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Posted: 12/24/2008 2:58:18 PM EDT
| Is this practical and an absolute must? I understand Ironwood stocks dont need the lower tang but would it be alright with any others? Ive heard people say that the upper tang doesnt have enough strength to hold the stock and has snapped, but then again i heard some people say they never had any problems. My SLR doesnt have any precut slots for a lower tang and i dont really have the proper tools to do so. Has anyone else done this? |
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Details please!
I have an SLR95 and a K-Var black synthetic stock but no lower tang on my SLR. I may take it to my gunsmith and have him mill the receiver. I believe K-Var sales the lower tang. So, it has happened frequently where the upper tang has snapped? If so then I better have the tang installed. I want to have a traditional stock and be legal but without potentially damaging the rifle. |
I don't know what anyone does with their AKs but i take care of mine. I have a 95 without the lower tang and a synthetic stock on it too and i shoot the hell out of that thing and have never had a problem or even worried about one for that matter. I don't ever throw it around, drop it, or misuse it in any manner so it is hard for me to see how the upper tang would snap plus that stock fits really snug, so snug I have to gently hammer it in. This also btw is not my go to rifle in a shtf scenario. Just my 2 cents 
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| I 100 percent agree Molive. Idk how people break these things off. I take care of my shit too, dont throw it, dent it etc etc. If i see a scratch on my rifles i flip shit. Not to mention i only shoot maybe 150-200 rounds of each rifle ever week or ever other week. |
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There were 2 flavors of SLR 95's without tangs. One with no tang or provisions for one (no milled slot in receiver), and the other with provisions (the lucky ones got these). I've had both with the slot being the easiest to add a tang. Since milled receivers dont have much stock inside the receiver they should have both upper and lower tangs for proper support.
If you're receiver does not have a tang, some smiths will weld one in. I had Global trades do this on one of my rifles and it came out well. I would imagine miling the receiver would be the most costly. There are however some stock makers such as Iron wood designs that design their stocks to be used without a lower tang. (I also think more of the stock goes into the receiver for better support). I would call Chris Butler on this at AK-103 as he is one of the few AK smiths I would trust to do good work as there are a lot of "hacks" out there. |
| ive got 3 (converted back to original) 95's and all have the lower tang installed. why risk really screwing up the gun? its not that hard or expensive to have the tang installed and make things the way they should be. they are great guns, dont skimp on them now. |
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"I have IW's bolt through the receiver type stock."
VERY sturdy - and something that you can do for about 47 cents on ANY milled stock. Get a 3/4" Fender washer & reasonably sized wood screw. Take off top cover. Remove spring, carrier, and bolt. See how the rear of the receiver is curved? Wack your washer into a similar curve. Mark end of stock for screw, drill pilot hole. Insert stock, screw into stock thru Fender washer. Done. |
| I like to interchange my stocks on my 95. Sometimes its ace folding, sometimes K Var synth and sometimes thumbhole. I know I'm indecisive but its just one reason I prefer no lower tang plus for some reason I like my weapons to be as stock as possible, the less altercations the better. Trotsky is right though, I need to order a spare stock to modify a la IW style |
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Ok, I DO have the slot for the lower tang and I have a tang from K-Var, however...
the new tang has a "bump" welded onto the top of it which seems to interfere with the stock. Additionally, there is a rear rivet for the trigger guard that also interferes with the placement/fit of the lower tang. I will probably have to have my gunsmith modify (shorten) and weld the tang in place to make it work :( Maybe later I will post some photos so you can see what i'm talking about. |
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Quoted:
Ok, I DO have the slot for the lower tang and I have a tang from K-Var, however... the new tang has a "bump" welded onto the top of it which seems to interfere with the stock. Additionally, there is a rear rivet for the trigger guard that also interferes with the placement/fit of the lower tang. I will probably have to have my gunsmith modify (shorten) and weld the tang in place to make it work :( Maybe later I will post some photos so you can see what i'm talking about. It would be best to have that bump filed down than to have the tang shortened and that rivet needs to be removed first and then replaced with a new one after installing the tang but I'm more than positive your gunsmith knows this and what they are doing |
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Quoted:
Ok, I DO have the slot for the lower tang and I have a tang from K-Var, however... the new tang has a "bump" welded onto the top of it which seems to interfere with the stock. Additionally, there is a rear rivet for the trigger guard that also interferes with the placement/fit of the lower tang. I will probably have to have my gunsmith modify (shorten) and weld the tang in place to make it work :( Maybe later I will post some photos so you can see what i'm talking about. Whatever you do, don't have the tang welded onto the receiver! You need to angle-grind the block that is spot welded onto the top of the tang so that the stock will fit, this is normal for a new tang. When you are done, the block will have a "wedge" shape to it. The "thin" part of the angle ground surface will be at the back of the block and should be thin enough to allow the stock fit into the receiver, meaning quite thin. The "thick" part of the block faces the front, the top of its surface at the front will be even with the upper edge of the tang cutout. The rivet that is interfering needs to be removed in order for the tang to fit. It will be replaced, as it is one of the two rivets that hold the tang to the receiver. The other rivet hole isn't there yet; you'll need to drill it. The location for that hole is already spot-faced into the inside-floor of your receiver, you just need to drill it through the receiver and the pistol grip's mounting block beneath. The best way to "locate" the tang's placement inside the receiver prior to drilling its holes is to "mock-up" the stock and tang in the receiver. Screw the tang to the stock once everything is placed into the receiver (it won't fit if you screw it on outside the receiver), then mark the tang, remove and drill. Finally there is the riveting. I did this with a bench vise and some fabricated pressing tools made out of a scrap steel piece and a modified bolt. You need to grind a cup-shape into the scrap steel to hold the pre-formed rivet head on the outside of the receiver. The modified bolt is used to reach down inside the receiver to where the rivet's ends are, so you can apply pressure and crush the rivet ends. Do them one at a time, and make sure nothing gets out of alignment. Mine turned out really well using this process. Good luck with yours!
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Quoted:
ive got 3 (converted back to original) 95's and all have the lower tang installed. why risk really screwing up the gun? its not that hard or expensive to have the tang installed and make things the way they should be. they are great guns, dont skimp on them now. Tom speaks the truth. Listen to him.
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My top tang only SLR95 has been beat over umpteen thousands of bouncy miles on ATV handlebars over many years with no deleterious effects. Guess I'm going to hell...I did stabilize the polymer butt to the rear of the receiver with a locktited bolt, nut and washer. Guess that will get me to the extra hot parts of hell. Can't be any worse than central AZ in the summer...
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