftherifle.Thesafetyontherightsidebearsagainstthestockwhenfolded,butthestockdoesnotkeepthesafetyfrommoving.
[1]Theselectoriswithinreachofyourtriggerfinger.
[2]Whenyouneedtofire,liftyourtriggerfingerandswipedown.
[3]Onceyouhaveselectedfire,bringyourtriggerfingerintowork.
Now,“leverageenough”canbearelativething.Icanpushtheright-handsideleverfromSafetoFirewithmytriggerfinger.However,IcannotpushitbacktoSafe.Forthat,Ihavetousemythumb,andtheleverontheleftside.Youmayfindyoursiseasier,oryourhandsstronger,butbeawareandrememberyouhavetwolevers.Thenextchangeisthebottommetalofthereceiveror,actually,thebottom
polymer.Thepistolgrip,magazinecatchandmagazineguideboxareallmadeofahigh-strengthpolymer.Thispolymerassemblyissemi-permanentlyattached
ofahigh-strengthpolymer.Thispolymerassemblyissemi-permanentlyattachedtothereceiver,andisnotmeanttoberemovedbytheuser.Ifyoureallyfeeltheneed,thereareacoupleofbigscrews,oneinthepistolgrip,theotherinfrontofthemagazinewellthatholditon.Isuggestleavingthemalone,becausethere’snothinggoodyoucandowithitoff.YoumaybelookingattheAceandthinking,“Thisisnice,butthosearesome
awesomelyfathandguards,andthere’snoplacetomountmylight.”Oh,yeoflittlefaith.Noticethebuttonsonthesidesofthehandguards?Thosearethelockingtabs.Pressinandthehandguardcoverslidesforward,andoffthehandguardbase.Justlikethat,youhaverailedhandguards.Allthreecomeoffat3,6and9o’clock.Thefirstpersontocomplainthatthesearepicrails,andnotM-LokorKeymod,getsslapped.
TheAcerecoilassemblyhasbothashokbuffer(leftofthesteelretainer)andagasblock(rightofthesteelretainer)tosoftenrecoilandcontrolgasflow.
Thegastubeslidesintothereceiverslots.Noneedforathumb-bustinglever.
Last,wehavetheflashhider.Itisthreadedontothe16-inchbarrel.Thebarrelischrome-moly-Vanadiumsteel,coldhammerforged,andchrome-lined.Theflashhiderlooksabitlongbecauseitusesalocknutbehindittoholdtheflashhiderinthecorrectorientationwithoutusingcrushwashersorotherdelicatetools.Asadesignamilitaryarmorercandealwith,itissimpleandrugged.Supposeatrooperblowshisflashhiderapart,havingcloggeditwithmudandthenfiringhisrifle.Theunitarmorersimplyusesapairofopen-endwrenches(andtheguyintheunitwiththebiggesthands,toholdtherifleflatonthebench)toloosenthejamnut.Hethenspinstheoldpartsoff,cleansthethreads,spinsthenewoneson,orientsthenewflashhidercorrectly,andtightensthejamnutupbehindit.Hedoesn’tevenneedaviseorothertools.Thelastdetailisinteresting.TheAcecomesintothecountryinanon-922(r)
compliantcondition.IWIU.S.theninstallsU.S.-madepartstomakeit922(r)
compliant.However,theydonotethatyoushoulduseonlyaU.S.-mademagazine.Useofimportedmagazinesmayputyouinviolationof18U.S.C.§922(r).SincetheyshipitwithaMagpulmagazine,thisseemsprettyclear.Theyaredependingonone,twoorallthreeofthemagazinepartstokeeptheAceincompliance.OK,justmakesuretouseU.S.-mademagazines.Thatwillbeeasy.OnceMagpulannouncedtheirmagazines(andTapcojoinedtheparty)IhavenotboughtanimportedmagazinefortheAKsince.Actually,exceptfortheperiod-specificbuilds,noneofmyAKsaregoingtoexperienceanythingbutaMagpul,Tapco,orotherU.S.-mademagazine.
AnIraqiNationalPoliceofficerpullssecurityalongsideasoldierfromCompanyC,2ndBattalion,12thInfantryRegiment,2ndBrigadeCombatTeam,2ndInfantryDivisionduringaraidtargeting
illegalweaponsinAlDoura,Baghdad.PhotobySpc.OlanrewajuAkinwunmi
CHAPTER19AKHANDGUARDS
WHENTHEAKWASDEVELOPED,THEIDEAthattherewouldbeflashlightscompactenoughtomountonariflewasludicrous.Oratleast,sciencefiction.EvenhereintheWest,theideatookalongtimetocatchon,evenafterlightsbecamesmallandpowerfulenough.But,nowwefindthemnotonlynormal,butoftennecessary.What’sanAKownertodo?Simple:replacethecraptastichandguardswithwhichthecommiessaddledus,withsomethingmoreuseful.Herearesomeofthebestoptions.
Moderntacticsrequirelightsfornightuse.Arailedhandguardgivesyouaplacetomountalight.
MIDWESTINDUSTRIESGEN2EXTENDED
MIDWESTINDUSTRIESGEN2EXTENDEDNotonlydothestandardhandguardsnothavemountinglocations,theyare
short.Ifyoushootusingthecurrentin-stylemethod—witharmextended—thentheAKreallysucks.TheGen2Extendedsolvesthatproblem,toacertainextent.TheGen2won’tfitontoaYugo,orYugo-basedrifle.Anditrequiresabarrelof.700inchesunderthehandguard,andlowerfurniturelengthof6.0inches.Thegoodnewsisthatitdoescomewithareplacementgastube,soyoudon’thavetocrossyourfingersandhopethattheoriginalgastubewillwork.Now,thisisnotareversibleprocess.First,youhavetouseagrinder,Dremel,
cutoffwheelorsomeothertooltocuttheslingloopoffofthefronthandguardcap,atleastonsomeAKs.Iftheslingloopisonthehandguardbracket,yes.Iftheslingloopisonthegasblock,thenyoumightnothaveto.Checkthefitbeforeyoubegincutting.Fittheanti-rotationblocktothehandguarddimensions.Therearesetscrewsyou’llhavetotighten,tofittheassemblyproperlytotherifle.MidwestIndustrieshastogototheselengthsbecausewhiletheAKis“the
samerifleeverywhere”thedimensionsofthevariouspartswerenotascloselycontrolledastheyhavebeenontheAR-15.Inthatregard,theAKis,andprobablywillalwaysbe,inthesamesituationasourAR-15swerebackintheearlydayswhenitwasColtorcrud.Or,attheleast,Coltandnot-quite-dimensionallycorrectgoodparts.But,onceinstalled,theGen2handguardgivesyouanM-LOKpartthat
extendsoutpastthegasblock,almosttothefrontsightassembly.Thetoprailprovidesyouaplaceonwhichtomountareddotsightormagnifyingoptic.TheM-LOKsystemallowsyoutoinstallM-LOKgear,andthere’sanincludedPicatinnyrailsectionforyourlegacygear.Also,therearetwoquick-detach(QD)slingswivelsockets,soyoucanpluginasling.Allthisfor16ouncesofaddedweight.
TheMidwestIndustriesGen2Extendedhandguard,withallthehardwareneededtoassembleandinstall.
TomakesuretheGen2issolidlyattached,Midwestdesignedthisclampingsaddletogoaroundthebarrel.Doitright,andthingswon’tcomeloose.Ever.
MIDWESTINDUSTRIESMI-AKIfyouwantasimpleandstraightforwardrailedhandguardreplacement,then
theMidwestIndustriesMI-AKisthething.Toinstall,taketheoldhandguardsoff.Usethehandguardclampandits
screwstopositionandsecurethehandguardonthebarrel.Removethewoodorplasticoffthegastube,andreinstallthegastube.Thenusethehandguardscrewstoholdthenewhandguardtopinplace.Sincethisisgoingtobeawarm,ifnothotplace,usetheincludedblueLoctite.
CAARS47-SETTheCAARS47handguardsarepolymer,withtheformulationbeinghardand
tough.TheyhaveapairofPicatinnyrailboltsonthesides,oneonthebottom,andthegastubecoversportsaPicrailmoldedin,ontop.Thetopandbottomrailsaremoldedin,thesideonesbolted,soyoucanremovethemifyouwantto
railsaremoldedin,thesideonesbolted,soyoucanremovethemifyouwanttoslimdowntheensemble.
Thisistheslingswivelthatsomereplacementhandguardsrequireyoutoremove.
TheCAAhandguardsarelightweight,anddirectlyreplacetheexistinghandguardsonyourrifle.Thatmeansyou’llhavetofitthemifyourhandguardbracketsaretooshort(tooclosetogether)orsettleforsomerattleiftheyaretoolong.Buttheyarelightweightandinexpensive.Thelistedweightis7.5ounces,andthepriceis$35.That’scheapenoughtoexperiment,andifyoufindyoudon’tlikethem,givethemtoagunclubbuddyorleavetheminyourgearbagastrademateriallater.
CAAXGGalil/Golaniownersneednotdespair,youhavenotbeenforgotten.TheXG
fromCAAisanaluminumhandguardwithrails.Thetopandbottomrailsare
fromCAAisanaluminumhandguardwithrails.Thetopandbottomrailsaremachinedin,whilethesiderailsareboltedonandremovable.Thetoprailisextended,andcomesbackoverthetopcover,soyouhavelots
ofroomtomountgear,andthelengthallowsforawiderrangeofpossiblelocations.Aluminumistough,butthecostofthisextragoodnessissomeweight.WheretheRS47weighsamere7.5ounces,theXGweighs14.Ofcourse,we’veallacceptedthatwehavetoputonweightifwe’regoingtobeabletoaddaccessories.Toassemble,removetheoldhandguard,includingtherearbracketandits
springs.RemovetheassemblyscrewsfromtheXG.Slidetheupperandlowerhalvesinplace,pressthehandguardbracketsbackinplaceandtighten.ThegastubefitsunderneaththeXG.Onetouchyaspectofreassembly:you’llhavetowigglethegastubearoundtogetittoslideintothegroovesonthereceiverandfitoverthesnoutofthegasblockonthebarrel.Oncethat’saccomplished,everythingsnapstogethernicely.IinstalledtheXGontotheGolaniIreviewedinthefirstvolumeofthisbook,
andnowIhaveplacesforlightsandareddotsight.IfyouhaveaGolaniorGalil,thisisagreatadditionandupgrade.
TheMidwestIndustrieshandguardreplacementisstraightforward,simple,toughandsolid.
MAGPULMOEHANDGUARDTheMOEisasimple,straightforwardswapfortheexistinghandguard.To
install,stripnormally,thenwedgetherearoftheMOEintotherecessonthereceiver.PivottheMOEup(ifyouhadtoangleittogetitinplace)andthenslidethefrontbracketbacktocaptureit.TurnthebracketlockleverdowntolocktheMOEinplace.Dependingonthedimensionsoftherifle,youmayhavetodosomefitting,oritmaybeabitloose.Magpuldoesalltheycan,buttheycan’taccountforeveryAKthathasleftafactoryinthelast75years.Asabonus,theMOEcomesintwodifferentlengths,soyoucanhavean
ultra-compactsetuporobtainabitmorerailestateandhandlocations.BothMOEAKhandguardscanbehadinoneoffivecolors,fromblacktoplumtoFDE,grayandODgreen.
TheCAApolymerrailedhandguardisalotofgearfornotalotofmoney.
Youcanseetherails.Don’tlikethem?Theycomeoff.
Aluminum,railed,tough.CAAmakesgoodgear.
MAGPULZHUKOVTheZhukovisanothernon-reversiblehandguardinstallation.Inorderto
installit,removetheoldhandguard,andcutoffthefrontbracket.Sinceyoucan’tdriftoutthegasblockandfrontsightpins(well,youcan,butyoucan’tgetthembackintightly,soit’sano-gomethod)you’llwanttomakesureyoureallywanttheZhukov.Oncethebracketisgone,usethebarrelclampsandscrewstoattachtheheat
shieldtothebarrel.ThisisallintheinstructionsheetthatcomeswiththeZhukovhandguard.TheZhukovcomesinthreeoftheMagpulcolors;black,plumandgray.Of
course,thatmaychange,asMagpulfindsoutwhatcustomersreallywant.
MAGPULDETAILSThereareacoupleofthingsyouneedtokeepinmindwithMagpul.TheMOE
andZhukovcomeinonefit,theMOEintwoflavors.Thefitisstampedreceiver.TheTenonthatfitsintothefrontofthereceiverisbigenoughforastamped
TheTenonthatfitsintothefrontofthereceiverisbigenoughforastampedreceiver,whichmeansitistoolargeforamilledreceiver.There’snoeasywaytoreachinthereandtrimthatdowntofitamilledreceiver.So,forthetimebeing(hint,hint,Magpul)theMOEandZhukovarestampedreceiveronlyadd-ons.ThetwoflavorsoftheMOEaretheAKandtheAK/AKM.Donotbedeceived,thetwoMOEsonlyfitstampedreceivers,withoneexception.TheCenturyArmsC39V2hasthefrontofthereceivermachinedfortheMOEhandguardbydesign.Otherwise,thedifferenceisoneofclearanceoftheslinglooponthehandguardbracket.TheMOEAKdoesnothaveclearance.IfyourAKhastheslingloopinthe
gasblock,you’rein.IfyourAKhastheslinglooponthebracket,anditislowenoughtositinsidetheMOE,again,you’regood,butyouwon’thaveaccesstotheloop.Anditifitinterferes,you’llhavetocuttheloopofftofittheMOE.
TheCAAhandguardinplaceandreadyforreassembly.
TheCAAGalilhandguardonmyGolani.
TheCAAforGalilprovideslotsofspaceforlights,lasersandoptics.
OntheAK/AKM,theleftsideofthehandguardiscutbacksoitclearsthehandguardbracketslingloop,butthatalsomeansyoudon’thaveahandguardupthere.Ifyouinsistonusingthatslingloop,that’sthepriceyoumustpay.
ThetwoMagpulMOEhandguardsets,standardandlong.
Somehandguards,likethisMagpulExtended,requireremovaloftheslinglooponthefrontbracket.Othersmightnot,andtherearestillothersthatwillrequireremovaloftheloopevenifitis
uponthegasblock.
TheZhukov?Itextendsallthewayto—andpartiallycovers—thegasblock.Thatmeansyou’llhavetotrimoffanyandallslingloops,betheyonthe
block.Thatmeansyou’llhavetotrimoffanyandallslingloops,betheyonthegasblockorthehandguardbracket.Bymycount,ifMagpulwasgoingtooffermilledandstampedreceiver
handguards,andaccommodatealltheslingloopoptions,they’dhavetomorethandoublethestockitemsinthecatalog.Sincetheyalreadyoffermorethanadozen,inthethreetypesandallthecolors,jumpinguptothirtydifferentitemsjustmightnotbeeconomicallywise.We’llsee.
ULTIMAKACR2HANDGUARDTheUltimakACR2isarailedhandguardwithadifference.Insteadoftrying
tofitintothefronthandguardbracket,theUltimakismadetofitoutside.Itmakestheassemblyabitwider,butgivesyoumoreroomforaccessories.Also,thehandguardcanextendpastthefronthandguardbracketallthewaytothegasblock.
TheZhukovhandguard,completewithanM-LOKslingswivelsocket.
TheUltimakhandguardfitsoverthefrontbracket.
Twomodels,formilledandstampedreceivers,andthreelengths—compact,standardandlong—areavailable.
ULTIMAKREDDOTSIGHTMOUNTTheUltimakreplacesthetophandguardandgastube.Disassembletherifle
andremovetheoldgastube.Removethehandguard.TheUltimakhasafewdetailsthatmakeitdifferentfromotherhandguardorrailmounts.Theinstructionsaredetailed,buttheimportantpartisthegastube,whichmustnottouchthefrontorrearofthegassystem.Itisnotdesignedtolockinplace,liketheoldgastube.Itismeanttolockontothebarrel.So,makesureitiscenteredbetweentherearsightblockandthegasblock.Youneedclearanceinsidethehandguardfortheclampingblocks.Ifyouhaveanold-stylewoodenhandguard,youmayhavetodosomewoodtrimming,orsimplyswapitforamoremodern,synthetichandguardliketheAK-74version.Aswithallclamp-ondesigns,checkthefitateachstepandasyoutightenthe
screws.Beingslowanddeliberateinassemblypaysdividendslateron,wheneverythingworksjustasitissupposedto.
Oncefitted,andtheleverthrown,theUltimakisreadytogo.
TheManticoreArmsreplacementisaveryslickhandguard,oncethereartenonisfiledtofitthereceiverofthisrifle.LikeI’vesaid,repeatedly,AKsdiffer,you’regoingtohavetomakealotof
thingsfit.
MANTICOREARMSManticoreArmstakesadifferentapproachtotheM-LOK/Keymodwar.
Ratherthanpickone,theyfiguredawaytohaveboth.TheirhandguardsystemisknownastheTransformer.Youinstalltheskeleton,frameworkorstructural
shell,andthepanelsyouwant.WantM-LOK?Boltthoseon.Keymod?Ditto.Neither?Putonthetexturedpanels.And,ifyouhavethe“railestate,”youcanmixandmatch,andinstallallthree.Whateveryouwant.Inthecourseofworkingonthisbook,theywereinthemiddleofworkingup
theirAKhandguard,buttheysentmeaprototype,apre-productiondoneinKeymod.TheTransformerhasthreedifferentpanelslots,willfitstampedreceiversonly,andwon’tworkonYugos,M92,KrinksorunconvertedVeprsorSaigas.
ThetenonoftheManticoreisbigenoughtofitthebiggestreceiverwithoutrattling.Thatmeansyouhavetobreakoutthefiles.
TheChaosApollo11380.Sturdyhardlybeginstodescribeit.
Youcanaddatophandguardwithabuilt-inPicrail,too.Installationissimple,disassembleandremovetheold,slipthenewin,andlockthebracketdown.Withallthecaveatsthatdimensionsvary,andsomefittingmightberequired.
CHAOS,INC.APOLLO11380Wow.Whenitcomestoanengineeredproduct,thisisahardonetobeat.First
ofall,theApollo11380iseverythinginone—ithasKeymodslotsformountingextragear.IthasaPicatinnyrailontopforopticsmounting.Ithasaflatbottom,soitwillsitfirmlyonasandbagorshootingrest.Itismadeof6061aluminum,andhasaGradeIIIhardcoatanodizedfinish.Theinstallationissimplebutabitinvolved.Yousee,thehandguardfitsinto
thereceiverslotfortheoriginalhandguard.Buttogetthereyouhavetodoabunchofdisassembly.UseanAllenwrenchtoremovethetopcover,andthefrontgasblockcollar.Takethegasblockcollarapart.Fitthegasblockcollararoundthebarrel,andfinger-tightenthescrews.FittherearofthelowerhalfoftheApollointothereceiver,andbringthegasblockcollarbackonthebarreltolineitupandfinger-tightenthosescrews.
lineitupandfinger-tightenthosescrews.
TheclampingcollarthatgoesaroundthebarrelandholdstheChaoshandguardinplaceatthefront.
Ifanythinginterfereswiththefit,liketheslingswivelorthefronthandguardbracket,you’regoingtohavetoremovethem.So,incaseofinterference,theApolloinstallationisanon-reversibleone.Iftheydon’tinterfere,youcanleave
themthere.Tightenthegasblockcollarscrews,andthescrewsthatfastenthecollartothe
handguardlower.Nextinstallthehandguardupper.Testfireandmakesureeverythingworksasitshould.
Toremovetheoldhandguardonthegastube,clampitinavise.
Toremovetheoldhandguardonthegastube,clampitinavise.
Grabholdandrotate.
Handguardwillrolloutofthetubecollars.
Andyoucantipitfreeandpullitoff.
Thetabholdsthefrontbracketon.
Onceyou’resureitisinplace,removeeachofthescrewsoneatatime,applyblueLoctiteandreinstall.Chaos,IncisquiteclearinthattheApollo11380ismadetofitaRomanian
AK-47andotherEurovariants.Itmaynotfitotherswithouthavingtodosomefilingorotheradjustments.
HANDGUARDTOPPIECEInmanyhandguardsets,you’llbereplacingthetoppiece.Insteadoftheusual
three-handedwrestlingmatch,taketheeasywayandclamptheendofthegastubeintoapaddedvise.Useadowelorpieceofpipeasaninternalsupport,butdon’tclampitsotightlythatyouwillcrushthetube.Withthegastube/handguardassemblypokingstraightup,graspthehandguardandwringitoutofthetube.Onceyouhaverotatedit180degreesitwillpopfree.Takeyourreplacementhandguardtop,makesureitisorientedproperly,pressitin,androtateitbackthewaytheoldonecameout.You’redone.
Withtheleverlifted,rapthebracketforward.
MAGPULMVGIfyou’reafanofverticalgrips,thentheMagpulMOEMVGwillgetthejob
done.ItisanM-LOKpart,soyouhavetohaveahandguardinstalledtheusesM-LOK,butonceon,itisasolid,unobtrusiveverticalforegrip.
CHAPTER20AKPISTOLGRIPS
THEAKPISTOLGRIPISDEADSIMPLE.ITISheldontothereceiverbymeansofaplainslottedpanheadmachinescrew.Therearemillionsofmachinetoolsthathavebeenmadethatarecapableofproducingsuchscrewsataprodigiousrate,sinceaboutthetimeoftheAmericanRevolution.Thescrewthreadsintoabasethathasbeenrivetedontothebottomofthe
receiver.Thebaserivetsalsoencompasstherearofthetriggerguard.Lookingatitfromtheviewpointofagunsmith,itseemsKalashnikov(oranengineerinthebureau)putalotofthoughtintoit.Forexample,ifsomeoneweretocross-threadthebolt,theunitarmorer(atwhateverlevel)simplyhastogrindtherivetsoffthebase,includingtheoneforthetriggerguard.Then,he’dslipanewbasein,andseatthenewrivetstoholditallinplace.Ifsomeonesomehowmangledatriggerguard,thatwouldbeasimpleone-
rivetfix—thetwobaserivetsneednotbetouched.Sincethescrewisnotgoingtoberemovedinnormalcleaningormaintenance,theoddsareitwon’tneedservice.Whatdoesthismeanforus?Replacingthepistolgripiseasy;onescrew.No
extraspringandplungertolose,likeontheAR-15.Onthedownside,theSovietsdidagoodjobonthepistolgrip.Itisn’tanylargerthanithastobe,doesn’thavefingergrooves,andthenthere’salwaystheneedforU.S.-madeparts.Asaneasy-to-makepart,thepistolgripgetsswappedoutonanyandallbuilds.Mydislikeforfingergroovesiswell-known,butalotofpeoplelikethem.Andsowehavechoices.
SomelovetheSAWpistolgrip,menotsomuch.
TwoMarinesconductaserialnumbercheckonanAK.Noticethelackofastock,commonfor“carguns”inIraq.PhotobyLanceCpl.ShawnCoolman,USMC
Onethingtokeepinmindwhenswappingthepistolgripisthatthebasehasalongthreadedsectioninit.Sothescrewwon’thavejustafewthreadsbiting,butaquarter-inchormore.Itwillbeontheretight.Makesureyouuseaproperlyfittingscrewdriverrightfromtheget-go.ThereareabunchofU.S.-madepistolgripsthatsimplymimictheshape,
angleandevencoloroftheoriginals.Ifyouarebuildingarifle,andwantittobeperiod-correct,thenyougowithoneofthose.Ifyouwantsomethingdifferent,ormoresuitedtoyourhands,thereareoptions.Ifyouwanttoexperiment,anewpistolgripisaboutthelowestcostchangeyoucanmaketoyourAK,shortofacanofspraypaint.
MAGPUL
MAGPULForacompanythatstartedwithpolymerAR-15magazines,Magpulhasan
impressiveamountofAKgear.Butthen,Magpulisasmartcompanywhowantstomakemoneyandpleasecustomers,andtherearealotofAKowners.So,wehavetwodifferentpistolgripsfromMagpul.Theybothfitmilledandstampedreceivers,includingthosewithreinforcingplates.However,aseverymakerofAKgearpointsout,therecanbedifferencesbetweenrifles,andsomefittingmayberequired.
MAGPULMOEAstraightforwardswapfortheoriginalgrip,theMagpulMOEgripisalso
madetoaccommodatetheMagpulGripCore—storagemodulesthatallowyoutopacksparesomething-or-othersintothepistolgrip.GripCorescanholdanoilbottle,CR123orAA/AAAbatteries.ForARowners,there’salsoonethatletsyoustuffaspareboltandfiringpininthere.AKboltsdon’tbreak,sothere’snopointinhavingaspare.TheMOEisanaggressivelytextured,reinforcedpolymermoldedpart.It
comesinsixdifferentcolors.
MAGPULMOE+TheMOE+startsastheMOE,andiscoatedwitharubberovermolding.It
alsohastheGripCorestoragespace,andcomesinfourcolors.
CAATheCAAUPG47is,likeeverythingelseitseems,madeofpolymer.
However,itisdifferent.First,thepolymerhasarubbercoatingforbettergrip,dampenedrecoilandreducedvibration.Next,therearereplacementpanels,frontandback,tochangethesizeandshapeofthegrip.Andasifthatwasn’tenough,notonlydoesitfitanyAK-47orAK-74,butalsotheVZ58andGalil/Golani.Changingpistolgripsiseasy.Useaproperlyfittingscrewdriver.Makesure
therifleisunloaded.Undothescrewandpullitoutofthepistolgrip.Pulltheoldoneoff.Checkthenewgripforfit.Ifitdoesn’tfit,findoutwhere,and
oldoneoff.Checkthenewgripforfit.Ifitdoesn’tfit,findoutwhere,andsand/file/cuttomakeitfit.(Remember,youmakethecorrectionsonthelessexpensivepart.Thisisdefinitely“alterthepistolgrip”territory.)Ifthegripcamewithareplacementscrewandneedsit,checkitforfit.Pressthenewgripon,dropthescrewin,turntocatchthethreads,then
tighten.Done.
TheMagpulMOEpistolgrip.
TheCAApistolgrip,withreplaceablefrontandrearpanelsforsizeandcomfort.
CHAPTER21AKAFTERMARKETSTOCKS
THEORIGINALAK-47STOCKSWEREWHATyou’dexpectfromtheSoviets—wood,laminated,short,andsturdy.Thefoldingstocksthatcamenext,theunderfolders,weredirecttake-offsoftheGermanMP40stock.Theytoowereshort,anduncomfortableaswell.ThenextstepcamewiththeAK-74sidefolder.Thesewereactuallykindofcomfortable.Thesyntheticfolderswereevenmoreso.Butwe’reAmericans,everythingcanbeimproved.Andtheyhavebeen.
STOCKSAsyouwillquicklyfindout,thereartrunnionofyourAKdeterminesthe
stockittakes.Forexample,ifyouhaveaRomanianAKM,youwon’tbeabletoputaBulgariansidefolderonit(oranyotheroriginalsidefolder,forthatmatter).Underfolders,ditto.IfyourPolishunderfolderpartskitismissingsomeessentialstockpart,you’dbettermakesureyougetPolishparts.Aswe’vecoveredbefore,importedrifleslackapistolgrip,andinordertoputthatgriponyouhavetoreplacesomepartswithU.S.-madeones.
TheTapcostockcomeswithoutscrewholes.Youlocateanddrillthem,sotheyarecorrect.
However,giventhenumberofriflesandpartskitsoutthere,youshouldbeabletofindwhatyouneedwithalittlework.Andtherearesomeoptions.
TAPCOTapcoisthebignameinAKandSKSaccessories.Theymakeasolidstock
forthosewhoneedaU.S.-madeonethatwillfitintoregularAKMtrunnions.Itwon’tfitmilledreceivers,northeweirdcurvedbackreceiversyou’llencounter.ItwillfitAKMstampedreceivers,however.Thestockscomewithoutscrewholes.ThereisenoughvariationinholepositionthatTapcoleavesthattoyou,soyoucangetyoursdrilledinexactlytherightlocation.Madefromsolidsyntheticsyouwon’thaveanyproblemswithdurabilityandyoucanhavethestockinanumberofcolors.Thestockhasside-mountslingswivels,andmatchingcolorhandguardsandpistolgrips.IfyouwantafoldingstockonyourfixedstockAK,it’sTapcototherescue
again.TheirsusesadesignsimilartothatoftheFAL,andisquitestrong.Asanaside,italsoaddsaninchorsotothelength,folded,ofyourAK.SoifyouliveinalocationwheretheymeasureAKsfoldedthenitmaybeenoughtokeepyou
onthecorrectsideofsuchinanedistinctions.Aswiththefixed-stockdesign,therearenoscrewholes,TapcoleavingthatdetailtoyouandyourAK.
VLTORIffoldingisn’tyourbag,buttelescopingis,thenVltoristheplacetolook.
TheymaketubesthatboltintotherearofyourAK,usingthetrunnionsforguidanceandsupport.Totherearofthetrunnion,thetubeisshapedtoallowtheuseofAR-stylestocks.Ifyouhaveafavoritestockorjustwantoneforthelooksorbatterystorage,thenyoucanslideitontotheVltortube.OrjustbuythewholeshebangfromVltor.ItwillmakeyourAKshorter,butnotsoshortthatanyonecancomplainaboutitslackofstature.Withsidefoldersyoucanswitchbetweenametalandsyntheticstockby
knockingoutthepinthatholdsthestocktothetrunnion,andreplacingonewiththeother—ifyoucanfindit.Butyoucan’tgofromasidefoldertoafixedstockunlessyoubuildsomethingthatfitsthesidefoldertrunnion.
TheTapcofolder,whichfitsafixedstocktrunnion.
TheTapcofolder,whichfitsafixedstocktrunnion.
HereistheTapcoinplace.
TheTapcofolded.
Anotherapproachtothefolder-on-a-fixed-stockAKistheVltor.Insteadofthefixed-stockadaptertubeforARstocks,gowiththefolderVltortube.Italsoboltsrightintothetrunnion(inmycase,installedonmyRomaniantestmule)andthenfoldsasneeded.Underfolderscomeinanumberofdifferentbasictypes,suchastheChinese,
PolishandYugo.Partsdonotreadilyinterchange.Theunderfolderhasanadvantageoverthesidefolder,andthatiscompactness.Whenyouuseasidefolderyoumakearifleshorter,butyoudosobymakingitwider.Forthe10to12inchesyouloseofftheback,youaddinwidthtothesidesome3to4inches.Themetalsidefoldersdon’taddasmuch,buttheyaren’tascomfortabletoshoot.SidefoldersonSovietandBulgariansfoldtotheleft.OnthePolish,Tapcoand
Galil,totheright.Youshouldpayattention,forifyougetintoaclassandkeepgrabbingopenthewrongside,itwillbeclearyou’vespenttimewithotherstocks.
stocks.Theunderfolderssimplyrotateunderneath,anddon’taddappreciable
thicknesswhenfolded.Buttrytoshootthem.ThestockisnottoobadinsomethingliketheMP-40,withits9mmrecoil.Butina7.62x39itcanbeathump.OnsomethingliketheHungarianorPolishmodels,withthestockdirectlybehind(onthelineofthrust)theyaren’ttoobad.ButgetoneoftheChinese,withadown-pitchedstock,andyourfacewillgetthumpedoneveryshot.Somehavefoundthatwrappingthestockononesidewith550cordeasestheimpact,butIhaven’tfoundthattobethecase.Itisaconvenientwaytostoreafewfeetof550cord,butitisn’tmuchofacheekpad.
TheVltoradaptertubenexttoafixedstock.
TheVltortubeinposition,stockinplaceandextended.
Sidefolderstockscanonlybeputonsidefoldertrunnions.
ORIGINALSTOCKSOriginalstockstendtobetooshort.TheaverageSoviettrooperapparently
wasquiteashrimp,asthestocksaremeanttofitashortpersonwhilewearingwinterclothing.However,U.S.-madestockscanbelonger,butarenotlongerunlessyouaskforonelonger.TheRPKstockislonger,hasalowercurvemeantasagrippingsurface.Butgettingextralengthofpullattheexpenseofastockthatlooksmorelikeapaddleforacanoeisn’tagreattradeinmybook.AndthestocksthatcomeonSaigaimportsarejustplainweird.Plus,onthe
12gaugeSaigasIfindthatthelowercornersaretoohardonmyhand.UnlessIrebuildaSaiga12ga.(anddothe922compliancedance)Ican’tshootitforverylong.Ofcourse,youcouldsimplydowithoutastock,butifyoudo,makesureyour
AKisaproperlyconstructedhandgun.(Andnoverticalforegrip.)Otherwiseitmaybeanunlawfulshort-barreledrifle,andcouldgetyouintotrouble.Apparently,itisprettycommoninIraqtosimplyremovethestock,boltonasling,anduseitasacargun.Lesslengthtobeabother,andwhoaims,anyway?
CAAAKTMPOnebigchangeintheuseoftheAKasofrecentistheshapeandlengthofthe
stock.WhiletheshortAKstockworkedwhenissued,itkindasucksforusWesterners.Theoriginaldesignwasmeanttoaccommodateshorttroopers,bundledupagainstthebittercold.Foraguy5-foot3-inchesinsevenlayersofinsulation,that’sfine.For6-footers,onasummerdaywithat-shirt,itiswaytooshort.Onewaytomakeitlongeristopullofftheoriginalstockandinstallabuffer
tubewithtelestockfromanAR.Andthat’swhattheCAAAKTMPdoes.It’spolymer(alsoavailableinaluminum)andisfixed.Afoldingbuffertubeisanoption.Thefixedpolymerstockcanalsobehadforstampedreceivers.CAAwantstocoverallthebases,sotherearenolessthanninebuffertubedesigns,formilled,stamped,AK-47,AK-74,andeventheVZ58.
AnIraqipolicemangivesusaclearviewofhisunderfolderwhileoutonpatrolwithMarinesinRawah.PhotobyCpl.RyanC.Heiser,USMC
CAAmakesapolymerbuffertube.It’ssolid,toughandinexpensive.
Thebuffertubeiscommercialdiameter,anominal1.168inches,soyouwillhavetomakesurethatwhatevertelestockyouuseisofcommercialdiameter.Themilitary-specdiameter(anominal1.148inches)willnotfit.
Themilitary-specdiameter(anominal1.148inches)willnotfit.Thetubecomeswithitsownfastener,anAllen-headmachinescrew,which
thestockisthreadedtoaccept.Thetubealsohasapairofslingloopsatthefrontendwhereyoucaninstallasidesling.Thefrontisarectangularbosswithroundedcorners.Ifoversized,simplyuse
acoarse,flatfiletodressdownthesidesandmakeitfit.(Goslowly,youcanalwaystakemorematerialoff,butyoucan’tputanyback.)Onceitisasnugfit,useamallettorapitbrisklyintoplacetofullyseat.Theninsertandtightendownthescrew.Slideonyourtelestock,andyounowhaveasix-positionstockonyourAK.
Thebuffertubeismoldedtofitandcomeswithanattachmentscrew.Noextratripstothehardwarestorearerequired.
Asmodsgo,thisisprettyreasonable.Thepolymer,fixedstockCAAbuffertubelistsfor$35.Thealuminumfolderruns$115.So,togettheM4stockon
tubelistsfor$35.Thealuminumfolderruns$115.So,togettheM4stockonyourAKwillcostyoutheCAAbuffertubeandateleslider.Notexpensive.
MAGPULMOEMagpulseemstobeonamissiontomakeeverythingoutofpolymerthatcan
bemadeoutofpolymer.StartingwithARmags,theyhaveexpandedtothepointthatwhatevercomesoutnextisnosurprise.TheMagpulAKMOEisasturdystockthatisaboutassimpleasyoucanget,shortofmakingitoutofwood.Thestockcomeswiththeinstallationhardware,sinceyouaren’tgoingtobeusingthewoodscrewsthatheldontheoriginalstock.Magpulincludesinstructionswiththestock,andyoushouldreadthembeforeyoustart.OneinterestingaspectoftheMOEdesignisthewedgeblock.Aswe’vediscussedbefore(OK,soI’vehoundedyouonit)thedimensionalstabilityoftheAKisprettymuchnon-existent.Yourstockfitstightlybecauseitwasfittedatthefactory.Magpulcan’tmakeastockthatfitsthemall,unlessitisadjustable.That’swherethewedgeblockcomesin.Simplyinstallthewedgeblock,butonlyfingertight.Then,onceyouhavethestockinstalled,tightenthewedgeblockto30to40in-lbs,whichcausesittoslipinside,wedgeintothesocket,andfittightly.Thisisn’trocketscience,butitisclever.
TheMagpulMOEstockhasahandybuilt-instoragecompartment.
TheMOEstockhasatopcompartment(whichyouhavetoopentoinstall)
whereyoucanstorethingslikeacleaningkit.TheMOEdoesnotfold,telescopeoradjustinanyway.Itisjustabrutallysimpleandsturdystock.
MAGPULZHUKOV-STheZhukovstockiseverythingtheMOEisandalotmore.Ittooissturdy
andsimple.Butitisalsoadjustableforlengthofpullanditfolds.InstallationfollowsthesamepatternastheMOE,butthescrewsareabitdifferent,becauseoftheneedforthehingeassembly.Finishbytighteningthewedgeblockinthetrunnion.TheZhukov-SlacksthestoragecompartmentoftheMOE,butitisadjustable.
Thetrigger-lookingthinginfrontofthebuttplateisthelatch.Grabthebuttplatejustlikeitwasapistolgrip,andpressthetabjustlikeitwasatrigger.Thisunlatchesthestocksoyoucanslideitinorouttosetitwhereyouwantit.
TheZhukovstockextendedfulllength.
TheunlockbuttonfortheZhukovisontheleftside.
Exceptforthehingepinandthespring,theZhukovstockisallsynthetic.
Exceptforthehingepinandthespring,theZhukovstockisallsynthetic.
Folded,theZhukovdoesn’tblocktheejectionport.Thatwouldbewrong,andMagpuldoesn’tdowrong.
POSITIONANDANGLETheoriginalstocksnotonlywereshort,buthadalotofdrop.Theideawasto
makeitusefulontheassault,andthatmeantstandingormovingforward.Theshortstockisevenworsewhenyoutrytofireprone.Manyofthereplacementstocksarenotonlylonger,buteliminatedrop,orareangledtolocatethestock,andyourface,inahigherspotbehindthesights.Thiscanbeaveryindividualthing.IfyoureallyaredeterminedtochangethestockonyourAK,itwouldbeprudenttotryafewothers.Whatmightbepopularwithotherfolkscouldbenotsogoodforyou.Whenyoufindwhatworks,getthedetails,andthengetoneforyourAK.
Onedisadvantageoffoldingstocksistheymakearifletwiceasthickwhenfolded.Fatisn’tasmuchofaproblemaslong,insomesituations.
CHAPTER22SKS
WITHTHEADOPTIONOFTHEM-43CAR-tridge,theSovietUnionnowneededafirearminwhichtochamberit.TheideaofputtingitintotheMosin-Nagantispatentlyabsurd,andIcan’timagineitwasconsideredformorethanthetimeittakestoholdM-43anda7.62X54Rcartridgesupside-by-side.Italsocouldn’tbewrestledintoanyofthesubmachinegunsbeingmade,evenwiththewillingeffortsofthedesignersandproductionteams.TheballisticsoftheM-43arejusttoomuchtoshoehornintoablowbackdesign.ItisonethingtofitaV-8engineintoasmalltrucklikeaFordRanger.(I’veseenonesuchconversion,hitthethrottletooheavyandthetorquethreatenstorollthetruckupside-down.)Atleastthereisenoughroom(barely)intheenginecompartmentinsuchconversions,andthedrivercanbejudiciousinhis/heruseofthethrottle.
TheguardoutsideoftheKremlinhasanSKS,notanAK.Themanualofarmsiseasier,anditislongenoughthathecanholditatrest.
longenoughthathecanholditatrest.
Butfirearmshavemuchmorerestrictivelimits.Eachroundfiresatthefullforcewithwhichitwasmade,nothrottlingispermitted.EvenwiththesteelcaseoftheM-43,ablowbackfirearmwouldnotworkverylong,norprobablyveryreliablywhileitwasworking.TheM-43neededalocked-breechdesign.TheSKS,orSimonov45,orSamozaryadniyKarabinsistemiSimonova,was
obviouslyadoptedin1945.DesignedbySergeiGavrilovichSimonov,itisaself-loadingcarbinethatfiresfroma10-roundmagazinefixedtothecarbine.Toload,putthesafetyto“Safe”(forward,whereitcanbefeltinthetriggerguard)andpulltheoperatinghandleback.Itwilllockopen.Grabstrippercliporclips(fiveor10-shotvariety)andplacethemintheslotsmachinedintheheadoftheboltcarrier.Striptheroundsdownintothemagazine,removetheclip,pullthecharginghandlebackslightlyandlettheboltdriveforwardunderitsownpower.
TheunclutteredtopcoveroftheSKSmakesitaneasy-to-machinepart,andalsolackssharpedgesthatcanhookonequipment.
Pushthesafetyoff,aimandpressthetrigger.Eachtriggerpresswillproduceoneshot(unlesssomeonehasbeenscrewingwithit,inwhichcaseyoushouldgetitfixedimmediately)andthehugeextractorgrabseachsteel-casedempty,haulsitoutofthechamberwheretheejectorcanflingitintothetallgrass.Oncetheammunitionisexhausted,theboltwilllockopen,whereuponyoucanreloadandrepeat.
SKSINTHEUSATheSKSusedtobearelativelyrarecollectorsitem.Theywereallowedas
bring-backsouvenirsduringtheVietnamWar,andsosomecamebackthatway.Butnotawholelot,andcombinedwiththelackofammo(WhoshootsacouplehundreddollarSKSwith$2-a-roundLapuaammothesedays?)Therewassome
hundreddollarSKSwith$2-a-roundLapuaammothesedays?)TherewassomeinterestincollectibleSKSsbackthen.IrecallthatourshopmanagerJohnhadone.Itwas(asIrecall)aRussian-markedbring-back,completewithpapers.NotmanyRussianSKSsappearedthen,andthisonewasinprettygoodshape.John’sdadaskedtoborrowit,andJohnrelented,remindinghisdadoftherarity,andaskedthathebecareful.Whenhisdadfinallyreturnedtherifle,Ithoughttherewasgoingtobebloodshed.Dadhad“sporterized”theSKSforahuntingtrip.Bayonet,gone;lugforsame,groundoff;cleaningrod,gone;stockshortened,sanded,stainedandlacquered;collectorsvalue,gone.Ivaguelyrecalledthathe’dalsodonesomepermanentalterationstothesights.Johnalmostmadesomepermanentalterationstohisdad.Ifithadbeenjustacoupleofyearslater,Johncouldhavesimplyhandedhim
aChineseSKSasagift,andavoidedthewholesituation.Yousee,whentheChinesewereswampingthemarketwithAKs,theywereworkingovertimetogetanSKSintothehandsofeveryonewitheventheslightestinterest.Somuchso,infact,thatnowyoucanseeinsomeruralareasthattheSKShasreplacedthelever-action.30-30asthecommonhunting/workgun.Forawhileduringthefirstimporttsunami,youcouldgotoalmostanygunshowwhereyouhadyourchoiceofanySKSfromthestackonthegundealer’stable,andacaseofammo,fornotmuchmorethan$150.Forthatkindofmoney,awholelotofshootersovercametheirdislikeof“commieguns”and“cheapChineseimports”andlearnedtoliketheSKS.Theyalsolearned“liketoshoot”andspentyearsconsumingvastquantitiesofcheapimportedammo.
[1]Grabthelittleleverattherearofthecoverandpivotitupandtotherear.
[2]Onceitispivotedfarenough,youcanwrestleittotheside.
[3]Itiscaptured,soyoucan’tloseit.
[4]Oncethelatchisclear,removethecover.
[5]Thecoverandtherecoilspringunderneath.
[6]Pullthespringout.
[7]Runthecarrierbacktotherearandlift.
[8]Thecarriercomesoutwithoutthebolt.
[9]Youhavetofisharoundinthereceivertogettheboltout.
[10]Notetheextractor—big,strongandheavily-sprung.
[11]Thereceiverisaprettysimplethingtomachine:justabig,squarechannel.
[12]Tolowerorunloadthemagazine,pressthelatchforward.
[13]Themagazinewillhingedown,butstaysputunlessithasbeenmodified,asthisonehasbeen.
[14]Hereisthedastardlytriggerassemblycatch.Thisspringisamazinglystrong.
[15]Yeah,goodluckwiththat.
Contrarytosome“experts”theSKSisnotjustanAKwithafixedmagazine.Theoperatingsystemsdiffergreatly.First,thegassystem.TheSKSusesafree-floatingpistonthatridesinthegastube.Thegasfromthecartridgeisdivertedthroughthegasportandstrikestheheadofthepiston.Thepiston,actinglikethetappetontheM1Carbine,worksthroughthepistonextension,whichstrikes/pushestheboltcarrier.Thethreeparts(piston,pistonextensionandcarrierontheearlydesigns)arenotattached,andwhenthepistonandpistonextensioneachreachthelimitsoftraveltheystop,whilethecarrierkeepsmoving.Later,thefussyextensionandspringweredropped,andthepistonisasimpleheadedrod,extendingfromthegasporttothecarrier.Thecarrierhasawedge-shapedclawonthebottom.Thatclawcontactsasimilar(albeitupsidedown)clawontherearofthebolt.Theanglesoftheclawsacttolifttherearoftheboltupoutofthelockingrecessinthereceiver,thenpushthebolttotherear.Whentheboltuncoversthecartridgestack,thelifterinthemagazinepushes
thestackupward.Afterrunningoutofroom,theboltstops,andpushedbythe
thestackupward.Afterrunningoutofroom,theboltstops,andpushedbytherecoilspring,runsforward.Itpushesthetoproundaheadandchambersit.Thecarriercontinuestorunforwardevenaftertheboltstops,andasmallangledsurfaceonthetoprearoftheboltgivesthecarriertheleveragetocamtheboltdownintoitslockingrecess.Thecarrierthencontinuestorunoverthetopoftheboltforashortdistance,trappingtheboltdowninthelockingrecess.Beforethecarrierreturns,andtheboltstripsandfeedsaround,thepistonextensionispushedbackoutofthewaybyitsownreturnspring.Thedesignshouldsoundfamiliar,asitisbasicallythesamesystemusedin
theFNSAFN-49andFAL.LestyouthinkSimonovthoughtofitfirst,theSAFN-49isadesignthatFNhadjustpriortoWWII,butjustbeforetheGermansrolledintoLiege,thedesigner,DeudionneSaive,fledthecountrywithhisdrawings.(Agoodthing,too,astheSAFN-49couldeasilyhavebeenmadein7.92X57,andprovidedtheGermanswithareliable,rugged,self-loadingriflefromthebeginningofthewar.)TheFALusesasinglepiston,notpistonandextension,butthetippingbolt,liftedandshoveddowninthebackendbythecarrieristhesamedesign.
SKSDISASSEMBLYTakingtheSKSapartisnottoodifficult,forthereisn’tthatmuchforyouto
workon.Firstmakesureitisunloaded.Ontherearofthecoveryou’llseealittlelever.Rotateitupandtotherear,andpullittotheright.Itwillstayattachedtothereceiver,andatthatpointyoucanliftthecoverupandbackoutoftheway.Therecoilspringwillhelpyoumovethecover.Pullthespringassemblyout.Thenrunthecarrierbackuntilyoucanliftitupandout.Useyourfingerstofishtheboltoutoftherearportionofthereceiver.Ontherearsightpillaristhesamekindofleverholdingthegastubeonas
you’llfindonanAK.Unlatchandpivotthisleverup.Onceitclearsthetube,pivotthetubeup.Notethatthepistonisheldinthetubeandifyoupointthefrontendofthetubedownward,thepistonwillfallout.Doingsocanresultinvaryingdegreesofdifficulty:youcandamageyourreputationatthegunclubby
havingthetubeclangonthepavementandclatteracrossthefiringline.Oryoucandamageyourrelationshipbyhavingthepistonslipoutofthegastubeandcrashthroughtheglasstopofthecoffeetableofwhichyourwife/girlfriend/significantotherissofond.Scrubthebolt,carrier,pistonandtube.Aquicklookatthemagazine:Thelatchisattherear.Pullthelatchtotherear
andthemagazinecoverpopsopenandhingesdown.Themagazinecover,andthefollower/lifteranditsspringareallattachedtothereceiver.Asarifleissuedtotheilliterateandunwashedmasses,suchadesignhasitsbenefits.Sincethemagazinecan’tdetach,itcan’tbelost.Itdoes,however,limitreloadingtostripperclips.TheSKScanbemodifiedtohavethemagazineremovable,butyouhaveto
attachthemagazineinteriortothecover,orthepartswillsimplyfalloutseparatelywhenyoupushthelatch.Self-containedmagazineswillalsofit,buttheyhaveasingulardrawback:sincethebolttravelsinteriorofthefeedlips,theboltmustbebacktoinsertorremovesuchmagazines.Still,Tapcomakesaremovable20-roundmagazinethatworksjustfine,in
yourchoiceofcolors.Othermakersoffer30-roundmagazines,andforthosewhohuntinjurisdictionsrequiringit,5-roundSKSmagsareeasytofind.Youcanalsoblockyourexistingmagazine.Simplyopenthemagazineandinsertasuitableblockofwoodbetweenthecoverandthefollower,suchthatthemagazinewon’tholdmorethanfiverounds,andyou’redone.Ofcourse,iftheblockfallsoutinthecourseofcleaningyourrifleinhuntingcamp,you’dhaveanunlawfulhuntingrifle(whereapplicable).Soalotofshooterssimplyponyupthelessthan$20fora5-roundmagazinefromCheaperThanDirt,installit,andbedone.TheChinesealsomadeaseriesofSKSriflesthatacceptAKmagazines.As
thesewereallimportedbeforethechangeinimportationlaws,youdonothavetoaddU.S.-madepartstoputahigh-capmagazineintothem.ThemagazineisheldinplaceonregularSKSsbythetriggerassembly.
Removingthetriggerassemblycanbesuchahasslethatonsomeriflestheownershavenevertakenitoff.Ifyouwanttotry,here’show:emptychamber,thenpushthesafetytotheSafe(upward)position.Behindthetriggerguardisabuttonwithabullet-tipdimple.Theideaisthatyouuseabullettiptocompressthespringholdingthetriggerassemblyontothereceiver.Thismustbesomesortofcommiejoke,becausethespringisstrongerthansomepeople’shands.Onceyou’vepushedthespringfarenoughoutoflinetoreleasethetriggerassembly,useyourthirdhandtoyankthetriggerassemblyoutofthereceiver.Onceyoudothat,themagazineassemblyisfreetofalloutonitsown.
Evenstout,steel-casedammosometimesisn’tuptothetask.Manyshooterssimplyleavethetriggerhousinginplace.
Toreassemble,insertthemagazineassembly.Makesurethefrontofthetriggerassemblycatchesandtrapsthemagazinebody,thenleverthetrigger
assemblybackintoplaceuntilthewretchedlittlespringlatchesitbackinplace.Uptop,puttheboltintherearsectionofthereceiverandplacethecarrier
overit.Thenrunthecarrierforwarduntiltheboltislockedinthefireposition.Inserttherecoilspringassemblyintotherearofthecarrier,pushthecoverdownandforward,lineuptheholesandpushthelatchbackacross.Rotatethelever,andyou’redone.
SKSLEGALITIESI’veheardpeopleexpresstheopinionthattheSKSisn’tcoveredby922(r)
because“itisn’tanAK.”Sorry,wrongthere.Asanimported,self-loadingrifle,itisindeedcoveredby922(r)andifyoubringittoanun-importablestatusyouhavetodothesamesortofpartsswappingrequiredoftheAK.I’llspareyouarecitationofthelegalboilerplateagain.Thelistofparts,as
you’llrecall,are:(1)Frames,receivers,receivercastings,forgingsorstampings(2)Barrels(3)Barrelextensions(4)Mountingblocks(trunnions)(5)Muzzleattachments(6)Bolts(7)Boltcarriers(8)Operatingrods(9)Gaspistons(10)Triggerhousings(11)Triggers(12)Hammers(13)Sears(14)Disconnectors(15)Buttstocks(16)Pistolgrips(17)Forearms,handguards
(17)Forearms,handguards(18)Magazinebodies(19)Followers(20)FloorplatesSKS-relevantpartsareinbold.
[1]ThegastubelatchisidenticalinfunctionastheoneontheAK.
[2]Liftandpivot.
[3]Onceitswingsfarenough,thetubewillclear.
[4]Simplyliftthegastube,butdon’tdropthepistonoutthefrontend.
[5]Thepistonextensionisprotrudingthroughtherearofthetube.Itdoesnottravelasfarasthecarrierdoes.
Youcanseethat,inimportedtrim,theSKSonlyhas15parts(16forthe
Youcanseethat,inimportedtrim,theSKSonlyhas15parts(16fortheYugos,withtheirgrenadelaunchers)andtheU.S.partsquotientisn’tonerous.Theeasiestwaytogetanotherwisenon-importableconditionSKSuptothecorrectpartscountistouseanallU.S.-madehigh-capmagazine.Ifyougofroma10-shotnon-detachablemagazine,toa20-shotdetachable,andthemagazineisallU.S.-made,you’vejustswappedthreeparts:body,follower,floorplate.Ifyouthenchangeoutthepistonandthehandguard,you’vemadeit.YoucanthenaddaU.S.-madepistolgripstock,andamuzzledevicesuchasamuzzlebrakeorflashhider,andyourcountstaysevenorgoesdown.(Thenewstockaddsapistolgriptothecount,butturnsanimportedstockintoaU.S.-madeone,droppingtheimportedpartscountbyone.)
Thefiber-opticrearsightsAccuratePlatinginstalledononeofthetestSKSs.
Thefiber-opticfrontsight.Red,green,yellow,youhaveachoiceofcolors.
SKSTriggersSomethinghappenedintherecentpast,somethingthatwasentirely
unexpected;theSKSgotrespect.Youcanfindmorestocks,accessoriesandextrasfortheSKSthaneverbefore,butthebigthing,thedetailthatmeansitisaccepted(besideshavingbeenpurchasedbytheliteralboatload)isthis:youcannowgetimprovedSKStriggers.Americanshooterspridethemselvesonbeingmarksmen.Allofusbearthe
burdenofSergeantYork,ofHawkeyeinLastoftheMohicans(andwhowouldnotgobacktorescueMadeleineStowe?)andanalmostendlesslistofothers.Toshootwell,youhavetohaveanaccuraterifle,butmoreimportantly,you
needagoodtrigger.Anaccurateriflewithatriggersowretcheditrequirestwofingersandapairofplierstodepressisgoingtobenotsofuntoshoot.Norwillitbeaccurate.EvenacursoryglanceattheSKStriggersystemdesignwillmakeitclearit
EvenacursoryglanceattheSKStriggersystemdesignwillmakeitclearitwasintendedtobeahard-userifle.Andonethatdidnotrequireexoticalloys,heat-treatmentorevencaretocontinuetowork.Well,we’reAmericans,andweinsistonagoodtrigger.WhenanSKScould
behadforamere$79,noonereallycaredwhatthetriggerwaslike.You’dbeshootingammothroughitthatcost$79percaseof1,600roundsanyway,havingamerrygoodtime,andwhenitfinallyquit,itwasliterallycheapertobuyanewonethangetthebustedonefixed.Well,nomore.Dependingontheorigin,condition,andthepoliticalclimate,
anSKSatagunshowthesedays(orintherackofagunshop)isgoingtorunyouover$300.Andifitisaclean,scrubbedandwell-madeone,itcouldeasilyhaveatagonitthatisover$400.Amanbuysa$400rifle,heexpectsittohaveadecenttrigger.Andifhefinds
itshootsreasonablywell,buthasanot-so-cleantriggeronit,he’lllookintoimprovingthetrigger.TheproblemwithmostSKStriggersisthattheyhavebeenmadeofsoftsteel.No,softsteelisnotanoxymoron,itjustmeansanalloythathasn’tbeenhardened.Becauseitissoft,itwillhavealargeengagementsurfaceonthesearandhammer.So,youcangoandstonetheledge,andmakethepullcleanandcrisp,butitwon’tnecessarilystaythatway.Asitwears,itchanges.Youhavetoknowhowandwheretostoneandadjust,anditisnotnecessarilyobvious.
Aone-piecepistondesignfromanSKS.
So,yougowithsomeonewhocanhandlethetask,likeTomPrinceofKivaariorMurray’sGunsmithing.Anotheroptionistoacquireanentirelynew,replacementtriggerassemblyfromKeepShooting.TheonlyflyinthisointmentisthattheKeepShootingassemblycannotbemadetofiteverymodelevermade.Theremaybesomefittinginvolvedonyourpart,butthatisnotaninsurmountablehurdleformanyreaders.Murray’soffersafiringpinupgrade,inwhichthefree-floatingoneas
originallydesignedisrebuiltwithareboundspring.Thisprecludestheannoyingfrozen-forwardfiringpinslam-firethatcanhappenifyouletyourlow-alloySKSgetabitrusty.(Hey,itridesinthebackofapickuptruck,insidethecap.Itgetshumidbackthere.)
OneofthemuzzlebrakesAPWcaninstallonyourSKS.
AnothergunsmithwhohassetuptodeliveranimprovedtriggerpullontheSKSisBarnesGunParts,whochangeitfromwretchedtoverynice.Thosewhoareexperimentallyinclined,orwhojustenjoyalearning
experience,cancontactAmericanGunsmithingInstitute,orAGIandacquireoneoftheirvideos,specificallytheonethatdetailshowtoperformatriggerjobonyourSKS.Finally,forthenewhistoricalcostofSKSs,whybother?Whyincur$100in
gunsmithing,forariflethatcanbereplacedfornotmuchmorethanthat?Becauseyoucanhavesomeveryinterestingrifles,that’swhy.
ACCURATEPLATINGWhenIlastvisitedBobCogan,hewasinSt.Petersburg,FL,rightnearwhere
mygrandmotherusedtolive.Whenhesetupshopthere(andwhenIwasvisitinggramsonvacation)St.Petewasnotsobig.Itgrewtothepointthatthereweretoomanyretireesandyuppieswillingtospendinordinateamountsofmoneyforcrappylittlecondos,andBobpackedupandleft.He’snowinruralAlabama,withnoneighborhassles,lowertaxes,andabiggershop.HesentmearaftofSKSrifleshe’dworkedon,toshowjustwhatyoucandowithabasicrifle.Now,beawarethatthefull-outeffortstomakeanSKSintosomething
interestingcanresultinspendingseveraltimesoncustomworkwhatyouspentontherifle,thoughnothinglikea1911whereyoucanbuya$500pistolandspend$3000gettingcustomworkdoneonit.Hesentacamo-paintedsyntheticstockSKSthathadbeenbroughtinwiththe
AKmagmodification.Upfronthe’daddedhisownmuzzlebrake,tomakethealreadycushySKSasoftershooter.Tomakeitassoftaspossible,he’dinstalledarecoilpadonthebuttstock.Thepistolgriphadbeensculptedtoprovidefingergrooves.Alotofpeoplelikefingergroovesbutmyhandsmustbeun-normal.I’veneverfoundagripyetwithfingergrooveswherethegroovesfellcorrectlyformyhands.Butifitworksforyou,itisgolden.Shootingthisonewasaboutassoftanexperienceasyoucanget,launching123-grainbulletsat2,300fps.Ifyourustledupsome5-shotmagazinesforit,youcouldhaveasuper-softhuntinggunforkidsorthelittlelady.Or,youmanlytypeswhoarerecoil-sensitive.Hesentanotherthathadtherearsightreplacedwithabaseforreddotscopes,
towhichhehadboltedonanearlymodelAimpoint.Togetsomeonehookedonshooting,there’snothingbetterthanareddotscope.Theeaseofaimingwithareddotmakeshittingacinch,andoncenewshootersstarthitting,theyreallystartlikingshooting.
Therelationshipofthecarrierandbolt,whentheboltislocked.Therearcamofthecarrierholdstheboltdownintothelockingrecess.
Asthecarriergoesbackward,thecamanglescontact,andthecarrierliftstheboltoutoflocking.
Hereisthebolt,unlockedandinpositionbeforethecarriertakesitbacktoopen,extract,ejectandbeginfeeding.
Forwardofthelockingrecess(totheright)isthedisconnectorandthebolthold-open.
Theboltinitslockedposition,withoutthecarrier,coverorrecoilspring.
Theboltinitslockedposition,withoutthecarrier,coverorrecoilspring.
TheTapco20-roundmagazinethatreplacesyourstandard10-shotmag.
Thereisapriceformoreammo:themagazineislonger.
Anotheronehadadifferentmuzzlebrakeonit,andfiber-opticsightsfrontandrear.Again,softinrecoil,andforthosewhoaregoingtouseironsights,
fiberopticscreateaglowingsetofdotsthatyoucan’tfailtosee.YoucanhaveyourSKShard-chromed,asBobhasdonetoseveralofthosehe
sentme.Oryoucanapplypaintinwhateverschemeappealstoyou.AnotheroptionistosendyourSKSofftoBobfortheheavy-dutyworkthatrequiresmetalworkandthelike,andonceitreturnsdotheextramodsthatappealtoyouandcanbedoneonyourworkbench.OneaspectoftheSKSthathasneverenthusedmeisthesights.Opensights
arejustnotthatgreat.Yes,youcanhitwhatyou’reaimingat,butitisaloteasierandfastertodosowithaperturesights.OnecompanythatisofferingaperturesightsfortheSKSandAKisTech-Sights.Thisaperturesightattachestotherearofthetopcover,whereitoffersseveralbenefits.First,itincreasesthesightradius.Here,moreisdefinitelybetter.Second,itisproperdistancefromtheeye.Third,itcanbeinstalledandremoveddependingonifyoufinditusefulornot.Therearealotofshooterswhodon’tlikeaperturesights(neverlearnedhow,toomuchtimewiththeoldsights,whatever)andtheycanberemoved.
SomeChineseSKSrifleswereimportedallreadytotakeAKmagazines.
Despitethelimitationsonthemechanism,theappealoftheSKSismultiple:itissoincrediblycheap,bothtobuyandfeed,thatitishardtoresist.Ifyoubreaksomethingonit,youcanbuyanewpart,oranewrifle.Andaslongasitisrunning,andammoischeap,shootingitisfunandwon’tbreakthebank.
SKSCOLLECTINGOK,youwantthecompleterundownofmarkings,datesofmanufacture,
variationsandvalues.PickupStandardCatalogofMilitaryFirearmspublishedbyGunDigest.OranSKS-specificcollectorsbook,liketheJoePoyervolume.Whateveryoudo,avoidliketheplagueoneoftheAK/SKSpolemicswrittenby“respectable”journalists.Whatyou’llgettherearescreedsblamingtheAK(andtangentiallytheSKS)foreverythingfromdecreasedindustrialoutput,increasedViagraconsumption,worldpoverty,globalwarmingandthepriceofname-brandcoffeebeverages.AswiththeAK,theSKShasbeenmadeforalongtime,inmanycountries,
andinanumberofvariants.I’msuresomeoneoutthereistrying(ormaywellhavesucceeded)incollectingthemall.
SKSUPDATESIhaveaconfessiontomake:Ihaven’ttreatedtheSKSwiththerespectit
deserves,notforalongtime.Whenitwastheonlycommierifletobehad,IstillhadmyheadwrappedaroundMausersandGarands,andastubbylittlecarbinewasn’tofmuchinterest.Collectingitwasn’tmuchofaplan,becausetheyhadn’tbeenimported,therewereonlyVietnamWarbring-backs.
[1]TheAPWhuntingspecial—camo,magazineandthree-dotsights.
[2]Therecoilpad.A7.62x39riflehardlyneedsit,butifyou’reteachinganewshooter,allthebettertogetthemhooked.
[3]Notethatthepistolgriphasbeensculptedtomakeitmorecomfortableforsomeshooters.I’mnotoneofthem,butmanyofyouare.
[4]Thebayonetlugisgone,butthemuzzlebrakemakesitasoftshooter.
Side-by-side,astandardSKS(withhardchrome)andachi-combuilttotakeAKmags.BobCogantookaregularreplacementstockandmadeitfittheAK-magvariant.
Thecamoversionislessflashy,whichworksinthewoods.Ontherange,flashyissometimestheidea.
idea.
Then,whentheChinesestartedbringingthemoverbytheliteralboatload,well,“collecting”theSKSwasnotunlikealater“collecting”fad,BeanieBabies.(Thatdidn’t’workoutsowellforthepeoplewhowerelatetothegame.Justaboutthetimeyoubuiltupacompletecollectionthefadpassed,andtheywereessentiallyworthless.Actuallyworthless.)Andnow?SincetheplainSKSslefttobringinarethelast,orthenewest,costasmuchasanAKusedto.No,really.BackwhenIwrotethefirstvolume,youcouldbuildanAKforacouplehundredbucks.Youcouldbuyanewoneforahundredmore.Well,nowanSKScostsyouthatmuch.Partlyduetothe“surplus”dryingup,partlyduetosupplyanddemand,andpartlydueto,Idon’tknow,callitthe“mutteffect.”Justastherearesomeofuswho,whenfacedwithawetpaintsign,justhavetotouchit,therearethoseamonguswhocannotpassupafirearmthatothersdon’tlikeorcan’twarmupto.OnethingIdiscoveredaboutthenewstateoftheSKSisthecondition.Not
thewearandtear,theyareallprettygoodstill.No,theconditioninwhichtheyareshipped.
IfyouhaveanAK-magvariant,youcanuseanyofthem:10,20or30rounds.
TheChoatefoldingstock.U.S.-made,anda922part.
Hereyouseethetackweldsthatallowthis10-shotmagazinetobedetachable.
ScopemountonanSKSanyone?
Withareddotscope(thisisanearlyAimpoint)shootinggetstobeeveneasierandfun.
Forthosewhomust,originalsightsworkjustfine.Thissightismarkedtoanabsurd1,000meters.
Forthosewhomust,originalsightsworkjustfine.Thissightismarkedtoanabsurd1,000meters.
Iorderedonerecently,justtokeepuptospeedonthings.ThecarbinewassocakedinCosmoline(ortheequivalent)thatatfirstIwasn’tsuretherewasarifleunderthere.ThisisthenormalstateofSKSsthatarrivethesedays.TheyhaveeitherbeenslatheredwithCosmowhentheywerestuffedintostoragedecadesago,ortheyweresprayedwithitbeforeshipping,sotheywouldn’trustontheboatrideover.
Anunmodifiedmagazine,showingthemagcoverandthehingedfollower.
Thespringthatdrivesthefollower/lifterisupnearthehinge.
Hereisachi-comSKSwitha30-roundmagazine.
Hereisachi-comSKSwitha30-roundmagazine.
Howtogetthethingclean?Mineralspirits.YouneedtodissolvetheCosmoline,andthenhaveasafeplacetodumptheCosmoline-cruddedmineralspirits.Thisisnotajobthatyoucandoinafewminutes,orevenafewhours.You’llneedgloves,buckets,plasticboxesorcontainers,andafewrollsofpapertowelsorshoprags.Putonthegloves,andashopapronifyouhaveone.Ifyoudon’t,recognize
thattheslightestslipwillbringaCosmolinecakedpartincontactwithyourclothing,andthat’sthat.DisassembletheSKS,andplacethepartsinasmallplastictub,liketheshoebox-sizedstoragebinsyoucangetatthebig-boxstoreforacoupleofbucks.Thestockandthebarreledactionneedatube,likeaPVCtubewithacapon
it,oralong,narrowtrough.Pouryourmineralspiritsontotheparts,ineachofthecontainers.Letthem
soak.Onewaytodothisistotakeeverythingtothegunclubinthemorning,andstartwiththis.Thenwhilethepartssoak,dowhateverelseitisyoudoatthegunclub.Then,intheafternoon,putyourglovesbackonandstartwiththepapertowels,wipingofftheCosmoline.ThebigadvantageoftheCosmoisthatitwon’tharmthefinishofthestock.If
youaren’tconcernedaboutthat,becauseyou’llberefinishingitanyway,youcangetmoreaggressive,anduseEasy-Offovencleaner.You’vegottobeevenmorecarefulwiththis,becauseitiscaustic.Gloves,apron,glassesofgoggles,anddon’tdothiswhenitiswindy.Also,haveabigcanofWD40handy.
TheTapcomuzzlebrake.
TheTapcopistonextension,forthosewithtwo-piecesystems.
ATapcopiston,laterone-piece.
Spraytheparts,letitsoakforafewminutes,thenwipeoff.OncecleanofCosmo,spraywiththeWDtocleanoffanyEasy-Offresidue.Oh,youaren’tquitedoneyet.Useacleaningrodandpatcheswithmineral
spiritstogettheCosmolineoutofthebore.Yes,itisinthebore.Andyouhavetogetitout.Thisisnoteasy,orneat.But,thestuffhasdoneitsjob;theSKSyoujust
cleanedhasnotchangedmuch,ifatall,sinceitwasdippedinavatofthestuffdecadesago.Reassemble,andenjoy.
CHAPTER23FUTUREOFTHEAK
YOU’DTHINKAFIREARMPRODUCEDTOthetuneof100millionwouldhaveasecureandrosyfuture.(We’vebeenthroughtheAKproductionnumbers,butforthepurposesofillustration,I’llgowiththehighestimate.)Notso.AsIpointedoutinthebeginning,therearemanypoliticianswhoequatethetoolwiththesituationinwhichthetoolisused.ThatThirdWorlddespotsarmtheirthugswithAK-47riflesisproofenoughforthemthattheAKisevil,andmustberemovedfrom“politesociety.”However,itislongpastputtingthatparticulargeniebackintothebottle.Here
intheU.S.,theAKhasgainedmorethanafoothold,ithasafollowing.Toomanyshootersownonefortheinanimateobjecttobevilifiedandexpunged.Notthattheattention-grabbing,vote-buying,perk-seekingpoliticianswon’ttry.Beingprotectedbyarmedsecuritydoesnotmakeoneanysmarterormoreskilledatarms.SoeverytimeapoliticianprotectedbyarmedguardstellsmeIdon’tneeda[fillintheblank]IknowI’mdealingwithsomeonewhoneedstobevotedoutofoffice.Prognosticationisatrickybusiness.Oftenthewrongpredictionswillbe
trumpetedtoprovethepredictorasanidiot.Withthatriskinmind,here’smytakeontheAK-47.Itwillbewithusforalongtime.Theinitialeffortstobanitfellapartontheveryanvilthatwastryingtobeusedtoeliminatethem:politics.ProhibitioneffortsintheearlyyearsranheadlongintothedesiretoextendMost-Favored-Nation(MFN)tradestatustoChina.Inthe1980sandearly1990s,Chinadidnothaveanindustrialbasesufficienttomakelaptopcomputersorsmartphones.Infact,laptopcomputersreallydidn’texistassuchbackthen.No,
whattheyhad,thatweindividualswerewillingtospendAmericandollarson,wereAKs,SKSsandtheammunitionforthem.So,weweresoonawashinAKsandammo.Ihavewonderedif,knowingthat,thepoliticianswhoweresoeagertoextend
MFNstatusonChinawouldstillhavegoneaheadwithit.Intryingtostuffthegeniebackintothebottlebackthen,politicianssimply
madeitclearerthattherewasamarketforAKs.Thehardertheytriedtobanoreliminatethem,theharderwestrovetoacquirethem.Afterthe“wanderinginthewilderness”oftheClintonyearstheshiftwenttoimportingpartskits.ThecollapseoftheSovietUnionandtheWarsawPactmeantmuchthesamethingtoEasternEuropethatithadtoChinajustafewyearsbefore:theonlythingtheyhadthatwewantedwereAKs.(NoonewantedaLada,eventodisplayasacuriosity.Migjetswereanothermatter,butwhocouldaffordone,evenatformerSovietfiresaleprices?)So,theysoldpartskits.However,thereceiverscouldnotbeimportedsincetheywereselect-fire.Remember,thedrivingattitudeinpoliticalcircles—andcastinstoneasaregulatorydefinition—istheidea,“onceamachinegun,alwaysamachinegun.”Butofallthepartsofwhichastamped-receiverAKiscomposed,thereceiverisbyfartheeasiesttofabricate.Ican’timaginethatittookacompetentsheetmetalstampingengineermorethanacoupleofeveningsonhishomecomputertodeterminethebasicdimensionsoftheflat.Thefirstwereprobablynotstamped,butwater-jetcut,andthenbentonhomemadejigs.Oncethedetailsofholepositionandsuchwereironedout(thattheoryvs.practicethingagain)thebasicAKflatdimensionsspreadlikeavirus.Flatsarecheapandcanbestampedoutofanumberofmaterials.Primarilysteel.
TheSCARmaybethefuture,oritmaynotbe.AsfortheAK’sfuture,thatwillbedeterminedbythemarket.
Thatleadsmetowonder,hasanyoneevermadeanAKoutofaflatofaluminum?I’veneverseenone,norheardofone,butIhavetoassumethatsomeoneouttherehastriedit.But,backtothesubjectathand.Welearnedtobendsheetsteelflatsandbuild
guns.WegotusedtocheapAKs(A$99partskit,a$10flat,$50inextraU.S.-madepartsandanafternoon,andyouhadanAK)andshotthemuntilweworethemout.WhereAKshadbeenrare,theybecamecommon.WhereanAKwouldhavebeenanobjectofcuriosityatthegunclub,itbecameraretonotseeoneonthelineoratamatch.AmericanslearnedtolovetheAK.Infact,theybecamesocommonthatrangeshadtolearntodealwiththem.Myhomeclubtriedvarioussteel-casepicker-uppersuntilwejustlearnedtoraketheemptiesupandliterallyshovelthemintotrashbins.ThegovernmentprohibitedtheimportationofAKbarrels.Afterall,they
ThegovernmentprohibitedtheimportationofAKbarrels.Afterall,theyweren’treallybeingusedtoreplacewornbarrelsonexistingAKs,andthuswereconsideredsuspect.PartskitsnowareofferedwithU.S.-madebarrels.WereItryingtocausethebuildingofanAK-manufacturinginfrastructure,I
couldhardlyhavecomeupwithabettermethodthanthepaththatgotushere.LookatthepartsthatgointoanAK:barrel,bolt,op-rod/gaspiston,trunnions,receiver,pistolgrip,handguards,gasblockandfrontsight.(We’llignoreforthemomentthevariouspins,rivets,etc.thatgointoit.)MostofthosearenowU.S.-made.Aslongaswestillgettrunnions,oprodsandgasblockscheapfromtheformercommunistcountriesthatmadethem,wecanassembleAKs.Ofthepartsleft,thetrunnionsareeasytofabricatefrombilletsonCNCmachines,andtheoprodisasimpleinvestmentcasting.Thatleavesthegasblock.I’dbetthateitherthetrunnionmachiningcompanyortheop-rodcastingcompanycouldeasilymakegasblocksaswell.Whichoneofthemisfirstdependssolelyontheenergyandindustryoftheownerofthecompany.Thatwas10yearsago.Now,everysinglepartyouneedorwantforanAKis
madeintheU.S.Entireriflesaremadehere,andinexpensivemagazinesarenowcommonfortheAKasfortheAR.Politiciansinadvertentlybuilttheveryindustrialbasethattheywishedtoprevent.Andsomeofthemstillthinktheyarethesmartestmenandwomenintheroom.Whenfreecitizenswithcashinhandwantsomething,ithappens.(Hmmm,didIjustdescribethewarondrugs?Ohwell,differentbook.)Therewillbecomplainers.Therealwaysare.Mostlythosewhocomplainare
thosewhoareaccustomedtocheapAKs,butthepuristswillcomplainalso.Theformer:“HowmuchforanAK?Why,Irememberwhenwecouldbuyallthepartskitswewantedfor[fillintheblank].”SpendingmorethanhalfofwhatanARcoststobuyanAKwilloutragethesepeople,givethemanattackofthevapors.Thepuristswillcomplainthatthecosmeticdetailsaren’tcorrect.“Therivet-headdiametersonyourU.S.-madeAKare2millimeterslargerthanthecorrectsize.”But,they’llgetoverit,forwe’llhaveAKs.Thehigherprices—Americanworkers,notformer-soviet-surpluspartsatsold-for-hard-cashprices
Americanworkers,notformer-soviet-surpluspartsatsold-for-hard-cashprices—meanachangeinquality.Sincewe’llbespendingmorefortherifles,andshootingbetterammo(thesurplusammowon’tlastforever)we’llexpectbetterperformance.TheAKmakerswon’tbeabletosell6MOAAKsatrealprices,sothey’llhavetomakeAKsthatdeliver2MOAwhenfedgoodAmericanammo.TostealaquotefrommyfriendDaveFortier:“Itwillbeglorious.”Italsohas
beenrocky.Therewillbedifferentfactions,differentdimensions.The1911industryhasbeenspendingthelasttwodecadestryingtoresolvetheminordimensionaldifferencesbetweenmajormakers.TheU.S.-madeAKindustrywillhavethesameproblem.Partswilldifferbyasmallamountbetweenonemakerandthenext.Assemblers,gunsmithsandcustommakerswillhavetofigureouthowtofitthedifferingpartsintoaharmoniouswhole.Andwewillhavetogetusedtotheendofthedirt-cheapAK.Allthattime,theAKwillstillbeincompetitionwiththeAR-15,andfending
offthemisguidedpoliticianswhowanttobanit,andallothermilitary-graderifles.Meanwhile,inthebackground,themilitaryitselfwillbeattemptingtoreplacetheAR-15/M-16andjumpuptosomethingbetter.OnesuchpossiblerifleistheSCAR,inLightandHeavyversions.TheLightisa5.56,Heavythe.308,andtheideawastotakeadvantageoftheadvancesinmaterialstoproduceariflethatworksmorereliably,andcanbemaintainedatalowerunitlevelthanispossiblewitheithertheARorAK.AsmuchasIlovetheguysandgalsatFN,theresultswereprettymuchwhatI
hadexpected,andpredicted.TheSCARisnotgoingtoreplacetheAK,ortheAR,soon.TheSCARwasmadeastheend-usersasked—anindestructible5.56,andalightweight7.62.Theendresultis,youcan’tmakeanindestructible5.56withoutmakingitheavierthananAR.Giventhechoicebetweenaheavy(forcaliber)5.56,andalight7.62,theend-usersoptedfor7.62.AnditshowsnosignsofreplacingeithertheARortheAK.Itisbig,itispowerful,itisexpensive,anditthumpsyou.Forlessweight,costandrecoil,youcanhaveariflethatrunsfaster,thumpsless,andhasanendlesschoiceofoptionsandspareparts.Forthemarksmanwhoneedsmorereachandaccuracy,wehaveahostof
parts.Forthemarksmanwhoneedsmorereachandaccuracy,wehaveahostofexistingsolutionsthatdon’trequireanewrifle.IstheSCARabadrifle?No,notatall.Itjustisn’tgoingtoreplacetheAKor
theAR,inthemarketplace,anytimesoon.WhataboutanupgradedAK?We’reseeingjustthatasthenextevolutionof
theAKisunfoldingevenaswespeak.Itishappeningeverytimeyouclickanonlineorder,orbuildanAKwithanewhandguard,topcover,stock,orsights.Everydecisionyoumake,everyaccessoryyoupurchase,issomethingthathappenswithapurpose.Thisisanaspectofthe“invisiblehand”asoutlinedbytheeconomistAdam
Smith.Thetotaleffectoftheenlightenedself-interestofthebuyingpublicactstobuildaprocessorstructurethatcouldnothavebeenplannedandbuiltfromscratch.Smithhaddefinedtheforcethatwouldcauseacommandeconomytocrumble,evenbeforesucheconomyhadbeeninvented.CouldtheDoDhavedesigned,testedandbuilttheperfectARorAK?Yes,
theycouldhave.Itwouldnothavehappenedinourlifetimes,buttheycould.Instead,becausewepayforgearoutofourownpockets,ARmakers(andrightbehindthem,AKmakers)developedtheproductswenowtakeforgranted.TakeMagpulforexample.WhenIstartedshootingARs,USGImagazineswerecraptastic,andtheplasticoneswereevenmoreso.Now,polymerARmagazinesarethestandardagainstwhichallothersaremeasured,andtheynumberinthemanymillions.
AsfunastheSCARis,itisaheavyandhard-recoiling.30cal.rifle.TheAKisacarbine.
Freefloathandguards?KeymodandM-LOK?Tack-drivingbarrels?ScopesandscopemountsthatfittheARperfectly,areindestructible,andallowyoutoshootuptoyourskills?Allofthesecameaboutbecausewewerewillingtotestandpayforthem—
notbecausetheOrdnanceDepartmentdesiredthem.Iwanttomakeitperfectlyclearthatthegovernmentdidnotcreateanyofthe
advancesintheARyounowtakeforgranted.Thehigh-speed,tricked-outARusedbyaSocomoperatortoday,would(absentthelaserunit)makeaprettydecent3-Gunrifle,circa1995.Thegovernment,exceptforbuyingthemforshipmenttoourallies,doesnot
make,specorconcernitselfwiththeAK.Whichisjustfine.Because,unlessthere’sabiggovernmentclampdownontheAK(whichwillleadtootherchanges)wewill,inanotherdecadeorso,haveredefinedtheAK.TheAK-47of
changes)wewill,inanotherdecadeorso,haveredefinedtheAK.TheAK-47ofthe2020’swillbemoreaccurate,reliableandergonomic;itwillacceptscopes,lights,lasers,anditwillbeevenmorecommonthantheAKistoday.ThemarketplaceitselfwillproducetheAKofthefuture,notaRussiandesign
bureau,DoD,orapanelofexpertswhohavebeenhandedthejob.Us.Youandme,spendingourmoneyonproductsthatserveus.I’dbeanidiottotryandpredictthingsspecifically.ButFortierisright,itwill
beglorious.
CHAPTER24AKLEGALASPECTS
ASMENTIONED,I’MNOTALAWYERANDdon’tplayoneonTV.Sodon’ttakeanyofthisaslegaladvice.However,Ihaveledasuccessfulcareerasagunsmith,whichsortofrequiresonetoavoidrunningafoulofthelaw.Alotofwhatwecoveredbackinthefirstvolumewithrespecttolegalitieshaschanged.Actually,thelawitselfhasn’tchanged,butthestartingpoint.Letmeexplain.Thefederalregulationknownat922(r)isstillonthebooks,andisstillsomethingyoushouldknow.But,unlessyouarebuildinguppartskits—kitsthathavebeensittinginyourbasementorgarageforadecadenow—922(r)isn’tsomethingtoworrymuchabout.So,let’stakealookatwhatyourAKmustbeifyouaretoownitlawfully,in
thisnewerainwhichAKsareeverywhereandbuiltbeforeyougettothem.Wewillconsiderthelawswithrespecttoimportedandhome-builtrifles.
SIZEFirst,ithastobeoflegalsize.Thatmeans,attheFederallevel,abarrelofnot
lessthan16inches,andanoveralllengthofnotlessthan26inches.Howmuchmoreis“enough?”Asmuchasyou’recomfortablewith.Thelawsays“notlessthan,”whichtechnicallymeansthatabarrelmeasuring16.01inchesislegallength.Caretoletjustanylawenforcementagentdothemeasuringonthatbarrel?Ithoughtnot.TheminimumI’dbehappywithisanextra.250inches.Whenitcomestobarrels,youareingoodhands.Theoriginalmakersofbarrelswillhavetakenoveralllengthintoconsideration,andtheywillhaveshippedariflewithenoughextrabarreltokeepyououtoftrouble.Asfortheoveralllength,theFedsmeasurethatinastraightforwardand
Asfortheoveralllength,theFedsmeasurethatinastraightforwardandrationalmanner—stockextended.Taketherifle,holditagainstawallwiththesightstouchingthewall.Slidetheunfoldedbuttstockdowntothefloor.Measuretheoverallheightfromthefloor,paralleltothewall,tothehighestpartoftherifle.(Bayonetsnotincluded.)Over26inches?Done,you’rekosher.YoucanbeprettysurethatanyassembledandimportedAKmeetsthose
measurements.Whenitcomestohome-builds,you’dbettermeasurethepartsbeforeyoubuild;but,unlessthebarrelcomesupshort,you’reprobablygoodtogo.Whenitcomestoregsinyourstatedon’tgetmestarted.Somestateagencies
areabsolutemoronswhenitcomestotheabilitytouseayardstickortapemeasure.Oh,didIsaythatoutloud?I’veheardfromsomeAKownersthattheirstateactuallymeasurestheAKmuzzleonthefloor,stockfolded,measuringfromthefloortothebackofthereceiver.(Notusingtheextralengthofthepistolgripangleifany,asitwouldtouchthefloor.)AndifIstartfumingonmeasuringitwiththestockfolded,we’llnevergettothegoodparts.Basically,thelengthofthereceiver,combinedwithastandard,16-inchplus
barrel,makesyourAKlengthOKbytheFeds.Foryourhomestateyou’llhavetoresearchit.Whatifyouwantsomethingshorter?Inthatcase,youhaveanewsetofrules
withwhichtocomply.Knowninthelawasa“Short-barreledRifle,”orSBR,ariflewithashorter-than-normalbarrelhastobeapprovedbeforeitisbuilt.(Unlessyou’rebuyingonethathasalreadybeenbuiltand“papered”bythemanufacturer.)TobuildanSBR,youmustfirstfilloutthecorrectpaperworkandsubmitteditwithyour$200checktotheATF.Onceyourformcomesbackapproved(thatisthe“Stamp”ofthetaxstamppartoftheNFA,orNationalFirearmsAct)youcaneitherbuildityourselfifyouhavetheskill,orsenditoffforbuilding.Thebuilderwillhavehisownlicensetodothatkindofwork,soyousimplyneedtoprovidehimtherifle,acheckforthework,andacopyoftheapprovedform.Youmightask,“Whynotcutdownonthewait,andsendtherifletothe
Youmightask,“Whynotcutdownonthewait,andsendtherifletothemakeralongwiththecheckbeforegettingapproval?Hehasthelicense,hecanbuildbeforemyapprovalcomesthrough,andthensendittomewhenIsendacopyoftheapprovedform?”Thisisabigno-no.Allowmetodescribeamessysituationthatcameup,relatedtomebyamakerwhodidjustthat.Hegavein,andacceptedthecheckforthework,andtherifle,beforethe
stampwasapproved.Then,hewaited.Andwaited.Finally,oncehecontactedtheownerseveraltimes,hefoundoutthattheownerhadhadan“oops”momentinhisyouth,andwasinthelegallimboofgettingthingsstraightenedout.Untilthen,henotonlycouldnotacceptthereturnofhisSBR(theformhavingbeendenied)buthealsohadtohaveallhisfirearmsspiritedawaybyhisattorneyforsafestorageuntilthingswerestraightenedout.So,thechoiceswerefew,andugly—reimbursetheownerfortherifle,then
trytosellittocoverthecosts.Sitonituntilthelegalwranglingwasdone,andchargeforstorage.Scrapit,eattheloss,andrisklawsuitfordestructionofpropertylater.Afterthatepisode,themakerwon’tevendoworkaheadoftimeforhisown
family.Andunderstandablyso.No,dothepaperworkfirst,thenthegunsmith/manufacturerdoesthe
metalwork.AshorterlengthoptionstillisahandgunbuiltonanAKreceiver.Thisposesa
differentproblem.Youcan’tjusttakeoffthestockandcallitahandgun.Thecruxhereis,whatwasitwhenitleftthefactory?Ashorter-than-rifle-lengthAK,evenonewithoutastockthatleftthemakersasarifle,isanSBR.So,itcoststhesame$200,takesthesameprocess,andsimplylacksastock.Whoop-de-do,sowhat?Ifwhatyouwantisahandgun-onlyAK,youhavetostartfresh.Tomakeahandgun,simplyacquireapartskitandanunassembledreceiver.Sinceithasbeenneitherhandgunnorrifle,youcanmakeitaseither.Onceithasbeenarifle,however,itcannotlegallybeconvertedtoahandgun.ItcanonlybecomeanSBR,ifyouwanttoshortenit.You’redeepintothehome-buildprocesstomakeahandgun:Newreceiver,neverarifle,nostocknoranyprovisionstofit
makeahandgun:Newreceiver,neverarifle,nostocknoranyprovisionstofitone,andasshortasyouwantittobe.That“noprovisionstofitone”meansyoucan’tuseariflereartrunnion.Ithastobeablanktrunnion.Youcansendapartskitandreceivertoabuildertomakeanythingyouwant,
providedhehasthelicenseandyouhavetheapproval.AstandardAKorahandgun,noproblem.AnSBR,you’llneedthestamp.(Whichisataxstamp,andassuchisviewedasbeingprivatetreasurydata,nottobecasuallysharedevenamonglawenforcementagencies.)Oh,andjusttofurthercomplicatematters,youarerestrictedastowhatyou
canputonyourAKhandgun.YouguyswithHungarianAMD-63or-65kits?Youcan’tbuildthatasahandgun,andusethepistolgrip.Averticalforegriponahandgunmakesitan“AnyOtherWeapon,”orAOW,andyouhavetoapplytomakeitthat.ThegoodnewsisthatyourAOWapplicationonlyrequiresa$5feewhenyoubuildit.
FLASHHIDERSAsin,“CanIinstallaflashhideronmyAK?”Sure,againwiththereminder
ofstateregsthatmightsayotherwise.WhatisonmostAKs(asin,thosein7.62x39)iscalleda“slantbrake.”Theshortbillisprovidedasapush-offsurfaceforthemuzzleblast,tokeepthemuzzledown,moreorless.Itisslantedtoaccountfortheupandrightrotationofthemuzzleonrecoil,whenfiredfull-autofromtheshoulderbyaright-handedshooter.Doesitwork?Moreorless,astherecoilisn’tthatharsh,andthegaspressurenotthatgreat.Youcaninstallarealflashhiderifyouwant.Thestandardthreadpitchismetric,andleft-handed—14x1mmL—andyouaregoingtohavetospecifythatwhenyouorder.YoucannotsimplytakeasurplusAR-15brakeandre-tapit.Ifyoucouldfinda14x1mmLtap,itwouldcostasmuchasafistfulofAK-specificflashhiders.TheAK-74differs.Thefrontsightcastinghasalargersectionthatisthreaded
fortheAK-74muzzlebrake,unliketheAK-47,whichhasthebarrelitselfthreaded.AK-74brakesandthreadscomeintwosizes:Romanian22x1.5mmR,andtherestare24x1.5mmR.Ifyouareorderinganewbrakeorflashhiderfor
andtherestare24x1.5mmR.IfyouareorderinganewbrakeorflashhiderforyourAK-74,you’llhavetoknowwhichitis.Flashhidersareconsideredbyanti-gunnersaslurestocriminalactivityon-par
withcrackcocaine.Hencethevigorouseffortstoeliminatethem.Muzzlebrakes,however,arenot.InCalifornia,thethreadsontowhicheitherflashhidersorbrakescanbeattachedareconsideredin-and-of-themselveseeeeevil,sobewarned.Athreadedmuzzlewillleadyoutoalifeofcrime,sodon’tsayIdidn’twarnyou.Justask,andmany“experts”insmallarmswilltellyouthat.(OK,I’mpullingyourleghere.Threadsarethreads,andtheyhavenorelationshiptocriminalsorcrime.Buttheycanbedefinedasprohibiteditemsunderstatelaw,andaresoinKaliforniastan.)
IMPORTEDRIFLESIntheearlydays,itwassimple.Asifanythinginvolvingthegovernment
couldbesimple,itactuallywas.Inthosedays,youhadtoknow:isitsemiauto;isthesourcecountrynotonaprohibitedlist;doyouhaveabondedwarehousewillingtoacceptdelivery;andhaveyousubmittedasamplerifleforreview?TheearliestriflescameinprettymuchasplainAKslackingthefull-autoparts.Later,itgotmessy.Thefirstproblemcamein1989,intheSeniorBushadministration.Whatwith
thedrumbeatof“assaultrifles”beingloudatthetime,andaftertheschoolshootinginStockton,California,theadministrationwroteaPresidentialDirectivehaltingtheimportationofalaundrylistofriflesthatwere“notparticularlysuitedforsportinguse.”We’llsidesteptheludicrousnatureofskeetandtrapshootingsnobswhoareaccustomedto$20,000+shotgunspassingjudgmentonwhatconstitutes“suitedforsportinguse”andsimplynotethatawholelotofriflesweremadecollectorsitemsthatday.ThenthePresidentialhaltwasmadeintolaw,andfurthermassaged.Theresultwaspredictable:partskits.Iftheexporters,whowanttomake
moneyprovidingthosecrazyAmericanswithguns,can’tshipguns,thenthey’llshippartskits.Thekitsareriflesthathavebeen“demilled.”ThesimplemethodistotakeacuttingtorchandcutthereceiverinenoughplacestomaketheATF
istotakeacuttingtorchandcutthereceiverinenoughplacestomaketheATFhappy.Theyhavedetailedspecsanddiagrams,andinspectors,butthestandardsdon’treallymatterunlessyou’reinthepositionofimportingaboatloadofpartskits.(Ifyouare,makeabsolutelysuretheATFhassignedoffonyourplannedcuts,andtheexporterfollowsinstructions,oryourmoneywillbeliterallydroppedtothebottomoftheocean.)Whatsurprisesmeisthatthereceivercutshavealwaysbeenapprovedwiththeinternalsremoved.ButIguessIshouldbemumonthatsubject,lestIgiveamid-levelbureaucratwithabadcomboveranymoreideas.Partskitsbecamethenewcurrency.Forawhileyoucouldbuyalltheparts
kitsyourwalletcouldstand,fornotmuchmoney.Used,goodconditionRomanianfixed-stockpartskitscouldbehad,atthepeakoftheparts-importingwave,foraslittleas$79plusshipping.Othermoredesirablekitswentformore,butyoucouldbuyjustaboutanythingyouwantedforlessthan$200.Now,youcan’t.Thathappenedfortworeasons,oneeconomicandonelegal.Theeconomiconewassimple:despiteallthestatisticsyou’vereadof“100
millionAKsmade”therewereonlysomanytobedemilledandexported.Manyofthemhavebeenwornoutandscrappedindecadesofuse.OtherswereexportedtotheThirdWorld,wheretheyactasirritantsintheconsciencesoftheanti-gunners,seeninvideoclipseverynightoninternationalnewsbroadcasts.Manyothershavebeenretainedbythehostcountriesneedingriflesfortheirownarmies.So,thereisandwasalimitedsupplyofriflestobehadaspartskitsgristfortheexporters’mill.Somesourcesweresimplydeniedus.WhentheBerlinWallfell,andthecountryformerlyknownasEastGermanyonceagainbecametheGermanStatesofBrandenburg,Mecklenburg,Saxony,Saxony-AnhaltandThuringia—partofGermanyagain—theirsuppliesofAK-47sandAK-74swerenotexported.Infact,theywereprettymuchfedintoshredders.Therehavebeenoddlotsofpartsshipments,andafewpartskits,butnothingliketheRomanian,PolishandHungarianshipments.Then,wewerethrownanotherwildpitch:barrels.Someonedecidedthat
barrelswerejusttoosensitiveanitem.Yes,theyprohibitedbarrelimportation.
barrelswerejusttoosensitiveanitem.Yes,theyprohibitedbarrelimportation.InJulyof2005,theATFissuedaletterinformingallwhowereinthebusinessthatthingshadchanged:“TheBureauofAlcohol,Tobacco,FirearmsandExplosives(ATF)has
determinedthatthelanguageof18U.S.C.§925(d)(3)permitsnoexceptionsthatwouldallowframes,receiversorbarrelsforotherwisenon-importablefirearmstobeimportedintotheUnitedStates.Accordingly,ATFwillnolongerapproveATFForm6applicationsforimportationofanyframes,receivers,orbarrelsforfirearmsthatwouldbeprohibitedfromimportationifassembled.Noexceptionstothestatutorylanguage,forexamplefor“repairorreplacement”ofexistingfirearms,willbeallowed.”Now,thewholebasisofpartsbeingbroughtinwasthattheycouldbeusedto
repairexistingrifles.Iguessthewhole“buildyourownAK”thingjustgottooobvious,andsomeone“hadtodosomething.”So,partskitsthatcomeinnowmusthavenewbarrels.Whichleadtothepresentsituation,ofallU.S.-madeAKs.NotthatsomeintheAKworlddidn’tcomplainbackthen.(Somepeoplewouldcomplainifyouhandedthemagoldbrick.“Thisthingisheavy.”)ThemainobjectionwasthatU.S.-madebarrelsaren’tchrome-lined,andthusaresomehowsub-standardtocommie-madechromedbarrels.Asif.Full-assembledriflescanbeimportediftheydonothaveallthe“assault
weapon”itemsonthem.Theimportersbringtheminasnon-assaultrifles,andrebuildthemtothestatusbuyerswant,plugginginU.S.-madeparts.IfyouhaveboughtanimportedAKthatisstillinitsneuteredstatus(single-
stackmagazine,thumbholestock,etc.)youmustaddenoughU.S.-madepartstomakeit922(r)compliantbeforechangingtodouble-stackmags,pistolgrip,etc.—dittoifyoubuildonakit,usingaU.S.-madereceiver.Yousee,theimportedAKsthathaveallthedesirablecharacteristicshave
alreadygonethroughthe922(r)process.Itworkslikethis.Theimporterpaysfor,andreceives,aboatload(sometimesliterally)ofneuteredAKs.Theywillhavethreadedmuzzles,butthey’llhavesingle-stackmagazinesandmagazinewells.They’llhavethumbholestocks,or“sporter”stockswithnopistolgrip
wells.They’llhavethumbholestocks,or“sporter”stockswithnopistolgripcomponentsatall.Theimporterthenrebuildsthem.Thestocksgettossed,andthefurnitureis
replacedwithU.S.-madehardware.They’llinstallenoughotherparts(theeasyonesarethetriggerassembly,pistonandaU.S.-mademuzzledevice)andbringtheU.S.-madecountuphighenoughtoresell.Thentheymilloutthemagazinewelllargeenoughtoacceptadouble-stackmagazineand…ta-da…it’sa922(r)compliantAK.That’showyouseethoseintherifleracksatthebig-boxstore.
CALIBERAsfarasIknow,therearenocaliberrestrictionsonAKs.Thereare
mechanicalones,asyousimplycan’tmakea7.62x39intoa7.62NATO,ora5.45intoa5.56model.Butnorestrictiononcaliber,withthepossibleexceptionofindividualstateregulations.
SELECTORSThefunctionofarifleiswhatmattersunderlaw.TheAKselectorisalsothe
safetyandejectionportcover.Onaselect-fireAK,thestopsare:Safe,Semi,andFull.Theywouldhavebeeninthecodesystemusedbythecountryoforiginmarkedonthereceiver,aseachlanguagedifferedenoughthatthemarkingsalsodiffered.Onasemi-only,theyareSafe-Semi.Couldyoucutyourreceiversoithadanintermediatestop,andmarkitwiththecountry-relevant“Full”symbol?Sure.Themarkingsmeannothing.Youmightthink:aslongasyoudon’thavethefull-autopartsintherifle,whocares.Well,thenosyStateTrooperwhoseesitattherange,that’swho.HisknowledgeofAKsmayextendsolelytotheposterhe’sseeninthestationReadyRoom,andmultipleviewingsoftheentireRamboseries.Butifhethinksyourrifleisafull-autoAK,yourleast-annoyingresultwillbeareceiptfortherifle,“Whiletheboysinthelabtakealook.”SaveyourselfthehassleandleavethemarkingstotheAirsofters.
HOME-BUILDS
HOME-BUILDSOK,let’ssayyouluckedontoapartskit,oryou’vehadonekickingaround
forawhile,andwanttoknowwhatyoucanandcannotdowhenyoubuildit.AsI’vesaidbeforeI’mnotanattorney.AndevenifIwere,youhaven’tpaidme,sothereisnothingbindingaboutanyofthis.Plus,anewlaworchangedregulationcouldhappenbetweenthetimeIwriteandthetimeyouread.Sodoyourhomework.Canyoubuildarifle?Sure.Youcanbuildoneforyourself,andnooneelse,
andyou’restillintheclear.Howmanycanyoubuild?That’samatterofinterpretation.Ifyoubuildoneanddon’tsellit,itisprettyclearwhatyoudid.Ifyoubuildacoupleofdozenanddon’tsellthem,thensomeonemightbecurious.Iftheriflesyoubuildarealldifferent,asincalibers,countryoforigin,etc,thenitisprettyclearyouarebuildingtocollect,andwecanbeproudofyou.Hey,takegoodnotes,consultreferencematerials,andmakeeachasperiodandcountrycorrectasyoucan.If,however,youbuilttwo-dozenrifles,eachandeveryoneofthemisthesame—samepartskits,country,configuration,someoneisgoingtowonder,“Ishebuildinginventory?”So,youbuildarifleorevenafew,andkeepthem.Youcan’tsellthem.What
canyoudo?Leavetheminyourwilltoyourheirs.Dotheyneedserialnumbers?NotaccordingtotheFeds.Again,statelawmay
differ.FederallawdidnotrequireserialnumbersatallonfirearmsuntiltheGunControlActof1968.Iknow,Ihaveanumberofentriesinmygunsmithsboundbook,wheretheserialnumbercolumnhastheentry“NSN.”Soyoudon’thaveto,butitwouldbeprudent.Imagineitgetsstolenfromyourvehicleoryourhouse.Icanimaginehowtheconversationgoeswiththeinsuranceagent.“Andtheserialnumber?”“Didn’thaveone.”“Wheredidyoubuyit,then?”Withobviouspride:“Ibuiltit.”“OK,sinceyouhaveareceiptforthepartskits,for$99dollars,we’llcutyou
acheckforthatamountandI’llpretendIdidn’thearthatitlacksaserial
acheckforthatamountandI’llpretendIdidn’thearthatitlacksaserialnumber.”Maybeyou’llgetaninsuranceagentwhoknowsthatnotallfirearmshave,or
werealwaysrequiredtohave,aserialnumber.Andmaybeyou’llgetonethattakesituponhimselftomakeyourlifemiserable.Considerthen,theconversationyou’llhavewiththeDeskSergeantwhenyoureportthetheft,togettherequiredpolicereporttogivetoyourinsuranceagent.“Serialnumber?”“Doesn’thaveone,itisn’trequiredunder…”“Noserialnumber?Thenhowdoyouexpectustoidentifyyourswhenwe
recoverit?”Thereisthelaw,andthereisprudent,andthereiscoveringyourbuttincase
ofapredicament.So,stampsomethingonit.Thenextquestionis,wherecanyougowithit,ortakeit?Asfarasgoingto
therange,orhuntingwithit,itisjustlikeanyotherAKoutthere.Youcangotoanyrangewhereyoucantakeanimportedoneto.IfyourstateallowshuntingwithanAK,youcanhuntwithyours,aslongasyoucomplywithalltheDNRregsconcerningcapacity,sights,lights,etc.Youcantakeittoagunsmithandhaveitworkedon.I’vetalkedtosomereallyhard-headedpeopleonthissubject,andtheyhavetheopinionthatyoucan’tletyourhome-buildAKoutofyourhands,underanycircumstances.No,youcan’tloanittoyourbuddytogototherange,orgohuntingwith,
withoutyoupresent.Butifthetwoofyouareshootingontherange,sureyoucanhandittohimtouse.Thatisa“non-possession”transfer.A“Transferwithpossession”isoneofthoseImentionedfirst:loanedtohimtoshootorhuntwith,andhisleavingyourimmediatearea.Whichiswherethe“Youcan’tgiveittoagunsmith”ideacomesfrom.Ifitisfully-assembledandhasallitsparts,youcanturnitoverforrepair,modificationorupgrade.Inthatregard,itisnodifferentthana.22LRriflemadebefore1968,onethatlacksaserialnumber.Whatyoucan’tdoishavehimbuildit.Youhavetobuildityourself.
80PERCENTRECEIVERSYoulikelyboughtan80percentreceiverbecauseitwasn’tacomplete
receiver,andyouwantedtoassembleyourpartskit.Youfinishedthework,beingthebuilder,andcomplyingwiththelaw.Havingdecidedtotakethatcourse,youcan’tcutcorners.Youhavetobetheonepullingthehandleonthepress,bendingtheflat.Oryouhavetobetheonepullingthehandleonthedrillpress,drillingtheholesinatube.Whatyoucannotdoishavesomeoneelsedothosethings.“HeyCharlie,you’vegotapress,canyoutakemytoolingandbendthisflatforme?”Well,hecan,butoncehehasdoneso,itishisrifle,notyours.Ortobeprecise,hisreceiver.I’llreiteratethis:Youhavetobetheonewhohasdonethework.Ithasbeen
commontoform“buildparties”whereabunchofguysgettogetherwithflats,partskitsandonepress,andhelpeachotherbuildAKs.Thatisallfine,andkosher,aslongasyouaretheguywhohauleddownonthehandlethatformedyourflatintoareceiver.Assoonasthatisdone,itisareceiver,andyoucanthengetthehelpyouwant
fromanyoneelse.Atthatpointyoucouldevenhanditallofftoagunsmithforassembly.Stoppanicking.Onceyouhavebentit,andgottenittothepointofbeingareceiver,thegunsmithisjustasub-contractordoingassembly.HeisinthesamepositionasifyoushowedupwithacompletereceiverfromsomeonewithaManufacturerslicensethatyouhadboughtandnowwantthegunsmithtoassemble.ThesameasanARpartskit,andaloweryoujustboughtatthegunshow.Itwouldmakeiteasierforhim,andeasehismind,ifyou’vestampedaserialnumberofsomekindintoit.“Bubbas#1AK”willdo.Yourperformanceintheactofcrossingthethresholdistheimportantone.
Sortoflikeenteringabuilding.Someoneinvitesyouin,you’reaguest.Yougoindespitebeingtoldnotto,you’reatrespasser.Samewithlowers:youpullthehandleonaflat,you’rethebuilder,andthelowerisyours,thesameasifyouboughtitfromamanufacturer.Handittosomeoneelsetopullthehandle,anditiseithertheirs(toobad,you’reoutthe$10bucksforaflat)orwhenhehandsitback,bendingdone,you’rebothinviolationofthelaw.
back,bendingdone,you’rebothinviolationofthelaw.Thisisalllogical.Notparticularlyrational,butthatisthewaythelawworks
sometimes.Theshortform:youwantitmadefromaflat,youhavetomakeityourself.If
youbuyit,themakerhastohaveaManufacturerslicense,andthesellerhastohaveaplain-oldFFL.Andyouhavetofilloutaform4473.
PARTSAREPARTSExceptwhentheyaren’t.Thesituationconcerningtheimportationofrifles
andpartsisaseesawlegislativebattlethathasragedonforovertwodecades.Basedontheillusionthatbanningtheimportationofsomerifleswouldstemcrimes,variouslawswerepassedintheverylate1980sandearly1990s.ThecurrentFederalLawcoveringimportedfirearmsis18USC922(r)imposedin1990.Toquote:Title18UnitedStatesCode(USC)§922(r)prohibitsassemblyofcertain
semiautomaticriflesandshotgunsfromimportedparts.Theimplementingregulationsintitle27,CodeofFederalRegulations(CFR)part178,§178.39,providesthatnopersonshallassembleasemiautomaticrifleoranyshotgunusingmorethan10importedpartslistedinparagraph(c)ofthissection,iftheassembledfirearmisprohibitedfromimportationundersection925(d)(3)asnotbeingparticularlysuitablefororreadilyadaptabletosportingpurposes.However,partscouldbebroughtin,andwehaveATFregulationscovering
that.FromTitle27,ChapterII,CFR478.39,whichIquoteinitsentiretytomakesureIdon’tgetanypartofitwrong:§478.39Assemblyofsemiautomaticriflesorshotguns.(a)Nopersonshall
assembleasemiautomaticrifleoranyshotgunusingmorethan10oftheimportedpartslistedinparagraph(c)ofthissectioniftheassembledfirearmisprohibitedfromimportationundersection925(d)(3)asnotbeingparticularlysuitablefororreadilyadaptabletosportingpurposes.
(b)Theprovisionsofthissectionshallnotapplyto:(1)TheassemblyofsuchrifleorshotgunforsaleordistributionbyalicensedmanufacturertotheUnitedStatesoranydepartmentoragencythereofortoanyStateoranydepartment,agency,orpoliticalsubdivisionthereof;or(2)TheassemblyofsuchrifleorshotgunforthepurposesoftestingorexperimentationauthorizedbytheDirectorundertheprovisionsof§478.151;or(3)TherepairofanyrifleorshotgunwhichhadbeenimportedintoorassembledintheUnitedStatespriortoNovember30,1990,orthereplacementofanypartofsuchfirearm.(c)Forpurposesofthissection,thetermimportedpartsare:(1)Frames,receivers,receivercastings,forgingsorstampings(2)Barrels(3)Barrelextensions(4)Mountingblocks(trunnions)(5)Muzzleattachments(6)Bolts(7)Boltcarriers(8)Operatingrods(9)Gaspistons(10)Triggerhousings(11)Triggers(12)Hammers(13)Sears(14)Disconnectors(15)Buttstocks(16)Pistolgrips(17)Forearms,handguards(18)Magazinebodies(19)Followers(20)Floorplates
So,youhaveapartskitstillcoveredinCosmoline,andanewreceiveronwhichtobuild.Youmustreplacesomeoftheperfectlygoodpartsinyourkitwithnew,U.S.-madeones,tocomplywithfederallaw.Intheparlance,youhavetomakeyourAK“922(r)compliant.”You’reprobablythinking:“Ohdamn,Ihavetojunkhalfmypartskitjusttomakemyriflecomplywithsomestupidlaw?”Notreally.Yousee,someofthepartslisteddodouble-duty.Aswithsomanythingsregulatory,itappearsthepeoplewhodrewupthelistdidn’tknowasmuchaboutgunsastheythoughttheydid,andworkedfromalist.Thatlisthadtocoverallimportedrifles.Inreality,youneedtoreplaceonlyfiveorsixparts,andyoucanreplaceexistingonesinsomecaseswithevenbetteronesatlowcost.Forinstance,inthetriggermechanismyou’regoingtotossouttheautosear
andanti-bounceparts.You’llreplacetherestthatareleftwithbetter-qualityU.S.-madeparts,andthehammer,triggerandsearyouinstallarethreerightthere.ReplacetheslantbrakewithaninexpensiveU.S.-madeone,andyou’realmosthome.Don’tforget,yourreceiverisdomesticallymade,too,soyounowhavefiveU.S.-madepartsinyourrifle.Youcan’thavemorethan10importedparts,sogodownthelistandseewhatisleft,andwhatisonyourrifle.Atthispoint,probablynumbers2,4,6,7,9,10,15,16,17,18,19&20.Hmm,whatnext?AU.S.-madegaspistoniseasytoinstallandinexpensive.Thereallycheapguyswillthink,“Hey,ifIjustinstallaU.S.-madefloorplateonmymagazine,I’mdone.”Yes,butwhataboutthebinofnon-U.S.floorplates,importedsurplusmagazinesyouhaveundertheloadingbench?StuffoneofthoseinyourAKandyou’vegonebackovertenimportedparts.No,thesmartthingtodoisfindsomethingelsetochange.What’sthenextlowcostchange?Pistolgrip,forearmorbuttstock.Changeoneofthoseandyou’rein.Doyouhavetogothisfar?Willanyonenotice?Intheinterestsofkeeping
myselfandmypublisheroutoftrouble,yesyoudo.Willanyonenotice?Notuntiltheydo.Ifyoudon’tcomplywiththelaw,therecouldbebigtroubledowntheline.Supposeyouassemblearifleonthecheap,anddon’tswapoutanything
butwhatismechanicallynecessary.Thenyoudie.Doyouwantyourheirstopossessanunlawfulrifle?Howaboutsomethinglessproblematicforyou,likegettingpulledoverforspeeding,orexpiredlicense,oranyofamyriadofthingsthatcouldbringyoutotheattentionoftheauthorities.Doyoureallywanttobesittingintheholdingroomwhilethepoliceofficersinspectyourrifle?Theoneyouhappenedtohaveinyourtruck?WhiletheymakeaphonecalltoATFto“clearupafewquestions?”Don’tbeaschmuck,orsomeone’sroommateinprison.Doitright,doit
legally.Afterall,bythetimeyou’vegonetothetime,effortandcostofbuildingorbuyinganAK,theextracostoftheU.S.-madepartsisjustaboutnothing.Lessthan$100,includingshipping.
LEGALPROOFTobeabletoprovelegality,basicallyallyouneedtodoisnotremovethe
markingsonthepartsyou’veswapped.EachU.S.-madepartwillmostlikelybeU.S.-marked,asthemakersareawarethatyourriflehastohaveenoughparts.So,donotgoandsandofforpolishawaythosemarkings.Ifyoureallyareworriedthatsomenosypoliceofficeratthepublicrangewilltakeituponhimselftoinspectyourrifle,haveaprintoutofthepartslist(they’reallovertheInternet),justdoasearchon“922complianceparts”andyou’llgetlotsandlotsofpages.Printitout,stuffitinaplasticbag,andkeepitintheguncasewithyour
compliantAK.
UPTONOWObviously,ifyouhaveanallU.S.-madeAK,922(r)complianceisacomplete
non-issue.Andagain,thedetailignorance,andpettyinsistenceonlegallanguageonthepartofbureaucratshashelpedushere.HavingmadeusshifttoU.S.-madeparts,step-by-step,theydemonstratedthepoweroftheLawofUnintendedConsequences,andprettymuchmade922(r)irrelevant.AndinsodoingmadetheAKamuch,muchbetterriflethanithadbeenwhenwewere
doingmadetheAKamuch,muchbetterriflethanithadbeenwhenwewerebuildingcrappycommiepartskits.Let’shearitforpettybureaucrats.
LETHALFORCELAW:GettheFacts
MassadAyoob’sfirstbookontheuseofdeadlyforcebytheprivatecitizenindefenseofselfandothers,IntheGravestExtreme,isconsideredtheauthoritativetextinitsfield.DeadlyForceisthefollow-uptothisgroundbreakingguide,incorporatingAyoob’sthirtyextrayearsofexperience,duringwhichhe'sbeenanexpertwitnessinweaponscases,chairoftheFirearmsCommitteeoftheAmericanSocietyofLawEnforcementTrainers,andmuchmore.
Thisguidewillhelpyouunderstandanylegalandethicalissuesconcerningtheuseoflethalforcebyprivatecitizens.You'llalsolearnaboutthesocialandpsychologicalissuessurroundingtheuseoflethalforceforself-defenseorindefenseofothers.Inadditiontoexploringtheseissues,Ayoobalsodiscussesthestepsaresponsiblearmedcitizencanandshouldtakeinordertoproperlypreparefororhelpmitigatealethalforcesituation.
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Table
SUPPRESSORALIGNMENTTESTS
RIFLE MSPBLUE MSPSS IA GEMTECH
C39 PF PF P P
Hungarian PF PF* PF TF
C39V2 P PF* P P
Ace PF* P P P
Romy TF EF TF TF
KEYP:PassPF:PartialFailPF*:Partial
Fail,butnottouchingthefrontbaffleTF:TotalFailEF:EpicFail,stop,you’llbendtherod
Thosethatpassed,Itooktotherange,spentanafternoonplinking,andhadablast.InstallingasuppressorontoanAKisnotalwaysgoingtobeeasy.Butitcanbedone,anditworkswhenyouhavemadecertainalignmentiscorrect.
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