baldie Posted March 21, 2020 Report Share Posted March 21, 2020 Must stop getting pissed in the Diggle hotel....the other idiots usually come up with a dare... Someone said, "bet you cant make an AK competitive".... Foxy had a very nice Saiga, which belonged to a friend of mine, who passed away recently. A bog std gun with the laminate woodwork, and basically , a stock rifle. I'm gonna hell for this one..... 😄 First thing we did with it, was bolt a Dragunov scope on its side mount to it, and feed it some of the Chinese Norinco corona shite. It really is shite.....when it goes bang. The little six power scope actually zeroed, and the gun was shooting 3" at 100 with the crap. I didn't want the scope, it sat to one side. It proved it worked however, and I thought with handholds, if I could get it to 1", it would be competitive. Load is vhit 120 with a 123 lap spizter [fmj] bullet. Sold my last remaining kidney, and Brownells got a battering. First job was to fit a side charger to it, no problems there. Then the brake was annoying me, so out came mr Blowtorch. That came off, revealing an M24 threaded boss, that was blind pinned onto the barrel. It should have an M14 x 1 l/h thread, but this was made for export, so they fitted that monstrosity, to it. The barrels are pressed in, through 2 points, and i really didn't want to take the barrel out, just to re thread the muzzle. So I made a brake in the fat M24 thread. It looks big, but its actually no bigger than the std one, but this one will actually work. Next job was to bin the plastic club, the russkies believe resembles a stock. Its a folder, and there were no conversion kits available, i could find/get shipped. Took some aluminium, and spent a day on the lathe, and the mill, just for one sodding part. It works, it folds, and it takes an AR15 buffer tube. Then the Brownells box landed, with a very nice Midwest Industries side mount, in Q/D flavour, which actually puts the scope over the bore, and not off to the left. Also one of their very nice fore ends to replace the firewood with. Finished off with a Magpul rubbery MOE grip. I ordered a couple of AK mags, a steel one, and a P-mag, knowing they wouldn't work. The saiga's have their own mags, due to the Yank law, forbidding std mags fitting their guns. Dropped on four saiga mags from the chap at Riflemags, so no bother, but I really wanted to make it work with ALL mags. Again, not available, is a small metal shim, which comes from the states. Its basically a feed ramp to work with std mags, as the saiga mag has the feed ramp built into the mag. Devil of a job, as you can't get into the gun properly, to take measurements. I gave it a go, thinking it would take at least three attempts, but got the sizes correct first time. The sliver, actually slides under the barrel, and is a nice, tap fit. Drilled and tapped the receiver, and bolted it on. The screw is actually countersunk flush, but its irrelevant, as the round goes nowhere near it. With a few file strokes on the mags, it now accepts, and feeds from any mag. Going to shoot it tomorrow, and see how it goes. If all is fine, its coming apart again, for a paint job. Love these guns, there is just so much fun about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gun Pimp Posted March 21, 2020 Report Share Posted March 21, 2020 If you're shooting that at Diggle tomorrow I'd love to see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadcenter Posted March 21, 2020 Report Share Posted March 21, 2020 Was it at any point one of those jobs you wished you'd never started. Nice though, glad you finished it for us to see. More pics after the paint job? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted March 22, 2020 Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 Ace write up 👍🏻 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dellboy Posted March 22, 2020 Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 nice different is good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ds1 Posted March 22, 2020 Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 Dave, excellent work as usual. Just for info as Aks are not as common in the U.K. car circles - if it’s a 100 series receiver it’s possible FAB do a plastic skin kit and full length / integral aluminium picatinny upper.. It’s sold as a full semi-auto rifle as an AK ALFA. Below is a pic of mine with 1-6x Kahles. The charging handle can be reversed L to R in a few seconds- just a thought for a car match type alternative to an AR 15 platform. Mine is in .223 Rem 1:7” twist. Shoots very well to 600m with heavy bullets but hates ss109s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrumbag Posted March 23, 2020 Report Share Posted March 23, 2020 That Kahles looks a great scope! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrumbag Posted March 23, 2020 Report Share Posted March 23, 2020 Baldie, really interesting build! Did you do more with your .22 Nosler / .224 Valkyrie build? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldie Posted March 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2020 I've built a bolt gun in Valkyrie, and its ongoing load development, and its pretty good. The AR works nicely too. I did a 20" barrel in Nosler, and that was phenomenally accurate, but the velocities were well down on the valkyrie. The nosler needs a 26" barrel to make the silly velocities its meant to achieve, much like a 22-250, but certainly one i'll be revisiting at some stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattnall Posted March 24, 2020 Report Share Posted March 24, 2020 On 3/21/2020 at 7:59 PM, baldie said: Must stop getting pissed .... Someone said, "bet you cant make an AK competitive".... I'm gonna hell for this one..... 😄 Just because you could doesn't mean you should. Down to the fiery pit it is. 👿 Nice work though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrumbag Posted March 24, 2020 Report Share Posted March 24, 2020 16 hours ago, baldie said: I've built a bolt gun in Valkyrie, and its ongoing load development, and its pretty good. The AR works nicely too. I did a 20" barrel in Nosler, and that was phenomenally accurate, but the velocities were well down on the valkyrie. The nosler needs a 26" barrel to make the silly velocities its meant to achieve, much like a 22-250, but certainly one i'll be revisiting at some stage. Interesting stuff. I'd be intrigued to hear how that new 70 gr Accubond does on roe / munty / cwd. Scrumbag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dellboy Posted March 24, 2020 Report Share Posted March 24, 2020 On 3/22/2020 at 12:40 PM, ds1 said: Dave, excellent work as usual. Just for info as Aks are not as common in the U.K. car circles - if it’s a 100 series receiver it’s possible FAB do a plastic skin kit and full length / integral aluminium picatinny upper.. It’s sold as a full semi-auto rifle as an AK ALFA. Below is a pic of mine with 1-6x Kahles. The charging handle can be reversed L to R in a few seconds- just a thought for a car match type alternative to an AR 15 platform. Mine is in .223 Rem 1:7” twist. Shoots very well to 600m with heavy bullets but hates ss109s. Dave W can you straight pull one of these ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldie Posted March 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2020 Stop it Derek.......🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ds1 Posted March 24, 2020 Report Share Posted March 24, 2020 Dave, after the CV19 crisis is under control you are very welcome to come out and play with this and other kit. Craig should be coming out in November for the mil comp so maybe hitch a ride with him and join in the comp too. To straight pull one - zoom in on the left hand side - the charging handle and slot is already there as part of the alloy upper. Derek, I think you have shot the ALFA. If not then definitely try it next time you are over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dellboy Posted March 24, 2020 Report Share Posted March 24, 2020 2 hours ago, ds1 said: Dave, after the CV19 crisis is under control you are very welcome to come out and play with this and other kit. Craig should be coming out in November for the mil comp so maybe hitch a ride with him and join in the comp too. To straight pull one - zoom in on the left hand side - the charging handle and slot is already there as part of the alloy upper. Derek, I think you have shot the ALFA. If not then definitely try it next time you are over. Yep shot it Dave i like it . might have been Thomases with the 2 sights . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dellboy Posted March 24, 2020 Report Share Posted March 24, 2020 4 hours ago, baldie said: Stop it Derek.......🤣 Who Dares Wins ....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldie Posted March 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2020 Decided I wasn't having the standard safety on the AK....they rips lumps off you. I set to making an AR style one, which meant I needed to make all the internal mechanism, as well as the paddle itself. It took hours. The guts are made from a large piece of stainless bar, turned and milled down to quite a small part. The paddle, the same, involving the dividing head, and then upended to double as a rotary table. These things look simple, until you realise they are not. I then set a spring and ball bearing in the back, and drilled two detent dimples in the action side. It works perfectly, and is out of the way now. That was the last job before paint. Stripped it all back down and painted it in Armour black, and burnt bronze [my gun, my favourite combo ] Tuned the trigger to give a definite 2 stage release, which is very nice, and rebuilt it all. Very pleased with it. Be nice to shoot it now........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terryh Posted March 28, 2020 Report Share Posted March 28, 2020 Dave i retesting project and like the added refinement re the safety, I had a Romak for a while and was a fun rifle but as you say the safety on these rifles is the pits. be nice to hear how it shoots brgds Terry ps still feel it’s like putting lipstick on a pig though🤔😂😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldie Posted March 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2020 Course it is....but that's half the fun Terry...😂 Only tryout its had, was a six inch gong at 200 yards, and anyone who had a go, was clanging it, every shot. It was shooting 3" at 100 yards with Chinese milsurp, I hope it will do an inch with a good handload. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dellboy Posted March 28, 2020 Report Share Posted March 28, 2020 fancy another go ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldie Posted March 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2020 Depends on what you want. The mods I did to my own....you wouldn't want to pay for....they took days. Give me a buzz in the week Del. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dellboy Posted May 21, 2020 Report Share Posted May 21, 2020 Having seen that from a safe distance it really needs a nice comfortable safe home in Essex with its AR 'friend'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldie Posted May 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2020 It can come and live in Essex.......🤣 It is after, all, a shade of orange...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dellboy Posted May 22, 2020 Report Share Posted May 22, 2020 6 hours ago, baldie said: It can come and live in Essex.......🤣 It is after, all, a shade of orange...... ouch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dellboy Posted June 1, 2021 Report Share Posted June 1, 2021 On 5/22/2020 at 6:59 AM, baldie said: It can come and live in Essex.......🤣 It is after, all, a shade of orange...... Just like to update the story and confirm the rumours that the Russian Princess has been rescued from the North .So whats next Dave ?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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