Got my first AK kit yesterday....

[masek77]

I got my first AK kit in the mail yesterday. It was one of those AKs that is brand new and then cut in half for sale in the US. Overall the quality is very very good. I could tell they fired a few rounds thru it before cutting it so Ill clean that up but all in all it is everything I expected or hoped for.

This will be my first build so I am planning on buying a receiver from NDS specifically made for this model.

I can tell from looking at it that Ill have to have the barrel removed to rivet the receiver to the front trunion. Ive seen it done on DVDs etc and it doesnt look too difficult but if it can be screwed up I know I can do it. Any good advice would be much appreciated.

I found a website that explains how to make rivet presses out of bolt cutters. Does anybody have a pair they would consider selling?

Where can I get the go/no go gas checks?

I found a source for the AMD65s and Romanian AKs and will probably buy a few of them over the next year or two before Hillary gets in. For that Ill be buying just the receiver blanks for each speficic model.

Anybody do a lot of building? Any websites that are helpful?

[DWTim]

Where can I get the go/no go gas checks?

Are you looking for head space gauges? First thing I would do is some research. Find out what the factory spec is supposed to be on the gun, as the SAAMI specs may be tighter. I'll leave it at that. Anyway, if your gun is 7.62x39, Midway USA has them. I've yet to run across one for the 5.45 caliber.

Anybody do a lot of building? Any websites that are helpful?

Wish I kept a lot of the information I had. I did dig up a video on YouTube that shows how to bend your own receiver. You'll need the right jigs and a press, but I suppose it would be worth it if you were planning on building a lot of them. The video isn't a complete reference on its own, but it is nice to have to illustrate what is being described in written instructions.

EDIT: The AR15.com DIY forums are a good place to start: http://www.ar15.com/forums/forum.html?b=4&f=51

[masek77]

Thanks for your help. Im not pretending to know much of anything about doing this. I have a mechanical background but not a gun or gunsmithing background. Thanks again.

[patm41]

dont even try a bend your own flat as a new builder.. its not as simple as it sounds..
Build a couple rifles with a 100% reciever first  then move to bending your own flats