I could use some assistance from people that have some first hand experience with an Arsenal SAM7K-44 pistol.  I was excited to get it home Friday and especially wanted to get the flashlight forend installed.  The latch was a little stuck but eventually it opened.

But then the flaghlight forend wouldn't fit.  So I did try to do a little filing on the back end but it wasn't enough.

So then I tried to get the original forend back on.  No go.  It is the damnedest thing, even the original forend won't go on.  Had a neighbor take a look as well and we're both frustrated.

The best I can see is that without any forend, when the front retaining clamp wants to close there is a sliver of the silver barrel that can be seen from the front.



But when comparing to the flashlight forend or the original forend, they are just a bit too far forward to close (the latch won't budge).





I can confirm that in both cases the handguards are seated front and back (original):





And with the Flashlight I did do a little bit of sanding to try to make it fit:







Has anyone else had this experience?  I have plenty of other AKs (4) and a PSL but this is the tightest I've ever had.  And not being able to get the factory part back on when all I did was take it off is baffling.  Any help is appreciated.

I think it may just be grinding down very slowly on the back in the following area encircled in red, but I would like some feedback before grinding on an expensive part.

"Bigger hammer" yeah, filing and hammering on ak's sometimes is needed

I used some C-clamps on each side of the receiver to clamp down on the forend.  That worked for me.