US made B-West receivers are soft.

Check the axis pin holes to see if they have ovaled or egged out.  If they haven't and there are no other issues then it is probably worth the $300.00 if just for the parts minus the receiver.  Then you will need to heat treat the axis pin holes with a mapp gas torch.  I've posted the instructions a number of times and you can do it yourself.  Then shoot the rifle until it begins having issues (which could be never) demill and sell the parts.

Usually these are sold as preban for $600.00+ and I wouldn't buy one.  But if you inspect it and the trigger and hammer axis pin holes have no ovaling it would be OK at that price, $300.00.  If ovaled at all, pass.

I'm getting ready to go to work but here is some info:

gunsgutsandgod.com/section%20three.htm

www.surplusrifle.com/shooting2005/souptonuts2/index.asp

www.akparts.com/akinfo10.html


You only have to do the axis pin points. Take the fire control group and all out of the receiver. On the second heating you should place the receiver in a bed of sand to allow it to cool slowly.  Plug the chamber with a wooden dowell so it doesn't fill with sand.  

I wouldn't do the top rail.  I am only recommending this for the axis points as that is where ovaling happens.  It is a $300.00 AK with an underfolder bayonet that if the receiver becomes trashed you can do as I said previously and demill it to sell for parts or have it rebuilt on a virgin 1.6mm receiver.  With the cost of parts kits now you aren't going to lose if it is basically an unfired rifle as you stated.

You haven't posted pictures so I am just going on your description.  If you attempt to heat treat more than the axis pin holes you may end up warping the entire receiver.

I mentioned when I posted the links above I was on my way to work.  I am not at home and don't have the ability to do all the research for you.  Different metal types with different carbon content % take different heating amounts to heat treat.  Not knowing the exact makeup of the receiver, I would just heat to a cherry red for the initial heating and then quench in oil.  Then heat to the correct temp. for the annealing. There are ways to determine the correct temp with TEMPILAQ


For the ejector you can heat the tip and use a powder to heat treat the tip.  I can't remember the correct name of the product but it is essentially this..  Others have welded the tip also to harden and build up the ejector but then reshaping likely would need to be done.

Quoted: So, this is all you have to do to make a B-West receiver reliable?  Hopefully this will be answered with a "yes", bc other than the receiver, B-west ak's are beautiful.

No, but if they cost only $300.00 it can be done at little cost to make the rifle usuable until the receiver may fail and then you can get it rebuilt on another receiver.

You might want to pick up a 1.6mm receiver to have it rebuilt on if you have problems.  I'd get a receiver now as waiting may end up with never getting one.  Ejector tip needs work.  Post a how to question in the Build it yourself forum and they can help you.

I remember seeing replacement hardened ejector rails available somewhere but don't remember where.  I would just go with the fixes I mentioned before and have a properly heat treated receiver ready if you need it.

I would take the FCG out though and check for any deformity with the pins out.  Supposedly they will start to deform in less than 1,000 rounds.

Looks like the MAK-90 could use some compliance parts.

I think you could always recover the $300.00 by selling off the demilled parts minus the receiver.  People with MAK-90s would always make a market for the front end.  Bolt carriers and bolt etc will always sell.

Stockset alone probably worth around $85.00+

Regardless of what some think, Chinese rifles that are postban are required to have US compliance parts added when the thumbhole stock is replaced.

Your replacing the thumbhole stock with a regular stock has violated the law which requires that no rifle be assembled that accepts hi-cap mags and has other features such as a separate pistol grip.  You have manufactured an illegal assault weapon that would not be allowed to be imported. The 1994 assault weapon law sunsetting has nothing to do with assembling a prohibited assault weapon from imported parts.  

The 1994 ban prohibited assembling rifles with threaded barrels, flash hiders etc.  Rifles were still imported with thumbhole stocks during this ban and converted to pistol grip configuration with the addition of the required US compliance parts.  

This is covered under a 1989 ban on importation of firearms containing more than 10 imported parts and having certain prohibited features.

Did the ending of the assault weapon ban mean that builders of current AKs no longer needed to put US parts in the rifles they build?  No.  They still must comply with the law.  Was your rifle imported with a thumbhole stock to meet the requirements of the law?  Yes.  Would the same rifle be allowed to be imported without the addition of US parts?  No.

The ending of the ban only allowed the evil features back on imported and US made rifles that were banned for ten years.  There was no change to the requirements that imported rifles needed US parts added in order to lower the number of foreign parts to essentially make the rifles US built if they accepted hi-cap mags, had a protruding pistol grip and contained other evil features.

If the rifle built on a US manufactured receiver would have the receiver replaced with a currently made US receiver then it would probably need US compliance parts installed as B-West no longer is in business and could not replace the preban receiver with a like one newly manufactured as a replacement.  It would become a rifle which would require US compliance parts when reassembled on a newly manufactured receiver from a different company.  

Quoted: Because it is a preban weapon but built on a US receiver, could it be rebuilt on a new receiver without using new us compliant parts?

No, I already answered that.  Just as an Colt SP1 upper on a postban receiver doesn't become preban in states that require preban rifles for evil features.  The receiver is the firearm, if the receiver is postban the firearm is postban.  

I think the only way you can get around that is to send a receiver to the original manufacturer to have the receiver replaced with a new one due to damage, then they have to destroy the old receiver.  B-West no longer exists so they couldn't replace it.