are these kits any good?  im thinking about getting one.  someone from falfiles.com told me i could just drill out the old rivets on the barrel trunion and screw on a built up reciever from joeken.com which means no welding or riveting.  i really want to believe this but id like a second opinion before i buy one.  i dont have any "cool" tools like a drill press or welder nor can i afford them since im a piss poor student.  fell free to tell me to go for it or,...  to rain on my parade.  

If the barrel is still in the trunion, you'll still need to remove the rivets and then tap the holes for screws.  Be advised that good taps are best.

Here's what I did with an AK 74 screw build.

http://www.salt6.com/ak-74.htm

SB

nice site!!  hope you finish soon.

now i dont know anything about building an AK but can you use a hand rivet tool to put in the reciever?  i guess if you could thats what people would be doing.

is there a good book that shows complete disassembly?  or better yet how to build an ak?

A hand rivet tool, if I'm thinking of the same one you are thinking of, cannot be used.  There are no books on assembly that I'm aware of.  It is not hard if you have a shop at home with a cheap hydraulic press. You can do it with just a hammer and punch, taps and a file, but it would be a challenge.  You would probably have to set some rivets.

ok i know nothing about riveting.  i guess then i would need a air driven riveter?  would a 6 ton press be enough?  i know a guy who has one.

Hi Dave, I can't sit down now and tell you all the things that you'll need to do to build an AK.  I don't have enough time tonight. I will have time over the next two months. If you want to build one, there will be a lot of folks who can help you get through the process.  For rivets, the rivets you will probably need to do are the ones that hold the trigger guard on.  They aren't too hard to do. All you need are two square end punches, a vice and a big hammer.  No press needed.  Clamp one punch in the vice, push the rivet thru the hole, ( don't forget the safety lever stop ) and bash it flat with the other punch.  No big deal.  You can also find a way to screw it on and skip the rivet thing all together.  I have heard of others doing this, but I'm set up for rivets on the handguard and it's easier for me this way.   You'll need a drill press and your buddies press, a couple of pieces of steel about 3/4 inch thick to build a clamp for the barrel for the press, taps, screws, and probably a dremel tool, and you're in.  The process is quite straight forward if you go slow and don't get into a big rush.
     The Inter Ordinance kit is re-finished.  It looks new, but I cannot tell you the barrel is good.  Most have 50% of their life left, but it probably will not be a tack driver.  Few AK's are. But first get the kit.

thank you for the info. very infromative.
i dont know which is better the screw method or the rivets but the rivets sound esier at least.
so is the 6 ton gonna be enough?  i saw a 12 ton at harbor frieght for i think a hundred bucks. i guess i could resell it when im done. i think ive talked my brother into going halfs on a drill press and keeping it at his basement since he rebuilds cars he'll find some use for it.

Hi Dave;
Don't buy the IO kit, they are USED! Sometimes HEAVILY USED! Buy from clearview investments, I bought an AMD65 kit from them for $119.00, new, never fired, receiver removed from trunnions, rivits stubs still in trunnion's. I bought a Hesse rec'r, trimmed the rivits down, slipped the rec'r in place on the trunnion. Holes in rec'r lined up with the rivits in trunnion, welded them in place. Did I forget to mention, the barrel was still in the trunnion, so I did not have to mess with headspace. going out to testfire tomorrow. Think I'll buy another.
                        OJF

That's information I needed.  I didn't have much faith in I/O anyway.  I was going to order one of their kits, but I won't now.  I'll get another polish one from global instead. They are almost new, Dave. Might even get an AMD.

well thats interesting news...
i was looking at the amd kits but i dont want to register a SBR.  how do you lengthen the barrel? (and keep the amd brake?)
the screw method sounds easy, realitivly at least. so as long as the trunion is still on the barrel i dont have to do any pressing?  id still love to see a builders guide or something come out.

The barrel extension is taken care of by INRANGE, for 15.00 plus 2.00 s&h. it screws onto the barrel, and the flash thingy screws onto the extension. Then weld or silver solder.

                       OJF