Gun Talk

[M2]

I am picking this up on Monday…

It is a Yugo AK-47 "parts kit" with everything except for the trigger and sear/disconnector.

Obviously, the receiver was cut in half. That is because one of the rails inside the receiver was broken, and the seller wanted to sell it as parts instead of a functioning rifle.

The good news is that the barrel is already pressed into the front trunion, and is threaded for a muzzle brake/flash suppressor.

A bud recommended a replacement receiver from Nodakspud (the NDS-5 is for fixed stock Yugo), and reminded me that I need six 922r compliant parts. The NDS-5 would be one, a TAPCO G2 trigger three, a gas piston one more, and a handguard would add up to six. However, another bud believes that is already a US-made pistol grip on there, so that's one less item needed which is great because I hope to keep the Yugo furniture on it.

This would be my first attempt at an AK build, has anyone done one before that can let me know if is there anything else I should know?

Cheers! M2

[BigFreddie]

I am picking this up on Monday…

It is a Yugo AK-47 "parts kit" with everything except for the trigger and sear/disconnector.

Obviously, the receiver was cut in half. That is because one of the rails inside the receiver was broken, and the seller wanted to sell it as parts instead of a functioning rifle.

The good news is that the barrel is already pressed into the front trunion, and is threaded for a muzzle brake/flash suppressor.

A bud recommended a replacement receiver from Nodakspud (the NDS-5 is for fixed stock Yugo), and reminded me that I need six 922r compliant parts. The NDS-5 would be one, a TAPCO G2 trigger three, a gas piston one more, and a handguard would add up to six. However, another bud believes that is already a US-made pistol grip on there, so that's one less item needed which is great because I hope to keep the Yugo furniture on it.

This would be my first attempt at an AK build, has anyone done one before that can let me know if is there anything else I should know?

Cheers! M2

Go to theakforum.net and browse their builders section. You'll get all the info you need. I've looked into building my own kits before but the tooling is not something I had sitting around so there would be a serious investment to get it. And it is a little more involved than building an AR which is all pins and springs...

BF

[M2]

Thanks BF, I may just do a screw build as it would be easier and I am just looking to rebuild it back to operational status and it'll have to be 922r compliant anyway...

Cheers! M2

[Timbonez]

Just won an auction on GunBroker for a S&W Model 27-3 w/6" barrel. It will be a nice complement to my other two S&W .357s and all my other revolvers in general. I'll post my own pics once I get it.

[Royal]

Just won an auction on GunBroker for a S&W Model 27-3 w/6" barrel. It will be a nice complement to my other two S&W .357s and all my other revolvers in general. I'll post my own pics once I get it.

The 27 is one of the best revolvers I've shot. It's got an incredibly smooth trigger pull, and it feels really well balanced. You'll enjoy it.

[Timbonez]

The 27 is one of the best revolvers I've shot. It's got an incredibly smooth trigger pull, and it feels really well balanced. You'll enjoy it.

I agree. I already have a Model 27 with a 4" barrel.

[M2]

T-bonez

Sweet grab, brother! As I've mentioned before, I have a 1954 Colt .357 (pre-Python) that was my Dad's...

It is and always will be the most valuable firearm I have if only for that fact. I actually have the original receipt from the lieutenant my Dad bought it from.

Switching gears, I am heading out to pick up the M70AB1 Yugo AK parts kit tomorrow; but found a complete rifle for sale nearby and most likely will be grabbing it as well...

Life is good!

Cheers! M2

[Royal]

M2, did you have to buy a second home just to have a place to stash your collection?

[2sBlind]

I'm a careful guy, but I've found myself on the bad side of a "net transaction gone bad."

Found a nice Kimber on a website, made an offer, was accepted, got address, someone called my FFL to request information, the guy requested a USPS Money Order, said he was former military from Wright Patt, and all was going well.

3 Weeks passed, no gun. Did some checking, found the guy's Brother in law (that actually owns the house the check was shipped to), and called. He chuckled, said "Yeah, I know Rob Edwards" and said "He recently came into some money and was flashing it around. I can't get involved, but I'll give him your phone number and tell him to get his %^#@ straight. And he's never been in the military."

It's a Dayton address.

Anyone know my options to recover this? Dayton Police? It's mail fraud, so I've filed with the USPS, but that won't go anywhere...

Usually the gun crowd is pretty safe, and this one had all the indications of being on the level.

Ideas?

2sBlind...

[Timbonez]

That's a crappy deal. There really isn't much you can do. Talking to Dayton police probably won't yield any results, but it's better than nothing. When you filed mail fraud with USPS did you talk to anyone and explain the situation? I thought money orders are protected.

[M2]

I used to believe USPS money orders were the safest way to pay for a firearm bought online, but from what I've learned the Post Office will make zero effort to investigate if the deal goes south. I guess I've just been lucky with the transactions I've been involved with, but there's always a chance of getting ripped off. Sorry to hear it happened to someone on here...

On a different note, I picked up the Yugoslav M70B1 (not M70AB1 as I originally thought) parts kit as well as the complete rifle. As you can see in the above pics, the previous owner of the rifle didn't like the unfinished wood so he finished it. Plus, the sling was put on like a Chinese AK, not with a loop on the receiver. The "parts kit" furniture was authentic Yugoslav-issue, complete with markings on the stock. I was dreaming there might be some "trench art" from the Bosnian war, but it wasn't to be; but I preferred the more authentic furniture so I swapped them out. I still need to do the same with the gas tubes, the rifle was practically pristine whereas the parts kit one was heavily fouled. I also need to insert some 1/8" x 1" long strips cut from a Coke can as the handguards are a little loose (as usual). Those will solidify things up quite nicely...

Pics inbound, but for now I got a nice M70B2 with authentic furniture on it, and if I sell the remaining parts kit and furniture I could have gotten it for ~$300-350.

Cheers! M2

[StoleIt]

I was always under the impression Money Order's were the safest route also.

I did my last transaction with PayPal and it was beyond smooth. Might be using that more often.

[Smokin]

What website did you buy it through? Did the guy have some positive previous buyer feedback? Also, I'm assuming that it was across state lines which should make it a federal offense. Have you called the FBI to see if they can do anything?

[2sBlind]

It was Armslist. All they can do it prevent him from posting again, but he can just re-register. I'm going to go with local police, then ATF.

[M2]

Don't hold your breath, especially with the USPS or ATF; as neither are likely to do anything about it from what I have been told...

[Nineline]

I'm looking for a little help from those who know their way around AR's. Without ever owning an AR before, I'm attempting to sort out the most economical way to build a good AR. I've narrowed my manufacturers down to Spike's Tactical and CMMG, both of who I've heard great things about. I also heard that it is cheaper to buy the lower and upper separately since it eliminates the paying the Federal Excise Tax of 10%.

After a few nights of research, I've settled on a 16" barrel, 1:7 twist, midlength gas system, picatinny rail, Troy BUIS, Magpul CTR stock and grip. I've picked all of this out based on what other people have said, so please educate me if any of this sounds odd!

Now here's where I need help: When I go to Spike's Website, I can find exactly what I'm looking for (I think).

However, when I go to CMMG's website I find this and am faced with an array of options. Do I need to choose a gas piston system, and if so which one? And what is a full auto carrier and why is it my only option?

Of course, I'm also going to need a lower to finish off this build. Spike's has this stripped lower on special, but I'm going to need more than that obviously to complete this project. My best guess is that I'll need the stock, trigger guard, buffer assembly, their lower parts kit, and a castle nut and end plate. Am I missing anything? Maybe it's worth it to pay a little more and just get the complete lower that's already assembled; what do you guys think?

Thanks for the help.

-9-

Edited August 13, 2010 by Nineline

[Timbonez]

Between the two, definitely go with the Spikes. You've obviously done your research, and the accessories you've chosen will make an great carbine. To build the Spike's stripped lower you'll want to get a good lower parts kit (LPK). A lot of people use DPMS and Rock River Arms (I've used two of their LPKs, with varying results), but I suggest you get a Daniel Defense or CMT/Stag LPK. The Daniel Defense is probably your best bet other than Colt, but you'll be paying over twice as much with Colt and it won't even come with a trigger. Linky for DD LPK. You'll also need to buy a receiver extension, castle nut, and the CTR stock. If you don't want to keep the standard A2 grip that comes with the LPK some good options are the Magpul MIAD or Magpul MOE grips.

You'll also need a carbine action spring and a buffer for the receiver extension. For a midlength system, I would recommend an H buffer.

If you want to buy a complete lower, there are plenty of good options out there and Spikes is a good choice. Most of them come standard with the M4 stock, but you can easily replace that with the CTR that you want. FWIW, I run standard M4 stocks on all my AR-15s except for my Noveske (it came with a Vltor stock).

As for the gas piston question, no it is definitely not necessary. The AR-15 DI gas system has been around for over 50 years and has been used with great success. I have one gas piston system and it's an LWRC. It's a great rifle, it runs cleaner, and the internals stay cooler, but I wouldn't say it's better than my DI rifles. You also have to realize that most AR-15 manufacturers are jumping on the gas piston bandwagon. They are all proprietary, which means you'll have to go back to the company you bought it from to get replacement parts for the piston system. They are also composed of multiple parts, which have replaced the DI system's single gas tube and roll pin. Basically what I'm saying is, since this is your first AR-15, I'd stick with a DI gun first and then buy a piston gun later.

The difference between a full auto carrier and a semi auto carrier is the amount of steel used in it. The full auto carrier uses more, which increases the dwell time before the bolt unlocks from its lugs and moves rearward ejecting the spent case. The increased dwell time will aid in extraction of the spent case as well as help prevent bolt carrier bounce.

The top bolt carrier is an old Colt semi-auto carrier. Notice where the rear of the firing pin would be... it's is not shrouded. Also the rear of the carrier has less steel compared to the middle carrier. The middle carrier has the proper shrouded firing pin and extra steel. That's a full auto carrier, and it's the one you want. The bottom carrier is your standard semi-auto carrier.

Ok, so that's a lot of information, and I hope I conveyed it in a somewhat coherent manner. The following is a link of desirable features in an AR-15. It's part of a list of recommended carbines, which you can ignore. Just pay attention to the description of each item and decide how important it is to you. Finally, be confident that Spikes puts out an incredibly priced weapon that is very competitive with higher priced AR-15s. M4 Comparison Chart and Explanation of Desirable Features

[JarheadBoom]

Do I need to choose a gas piston system, and if so which one? And what is a full auto carrier and why is it my only option?

In my opinion, for 90% of civilian users, gas piston systems are a solution in search of a problem.

The full-auto bolt carrier has more metal at the tail end of the carrier for additional mass, which helps regulate the action speed/cycle time. They work well on short-barreled ARs to dampen the sharper gas impulse the shorter gas systems inherently have, which is why some manufacturers supply only a FA carrier with their weapons.

The midlength gas system is optimum on a 16" barrel, assuming the gas port in the barrel is the correct diameter. The general 'net consensus is that Spike's barrels consistently have correctly-sized gas ports.

EDIT: sonofabitch... ninja'd by Timbonez...

Edited August 13, 2010 by JarheadBoom

[StoleIt]

I would shop https://www.bravocompanyusa.com for deals.

Most of my AR parts came from BCM and they are absolutely great!

[Nineline]

Thanks for the help, Timbonez!

Well, I wasn't planning on purchasing anything yet, but I was looking around today and ran across a deal that was too good to pass up. I bought the Spike's mid-length upper, a Troy rear DOA sight and 3 PMags for $642 shipped from Aim. By my math, that saves me over $120 from buying from Spikes directly! Now I just have to find a deal on a lower and I'm all set. I have hopes that I'll run across a good deal on that at a gun show here in a few weeks. If not, Spike's has their complete lower on special for $250 including an M4 stock.

Now, however, my biggest problem is how I'm going to break this to my wife!

-9-

Edit to add: I googled RDIAS and found out it stood for "Registered Drop-In Auto Sear". Is this what's needed to make it an illegal full-auto evil black gun? If that's the case, I'm guessing it's not required.

Edited August 14, 2010 by Nineline

[M2]

Now, however, my biggest problem is how I'm going to break this to my wife!

Shit, if I can get away with it, anyone can!

Good luck! M2

[BigFreddie]

Thanks for the help, Timbonez!

Well, I wasn't planning on purchasing anything yet, but I was looking around today and ran across a deal that was too good to pass up. I bought the Spike's mid-length upper, a Troy rear DOA sight and 3 PMags for $642 shipped from Aim. By my math, that saves me over $120 from buying from Spikes directly! Now I just have to find a deal on a lower and I'm all set. I have hopes that I'll run across a good deal on that at a gun show here in a few weeks. If not, Spike's has their complete lower on special for $250 including an M4 stock.

Now, however, my biggest problem is how I'm going to break this to my wife!

-9-

Edit to add: I googled RDIAS and found out it stood for "Registered Drop-In Auto Sear". Is this what's needed to make it an illegal full-auto evil black gun? If that's the case, I'm guessing it's not required.

You can go here. They have a couple nice lowers that meet what you want. Not $250 but you won't have to swap out too many parts either.

Good to see folks getting into ARs. There are a lot of good sales out there now too! Bravo Company has a great sale going on their uppers. Plus Daniel Defense is having a big sale as well.

BF

[Timbonez]

Bravo Company is a very good source for complete uppers and accessories. I own two of their uppers and three of their bolt carrier groups. You really can't go wrong with BCM stuff.

RDIAS are legal but they're very expensive and you need to register it with the ATF. And many states restrict NFA weapons like that.

[M2]

Way too much AR talk going on, time to post a pic of some true "assault rifles!"

I guess I need to put magazines in them the next time...

Cheers! M2

[HU&W]

OK, so I'm faced with temptation. I don't really need a new hunting rifle and I don't really need a 7mm. But, I stumbled across a pretty good deal at the local walmart this morning. The have a Remington 700SPS 7mm, scoped, on clearance for $357 before the $100 mail-in rebate for $257 total.

It seems like a very good deal, and I've heard lots of good things about the 700. Like I said, I'm tempted.