AK Sponsor
Posted: 10/20/2006 11:20:58 AM EDT
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So, i'm sort of at an ends as where to go from here... need some advice. In may I gave a local builder a beautiful AMD 65 kit in practically perfect condition, a finished global trades 7.62x39 reciever, and all the compliance parts. I told him the reason I was so interested in having it built was that I wanted to make sure it was done beatifully as I dont have the equipment to do it at home as well as I would like for a rarer kit. He told me he understood and promised quality.I asked for a ETA on completion and he suggested two months. I told him I was leaving hte country for 3 months and so he excitedly said that would be plenty of time. When I returned I went back to pickup my rifle only to find that it had not yet been started. He asked for another month. He had decided to build a deck on his house he told me. I said ok. The following month I went back again when he asked me to only to find out this time that he had begin to look at it but that it was still not yet nearing completition. He asked for another month. That brings us to today when I went to check in for my sixth month. I asked him if he had finished it and he indicated it was in the same place it was at a month or so ago. He then went on to explain that he is trying to find someone with a welder to attach the muzzle break and the rivets. This sort of threw me off as rivets dont need to be welded into place. When i questioned him he told me that is how you need to attach the rivets in a bulid. This makes me sort of nervous and my confidence in his ability to build and willingness to build my rifle is wearing thin. I should say the builder operates a store front and range and has a pretty good reputation, but over the past few months I'm sort of wondering how much of that reputation is built upon his highly personable character and how much is built upon his concrete abilities as a builder. I have yet to see anything he has done to the rifle and when every month he waits for me to contact him instead of calling me to tell me he needs more time. Should I ask for the rifle back and not risk him screwing something up or should I wait and see what happens? Assuming I wait, what avenues can I persue assuming the rifle is not up to spec? I really want this rifle built. I've wanted it built for six months. I'm just sort of at odds as to where I should go. |
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I'd ask for it back. With all the posts that complain about how slow builders are, why don't you guys learn to build these guns yourselves or buy built guns. I'm really not trying to diss anyone here, I know a lot of you guys don't have a lot of free time. But knowing that, why would you even think about buying a parts kit in the first place. Buy the time you buy the kit, receiver, 922r parts, and pay someone to build it, it looks to me like it would be less expensive and a LOT quicker to just buy one. Again, not trying to beat anyone down, Just suggesting a closer look at another option. BTW, these things are really easy to build. If you aren't a crack addict and have two brain cells to rub together, you can do it with minimal investment and then you will have the knowledge of having done it yourself, how to fix it when it breaks, and something "of you" to pass to your kids/grandkids. |
I was originally going to build the kit myself, but after the kits stopped being imported and the price of them shot up I decided that I had better just send it off because I dont want to risk messing up. I've had an eye for them for a long time, the AMD is just a straight beautiful rifle to me. I dont have a lot of the equipment needed to do a great build, and I've never had any sort of directions besides what i've read. So its been a lot of messing up and fudges as I go with the romy kit. Given that and the fact that I needed to weld the muzzle extension onto the gun I went ahead and bit the bullet. My major problem is money. I'm a college student and I dont have the room or money to really pick up a barrell press. prior to sending it away I tried to get a build party going in the hometown forums in North carolina, but no one bit. I do intend to get the gunsmithing stuff down the road.. but now is simply not the time. thanks for the advice. Do you think I owe him anything for anything he has done on the rifle thus far? |
I had a build done 9 days from dropping it off at a builder's business. Engraved, parked and molycoated, with siderail. 6 months and he's going to weld it together. Get it back now or we will be hearing part 2 of this in a short time. |
If he's a decent guy he won't ask for any money - he clearly hasn't done any work on it. Plus his reputation is at stake with you as well, and he can't have you mess that up becausee he demanded $50. Explain to him that you are not willing to wait any longer and take your rifle to AKUSA. I talked with Chris on Friday, their backlog is only a month or less right now - for Chris, that is fantastic. |
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You don't owe him squat. He was going to build an AK by welding? They aren't welded. PERIOD. Ask the maker of your receiver what they think about welding... He may owe you if he jacked up your receiver or parts. Is this guy a regular builder? Website? Way to warn others from going there? |
I called him yesterday and I'm going to go in monday and pick it up. His store has all its gunsmithing done by one of his employees evidently and so I'm going to go get my kit from that guy. This way I can see whats been done and make sure he hasn't messed it up. I'm hoping he hasn't done anything or I will have to be hassled with getting him to get me a new kit; and that would be a pain in the butt. Sadly, he doesn't have a website. He does have a storefront and an indoor shooting range and he does a lot of building and modifications. He has a pretty good reputation in the area, so that was why i took it to him to start with. I posted his name and everything in the hometown forums in case someone in Asheville happens to think about going to On target to get things done. So here is what i've got- avoid this http://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&lr=&q=on+target&near=Asheville,+NC&radius=0.0&latlng=35600833,-82554167,8774359252174260102&sa=X&oi=local&ct=result&cd=3 |
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