shopping for AK parts kit

[jason41987]

im looking to begin an AK build soon and im looking at parts kits.. not sure if i want to go 7.62x39mm right now, or 5.56x45... i do not like the 5.45x39mm cartridge at all

so.. i thought about going with a polish kit, or a bulgarian, im unsure... if i go with a 5.56mm conversion, i would of course need a barrel to match the trunnion and the appropriate bolt face... and i believe a 5.56mm build can begin its life as either a 47, or a 74... so im not sure which would be the better way to go

my preference is for the 5.56mm over the 7.62 due to price, availability, and after a couple hundred yards the 5.56 will have more energy, and inside that range with proper loads, one could still hunt with the 5.56.. however, ive thought about having a 6.5mm grendel barrel made at some point as well

as you can see, theres a lot of confusion here as to where i should begin, and what i should start with... any suggestions?

 

[OARNGESI]

the problem with the 556 ak is the magazines they are uncommon and vary from country to country, but some you can get a adapter to use ar mags. your best bet may be to get a saiga in 223 and convert it your self

 

[jason41987]

what differences are there between an AK and a galil magazine?... perhaps the receiver could be modified to accept galil mags?.. or i could choose the best manufacturer of 5.56mm magazines and then build the rifle to use those

 

[OARNGESI]

a galil is slanted on the bottom of the receiver were a ak is straight if you want to build a galil that would be your cheapest mag source. Bulgarian 556 mags are easy to get but they are around 35 each. if you don't mind the look for around 80 you can buy a mag adaptor to run ar mags but you will need to modify the adaptor and gun

 

[jason41987]

you know what?... ive been really thinking about it, and i do think i want 5.56... i mean, its always going to be the cheapest round due to military use whereas 7.62x39 has already dried up and 5.45 isnt far behind.. so theres a greater assurance of low prices and long term availability with the 5.56

problem is... bulgarian AKs are either stamped 47s, or AK74s with 22mm trunnion... their 5.56mm barrels use a 23mm trunnion a 47 would use... so that means i would either have to find another barrel, or start a 5.56mm build on a 47 kit... a bulgarian AK 47 parts it is rather cheap.. but is for milled rifles... so i believe i would need to purchase a seperate front and rear trunnion for it

 

[zhyla]

i want 5.56... i mean, its always going to be the cheapest round

I have never seen 5.56/.223 cheaper than 7.62x39mm. Not ever. Nearly as cheap if you get steel cased .223 but never cheaper.

 

[jason41987]

mechanically, how different is the 74 from the 47?.. is the 74 a bit smaller, lighter, or are they roughly the same, 74 just having a smaller trunnion, cartridge, etc?

and if im to start this build on a '47, what 47 kit would you recommend?.. a bulgarian milled kit with an extra front and rear trunnion to be used with a stamped receiver... or a polish kit?

 

[fatcat4620]

If you are wanting to do a kit build and asking these kind of questions it may not be for you.

 

[jason41987]

ive already built one romanian, but later needed the money and had to sell it.. it was romanian... id rather avoid romanian and go with something else this time around

it seems to me the 23mm platforms are more standard, easier to find parts for, and easier to convert to a variety of cartridge.. i could be wrong though... but i do like some design features of the 74 such as the gas block, muzzle break, etc

 

[Ian]

Save yourself the trouble, and get a Yugo kit made for 5.56.

 

[jason41987]

ill get a bulgy AK 74 kit and go from there... lowest price for the quality

 

[jason41987]

well, i ordered a bulgarian '74 kit... i wasnt planning on assembling this on a receiver any time soon, so for the next 6-8 months im going to place the parts into plastic bags packed with oil for storage until im ready to put one of these together, i just dont have the tools for it right now, and i wont until then.. figured this would be the cheapest way to have an AK set aside for the future while avoiding the insane costs these things are currently going for