AK Sponsor
Posted: 3/25/2012 7:08:57 PM EDT
|
Hey Guys, I'm in the process of de-banning my thumb hole stock SA85m. I have replaced the furniture with an Iron Wood set, and swapped out the FCG. It kooks great with the exception of the front sight base and the gas block which both have been had their evil parts ground down. I really want to replace those 2 parts and have someone put them on and have the gun refinished an the same semi gloss finish.
Anyone know of a source for the sight base and gas block? Also and good builder in the Atlanta area that could replace them and refinish? Appreciate any info. |
|
I have debanned two SA85s. The SA85 uses the exact same front sight base as the AMD-65. This sight is exactly what you want. Front sight
It has the retainer pin hole drilled and is ready to install. The gas block is a bit trickier to find. I have never been able to find an actual Hungarian gas block with bayonet lug. The closest thing I have been able to find is East German. They were readily available on APEX's website but they appear to have sold out. Try to find an East German because they are very well machined and smooth with no noticeable machining marks...just like the Hungarians. You can use a Romanian gas block, but unless you get lucky it will probably have some machine marks and need to be cleaned up a lot to match the smooth machining on the SA85. Whatever you get, it is very easy to do yourself. The pins on my SA85s have always been super tight so I ended up cutting the gas blocks and sights off with a dremel. Those stupid pins just wouldn't budge. I then use a copper pipe barely bigger than the barrel diameter to drive the gas block on with a mallet. The only "hard" part is making sure everything is lined up correctly without a cant and drilling/reaming the holes. Usually the holes will only be slightly off from the parts vs the barrel and a quick ream will true them up. Drive in the pins and you are all set. The finish is also very easy to do yourself. Duplicolor engine enamel is a perfect match for Hungarian semi-gloss black. I also recommend Norrell's Moly Resin for the authentic look. |
| Appreciate the replay and that link! I really dont have the tools to do the work. I did find a place that can handle both the sight work and refinishing. Might have to go with the Romanian gas block and clean it up some. BTW, my gun has the short gas tube, will that make a difference on the gas block? |
|
What you want to do is thread the barrel. It is SUPER easy to do. I bought the kit from CNC Warrior. It literally took me like 4 minutes in my livingroom and no other tools.
You need the following items: Thread guide...Die Handle...Tap oil...Slant break Watch this video: Youtube He explains each step. Watche it first then try it. If you don't allow enough space for the threads you could strip it, but it's really easy to do it right. The guy in the video makes it look harder than it is. He must be a wimp...haha. Just turn back frequently to release the shavings. Good luck man....once you do this stuff once it's a skill you own. |
AK Sponsor