Quoted: I just read thru that link at it is EXACTLY what I wanted to know. Thanks alot, man.
Another question, since I'm a noobie around here and I'm entitled to ask dumb questions for a bit, is there a place to buy a new set of already finished in solid wood, or should I take the time to do it myself? I have faith I could do it correctly, I just wonder if it's worth the time. I am a novice with AK's, this is my first.
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I'm a newbie with AK's too, bro, and I still ask a lot of questions that others must just laugh at. But like I said before, the guys here are top notch and understand we ALL start out knowing NOTHING. We learn by asking.
I cannot remember ever seeing fully finished wood sets, but that's because any wood set you buy is going to need tweaking because receivers have slight differences. There will be a little chisling and a little shaping and a little sanding on 99.9% of the sets, and that would make it VERY difficult not to damage the finish. But I doubt you could find a set anyway, unless they were made specifically for a receiver/kit combination - and at that, they'd fetch a hefty price.
So, do it yourself bro. It takes very little time to make a great fit and finish, and you have the satisfaction of saying you did it youself when someone comments on how tight the wood fits and looks. If you strip your current set, you won't need to fit it to the receiver, of course, but if I was you I'd take my time and, once you get the current finish stripped, go ahead and correct anything like gaps at that time. Shave and sand as you need to in order to get the upper and lower handguards in pefect alignment, and remove any gaps in the stock.
In other words, do it yourself but pay really close attention once you have bare wood to make it perfect. You'll have a rifle you will be very proud of and want to show off, and done for cheap by your own hands. That's my advice, anyway, which is worth exactly what you paid for it sir.