AK Receivers

They are all the same basic overall dimensions however differnet types of AKs call for different thickness receivers.

In a nutshell, RPK and Yugo receivers are 1.6mm compared to the standard 1.5mm and they also have the wide bulged front trunnion. They are designed for heavier duty use.

Other than that, they are the same basic overall size as all other receivers. I even think that the PSL receiver is pretty darned close to the AKM receiver size.

If you need a receiver, buy a NDS (Nodak Spud) and you won't go wrong no matter what kind of kit you have.

Some receivers are also milled from solid steel, but the more common ones are made of riveted sheet steel. They look different, and the milled ones are considerably heavier.

the Yugos are overbuilt because they apparently took milling machinery and used it to sort of make stamped-steel AKs, from how I understand it. It was basically a way to avoid spending lots of money to replace the machinery for the new stamped steel machinery stuff when they did not have the money, the down-time to spare, and really, really needed the guns ASAP. It is also why their AK parts do not interchange with other AKs, because a lot of the parts were "redesigned" in order to fit with what they were making. Naolith can probably explain it better, because he is the one who explained it to me.

The Yugos also are not chrome-lined for the same reason, I believe (chrome was hard to come by and therefore expensive for them).

Standard AK receivers are 1mm, not 1.5. The RPK uses the thicker 1.5mm sheet steel.

My Uzi receiver is about 2.5mm thick. Don’t know why they built them that heavy. BSW

bobotech said:

In a nutshell, RPK and Yugo receivers are 1.6mm compared to the standard 1.5mm and they also have the wide bulged front trunnion. They are designed for heavier duty use.

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Standard AK receivers are of 1.0mm thick steel.

The Chinese used 1.5mm steel in their receivers because they used a crap grade of steel and the thickness was a compensation method.

briansmithwins said:

Standard AK receivers are 1mm, not 1.5. The RPK uses the thicker 1.5mm sheet steel.

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The RPK uses 1.6mm steel in it's receiver.

AFAIK, only the Chinese used 1.5mm receivers.

I stand corrected by 0.1mm.

BSW

I stand corrected too. I knew that the non-bulged receivers used the thinner metal but wasn't sure of the exact amounts.

nalioth said:

Standard AK receivers are of 1.0mm thick steel.

The Chinese used 1.5mm steel in their receivers because they used a crap grade of steel and the thickness was a compensation method.

The RPK uses 1.6mm steel in it's receiver.

AFAIK, only the Chinese used 1.5mm receivers.

Click to expand...

I still see personal accounts of chinese aks lasting over 40,000 rounds on multiple forums. They might be questionably lower carbon steel, but
they continue to run like a timex. One interesting post I recently seen was on the kvar forum. The rep from thefiringline in ok said
one of his domestic made milled receivers with chinese parts has over 100,000 rounds through it. Chinese barrel, chinese bolt, chinese
bolt carrier, chinese gas piston, etc... I have yet to see one account of someone wearing out an original imported chinese ak.
The B-west ones that were domestically made receivers without proper heat treating are the only receivers I have seen any
problems with. Those receivers indicated made in the USA.