[Lee F]

I would like to do some accuracy testing with a Romanian SAR with various handloads in Laupa brass. Is there a way to convert the AK to straight pull bolt action? I've reversed the gas piston in M1 carbines for years to accomplish the same thing. The Laupa brass is just too expensive to damage it in the extraction/ejection cycle and chance loosing it if it misses the catch blanket. Thanks.

[AJ Dual]

Just removing the piston ought to accomplish the same thing. However getting it unscrewed from the bolt carrier can be difficult, even though they're threadded, they're sometimes aggressively staked or even spot-welded.

I would say this is a lot easier with an SKS, if it was just the brass you were testing. The inexpensive surplus Yugo SKS's even have a gas cut-off for grenade launching. Although I get the impression that it's the brass and the SAR you're testing in combination. :(

Perhaps ordering a spare bolt carrier without the piston would be easier?

[Lee F]

Good pointers. I think I've figured it out but won't know until the parts come in. I'm going to order another bolt carrier with gas piston and cut off the last one or two inches of the gas piston. Then I'll machine a plug to block off the gas port housing. Don't want the gas coming back toward me unobstructed.

[Hkmp5sd]

There is a pump action Ak-47 you might want to check out. Might be able to purchase the parts to convert your SAR or just acquire the entire rifle for testing and leave your AK in it's semi-auto configuration.

http://pix.gunbroker.com/pixhost/2001-12-30/JULESCODY_1010078216_PAR1.jpg

http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=12767836

[goon]

Doesn't the piston keep the carrier in the right place, sort of acting like a guide for the carrier while the gun cycles?
I have thought about the same thing for hunting.
In PA, it is illegal to hunt with a semi-auto.
I figured that if you could convert one to straight pull bolt, you could not only hunt with it, you could have evil preban features in a gun that could be semi-auto in about fifteen seconds.
I was thinking about a spare carrier with an AMD-65 piston in it. I would think that not enough pressure would get there to move the action, but it would still guide the carrier and block off all that pressure getting vented back there at you.
Do you guys think that would work?

[Hkmp5sd]

you could have evil preban features in a gun that could be semi-auto in about fifteen seconds.

Won't work. ATF has a couple of clauses like "and the parts necessary to assemble" and "readily restored to". Just wait until next September for the evil features. Not worth the hassle.

[Sleeping Dog]

Won't work. ATF has a couple of clauses like "and the parts necessary to assemble" and "readily restored to".

True, but not relevant here. The ban on semi-auto is not a federal or ATF thing, it's just a Pennsylvania hunting reg. ATF won't care how fast you can convert a "straight-pull bolt-action AK" back to a federally legal semi-auto AK.

If you can convert an AK to bolt-action, will PA accept it as legal for hunting? Or will they claim "once a semi-auto, always a semi-auto"?

Regards.

[Kharn]

Sleeping Dog:
I've heard of people hunting in PA with their FALs, either by simply flipping the gas plug from 'Automatic' to 'Grenade' (semiauto to single shot, only for the daring, as a Game Warden could say you flipped it to 'Grenade' when he came into view), or by removing the gas piston and setting it on 'Grenade' (so no gas gets into the gas tube and theres no possibility of it being semiauto).

Kharn

[Hkmp5sd]

I was referring to the "evil features" portion, not the hunting. ATF is picky about having "parts" for some reason.

[JA]

All AK rifles have the gas piston screwed into the carrier and pinned. The SAR-1 rifle has a US mfg. gas piston and they didn't pin them but welded them in one side of the pin hole. The piston doesn't do much guiding but the receiver rails are what keeps the carrier in place when it moves in the rifle.
SOG latest ad had the pump AK rifles for $229.

[Lee F]

After a little surfing and a lot of research this is one of those ideas that will be put on the side burner. I only paid $250 for the complete rifle so there's no way I'm going to shell out anywhere from $50 to $80 for a bolt carrier and gas piston. Removing one gas piston and inserting another will take more time than its worth also. AK's may be cheaper than AR's but the parts sure aren't.

[jrhead75]

I've heard of folks tapping the gas port and plugging it with a set screw.

Just out of idle curiosity...why?

[Jim K]

PA used to say that the "conversion" from semi-auto to straight pull bolt had to be at least semi-permanent. I know guys who hunted with M1 rifles simply by punching the valve out of the gas cylinder lock screw. As long as the hunter did not have an unaltered lock screw in his pocket, he was OK.

Jim

[sterling180]

After the Hungerford Massacre in August 1987-which involved a heavily armed maniac going on a rambo-style killing spree-the UK government passed a supposed Combat/Assault weapon ban in the guise of The 1988 Firearm Ammendment Act, which was a variation to the original 1968 Act.This act primarily was supposed to ban all semi-automatic assault weapons-including some shotguns- but us Brits came up with an almost original solution.

Someone wrote to Olympic Arms in America and told them of the subsequant change in law, so Olympic Arms started to export AR-15s without the semi-auto gas functions, to conform to UK law.The Practical-Shooters were once again pleased that they could legally own an AR-15 and started taking them to PR and service rifle matches.However some of the AR-15 enthusiasts were not happy, because they were used to semi-autos and the T-shaped cocking handle was slow to use, but begruginly used them because this was to be the closest that they would get, to owning an assault weapon.

Ruger some years later made an M14 Ranch rifle for export to the UK.Its designation is: Ruger M14 Ranch Rifle B.A.O. (Bolt-Action Operated.)
Saiga has modified their assault weapons to straight-pull action, to be exported for the UK market.This could be handy for the Australian shooters.