Building your own

[GoodSamaritan]

I have recently gotten a wild hair to try my hand at building a rifle or two from parts. I have known of guys who have done it and been pleased with the results. I want something I can go shooting with when I get done, not just something to hang on the wall, cheap ammo is a definate plus.

www.centerfiresystems.com is not to far from me and you can pick stuff up in person there.

Anyone have any advice?
How about suggesting something relatively cheap to start out with?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Euclidean]

I'd like to see some more on this. Other than AR and FAL receivers, I haven't even seen where one gets the receivers from to start the project.

I bet the trigger groups are a real pain in the butt.

[GoodSamaritan]

Euclidean, it seems you and I got stuck at the same point. I can find parts kits pretty easy, but receivers are another story. I don't want to buy a parts kit and then find out that the receiver is impossible to find or way to expensive. In a side note, centerfiresystems has what I have been told is a pretty good .45 frame for around $100. If the rifle works out, I may build one of those next.

[P95Carry]

So old now - I cheat!! Only buy guns ready to rock.

Mind you - the appeal of a self-build is still there, no mistake, but laziness etc dissuade me from trying.

[Euclidean]

I do know of this...

http://dpharms.com/ewbanks-ak47-rece...led-p-113.html

Seems to be a pretty good receiver if you search the AR15.com threads, but that company has to have a copy of the FFL it's being transferred to first, and you'd better be ready to drill. I think you only have to drill one hole though.

[Miggy]

I am no AK expert but here are my 2 pfennings:

The AK stamped recievers come in 2 flavors: Flat which need no FFL and are cheap (Under $20) but you need to bend and heat treat. There are plenty of people selling them out there. They also come finished but you do need to do a transfer via FFL and run about $80.

I have done business with David's Collectibles and I cannot complain (although not recievers). Good service and prompt responses for a guy who sells all over in gun shows.

www.akparts.com has assembly instructions same for AK47.net and plenty other places in the net.

As for milled, first you must get a kit that was torched from a AK with a milled reciever and those go more expensive. Then good luck finding one.

Now the legal part: You must have an specific number (10) of US-made parts on your working AK to make it legal. Read here for the ATF letter.

Another thing, last September ATF decided to deny the importation of barrels for non-sporting rifles (read here) so the kits will go up in price as they become scarce. I do not have plans to build an AK, but I have 2 extra mint-condtion barrels bought last October for whenever i wear out the one I have.

I am sure there are people here with more information and knowledge than me that will butt in and give you more detail info.

[QKShooter]

Any fully finished receiver is going to be sold as a firearm.
I have seen assorted 80% complete receivers.
There are many others...here are two sellers.

Click Here

Now Click Here

[Euclidean]

Check your state laws too. In Texas, if you started with the 80% receiver, you could be considered to be manufacturing a firearm and that's a no no.

I'd seriously pay an attorney's consulting fee before I seriously considered any such thing.

[A1C Lickey]

I'm in the process of doing this myself. The parts kit and reciever are on order and I should be starting sometime this January. As it's been mentioned above you can buy flats which have to be bent, heat treated and riveted, you can buy 80% receivers, which have to be drilled, or you can buy full recievers.

Here are a few links to full receivers:
http://dpharms.com/receivers-c-39.html
http://www.tickbitesupply.com/partskit.html

If you interested PM me for sites for some of the other parts you might need. And if anybody has actually done this, please chime in, we'ed love to hear your experiences.

A1C Lickey

[rfurtkamp]

Never done an AK, but have done a couple dozen FALs, strip ARs down to parts regularly for customers or build to spec, and assisted on a M1A build enough that I wouldn't feel lost doing one on my own.

The AR is the flat-out easiest. The AK looks simpler than anything else, if you can operate a drill press without fear - otherwise it's the FAL, but the simplicity of the FAL can be deceiving.

[rocky]

Never done an AK, but have done a couple dozen FALs, strip ARs down to parts regularly for customers or build to spec, and assisted on a M1A build enough that I wouldn't feel lost doing one on my own.

The AR is the flat-out easiest. The AK looks simpler than anything else, if you can operate a drill press without fear - otherwise it's the FAL, but the simplicity of the FAL can be deceiving.

AR's are the easy. Only a few special tools needs. AK's seem fairly easy,but have never actually built 1, only talked to my buddy about his build.
http://www.ar15.com/index.html
Lots of good info and help for whatever ya build on this site.

[A1C Lickey]

So what special tools are needed?

A1C Lickey