Thread: AK-47 custom ???? value??

I picked this up as a complete rifle w/all parts shown. It is coated grey green with 2 clips matching it.It has a nds-3 receiver and what appears to have G stamped by sight block I am not sure how they are usually done but this one is screwed together not rivetted. When I bought this at estate sale they said it was custom made by the departed. Any idea of worth and has anyone seen another done this way?

I'm guessing a romy g kit built on a nodak spud receiver. Any of the ak experts want to confirm this?

Unknown screw build.....uhhg....I'd have issues trusting it. Hopefully you didn't pay much. At a minimum, have someone check the head space. If it were me, I'd de-mil it and do it right.

I have taken it to a gunsmith and he said it was a quality build etc just looking for honest value I should sell for.

Its not worth more than any other Romy G with the accessories shown, probably less because of the uncertainty. It might be a decent shooter and become your favorite rifle...or not. Definitely get it checked. Home-build certainly doesn't mean shoddy, but don't take chances.

I'd buy the old stock set if you want to get rid of it.

Keith

take the gun apart....replace all screws with rivets. If you test fire that AK I'd do it with a string while standing behind a tree. Folks that build AKs with screws dont know much about building AKs

LOL I am not looking for nasty comments.As posted before the gun has been checked out and is in great shape. I was also told apples and oranges when it comes to screws or rivets except screws mean more machining.. How about an honest answere how much is it worth?

Originally Posted by oa98pistol512

LOL I am not looking for nasty comments.As posted before the gun has been checked out and is in great shape. I was also told apples and oranges when it comes to screws or rivets except screws mean more machining.. How about an honest answere how much is it worth?

What ever the going rate of a G kit is.

Wow what help

Um...I don't see any nasty comments here. You are getting an honest appraisal from knowledgable folks based on the photographs and descriptions you provided. We have no idea as to the quality of the build or the experience of the gunsmith that you consulted. Some comments are phrased a bit jokingly, but the points are well intended.

My honest appraisal of true market value, based on what I have read so far, would be in the area of $400 with one magazine, maybe $500 if someone wanted the extra mags and the Roma' stock.

Keith

Thanks for the answere Keith...You are the first one to put a dollar amount. I have shot this gun a total of five rounds to make sure eveything worked after beign to gunsmith for headspace etc It works flawless. Like any ak.

FWIW....

On 1st blush, this is what I see:

Blurry photos of a rifle that someone didn't take the time to build right...what else was missed? Compliance parts? Head spacing? What's under the spray paint? ( or is it dura coat or parked? ) Was the receiver finished or just spray bombed?

What I see are a lot of questions that can't really be answered until you take possession of it...

Value? Not as much as you're hoping I sense.

What would I pay? As I said, what ever the value of a G kit is ( $250ish ), I would treat it as a worst case scenario project.

Probably not what you're wanting to hear, but that's MY no BS opinion, take it as you will.

Thanks now I know your opinion of things unka-boo two drastic different $ amounts. WOW

Gotta remember also, $400 will buy you a WASR, which essentially a G kit build but it's new and comes with a warranty.

Drastically different opinions? Not really. I'm basing my estimate by assuming that the rifle is indeed a decent build and that the gunsmith you consulted in fact knows his AKs. UnkaBoo is assuming neither. A more realistic view might be $250 to $500, pending inspection by a potential purchaser of headspace, compliance parts, and build quality. Does this rifle contain 6 US parts to make it 922r compliant? Will this rifle sustain 100 rapid fire shots without loosening the screws or shaking itself apart? Personally, I would not purchase this rifle for what I quoted without carefully checking all of these points, but I would not lowball you either if I found it to be top notch.

Keith

Yes it has more than that for compliance parts.Yes I took it to a gunsmithh who knows what he is doing and I dont pay him to lie to me.LOL I trust him. Thanks for a honest opinion Keith.
Best Regards
Dave

Whats it worth? In my opinion about 350-425 bucks...a NDS3 is $60...Romy G kit ( IF its all matching and the original barrel) is about $250 bucks, US parts about $50, magazine 9-12 bucks.

The custom finish and screws..no value, the Tapco stock and handguard, I would remove and replace with the original ones.

Screw builds were common 8-9 years ago when the market was heavy with kits and homebuilding was taking off, then people figured out how to property rivit them and screw builds went away.

The gun may well be in great shape, it might have been a virgin G kit that was never fired until you laid hands on it. That however doesn't mean it is safe to take out a blast 500 rounds through in an afternoon. I too would give it a G kit price(which can get as high as $350 these days). If I were you and planning to keep it I would at least attempt to inspect the screw situation. Look at the inside of the front trunnion and see how deep the screws go and see if you can tell if thread locking compound was used.

I am of the belief that screw builds are inferior to rivet builds. Screws can come loose over time(some faster some slower) with the shock of the recoil. A rivet with a countersink will virtually never loosen.

There is one major custom AK builder that uses screws(in an attempt it to not stress the barrel by pressing it out) the rest use rivets....there is a reason.

I am not saying your gun is no good, I am only cautioning you to be very careful with it. It may have shot 5 rounds without failure, but 10 more or 10,000 those screws will loosen.

No just looking for general price to sell. It has been sitting for years now with 5 thru it. Thanks for all the input

Originally Posted by eganx

take the gun apart....replace all screws with rivets.

That's the very first thing I would do.