My AK Essay got workshopped Thur. (Essay Posted)
Overall, it went pretty well. I knew I'd get some odd looks and questions, but the essay was a success overall. My professor said it was really well written. I have to make a few changes now (more personalization, detail clarification and expounding on other areas). I might need to add more pictures too. I'm debating that thought.
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Post it here, I would like to see it. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by MVP
Post it here, I would like to see it.
I'll try. The formating may be a bit screwy and hard to read.
Also, the auto-censor will kick in a few times.0 -
I made a discovery while flipping through the channels of basic cable. The old of yesterday has become today's new thing. Rebuilding, reconditioning and restoring the old bygone remnants of yesteryear dominated my Sunday morning TV viewing. Bob Vila watched people work on houses, "Trucks" rebuilding a '56 Ford and an advertisement for the Do It Yourself (DIY) channel. The channel shocked me the most. I've been doing almost everything by myself for a long time. I believe it was required growing up on a farm. My dad, brothers and I did
restoration and DIY projects everyday. We didn't want to do them. We had to do them. Hell, the nearest repair shop was over an hour away. I still liked doing them though. .
My penchant for doing it myself, and a fascination for mechanical things, often results in awkward situations. These usually require me to explain a pile of parts and why something doesn't work anymore. I like to avoid these. Research helps. So do instructions. I know that runs counter to all the logic ingrained in male DNA. It does take some effort on my part to read instructions. And when there are no instructions? Well, that's when I assess the situation and say, "How hard can it be?"
That question floated in my mind when I tackled my last DIY project. I built an AK-47. I didn't build a real one. That would be illegal. I did build a legal model of one though. I have had a fascination with firearms, cars, motorcycles and a ton of other complex machines. Rebuilding diesel engines, repairing broke toys to avoid an angry mother and trying to extend the service life of hard to come by toys will do that to you. I would also rather build it then buy it. That way I know that if mistakes happen I can only blame myself.
Legal Stuff
"You can't build a gun. That's illegal." Yes, you can build any firearm you want to build. There are rules though. The firearm cannot fall into the Class 3 category of weapons (i.e. automatics, silencers, rifles with barrels less then sixteen inches or shotguns with barrels under eighteen inches, etc.). You also can never sell the firearm. I can count on one hand with probably four fingers left the number of people I know who can build a gun from scratch. The complicated process requires a milling machine, lathe and a good supply of tools. I know a lot of machinists and mechanics who couldn't do it. I can't do it.
I used a kit to build my rifle. This is the most popular route for the majority of people who build their own guns. The build also has to meet Unlawful Acts US Code: Title 18,922. The law says that to assemble a rifle in a certain manner, it must contain a certain percentage of US made parts. It was six for my rifle. I used eight. Depending on the firearm, the assembly method ranks anywhere from a three to a seven on a scale of ten; subjective to your personal skill level and confidence in your ability of course. I find listening to music helps, so does swearing profusely. That might just be me though.
A Romanian Solider
Romania became a NATO partner country in 1991. At the November 2002 Prague Summit, along with six other countries it was invited to join the Alliance. Romania had to adopt the NATO 5.56mm rifle round as part of joining. All countries are required to use the same standardized round for supply reasons.
Romania had recently taken delivery of a large shipment of AKM-63s. This was their variation of Mikhail Kalashnikov's famous #1040;#1074;#1090;#1086;#1084;#1072;#1090; #1050;#1072;#1083;#1072;#1096;#1085;#1080;#1082;#1086;#1074;#1072;. The USSR gave AKs to any country that supported, believed or agreed with the Linen / Marxist philosophy. Romania, being a member of the Warsaw Pact, had Soviet military technology poured into it. The guns flooded third-world countries. They were used to fight rebellions. They were used to overthrow regimes. They also protect seventy countries that employ it as their standard issue military rifle. Some of the Romanian rifles never served. The countries new status in NATO made the weapons in storage useless. The U.S.A. supplied new M-16s for the country.
A dishonorable discharge awaited the silent metal soldiers in the Army's storage buildings. Protecting their country was no longer their job. Row upon row of rifles stood at silent attention while politicians, supply clerks and foreign influences decided their bleak future. In the end the Golden Rule came into effect: Money talks. The country suffered from finical hardships since the Soviet collapse. Romania sold the rifles off to importers in America who brought them in as "parts kits." Others were sold complete to other countries in Africa and Central America.
American importers had to comply with regulations set forth by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). They had to demill the rifles before importation. Demilling makes the rifles no longer rifles under the law. The receiver is the part considered a firearm by the ATF. As long as that part can no longer serve its functional purpose, the rest can be imported. Complete rifles, especially Class 3 full-autos, are strictly forbidden.
Demilling an AK starts with an oxy-acetylene torch to cut the receiver. An operator uses the torch to cut the receiver behind the barrel pinion, cuts off the piece of the receiver attached to the trigger guard, and then makes an angling cut from the back of the trigger guard to the rear pinion. This operation removes eighty-five percent of the receiver and renders the rifle useless as a firearm. All that's left are parts.
Journey to Redemption
My parts kit arrived at my neighbors' apartment. I was working so UPS dropped it off at my neighbors. It shipped directly to me for the good folks at AK-parts.com for $99.95. I settled on the Romanian kit after searching, comparing and investigating the differences between the available models. You can have an AK from at least a dozen different countries. The Romanians represent the best buy for the money. Since this was my first build, I wanted to do it as inexpensively as possible. Ruining it seemed a distinct possibility to me.
Christmas came early. The first thing I did was open the box and spread the parts out on a white towel. All parts present. I arranged them in their former complete shape. I realized how ugly the gun was when it was whole. The wood appeared to be carved by an arthritic person with a pocket-knife. He must have hated his job too, because the front grip looked terrible and uncomfortable to hold. The metal finish was ruff and a step up from putrid. The recoil pad was only a part of the stock painted black. The AK design isn't inherently attractive. The shell of the rifle before me proved that point. The rifle looked like it fell out of the Ugly Tree and hit every ugly branch on the way down. Then it was run over by an Ugly Truck.
What were my expectations? They weren't great. I simply wanted to build a classic looking AK style rifle. That's it. Looking at the pile of parts on the white towel, I decided I might be slightly out of my league. My mind started ticking off the things to be done; strip off the old receiver and wood, get new receiver, get new wood, punch out old rivets, find out about metal refinishing, and look to see if I own a torch. Oh, and make sure I had the required number of US parts to avoid the aforementioned felony charge. I decided to attack the list one step at a time. It seemed the logical thing to do.
First up, I grabbed my trusty DIYer sword; the Dremel tool. The demilling process left a good portion of the old receiver attached to the front and rear trunions. Trunions hold the barrel (front) and buttstock (rear) onto the receiver. These parts must be freed for assembly of the rifle. But, I couldn't' damage them in anyway or they were useless. This would prove difficult since they are machined from solid steel. I ended up grinding the heads off the old rivets holding the scrap receiver to the trunions. Using a set of channel lock pliers I ripped the old metal off. Both the front and rear were freed. The buttstock had to be beat off the rear with a hammer. In one hand I held what looked like a medieval club and in the other I held a hunk of metal with stubs poking out either side. Next, I had to separate the front handguard from the barrel assembly. The buttstock and pistol grip came off easily enough when unscrewed. The front handguard presented more of a problem.
The barrel of the AK has a wood handguard centered forward of the rear sight block and four inches or so behind the front sight. It protects the shooter's hand while firing. It's a two piece design; top and bottom. The top covers the gas tube. The bottom covers the barrel. I lifted a lever on the left side of the rear sight block. That allowed the removal of the gas tube so I could separated it from the rest of the barrel assembly. I set the tube aside and pondered the removal of the lower part of the guard. I had to look like a chimp inspecting a foreign object, newly discovered on the forest floor. I turned the assembly over, and over.and over. I looked at the front. I inspected the rear. I turned it over again. Finally, I looked to the Holder of All Answers, the internet. Five minutes later I used a tack-hammer to move the metal tab at the top of the guard forward. After that I pulled it off.
The top part of the guard proved more difficult. I found a way to remove it while searching for the bottom's removal. All I had to do, so sayith the internet, was grab the metal gas tube and twist the wood with my other hand; like a motorcycle. Easy enough. Ten minutes, two raw hands and a tapestry of profanity later I broke out the channel locks and the tack-hammer. I managed to separate it with little visible damage. I probably had my neighbors convince I suffered from Turrets too.
The wood removal was a pleasant romp compared to the rivet removal. I bought a set of punches and a three pound sledge hammer to facilitate the removal process. Using the corner of a metal table for a brace, my dad and I managed to remove the front trunion's rivets. We later learned that we bent its edge slightly when machining the trunions. I'll elaborate on that later. The rear trunion was difficult. We beat the rivets like they owed us money. Then we drilled holes through them, burning up two drill bits in the process. We beat them more. We sprayed the rivets with Break-Free oil. We tried a bigger hammer. Two hours later the two rivets were on the floor. We stopped for the day and went for the screwdrivers. We were out of vodka.
Ok, the wood was gone and the rivets knocked out. I donated the wood to a guy on an internet forum. He wanted it. I was happy to give it. Up next was the barrel's removal from the front trunion. The barrel of the AK does not screw in like normal barrels. It is pressed into the trunion and then pinned into place. The pin fits in a hole behind the rear sight block. This hold straddles a notch in the barrel that the pin slides into. This prevents the barrel from walking out while firing. To remove the barrel, you must remove the pin. All you have to do is use a hammer and a punch to drive it out. That's what I was told anyways.
Three punches, four drill bits, one smashed finger, every possible use of the word "bleen" and a twenty ton hydraulic press finally removed the damn pin. We ruined it. I didn't care. The barrel plopped out when it was put in the press. That step completed the entire stripping of the parts kit. At last it was time to assemble the assorted parts. Oh, and there's no instructions for this step. Every rifle is different. Like snow flakes. Look on the internet and hangout in gun forums long enough and you'll find people willing to point you in the right direction. A lot of the people offer detailed pictures of their builds and helpful advice on how to avoid possible hang-ups and pitfalls. No one had heard anything like my barrel pin story. I guess I'm just lucky.
Assembly requires the help of a professional. Since the receiver is the firearm, by law, it must ship through a federal firearms dealer. I could have built my own receiver. I could have hit myself in the head with a hammer too. Manufactured receivers are more convenient. The headache, time and swearing saved make them worth it. I went with the thicker walled (1.6mm) receiver. It represented a compromise between the expensive milled variety, and the standard one millimeter thick standard stamped receivers. Going this route meant that the trunions were too wide for the receiver. So, into the milling machine they went. After one trunion was done, the milling bit broke. It still cut, so I managed to finish narrowing the trunions. They fit perfectly. I next attacked the job of finishing my newly acquired wood set. After sanding and finishing in Linseed oil the wood looked great. Even my mom liked the way it turned out. She doesn't care for guns.
I amassed the parts before me in my dad's shop. Sitting there like a complex and colorful 3-D puzzle, I set about planning the route to completion. I made the following mental list:
1. Drill holes for the front and rear trunions
2. Rivet the trunions to the receiver
3. Press the barrel into the front trunion and pin it
4. Fit the new wood set
5. Install the fire control group
6. Final assemble
7. test fire and pray for no explosions
Despite having to drill, re-weld, then drill again for the rivet holds, assembly wasn't too bad. Barrel installation presented a problem. I heated the receiver in my oven to expand the front trunion. The barrel went into the freezer for some shrinkage. They seized together when I attempted to marry them together. Forcing them together proved impossible, even with the used of a heavy hammer and large amounts of profanity. Into the hydraulic press it went. I was almost finished with that step completed. The end was near.
After the Battle of the Barrel, installing the wood was a breeze. The classic styled set greatly improved the looks of the rifle over the horrid abortion that came attached to it. The look, fit and feel were much improved. I did all that for less then a hundred bucks.
Installing the fire control group was.fun. My fingers weren't nimble enough to do it in one sitting. Springs shot past my head. I dropped parts left and right. I continued my swearing streak. Blood spilled out of my fingers. Finally, the parts were installed, only to be removed when I discovered that one part was misaligned. I felt like the first Neanderthal to achieve a spark from flint when I put it all together, racked the bolt and dry fired it. It worked! In theory. I needed to test it with ammo now.
I decided to test fire my new rifle on a sunny Saturday afternoon. The sky was blue; white swatches of clouds swept by the trees. The buffalo grass in the pasture behind my parent's house was two feet tall and rolling like green waves. I picked a good day to possibly sustain serious injuries. The odds were against it, but that never stopped bad things from happening to be before. I loaded one round into the magazine, inserted it into the gun and racked the bolt. I held the rifle in front of me; arms length away. I pulled the trigger. The sound of the hammer clicking was very loud.
My first attempt was a failure. I ejected the cartridge. There was a dent in the primer where the firing pin had struck it. I put the round back in the chamber. I pulled the trigger. The report was extremely loud even with ear protection. I still had all my fingers attached and no shrapnel in my body. I loaded three rounds in the magazine. Two shot and one misfire for my effort. I loaded the misfire and it went of the second try.
"What the hell?" That question is often uttered in my projects; mentally or aloud. Why did some rounds work and some not? I guess a weak hammer spring. I checked around with others who had built rifles similar to min. They never heard of that problem. I double checked the fire control group's assembly. One hour and a bandaged finger later everything had been disassembled and reassembled back to specs. I went back outside to try firing multiple shots again. The same thing happened as before.
The problem revealed itself a few weeks later when my little brother, Brent, and his friend were firing the rifle. Apparently I forgot to put in a part call the Shepard hook. This keeps the parts from flocking off. I received a panicked call from Brent when I was in Oklahoma. He explained that it wasn't his fault a pin had shot out the side and was lost to time. He was only shooting the rifle. I had to use a hammer and a punch to disassemble the rifle. I ordered a five dollar part to fix the problem.after I ordered a replacement pin too.
Conclusion
I was amazed how simple of a device a rifle can be. The AK only has about fourteen major parts. It isn't the most beautiful rifle, or aesthetically pleasing pieces of engineering, but it works every time when assembled correctly. I like simple things that work. Too often I find myself repairing complicated machines and dohickies that we come to rely on for our daily lives. Have you ever tried to fix a cell phone, MP3 player, computer, monitor or laser printer? I have, and it sucks. When I find something simple that works, it makes me happy.
Did I have to build the rifle? No. Buying one would've been easier and saved me a lot of time and swearing. I built my rifle because I wanted to build it. It wasn't my first choice for a build project. I wanted to build one of those cabins that Cabela's sells. That seemed too complicated and way to expensive. Next, I looked at building an Exile Cycles kit bike. Again, the price brought that idea to a halt. Building your own kit bike will save you twenty thousand dollars, but the kit still runs almost thirty thousand. So, the rifle was third on the list. It also offered afford-ability and it could be assembled easier then the other two.
Would I do it all over again? Yes, but only if my other option included the words "fisting" and "rabid polar bear" in it.
There aren't any before and after pictures. I posted those earlier.0 -
Good read Aspen..hope you get a good grade for it..quite the experince you had huh..[:D]..Loko 0 -
Thanks for posting it.
I enjoyed your essay and you explained the proccess to where anyone wanting to build an AK will know what to expect.
I have many similar experiences with AK builds[8D]0 -
There's no grade yet. It goes: Write. Workshop. Rewrite. Grade.
Glad you guys like it.0 -
Great Article Aspen! Enjoyed it immensely!
I have read that it is so easy and cheap to assemble your own AK. The truth is out there for us all to see![;)]0 -
great post I really enjoyed reading it.
Tazz0 -
Is this the original copy, or the one with the "changes" added?
Either way, I like it.0 -
quote:Originally posted by pickenup
Is this the original copy, or the one with the "changes" added?
Either way, I like it.
It's the original. My memory stick erased itself. So, I had to retype this the day before it was due. I didn't get to make the changes I wanted before handing it out.0 -
What was total cost? What was total time spent on the project.
Speelng/Grumr:
Six parts? Six Percent?
...suffered from (Tourette's)...
- there are others, but I am sure you will find them.
Good article!0
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