Hi everybody, I just got my first AK this Sat and spent the whole weekend getting to know it, breaking it down, putting it back together, shooting, etc.  I've only shot 200 rounds but I had a lot of fun.  The rifle I chose is the Century C39 v2 with wood.  Two questions I have are...after shooting the screw that secures the but stock loosens.  Has anyone dealt with this?  My first thought is to apply some loctite to the thread of the screw but I'm not sure loctite works with wood?  Maybe a dab of wood glue on the threads instead?

Also, on the front site....the round pin that goes through it, which the site pin screws into.  Ive seen you need a special tool to adjust it, push it left to right for windage adjustments.  If I press hard enough I can move it with my fingers, and when shooting once the site post heats up it's even easier to move.  The rifle was zeroed right out of the box with the site in the middle of the ears, but it can move around once it heats up.  Is this a sloppy tolerance thing or is there something I can apply to the pin to keep it in place better?  Do I have a loose one that needs to be replaced or is there something like loctite you can put on it?  It looks simple top replace if I need to.  Thanks everyone.

Congrats on your first AK, and welcome to the Darkside


Sounds to me like the FSB needs to be replaced or warrantied. The front site components should never move by hand. There is a reason why they are designed to need a tool, which is to prevent them from loosening during recoil, or if dropped, banged around, etc. If you can move the drum with your fingers that is not good at all but do not loc-tite it even if it is zeroed. That's a band aid fix and not a wise one.


The rear tang screw sounds like the wood is bored out a bit too large for the screw. I don't recommend using wood glue on a rifle either but wood furniture is relatively cheap and easy to replace. You might see if you can get a screw one size up

I agree with Zen. On the screw though, you can get a wood match and push it down in the hole and cut off excess. The screw will bind well after that.

Send it back for the front side post.

Ugh...I hate sending guns back but maybe I'll have to.  I'm not about to try replacing the whole front site, but if I can find an ever so slightly larger barrel I'd pop that in myself.  Anyone know where they might be available?  The stock screw idea I like the wooded match stick idea...maybe will a drop of varnish should make that issue go away.

If you can do a barrel on an AK, you can do a front sight base. AK barrels aren't plug and play like ARs. You need a hydraulic press to press them into the front trunnion and properly headspace them. If you aren't familiar with doing it, I'd suggest not to.

As for a barrel with a larger journal, you'd likely have to have one made, but that won't help with the sight drum being loose.

I think he means the "barrel" that the front sight post screws into within the front sight base itself.

Yes, by barrel I'm referring to what might be called a front site windage barrel?  I'm new though

Ah, ok....

Didn't robski have the same issue with the front sight on his c39 v2? Or was that the ras47?

OP you should send it back and have them fix the front sight and replace the wood stock while they have it.

Congrats on the purchase that C39v2 is nice for sure.  Since it is your fist AK you must internally hear the words "feel the force flow through you" when you shoot it.  I only have one AK and when I first got it last year I came straight here with questions, these guys are awesome.  I have an Arsenal 107 SLR-FR and its really nice BUT, (and it seems like a lot of AKs, even really nice ones, have a "but" associated with them) the finish came off the bolt, carrier and some of the barrel.  It's at Robar in Phoenix as we speak getting a coating that won't come off with CLP.  I agree with what everyone is saying about the wood stock, if the v2 has the same tang (that's the other thing there is no real uniformity, at least I don't think so, because every communist block country made there own versions) then wood furniture can be easily replaced and can cost you as much or as little as you like.  A wooden match or skinny toothpick and some glue will work fine for repairing the one that you have.  Send the thing back to Atlantic or CAI or wherever you purchased it to get that front site repaired or replaced, it shouldn't move without a tool and some real pressure.  You can go to a qualified gunsmith if you don't want to send it back (like I did with my finish) and they can replace the front sight for you (and make sure it is dead straight).  If I had to do it again I still would have paid the $400.00 for the Robar finish, but you do have a warranty and CAI will make it right.  Again, congrats of all my rifles I like my AK the best.  Damn thing is just plain fun to shoot.  Have fun

Thanks everyone.  I put a few drops of Polyurethane on the stock screws and tightened it up.  I also pulled the front site post, removed the windage barrel, cleaned up and replaced.  All was good the first 2 magazines.  I took it out again last night and the site slightly moved to the left, and the stock loosened.  I know I can fix the stock and will today with a shim of wood and wood glue.  The site...who knows.  I may pull it, dimple it and put it back to see if the windage barrel stays put.  I know I can always send the gun back but I hate doing that.  Once I have the site staying pout I should never need to touch it again so, maybe a spring loaded nail punch on the windage barrel will do the trick.  Other than this, I really like the rifle.  It shoots nice and groups tighter than I was prepared for.  I'd call it a very accurate rifle.  I'm really liking my AK...they're so much fun to shoot, strip down, etc.

With an AK I measure accuracy by being in a room and opening fire, if I hit one of 4 walls she is zeroed. Buttstocks are one of the hardest pieces to remove from the gun. It took about 2 hours to remove a buttstock, so just put some Loctite on it

Yes he did, it was on a RAS 47 and one of the ears fell off the FSB too, but I'm sure century's FSB, GB, and RSB are universally used on their AKs.

OP, I'd send it back. The stock issue is an easy fix, just buy a surplus one. I had to send back my 2nd century AK to get fixed, then sold it once they did. From then on I learned my lesson, no more century AKs for me.

I'm not bashing Century at all.  This is a heck of a nice rifle, which needs some site work and glue in the stock screw holes.  Granted, it shouldn't need anything out of the box...but I can handle some wood glue in the stock holes.  It's such a gorgeous piece of walnut, I'd hate for them to swap it because of the grain fiure and finish.  The front site is another matter.  It's perfectly straight which would bug me if it were not and the rifle is zeroed with the site pin perfectly in the middle of the site ears.  The problem is, if drifts while shooting.  The rifle is also smooth as butter, and put 8 shots into a ragged 3/4" hole at 50 yards so..it's a keeper.  I wouldn't be asking questions if it were just the stock loosening, but the site issue is another matter.  I may end up sending it back, and have e-mailed Century Arms support and am waiting to hear back.  I've scoured the web and cant even find those windage barrels for sale.  They all come with nite sites and are higher priced.  I'd like to just try another one and use a site tool to push it in....might fix everything.  I'm hesitant to send it back but options are limited...I just hope if I do send it back, it has the same gorgeous stock (or similiar) and the site post it perfct like it is now...just with a much tighter windage drum.  We'll see.  By the way, am I even using the right term..."windage drum"?

Purchase another sight post drum, they are dirt cheap from places like Apex gun parts.

If the replacement drum doesn't fit better, knurl it with an auto center punch at a few spots around its radius, and reinstall. It should then stay where it's put.

I cant find one on the web..I'm on Apex' site now.  Anyone know where I can locate one...or a bag of them?  Would liek to try this first.

Here you go from Robert RTG. Usually my go to for small AK parts like this is APEX or RTG.

Also get the sight tool if you haven't already. Not worth it to try to adjust or install the drum without it. I use the Tapco one.

http://www.robertrtg.com/store/pc/AK47-74-FRONT-SIGHT-WITH-SIGHT-HOLDER-156p1710.htm

OP... Go to the hardware store and get some Devcon 2-ton epoxy (the clear type) and mix up a small bit of that with a toothpick and "paint" the threads inside the screw holes in the wood stock and let it dry for a full day. DON'T PACK THE HOLES FULL OF EPOXY!! You just want to reduce the thread diameter enough for the screw to get a good bite.

Next take your sight drum to the local machine shop and have them knurl it for you. This should provide enough displacement of the metal to allow for a tight fit without bubba'ing the sight drum. Since the knurling will go all the way around the diameter of the sight drum it should also offer the most secure fit once installed.

Problems should stay solved after those two mods.

With your front sight tool remove the sight post. Take the sight drum out and lay it on an anvil. Take your ball-peen hammer and lightly tap on the side of it near each end. Lightly tap because if you hit it too hard you'll have to file it to get it back in. Grease it and tap it into the sight base. Repeat if necessary and you should be good.

I know you don't want to right now, but I suspect you'll be a lot happier in the long run if you  send the rifle back and have the factory make it right. It will make for a better rifle years from now.

I ended up fixing the site drum myself (so far I think) and the stock screws (maybe).  Time would have told on both items.  I ended up seeing a huge amount of wear on the bolt lugs, slot in the carrier where the bolt rotates, and the tail on the bolt carrier.  After not even 400 rounds, which half of it was shot just ton heat things up when I was fixing the front site.  I engaged their tech support...they all but refused to talk to me and insisted I put in a ticket by e-mailing them...which they took days to respond to...after a week of them asking the same questions I supplied in my original message, and wasting 24 hours between nonsense responses....I dumped the gun losing $200 and ordered an Arsenal SAM7R.  I thought I did my homework and bought a good AK but apparently didn't.  The Arsenal really is a superior rifle and I like it a lot so far.  I really don't know whats worse...Century's crappy product or their horrible support people.  I'm still trying to get them to have a manager e-mail or call me because I'd like to discuss this case with them and explain what happened but they're ignoring me completely now.  I dont like to bash products or brand names, but when they earn it I'll do it to save other shooters from making the same mistake I did.  Now I see the difference between crap and a real AK.  I'll call it a $200 learning lesson and am happy to pay it to be rid of that thing.

Oh you're just a hater.



But seriously, that sucks. Silver lining is that it freed you up to get a SAM7.