I wanna get an AK

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Nolo

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Okay.
I've settled it.
Between all of the various models of guns that I've been debating and deciding over, I've got it.
I want to get an AK.
It's good for a lot of situations, it's relatively cheap for an autoloader, and it's ammo is relatively cheap, as well as not being punishing in long shooting sessions.
So I've got a few questions about the rifle.
Can WASR AK forestocks interchange with Yugo M70 forestocks? Can the one-piece retainer bit interchange with the two-piece retainer bit?
I've got a couple of others, but I've got to go to bed right now.
 
the yugo handgaurds are exactly 1" longer besides WHY would you want to put WASR cheap wood on a Yugo? the M70AB1 (fixed stock)already comes with much much nicer wood than any other AK.

The M70AB2 (underfolding stock) comes with black plastic handguards which can be purchased seperatly for $25 There are several people selling custom exotic wood Yugo handguards for around $70

The fixed stock Yugo can easily be adapted to use ACE stocks (use their milled stock adapter) as its simply a square buttstock socket with a center bolt instead of tangs to hold the stock on, making it really simple to convert as ya can make adapters very easy for all kinds of Stocks like collapsables in fact ya could mount just about any rifle/shotgun stock ya want on one as all ya need to do is carve the front of the stock into a square to fit the socket etc... the Yugo underfolder is the only underfolder stocked AK that actually keeps the stock in a straight line with the rifles bore so ya can actually get a decent cheek weld.

if you want an optics rail on either its a simple matter of drilling a couple holes and adding a $10 side rail (UTG clone of the Russian MTK-02 side rail its actually better finished than the russian one they copied, sold through Tickbit supply/davids collectables) Ultimak makes a replacement gastube with upper rail just like their standard AK version for $104 same price as the standard one, or ya can simply add rails to the Century plastic handguards very easily..
 
Oh, I was just using the WASR as an example of a standard AK forestock.
So can I use a one-piece stock retainer, or what?
 
what are you reffering to as a one piece stock retainer???? can ya photoshop an AK pic to show what ya are thinking of cause there is no "stock retainer" on an AK if your talking about the lower handguard retainer they are exactly the same the only difference is the Yugo one is exactly 1" further forward than a standard AK one is...... the parts are all identical other than the Yugo uses milled components other than the receiver itself (1.5 mm fully heat treated) the handgaurds on a Yugo are simply 1" longer this includes all of their mounting hardware everything is the same its just moved forward, there i no one piece or two piece for a Standard AK unless ya are trying to compare the SAIGA handgaurd retainer to an actual milspec AK........ the gas tube handguards front cap can easily be removed if your wanting to go to a Galil style lower handguard ya simply break the tack welds and slide it off the gas tube.... but the lower HG retainer is where it is unless ya pull the barrel and turn the barrel down then remill the slot etc... the Yugo uses a heavier barrel than a regular AK as its an RPK Profile barrel
 
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Nolo, since I know you're into building and working with firearms, why not buy a Saiga and build it up into anything you want?
 
In my opinion buying an AK just comes down to what you are willing to pay. If you can spend only $350 get a WASR. If you've got $475 get a Yugo. If you've got $550 get a Lancaster. $800 will get you an Arsenal Inc. They're basically the same, but fit and finish improves as the price climbs.
 
I've got around $400 right now.
With more on the way.
So I'm seriously looking at the Yugo. It's the AK I'm used to, so it's probably the highest on my list.
What I mean by the retainer bit is the metal piece in front of the front handguards. It's attached to the barrel and gas tube, and it sometimes comes as a single piece unit, not two piece (upper and lower).
I could be much mistaken, but I don't think so.
How much does it take to get a Saiga unsporterized?
 
Nolo, its not attached to the handguard, I had edited my replay above, the upper handguard uses end caps which have nothing to do with the lower handguard retainer.......... they simply line up with each other there is no interaction at all between the two seperate components..... the Yugo lower HG retainer is exactly like any other AK lower HG retainer it just happens to be 1" further forward towards the muzzle.... to accomodate the longer hand guards if your wanting to use a standard AK lower HG then ya would have to fabricate a 1" thick spacer, that retainer is one piece on all 7.62X39 AKs its installed on the barrel before the gas block and front sight block are installed, there is no military spec AK that uses a split lower HG retainer as there is no need for one........ its been the same since 1947 the lower HG retainer has absolutally no connection to the gas block at all.. I think you might be mistaking another type rifle with an AKM, maybe an AMD 63 or 65? cause the regular mil spec AKM 47 has remained the same for 60 years the Yugo M70 was the first to make any drastic changes to the basic design, the AMD 63-65 made some changes so as to use their forward pistol grip rather than the regular lower/upper handguards.....
 
With the Yugo AK, I often see them with a reinforcing strip just below the ejection port and on the opposite side, why?
 
nope, thats why ya can simply elliminate the upper handguard as long as ya retain a gas tube, to set one up like a Saiga all ya would need to do is trim the grenade launcher sight to turn it into a simple on/off gas valve and the take and break the welds holding the front upper HG cap on the gas tube, slide it off or split it with a cutoff wheel to remove it completally then the rear HG cap will have to be trimmed down so its flush with the gas tube (do not totally remove as the rear will become loose) then take a lower HG of your choice and inlet a shelf inside of it that the Lower HG retainer can press against to lock the HG in place...
 
NOLO thats not a strip the Yugo uses a heavier duty RPK front trunion, the receiver is swelled out to house the larger front trunion for a much sturdier front end for launching grenades than a regular AKs flat sided smaller front trunion, the Yugo AK is basically a shortened up RPK its built much tougher than any standard AKM
 
Oh, I see.
Yes, the Tantal is indeed what I was thinking of.
If I got a Tantal retaining unit, would it fit a Yugo?
I'm not exactly sure why I want a one-piece retainer, but I do.
 
no, the tantal uses several departures from a standard AKM the handguard retainer is one of them that is unique to the Tantal just like a gas valve is unique to a Yugo AK,
 
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I see.
Well, then, I think I'll just rock-and-roll with a standard M70B2.
I think at this point the only thing I really want to modify is the pistol grip. It'll fit SAW grips, right?
 
Wheeee!
Now for sling mounts!
They use normal threaded barrels, right (I wanna put an AK-74 brake on it)?
 
yep standard 14/1 but ya will find better accuracy with the Phantom flash hider or use a thread adapter and a real 7.62 version of the 74 style brake, but in a recent test with our shooting machine we found that the Phantom flash hider effected accuracy the least, actually worked as a flash hider and plain looks bad@ss!! the sling mount is on the side of the underfolder release cap then the usual one up front
 
Are you talking about the 4-prong flash hider or the jagged, serrated one?
I'm actually not all that worried about flash, but rather muzzle rise.
real 7.62 version of the 74 style brake
Isn't that the one I was talking about?
Thanks a ton for all the info.
 
everybody and their brother are making 14/1 copies of the 74 style brake the problem is none of these have the actual expansion chamber which is the heart of the 74s design however ya can get a 14/1to 24mm thread adapterd then use a real 74 brake which does have the expansion chamber...... if ya want dramatic recoil reduction however then spend the $51 and get a J-Tac hands down the best when it comes tpo taming muzzle climb

the flash hider is serrated

here it is at Copes dist.

http://www.copesdist.com/images/akphantomBrake.jpg

http://www.copesdist.com/ak47.htm

edit; here is a video comparing muzzle climb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pSRD-sdPsk
 
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