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Help me rebuild this poor AK

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OK. So here we go, one of my late winter projects.
I have this old stamped receiver-thumb hole stocked Norinco that is screaming for a face lift.
I got this rifle for free, so I can put a few bucks into it.
I was actually pleasantly surprised when I broke it down and cleaned it up. It really has almost no internal wear. Hasn't seen a lot of rounds but the wood is beat. Just looks like it has been kicking around in the back of a pickup truck for awhile.

What would you do to it beyond a new stock and a permanent muzzle break?
The only things I have here now that could be put on it are a B-Square scope mount and an old Aimpoint 3000.
Would the B-Square mount, which fits under the pistol grip and is held in place by the pistol grip and its screw, count as a US made part?

Not into the tacticool approach but looking for some input.
Thanks.
 
If you want to get rid of the toilet seat stock, you must have 6 US made parts for it to be 922r compliant.

A Tapco trigger group counts for 3 parts.(about 30 bucks) Check to see if the receiver is cut for a double or single hook trigger now.

A US made gas piston, a US made grip, and a US made muzzle device will bring the total to 6.

Also available for cheap money are US made mag followers at about 3 bucks each so you can do all your mags and be covered by another part for short money.

EDIT: That wood looks pristine compared to most AKs out there, particularly kit built ones from combloc countries. I don't think a scope mount counts as a US made part.
 
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The hand guards are OK but the butt stock is cracked. You can see the two cracks on it. One behind the receiver and one above the grip area. Still cant make up my mind if I want some sort of plastic or wooden stock set on it. Decisions, decisions.[grin]
 
Get an American Made Wood Stock set....With American Made Magazine Floor Plates and Followers.That way you can keep the chinese internals.
 
american made wood stock set. Tapco G2 trigger kit. thats what I did with mine.
 
The slant cut receiver really limits replacement stock choices.
Ive been eying a set from Ironwood.

I may change some parts internally.

Some of the mags I have are preban Polytech mags with the nice chromed followers and I would prefer to keep them the way they are.
Several others could be changed without any reserve but then I would have to make sure to grab the right mag. for the right gun.

Gas piston change would be Ok. Are all those threaded in or are the press fit?

Muzzlebreak would be easy enough.

One thing I noticed is that this rifle seems to have a threaded barrel and the nut from my Poly side folder does not start on these threads. The threads on this rifle seem much finer. Anyone know the proper thread size on these rifles?
Thanks for the suggestions
 
if you change it to standard AK pistol grip configuration you have to add the comp0liance parts. A nice irinwood stock would look sweet on it. You have a great gun to work with.
 
Gas piston change would be Ok. Are all those threaded in or are the press fit?

The gas piston threads in but is then pinned in place. The gas piston change is usually more work then people want to do. Get a US made stock/hand guard set, a US pistol grip (Ironwood gives you all three in a convenient package), change your FCG to a tapco set and you are compliant. IMHO that is the best way to go.

Oh and BTW if you add too much plastic tacticool crap to an AK, Mikhail Kalashnikov shows up from Russia to slap you in the head.[slap] [wink]
 
The gas piston threads in but is then pinned in place. The gas piston change is usually more work then people want to do. Get a US made stock/hand guard set, a US pistol grip (Ironwood gives you all three in a convenient package), change your FCG to a tapco set and you are compliant. IMHO that is the best way to go.

Oh and BTW if you add too much plastic tacticool crap to an AK, Mikhail Kalashnikov shows up from Russia to slap you in the head.[slap] [wink]

I agree and so does he:

comrade.jpg


Plastic is for ARs and toy rifles, wood belongs on an AK and www.ironwooddesigns.com has you covered for that slant cut receiver model you have there.

As for your threaded barrel its most likely machining marks from when they removed the original threads and it won't accept a muzzle brake.
 
I hear ya'.
No tacticool BS allowed in the Mongoose residence! [grin]
I emailed Ironwood about a stock set today but it looks like they are backed up right now.

Where the heck can I find a replacement metal butt plate?
All I can find is on airsoft sites and gunbroker, where I dont have an account.
I really dont want a recoil pad on my new stock.

Anyone have a butt plate they want to sell?
 
I hear ya'.
No tacticool BS allowed in the Mongoose residence! [grin]
I emailed Ironwood about a stock set today but it looks like they are backed up right now.

Where the heck can I find a replacement metal butt plate?
All I can find is on airsoft sites and gunbroker, where I dont have an account.
I really dont want a recoil pad on my new stock.

Anyone have a butt plate they want to sell?

Try Numrich
 
Oh and BTW if you add too much plastic tacticool crap to an AK, Mikhail Kalashnikov shows up from Russia to slap you in the head.[slap] [wink]

I was wondering who that old guy was that randomly came up to me and whacked me while shooting my AK. What can we say. People like me like our plastic.
 
Free? I need a better quality of acquaintances... [smile]

Let me clarify.
Free isnt the right word...at all, I guess.
I sold this gun to a buddy of mine from Medfield in the late 80s/early nineties when I had my FFL. If I remember correctly, it cost less than 150.00 back then and a 1440 round case of ammo only cost 75-80 bucks. LOL.
He unfortunately died a couple years ago but a couple years before then, he had had some domestic problems, like a lot of other Vietnam Vets who had demons follow them home when their war was over, and the PD had his guns.
They allowed him to transfer them to me.
He didnt want them "turned into manhole covers".
We didnt know that cancer was eating him up inside.

He didnt live long enough to get them back,[sad2], but I know if he is looking down at me he is glad that Im getting rid of that "F*@king ugly thumbhole stock" .[grin]
 
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Much better than that thumbhole stock.

I had a Norinco with the thumbhole stock a while back, but traded it away towards another purchase. I didn't really mind the thumbhole in general, but it was such a bulky part to get your hand around. I ended up sanding some of the wood away around the pistol grip to make it more ergonomic, and then painted all the stocks black. It looked pretty cool.

Traded it towards a WWII Luger, a piece that I'd been seeking out for years.
 
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