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AK-74 Barrel Transplant

15K views 55 replies 14 participants last post by  Landis 
#1 ·
I wanted an AK-74. A GOOD AK-74.

Long story short, I got a Century, built on an Elk River receiver. From what I saw of the gun, it looked well-made, so I bought with confidence. I COMPLETELY missed all the reports of their nasty keyholing habit.

Completely.

Mine keyholes. Badly.

It has a way crappy American-made barrel.... and if you could see the lack of riflings at the business end, you'd agree with me that it's basically a semiautomatic musket. I did a couple range tests and it has about a six-foot group at 100 yards. What is that - a 70-MOA weapon?!?

I've decided on a barrel transplant - and here's why.

The only Bulgarian parts kit I can find with original barrel costs $515.

http://www.arizonaresponsesystems.com/store/storepartsak/pagestorepartsak.shtml

I'd need a receiver. Mine's Elk River, so to be fair in this number crunching I'll check the same thing.... Bulgy receivers are $89 shipped:

http://www.elkrivertoolanddie.com/receivers.htm

From AKBuilder, figure about $40 for fire-control parts and rivets.

...for a grand total of $644.

I have $350 in this one, plus the barrel at $125 (higher of the two prices from the following sites)

http://whatacountry.com/ak-74-bulgarian-5.45x39mm-16-chrome-lined-barrel.aspx

http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?products_id=2265

Grand total of $475.

$475 vs $644. Plus I don't have access to all the riveting tools used in the $644 option. I'll need a couple headspace gauges, but I should be able to sell them after this job, so most of that money will be recouped.

I've done a lot of thinking on this, but I very highly welcome your input. That's why I'm posting this here in the first place :) :) :)

One question to start with: Between Copes and Whatacountry, which seller do you recommend?

I asked them both a question about said barrel.... and neither have answered, so so far I'm equally dis-impressed.

Thanks in advance!
 
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#2 ·
If you're replacing a US made barrel with an import, make sure you swap in a US made part someplace else to make sure you meet the 922(r) domestic parts requirement.

Matt
 
#3 ·
Lets see the Century AK74's?

rcvr=1 US
barrel=1 US
FCG=3 US
buttstock=1 US
forearm=1 US
pistolgrip=1 US

So I think there are 8 US parts in these Century AK74's. 5 if the stock set is imported. So the barrel change isn't going to hurt in the 922 area that I am aware of. But always better to check before doing anything that affects the 922 status of the rifle.
 
#7 ·
What Rigrat said. From what I've seen, a lot of guys have tried and Century didn't hold up their end.

Matt, you're 100% right. It's wise to adhere to the regs, no matter one's opinion thereof, to stay out of trouble. Thanks for bringing that up - the way I am it's easy for me to get so involved with a project that I get tunnel vision and not notice certain things of import (pun intended!) around me.

I started looking a little while ago right after I read your post and found this handy calculator:

http://thegunwiki.com/Gunwiki/BuildAkVerifyCompliance

According to this, she'll be compliant :)
 
#11 ·
A guy with a monkey on his shoulder goes into a bar. The bartender hates monkeys with a passion, and tells the guy to get the hell out ASAP. The guy convinces the bartender to serve him one beer, and after that the guy'd leave. The bartender agrees, on the condition that he'd keep the monkey from doing anything mischievous.
While the guy's drinking his beer, the monkey jumps off his shoulder, runs to the pool table, and swallows the cue ball.
The bartender runs them out at shotgun point, loudly cussing the guy AND his monkey.
A couple days later, the guy with the monkey comes back, telling the bartender that he's sorry, and that he's had the cue ball professionally cleaned and he wants to return it. The bartender thinks this is cool, and offers the guy a beer on the condition that he keeps the monkey with him. The guy shows the bartender that the monkey's chained to him, and can't get away, so the bartender pours him a beer.
The monkey jumps up on the bar, grabs a peanut, sticks it up his butt, then eats it.
This grosses out the bartender, but instead of running the guy out again, curiosity gets the better of him.

"Why did that monkey shove the peanut up his butt and THEN eat it?" he asked.

"After what he went thru passing that cue ball, he measures everything he eats now!"


The moral of the story: After what I'm going thru with Century, the ONLY way I'll EVER get another one of their products is if I'm sure that I'm sure that I'm SURE that it's RIGHT. And then, MAYBE.
 
#14 ·
Thanks, David :) I don't see why it won't work out. I hate that it had to come to this but we'll be getting some interesting smithing experience out of the deal.

Barrel and headspace gauges are on the way. So, not this weekend but next, is when the Operation may happen.
 
#15 ·
Cat, I don't doubt your abilities at all. One thing that will come of this, is the pride that you took a lemon and made a reliable weapon that will give you years of enjoyment!

Please keep us posted.
 
#16 ·
Thankya Bunny!


Pics to follow, but:

  • All pins removed. The reports on Bulgy pin removal are accurate: they're in there firmly but it doesn't take 50,000 pounds of pressure to get 'em out. Sight, gas block, and rear sight blocks will still require a press though.
  • Headspace gauges have arrived, as has a beee-autiful Bulgarian chrome-lined barrel!
  • I didn't need everything included in AKBuilder's barrel press kit, so Curtis was excessively cool and only sold me what I needed.
 
#21 ·
Thanks, Bunny!!! :)



Okay, I've performed a barrel-ectomy.





Here's the lousy quality that is Century. It looks like they shaved down the gas block area with a bench grinder:






The bottom of the same area. It looks all for the world like there was a gas port there, but they filled it in!





It gets better - THE BARREL WAS LOOSE SO THEY KNURLED IT TO GET IT TO FIT TIGHTER!!!!!!!! :twak:






On to some eye candy! The new Bulgarian barrel! looooook at that chrooooome liiiiiiining!!!



 
#22 ·
It gets better - THE BARREL WAS LOOSE SO THEY KNURLED IT TO GET IT TO FIT TIGHTER!!!!!!!!
OMG!!! It looks like when they drill the gas port, they drilled all the way through!

They are some wonderful gun builders at Century, for MONKEYS!!!!!
 
#25 ·
I do believe you're on to something there. I'd like to have that barrel cut in such a way as to see exactly what went on in it.

Okay, before I took the barrel out I did some checking. Century actually got the headspacing right! I did a bunch of little measurements, and from what I can tell, it doesn't look like the new barrel is going to have any headspacing problems. That, plus the fact that it's a Bulgarian barrel going into a Bulgarian trunnion, and how nicely-made the Bulgarian components are, makes me a bit optimistic in that area.

Now, I just have to make some sort of tool that'll help get the rear sight block off the barrel. Once THAT is done, maybe an hour quality time with a press will get the job DONE!!!!

Rigrat, I never EVER thought I'd be doing this to an AK. Ever. This is a bigtime FIRST, and if you've got the right tools, it's pretty easy!
 
#26 ·
What an interesting thread! I'm sorry for your frustration with Century, but I'm following this thread avidly, hoping for your ultimate triumph.
 
#28 ·
Thanks, fellas!

I got to looking, and they didn't drill completely thru the barrel after all. A little parkerizing went thru the hole in the bottom of the gas block, and on the rough metal it *looked* like a fill-in.
 
#30 ·
Very cool, keep us updated :hand10:
 
#31 ·
Hey Cat, you ever heard of the freezing method? Some guys have put the barrel in the freezer overnite and just before installing, heat the trunnion, and wallah! No need for a press!!!
 
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