ed, assembling an akm is, relatively, a "challenging" task.

on a scale of 1 to 10, with the erector set easy ar-15 at "1" and the riveted 1919 at "10", the akm (stamped) is a "12".

yes, it is more difficult to assemble than a 1919 browning gpmg!

you must have a hydraulic press or other suitable bbl. pressing fixture. a mill is recommended and a drill press and d.p. vise is mandatory.

a surface grinder and belt sander are also a must.

riveting tools, bucking bars, transfer punches, drills, files, headspace gages, etc. are all used in the mix.

this project is not for the faint of heart or those without patience.

and yet, hundreds of folks manage to cobble together their own ak's.

you CAN do this. the first time around requires determination, stubborness, many trips to the tool store and asking plenty of questions. after your second build...you are as good as any builder out there.

building the ak isn't so much science as it is voodoo!

with the itm/oow rec., one must transfer the trunnion holes, front and rear.

with the hesse, only one rear trunnion hole needs to be transfered from the trunnion to the rec. also, the hesse is more authentic looking.

yeah, my explanation did sound kind of...uh...er...involved!!!

what i would like to try is 'cleaning up' (square up by milling or wire edm) the bulgy rec. stubs and tig welding a cut center section of a hesse to to them. dunno yet about the legality of that method, though...probably would violate that 'once a machinegun, always a machinegun' rule.