New from PDX, OR. Interested in DIY build

[eldbillbo]

Don't let me discourage you, though. With any work put into a building/assembling something yourself, there is a great satisfaction that comes with doing it. You gain a great understanding of your rifle.

I was just funning about that photo that saxon posted since I know a guy who built an AK with out a press using a hammer to demil his barrel and trunnion. I think he used the penny method to reinstall the barrel into the trunnion after riveting the Rivets into the trunnion using a homemade rivet tool made from a bolt cutter.

other popular builds as you gains skills and confidence or depending on your skills and confidence are H&K clone builds, 1911 builds, GLock builds, 10/22 builds, they make 80% receivers for all than I mentioned and there are more.

 

[CountryGent]

Welcome to NWFA.

 

[EPS]

Oh I forgot to tell you this last night go on YouTube and search Colin noir .I think that's how you spell it .or look video called WHY YOU SHOULD NOT GET INTO GUNS .funny video your first post reminded me of it when you said you wanted one gun then another one and maybe another lol

 

[Larrytpdx]

Welcome to the Forum

 

[EPS]

Or why you shouldn't get into guns sorry I would put the link on here but my smart phone is smarter than me so not guna happen lol

 

[Almiller816]

Thanks for the welcome y'all.
No worries eldibillbo, I'm not one to get discouraged over a challenge- actually it makes it a lot more intriguing to me- ESPECIALLY after that story of your buddy who built an AK without a press and with homemade tools- that's pretty awesome.

Haha EPS I watched that video you mentioned- it's pretty funny ha!

 

[fredball]

Welcome Aboard

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Welcome to the site! I hope you enjoy it!

 

[Almiller816]

Thank you, my friends.

 

[BillGabby1]

Welcome and good luck with your endeavors.
I'm old school and for someone to say they are going to build something, that brings to my mind a picture of someone assembling the raw materials and then making all the parts and assembling them into a finished product.
Actually what you are calling "Building" is actually assembling, because others actually produced the parts and assemblies you are assembling in order to produce a complete firearm. You buy this upper or this lower from XYZ manufacturer and put it together with parts from ABC distributing. I was actually hoping you were old school too, and I'm sad there are too few who still have the ability to start from scratch.
Mark me sad.
Gabby

 

[EPS]

Welcome and good luck with your endeavors.
I'm old school and for someone to say they are going to build something, that brings to my mind a picture of someone assembling the raw materials and then making all the parts and assembling them into a finished product.
Actually what you are calling "Building" is actually assembling, because others actually produced the parts and assemblies you are assembling in order to produce a complete firearm. You buy this upper or this lower from XYZ manufacturer and put it together with parts from ABC distributing. I was actually hoping you were old school too, and I'm sad there are too few who still have the ability to start from scratch.
Mark me sad.
Gabby

Lol that's funny even in the old day's my friend most people had to get a black Smith to make parts for them even the every day farmers had a black Smith make there plow for them so if you got the time and the equipment to make a gun from complete scratch have had it

 

[rdb241]

Well I guess I will chime in on this subject but first..........





BillGabby1 has a point about assembling vs. manufacturing. IMO, an AR is like a big 3-d jigsaw puzzle. Everything is pre-made to spec and kinda falls into place when building.
An AK also has pre-made parts but there is a little more involved than just assembling parts. What Eldbilbo said about AK's and tooling is going to be your biggest expense. IE; hydraulic press, spot welder, jigs, and AK specific tooling to press rivets and demilling. If you do not have the original barrel then you will need end mills to mount the front sight, gas block, rear sight, and barrel pin. Your single biggest expense building an AK is the tooling itself. The cost of the tooling out weighs by a long shot the price of a finished rifle. But, you built it yourself and it has no numbers.
To address the rest of BillGabby1's post. With the exception of a couple of people here, most of us can not afford a CNC milling machine or the machine to do the rifling in a barrel. So we can not "manufacture" our own parts. The home builder or "Shade Tree Gunsmith" works with what they have. Which in most cases is not much. That's why there are things like build partys where several people can use the the correct tooling. That tooling is usually somebody that has purchased there own and are willing to let others use it.
About the guy that built an AK from a shovel is/was a metalsmith and had a degree in metalogy. He built it as a challenge from a friend. He then used the shovel handle as the stock to make a point. He truly did manufacture his own receiver from scratch.
Below is the very first AK I ever built. It was one of the first "parts kits" available in the early 2,000's. I paid $130.00 for the kit. When I walked out of the surplus store with the kit. I knew ZERO about building a rifle. I started to educate myself online in anyway I could find the info. I first gathered as much on line printed info I could find and then spent many hours on youtube watching anything to do with building an AK. I made a lot of mistakes along the way and had to start over a couple of times. But hey, I chalked it up to a learning experience and moved on. After building the rifle in the pic. The most joy I had was when I took it to the range for the first time. I first tested the function of the rifle and everything worked like it should. Then at 100 yards, it was not a bullseye, but I was on the paper with the very first shot. For not knowing anything about building guns to be able to hit the paper made my nads HHUUUUGGE!



If you need any advice or have any questions. There are plenty of people here that can answer just about anything you need answered. So have fun!

 

[BillGabby1]

rdb41 I would call you a builder.
Gabby

 

[70cyclone]

I have built a few ARs myself and helped with others. the 80% thing is pretty easy with a few good tools and real easy for me since I have a CNC here (takes about 6 mins).
there is a guy in Vancouver that sells all the AK stuff...been seriously considering buying the stuff from him.
I am probably going to do one of the 80% glock kits soon as well.

 

[EPS]

I did a 80% one like I said few days ago I messed up 2 of them because I tried using cheap tools that where not intended for that milling part

 

[70cyclone]

weld it up and try again

 

[rdb241]

I am probably going to do one of the 80% glock kits soon as well.

Here is my Glock build. To be very honest, it was the easiest build I have done. After about 20 min of machining what needs to be machined. All the parts "fell" into place. It has been test fired and functions like it should.

 

[EPS]

weld it up and try again

I still got them I will try to salvage them sometime

 

[rdb241]

weld it up and try again

Not that easy......you need a TIG welder and argone gas for aluminum.

 

[EPS]

Here is my Glock build. To be very honest, it was the easiest build I have done. After about 20 min of machining what needs to be machined. All the parts "fell" into place. It has been test fired and functions like it should.

View attachment 329166

Is that a polymer 80 kit