APOD Firearms

Panhandle AK club?

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  • Red

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    Hi guys, I dont know if it has been done or discussed yet but are there any die hard AK fans that would want to get together sometime to build, mod, and shoot their AKs together? I know I would be willing to meet some AK fans and make some new friends with like minded AK interests. Everyone from newbs to pro's would be awesome. We could all learn from each other. From zeroing to DIY trigger jobs, to whatever else. Ive recently been bit by the Ak bug and eventually want to build one myself. From what good ol youtube shows it is a lot more involved than your standard AR build which I grew tired of pretty quick. Watched a vice documentary of gunsmiths of Pakistan and man if those guys can get together and slap together some working AK rifles I think we could.
    Anyhow if anyone is interested, lets sync up and have some fun.
     

    JoeCorrado

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    I'm 100% down for this! I own 9 but I've never built one. I was bit by the AK bug about 2 years ago or so and have acquired all of mine in that amount of time. I'm on AK files everyday learning and reading. AR's just don't do much for me anymore either. Like to be different I guess. I want to learn more and what not. The guy that built my FAL's has built several AK's as well. He offered to help me but unfortunately, I moved down here from Chattanooga. I still have his information and said he would help if I had questions about anything. I'll probably start looking for a kit soon and start from there. Not sure if I want to bend my own receiver yet or not. May just say fuck it and dive right in. Don't have any tools down here either. Will need a drill press and a bench vise among other tools. I'll never have a cheap hobby... cars, motorcycles, SCUBA and now guns. Schedules will be my downfall without a set schedule and working retail.
     

    Red

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    I have the one project 74 that I have been learning a bunch on. I'm also on Ak files just reading mostly. Right now I am looking at what all tools I would need to a complete a from scratch build, press, drill, gauges, etc. I think for my first build I will just buy a ready to go receiver and a romi parts kit. I want a fixed stock AKM in 7.62. I am researching on DIY presses for the barrels, gb and fsb. I got a welder and should be able to fab up something. I am ordering a thread kit too to be able to thread barrels. I'm the same way with hobbies man. I got it down to mostly guns now though lol. I'm selling my ATVs, my motorcycle and even my restomod chevelle. That should free up enough room in my garage for all the tools I need to put together AKs
     

    JoeCorrado

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    Every hobby I've had, I've jumped in with both feet. Guns are no different. Going to slowly sell off my cars so I can concentrate on just one car, still stay current with SCUBA and build my arsenal of firearms. It just sucks that kit prices have climbed so high lately. Someone needs to offer some up for a decent price. Complete, matching and original barrel. Was considering the Romy G in the marketplace but it's priced too high. Always have my eyes open though.
     

    Red

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    Yeah I know!! Parts kits are getting crazy. Even the Romi kits are up in the mid 3s and 4s even. Cant find any bulgy kits anymore, let alone chinese or russian. Hopefully the Romanian can fill contracts and start selling kits again. I see hungarian and polish kits around. If I had $900 doing nothing I would get the tantal from Atlantic. Hell, if I had $600 doing nothing I would get the BFPU from Lee's. Def need some tool presses though. I have an old Romanian SAR1 with a canted front sight I need to fix. It shoots to point of aim with the FSP moved way over but it is just an ocd thing for me. I have put about 4k thru my SAR1 and I am not kidding, not 1 hiccup, magazine related or otherwise. I thought of selling it off since it doesnt have a threaded barrel and bayo lug but I just cannot do it. It is too reliable of a rifle.
     

    Red

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    Hey Joe I am pretty flexible with time if you wanted to get together and go shooting somewhere let me know. Always like to meet fellow firearms enthusiasts especially an AK enthusiasts.
     

    Senojeelnodnarb

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    Fort Walton, I'm a machinist/welder by trade, so the whole AK building is new to me.

    Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
     

    Red

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    Right on Seno. You being a machinist and welder is going to be a huge help to you! Matter of fact I was welding on an AK today to reinforce some stuff.
     

    Fear21

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    Check out Toth Tools as an alternative if you don't have the room for a press. Can knock out a build on your kitchen table with them.

    Big AK fan, kinda drifted away now though as their market only seems to get worse and worse. Our import situation is terrible, with VEPRs joining the Saigas and Chinese guns. WASRs and Arsenals, if you can find one, are about all there is to get anymore. I don't like the NPAP rifles, nonstandard furniture and soft receivers = no bueno. With the other markets getting absolutely crazy ($350 for a decent AR nowadays), it's hard to justify forking out $600 - $1000 for another AK. Just my opinion though :)
     

    Senojeelnodnarb

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    Right on Seno. You being a machinist and welder is going to be a huge help to you! Matter of fact I was welding on an AK today to reinforce some stuff.
    Really? Well good thing I can TIG haha

    Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
     

    JoeCorrado

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    Hey Joe I am pretty flexible with time if you wanted to get together and go shooting somewhere let me know. Always like to meet fellow firearms enthusiasts especially an AK enthusiasts.
    Well I'm new to the area. My wife and I just bought a house and moved down here right after the 4th of July after a SNAFU with the builder and getting all the paperwork squared away. I still haven't moved all of my guns and ammo down here either. Most is still packed away at my parents house. I really need another safe but I'm tapped on disposable income for a while. I'm ashamed to say that out of the 9 AK's I own, I've only shot 1 of them and that was well over a year ago. Working 7 days a week allowed me to buy a lot but not shoot. Only guns I shot the whole time we lived in Chattanooga were my FAL's. Truly pathetic. Hope to change that down here. Definitely down to meet with you and fellow enthusiasts! As of now Sunday's are my only definite days off. May have some time during the week depending on work.

    Big AK fan, kinda drifted away now though as their market only seems to get worse and worse. Our import situation is terrible, with VEPRs joining the Saigas and Chinese guns. WASRs and Arsenals, if you can find one, are about all there is to get anymore. I don't like the NPAP rifles, nonstandard furniture and soft receivers = no bueno. With the other markets getting absolutely crazy ($350 for a decent AR nowadays), it's hard to justify forking out $600 - $1000 for another AK. Just my opinion though :)

    The past few years I've been collecting military surplus rifles mostly and recently got into the AK game. I've been wanting to pick up a few cheap AR's just to have for a rainy day. May switch gears a little bit and build 1 or 2 for fun. It really sucks about imports but the plan is to buy what I can, when I can. Just need the money tree to drop a few bills my way. It's good to see WASR's dropping in price though. Doubt we'll see the same from Arsenal any time soon. The days of cheap imported AK's are gone as well as cheap parts kits. Same deal with FAL's and parts kits. It sucks but it is what it is. I'll probably kick myself for not buying a couple AR lowers since they're so cheap right now. I always seem a little behind the curve and end up buying things that were once cheap and now they're selling for top dollar. :noidea:
     

    Fear21

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    JoeCorrado said:
    The past few years I've been collecting military surplus rifles mostly and recently got into the AK game. I've been wanting to pick up a few cheap AR's just to have for a rainy day. May switch gears a little bit and build 1 or 2 for fun. It really sucks about imports but the plan is to buy what I can, when I can. Just need the money tree to drop a few bills my way. It's good to see WASR's dropping in price though. Doubt we'll see the same from Arsenal any time soon. The days of cheap imported AK's are gone as well as cheap parts kits. Same deal with FAL's and parts kits. It sucks but it is what it is. I'll probably kick myself for not buying a couple AR lowers since they're so cheap right now. I always seem a little behind the curve and end up buying things that were once cheap and now they're selling for top dollar.

    Man, that sounds familiar. :) I remember a rack in my LGS when I lived up north that was absolutely jam packed with $200 Saigas, along with $400 fully converted ones. Don't know who did the conversions but they sure looked nice. I was in full AR / surplus mode at that time and didn't even think twice. If I could rewind time, let me tell you. I used to have a pretty good surplus collection as well - sadly they all fell to the almighty bills. I miss my 03A3 and K98 the most.
     

    Red

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    Yep Joe totally get it. It's tuff to carve out the time and money sometimes for this hobby. I'm a huge milsurp fan myself. Kicking myself for not getting a Carcano when they were 80bucks at Big5. I think right now is the time to build ARs for rainy days. I am thinking of buying a few Andersen receivers and various uppers, building myself and never shooting them. Have a feeling after Trump they are going to soar in value again. Right now you can budget build an AR in the $300 range if you shop around. Then again new ARs from established builders are going for $400. Looking more and more into building AKs and you almost break even after everything. Spend more depending. If I go for it it's going to be a for me fun project not looking to gain from it. Childers has excellent receivers that will let you choose your own serial number so an old unit number would be cool, maybe even symbol engraved on the underside would be cool. But after receiver, parts kits, shipping, FFL fee, and tools, it is definitely a labor of love.
     

    Woogie Bear

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    I would be happy to get together with other AK guys and do some shooting or tinkering. I only have the 1 AK in my collection (is 8 firearms a collection?) but would love to get with some other people who are fond of the AK family. I have been trying for years now to get my AR friends turned on to this classic work horse. I am in the PC area and would be willing to meet up on the weekends. Just put out the date, time, and location and I will try to make it.
     

    Red

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    So anyone know a good place to go shoot? Preferably land where we can set our own TGTs and zero the guns etc. If I had enough land I would host but I don't think my neighbors would appreciate a bunch of dudes with evil looking rifles tearing it up. I am all for trail riding till we find a safe place. Anyway just throwing it out there.
     

    Red

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    Let's go melt the barrel on this bad boy! Just changed furniture back to original Hungarian blonde, fresh DIY trigger job(just heavy polish job), replaced slant break break for muzzle nut, and haven't shot it since I put the krebs FCG pin retainer on it so kinda wanna make sure it works. I am sure it will, I gave it a couple very light taps to check and those suckers are in there.
    Since I never sold it, I figured I'd order a couple things for it. Waiting on a milled top cover instead of the ribbed it sits on now, and looking for a milled selector. This rifle is strange in that it is a Hungarian stamped kit built on an American milled receiver so everything needs fitting. Milled specific parts don't readily fit and neither do stamped. Fun fun.
     

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