Any pro/semi-pro AK builders in the metro/north front range area?

[def90]

I just finished my first AK74 build and I am looking for someone that has been around these for a while to take a good look over it before I blast and finish it. I already had it up to Pawnee and put about 400 rounds through it without any issues. My FSB was off a bit so I finally got that straightened out today and want to shoot it one more time before I pin it.

So basically give it a once over to see if you pick up any details I have missed due to being unfamiliar with AKs in general. Better to take care of them now than later.

I know a couple guys on the board here that can vouch for me as to being legit if needed. :D

Thanks!!

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-VVH7pk3X4eM/UfGKrL3ndHI/AAAAAAAACAk/sGSS29hpw-U/s800/IMG_20130619_131025_407sm.jpg

[BPTactical]

PM sent

[hghclsswhitetrsh]

PM sent

+1 for this guy.

[palepainter]

+1 for this guy.

Ditto. The AK Bert smoothed up for me rocks...but it also sank like a rock in a boating accident last summer.

[jreifsch80]

Bert knows his stuff, as for me if it runs good (no malfunctions in 400 rounds assuming you're using surplus mags) and the barrel parts are straight then it should be good to go. Also put a piece of blue tape on the inside of the rear trunnion to make sure the bolt carrier isn't striking the trunnion when it recoils. if there are witness marks do not use a buffer get a new recoil spring or a wolf replacement.

[def90]

Also put a piece of blue tape on the inside of the rear trunnion to make sure the bolt carrier isn't striking the trunnion when it recoils. if there are witness marks do not use a buffer get a new recoil spring or a wolf replacement.

Good info there.. Thanks!

Mostly want to make sure the bolt/carrier, selector and so on are moving as freely as they should and so on.. I get a bit of hang on the hammer if I pull the bolt/carrier back and slowly ease it forward, I think I need to work on the angle of the face that the bolt rides over as it moves forward.

[zteknik]

Good info there.. Thanks!

Mostly want to make sure the bolt/carrier, selector and so on are moving as freely as they should and so on.. I get a bit of hang on the hammer if I pull the bolt/carrier back and slowly ease it forward, I think I need to work on the angle of the face that the bolt rides over as it moves forward.
That hang you feel is normal.Its the upward pressure of the hammer riding on the bolt.
Now if it locked up there or moves without hanging a touch then you have a problem.

[akguy1985]

Dude, way to go. That's a really nice looking rifle.

[jreifsch80]

That hang you feel is normal.Its the upward pressure of the hammer riding on the bolt.
Now if it locked up there or moves without hanging a touch then you have a problem.

On a "real ak" we wouldn't have that since a real ak has a seat trip that holds the hammer a little farther down until the bolt carrier slides back forward all the way. The hanging up on the hammer is a result of not having "the evil third hole"

[BPTactical]

Just had a look at this beast. Very nice rifle and he really did well on the build, surpasses many homebuilds I have seen. The bolt carrier "bump" is not bad at all and with a smidge of stone work the notchy aspect of it will go away quite nicely.
Really a clean build.
An extra slice of pie in Def90's lunchbox is due!

[jreifsch80]

Cool with a smoothed up fcg it should become a bump master lol

[def90]

Thanks again for taking a look! Just a couple fine adjustments and then the fun refinishing part. :)

On another note.. anyone know who does engraving in the area? I want to put the Bulgarian selector markings on it. I heard Farmers is no longer doing firearms.. I tried contacting some place in Longmont that someone recommended and never heard back from them..

[def90]

Shot another 160 or so rounds through it today. I had one jam where a case stuck in the chamber. I tried the FAL pogo, no joy so pulled out the cleaning rod to get the case out. Surplus 7n6.. a fluke maybe? It was hot out and the rifle and ammo was out in the sun a bit..

Still need to rotate the fsb another mm to the left though.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2

[jreifsch80]

Probably because its a us barrel, if it happens any more then gently hand turn a demilled unfired case on a stick by hand in the chamber a few times with a little valve lapping compound on it, a buddy of mine had to do that with a us made 5.45 ar barrel. Obviously check spent cases for whitness marks from burs in the chamber first. The whole lacquer cases sticking in a hot chamber myth is just that, a myth spread on ar15 sites. I've literally did a continuous mag dump with 12 mags of 7n6 through my 74. No jams but that sucker was hooooooooooot ;) (my 74 is built with a Bulgarian chrome lined hammer forged barrel)

[UrbanWolf]

Shot another 160 or so rounds through it today. I had one jam where a case stuck in the chamber. I tried the FAL pogo, no joy so pulled out the cleaning rod to get the case out. Surplus 7n6.. a fluke maybe? It was hot out and the rifle and ammo was out in the sun a bit..

Still need to rotate the fsb another mm to the left though.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2

If you are thinking of lacquer melting I can tell you the lacquer won't melt off, you can empty a surplus case, and take a blow torch to the lacquered case and the lacquer won't melt off. What really is happening is because of the steel casing and the property of steel. When a brass cased bullet fires, the brass case expend and create a seal in the chamber. Steel dones't expend as well as brass, so when it's fired, the steel don't expend well enough to create a seal in the chamber like a brass case would, thus it leave space for the gunk from the gun powder to come back into the chamber and stick to the case, when that happens the extractor can't pull the case out and casues a jam.

[def90]

It's not a lacquer issue.. I know more that that. The tapered design of the 7.62 and 5.45 make most of these issues moot anyway, dirt could always be an issue but I don't have a reason to believe that was the issue here as I was shooting clean ammo from a bench. I am treating this as an anomally at this point due to the number of rounds through it so far. I set the case aside at first but didn't look closely at it when it happened and by the end of the day it got lost/mixed in with others so i don't have anything to look at at the moment. I can see the tight chamber issue, had that problem with a US L1A1 barrel that wasn't happy until I did a similar thing to it with lapping compound.

The interesting thing is how doing the FAL pogo will extract a stuck shell from a FAL but using a similar technique on the AK doesn't work.. Wonder if the mass of the bolt/carrier isn't enough?

[BPTactical]

If you are thinking of lacquer melting I can tell you the lacquer won't melt off, you can empty a surplus case, and take a blow torch to the lacquered case and the lacquer won't melt off. What really is happening is because of the steel casing and the property of steel. When a brass cased bullet fires, the brass case expend and create a seal in the chamber. Steel dones't expend as well as brass, so when it's fired, the steel don't expend well enough to create a seal in the chamber like a brass case would, thus it leave space for the gunk from the gun powder to come back into the chamber and stick to the case, when that happens the extractor can't pull the case out and casues a jam.

Really close to correct.
Both materials expand upon firing. But brass has a higher "modulus of elasticity" and contracts more than steel once the pressure is relieved.
That's the major factor for steel casings sticking in AR's. It is also exasperated in them by being a relatively straight walled chamber in comparison to an AK

[BPTactical]

If you are thinking of lacquer melting I can tell you the lacquer won't melt off, you can empty a surplus case, and take a blow torch to the lacquered case and the lacquer won't melt off. What really is happening is because of the steel casing and the property of steel. When a brass cased bullet fires, the brass case expend and create a seal in the chamber. Steel dones't expend as well as brass, so when it's fired, the steel don't expend well enough to create a seal in the chamber like a brass case would, thus it leave space for the gunk from the gun powder to come back into the chamber and stick to the case, when that happens the extractor can't pull the case out and casues a jam.

Really close to correct.
Both materials expand upon firing. But brass has a higher "modulus of elasticity" and contracts more than steel once the pressure is relieved.
That's the major factor for steel casings sticking in AR's. It is also exasperated in them by being a relatively straight walled chamber in comparison to an AK

[balyon885]

Thanks again for taking a look! Just a couple fine adjustments and then the fun refinishing part. :)

On another note.. anyone know who does engraving in the area? I want to put the Bulgarian selector markings on it. I heard Farmers is no longer doing firearms.. I tried contacting some place in Longmont that someone recommended and never heard back from them..

Colorado Gun Writes...he's out of Arvada, great guy. He did my engraving for my AK to NFA requirements.

http://www.coloradogunwrites.com/