AK parts kits?

[Caimlas]

So, I saw a Romanian AK parts kit for sale the other day for $109. Not having an AK yet, I thought, "Hmm, receiver flats are cheap! And since I'm on a tight budget, I'll get a flat, parts kit, and the required other parts for compliance and save a little money."

So I look into it. As near as I can tell (based largely off of the SurplusRifle pages) it's not possible to build a parts kit up from a receiver flat for less than $400 in tools - hydraulic press, flat template, etc. Am I wrong in this assessment?

So, is there a cheaper way to go about making a flat + kit into a complete rifle? I've got a few basic tools already, but they're mostly for woodworking.

 

[Nick1911]

It depends.

I've made two AK's this way, one using a laser cut flat and one using a pre-bent. I did both without a mill or lathe, using mostly files and a dremel tool. It can be done, but it would be so much easier now that I have a mill...

PM me for more info.

 

[kfranz]

Time will replace tool money if you're willing to give it a go. Search around on the various AK boards and you'll see guys bending flats using their car as the press....

Otherwise, build yourself 10 AK's and then the tool cost is only $40 per rifle. Sell the tooling when you're done and you drop the per rifle cost farther.

 

[rbernie]

You can buy a pre-formed, fully complete, and fully heat treated DCI NDS3receiver for $55 plus shipping/transfer fees. You can buy that Romanian parts kit for $110. You can buy a G2 trigger, US-made flash hider, and US-made pistol grip/handguard compliance parts for around $100 (plus or minus if you choose different compliance parts combinations). My local gunsmith will charge me $35 to parkerize an assembled receiver/barrel unit. Total cost for a Romanian build on a good quality receiver = approximately $325, not including tool costs.

That's not a bad price for a good build, and is a wee bit less than you'd pay for a NIB CAI WASR-10 (of uncertain quality).

 

[Juna]

Is it possible to add a flash hider to a WASR 10 that doesn't already have one? If so, how much would one cost?