How do you remove the fore most pin in the gun? It is the one that holds the hammer retarder, or timer or whatever you call it.  Looks like I might have to remove the scope rail, but then what?

Thanks for any help!

I'm pretty sure it is a factory installed rail because the installation looks too "mass production" and "clean" to be either a home job or a smith's job.  But then you never know unless you ask, which I failed to do.  The guy that sold it to me fairly cheap (but legally - paperwork and all) said that it doesn't work right and it jams sometimes.  Which he was right.  The hammer delay and the hammer where the thing catches the hammer are warn down to nubs and they fail sometimes. So in goes the FAC full auto repair kit. The quality appears to be bulgarian, but I can't read a damn ting on it.  I'm going to look around on the web for full auto pictures to try and identify it.

Shouldn't there be an importer's mark somewhere?  I'll look again to see if I can't find it.

Yep it's chinese.  I found an exact match markings and all (but without the rail just like you thought) with the bayo and all for $7800 and I only paid $2k because it is "broken" and "dangerous" - and it's not worth much more than a wall hanger anymore according to the nice idiot that sold it. He said he'd like to rebuild it, but he needed the money to buy a house. Said something about it being a gift from his dead father, which made me feel bad. But I couldn't pass this up, I mean heck if I didn't buy it, someone surely would have.  LOL, even though I didn't know what it was, I knew that was a steal once he assured me that it is legal. After I fix it tonight, I could turn around and double my money, but ofcourse the first time I pulled the trigger I fell in love, so that ain't happening.

I'd still like to figure out who the importer or builder is.  Maybe it is on the sale papers. I can kindof see a "*&$^%*something industries" on the side, so maybe it was refinished or painted and I can't see it. If it's paint I'll sandblast it and have it refinished properly.

Shouldn't the papers also have the information I'm looking for? I'll go look tomorrow.

Thanks!

BTW, just how in the heck are you so knowlegable in this field? I mean not just AK's, you pretty much are the firearm authority as I see it. Do you work in a gun shop or something?

That's an incredible deal.  You would have been a fool to pass it up.

I would take Campy's advice and send that rifle off for a complete overall.  Buy a Bulgarian K-var parts kit ( http://www.k-varcorp.com ).  Then send that rifle off to a high quality smith like Gary (aka Informer).  Sure you will end up spending an extra $800 on it, but it will end up being like new.  Then you will have a like new F/A AK for less than $3k......

-SS