ITS DONE! My first build is complete!!!!!

[Clay]

Finished it up tonight!

The rifle was a mostly demilled MAK90 non-numbers matching kit, with original chrome lined barrel that I picked up for $100 at a local show. This is one of the main reasons I love the small town local shows. Picking up a complete kit for $100 in todays market is a rarity!

It came with almost everything needed, chinese front end, and a chinese bolt and carrier, a great set of chinese handguards, and a craptastic butt-hole stock. Also included was a "made in bulgaria" rear trunnion, a bunch of screws (yuck) and a funky fold up receiver that I cut up.

Its built on an Elk River / Armory USA receiver. Headspace checks out to be good. A little loose, but still in spec.

Amazingly enough everything went together fairly well. Only snags I hit was trying to put a long rivet in the rear trunnion where two short rivets should be, and wussing out on trying to form a round head on a rear trunnion rivet, and just making it flat. Otherwise, I was able to get everything together with out any major complications. Im extremely happy with the turn out, all except for the craptastic butt-hole stock, but right now since its a 1.5mm receiver, I dont have any standard stocks to fit it. So it will have to do! It wont stop me from taking it to the range Friday for a test run!!!!

WOOOHOOOO!!!!!

 

[db1959]

Nice! Cant beat a good buy. Let us know how it shoots.

 

[survivorman]

very nice....

 

[Mr.JAG]

Consider me jealous. I want to get into actual builds at some point in the future.

Are you pretty well stocked up on tools? (i.e. press, welder, etc) Or did you have to do some backyard mechanics to puts to put this one together? Just wondering... I sometimes like to learn about the creative ways people get around not using expensive equipment.

Trying to rep, but I gotta spread it around first.

 

[Fordtough25]

Good job! Send some rounds downrange and let us know how it does!

 

[Martin Draco]

Clay, you never cease to amaze me! Absolutely coool!!
Stocks for the 1.5 receivers are a PITA to find. I've fitted blonde Russian and Bulgarians to fit. Wish I still had those MAK-90's. The one I have now has a Tapco warsaw I fitted. Fortunately stocks are pretty damn easy to fit.

 

[Clay]

Consider me jealous. I want to get into actual builds at some point in the future.

Are you pretty well stocked up on tools? (i.e. press, welder, etc) Or did you have to do some backyard mechanics to puts to put this one together? Just wondering... I sometimes like to learn about the creative ways people get around not using expensive equipment.

Trying to rep, but I gotta spread it around first.

I started out just like you, converting Saigas!

as for tools, I had most of it before I started building. I did have to buy a few tools like a rivet jig and fixtures, and I had to make some stuff to work with the chinese AK since the rivet pattern is different on the front trunnion and the barrel is 19mm. I didnt go the cheap route with the tools, but then again ive got enough kits saved up to last me for a while!!

Clay, you never cease to amaze me! Absolutely coool!!
Stocks for the 1.5 receivers are a PITA to find. I've fitted blonde Russian and Bulgarians to fit. Wish I still had those MAK-90's. The one I have now has a Tapco warsaw I fitted. Fortunately stocks are pretty damn easy to fit.

Thanks! I know I can fit a different stock to the rifle, but I would like to find a chinese stock if I can. Ive got plenty of warsaw length stocks laying around, I just dont want to make them "chinese only". We shall see. I bought a Romy hardwood stock at the 1500 Saturday for $10 specifically for this kit, but I found a guy who needs it more than me. Maybe Ill look at Ironwood for some brand new stuff. lots of options!

 

[Bullfrog80]

Looks great!!

 

[Hotwired]

Looks great, need range report when you get a chance. Want to know if the loose headspace affects performance any. How did you test the headspace?

 

[Clay]

Loose headspace shouldn't effect performance much, I mean its an AK.

as for how to check headspace, I used headspace gauges. 1 Go, 1 No-Go, and one field. The bolt should close on the go, should not close on the no-go, and should NEVER close on the field. Mine will close on the go, and will not close on the no-go, but with the bolt carrier installed I could bump the charging handle with my hand and force it to close, which indicates a slightly loose but still in spec head space. Were talking 1 or 2 thou difference in clearance here, so not an issue. It wouldn't even come close to closing on a field gauge regardless.

 

[Martin Draco]

If you find a deal on Chinese stocks could you please let me know? I just put the warsaw stock on because I had the Mak-90 butthole stock with the much thicker grip area and my hand doesn't not fit it well at all. I bought a few of the Tapco Warsaw stocks a while back from Blackjack Buffers just to have around, since they sell them for $18. I fitted one of them just so I could shoot the rifle. I would love to have a Chinese stock that matches the handguard, so if you come across them I would be very interested and if I find them I'll let you know.

 

[Clay]

yup, will do!

in case your interested Ironwood Designs makes Chinese specific furniture: IWDNEWMAK 2

 

[motoman]

chinese parts are the best quality imho. good build

 

[dave29]

Looks awesome!

And "Butt-Hole" stock! That made me LOL

 

[Clay]

Took the MAK to the range for a quick 20 minute test fire session.

First I loaded 1 round into the chamber, placed it on a bag, then threw another bag on top of the receiver and front trunnion, and let one go. Fired, hit the backstop, and ejected the round! Success!!!!!

I did this a 2nd time just to be sure and all was well.

I fired the rest of a mag through it with no issues.

Next I put up a quick target at 25 yards. I shot at the top target standing @ rapid cadence. Not bad. I shot at the bottom target with the mag base resting on the bench, shooting at a normal breathing cadence. I think it shoots pretty decent!!

The sights are off a bit to the left, but I didnt have anything with me to adjust them and no time either. I ran 90 rounds through it with out one hiccup! Im absolutely thrilled!! This is so awesome!

 

[Clay]

Looks awesome!

And "Butt-Hole" stock! That made me LOL

bush-hole, butt-hole what ever works!