I haven’t messed with building since Romy G’s were $89 but I have a lot of tools from back then. Recently I scored a flat bending thing at a pawn shop cheap so I figured I would give the current method of AK’s a go.  I will say it’s funny that I’m going to need to buy the trigger/hammer hole jig even though these flats are supposed to have the holes!  

The only trunion I don’t have in hand is the side folder which is in the mail.

Also,  the 80% kits seem like the way to go and I will go that way because i have to buy that jig but I figured my blood pressure could use a relaxing project.



Someone missed trigger/hammer/safety  pin hole day on the flats I picked up at Midway.

What type of bending jig did you get?

Sorry to tell you, bending flats is the former method-- not the current.

This is why you found the bender in the pawn shop.

That said, nice job bending those.

What is the current?  80%?

Honestly I could see that with the current lineup of hardened 80’s that are in stock where I had to order the jig to drill the holes.  I don’t know if I would say that flats are dead though.  There’s enough spread in the cost that if your looking for something to fuck with or you have the time to spare the flats are still a good viable option.  Especially if you already have the tools.

Example- an under-folder 80% Polish is $87.45.  I think I paid $21/22 for the polish flat and another $9/10 for the reinforcement.  I’m in it for shits and giggles for the most part.  Something to help me take my mind off work and relax.  For some people that cost savings goes a long way.  Hell the only reason I used to build my own AK’s was because I was so broke it’s the only way I could afford to because you could get a piece here and a piece there.  The Kit was the big ticket item followed by the NDS receiver.  That was back in the days of $300-$350 SAR rifles starting the run up to WASR’s.

The argument in your direction is the jig is $200+/- new.  You would have to throw down a lot of receivers to justify it these days.

I've got one foot in the past myself -- and plenty of flats left to bend.  I'm in it for the fun, also, and made my own bending jig.  I also made a very nice bender for the upper rails, which doesn't work very well.   I enjoy making the tooling, and have been adding a few bits to the shop.

The experience all counts toward the next build, I think, and has made me able to tackle the 80% and 100% recievers with a little more confidence.  And I'm no beginner with this kind of work.  Let's just say I'm getting real d*mn good at drilling holes!  And I now have an excuse to buy cobalt, carbide, end mills, reamers, and so on.

No drill jig here; I just built two milled [eta:80%] rifles the old fashioned way.   A good drill press (mill/mill drill) is required tho' -- capable of shooting holes at true right angles to the work.

What bender do you have?  Those bends just look great.

It’s the same one AK builder sells.

I’ve got some hardened 80% in hand and some I bent.   The girls are off to Houston this weekend so I may cool around and get one of the Midway kits slapped together on a bent flat to see if I can break it.  I asked on akfiles about spot hardening and got some great answers. Recreater has some Polish 80% hardened for $60ish bucks so That seems like the way to go.  After looking at the hardened 80% akbuilder  receivers I received I think some drill bits may start crying.