Ok, I've heard the horror stories about Hesse and their crappy craftsmanship when it comes to their AR builds. But so far I haven't heard much concerning their AK's. Can anyone shed some light on this? I already know, "Friends don't let friends shoot Hesse", however I would like to hear some testimonials if anyone has had an experience with them, good or bad, not just opinions.

Holy shit......let me be the first to answer this post......

Scroll down to the bottom of this webpage for pics and testimonial...

This is my personal website:

www.angelfire.com/ak5/rpkman/

Friends don't let friends by HeXXe.....

KF

Well that was a pretty damn interesting read.
Any others?

The only builds that are worse than Hesse are custom jobs by Gary "chicken coop" Guccanio, his take much longer and are cost a lot more.

Now on the other hand, Hesse bare recivers are quite good. The must have contracted them out.

Quoted: Well that was a pretty damn interesting read. Any others?

You need more?

They screw up AR's.
They screw up FAL's.
They screw up HK's.

What makes you think the could do an AK right?

Quoted: They screw up AR's. They screw up FAL's. They screw up HK's. What makes you think the could do an AK right?

Probably the fact that the Iraqis and Egyptians have been able to make them. That's not setting the bar very high for skill required.

Quoted: Quoted: They screw up AR's. They screw up FAL's. They screw up HK's. What makes you think the could do an AK right? Probably the fact that the Iraqis and Egyptians have been able to make them. That's not setting the bar very high for skill required.

You forgot about the Afghans who make them without any sophisticated machinery.  Also, the Egyptians made them under license from the Soviet Union on Soviet machinery.  The same is also true for the Iraqis.  Their AKs work, He$$e's do not.  

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhh  so that's your page KF !!!!!!!!!!

I recall that one from some time ago and everytime I hear that "H" name, I think of that post!

thanks for sharing!

Quoted: Now on the other hand, Hesse bare recivers are quite good. The must have contracted them out.

They are?!

I've heard all kinds of horror stories about them as well - how do they compare to an OOW/ITM receiver?

They screw up AR's.
They screw up FAL's.
They screw up HK's.

What makes you think the could do an AK right?

Maybe they've run out of things they can screw up?

so troy, they never fixed the rpk?

OH...MY...LORD!!!!

Even though I've known for a long time now that Hesse would not be a company I would buy from.......that link showed them to be even worse than I could have imagined!

Just remember folks, that company no longer goes by that name.......it is now Vulcan Arms. Just think of both names as the plague ;)

Quoted: so troy, they never fixed the rpk?

Nope.  Never.  The Butcher of Minnesota is still in business as "Vulcan Arms" at this time.

I sent the whole basket case to Troy Sellars of InRange.  He did an excellent job on the repair.

www.angelfire.com/ak5/rpkman/inrangerpk.html

Quoted: They screw up AR's. They screw up FAL's. They screw up HK's. What makes you think the could do an AK right? Maybe they've run out of things they can screw up?

Right after I hit the "submit" button I had the very same thought.

Quoted: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quoted: They screw up AR's. They screw up FAL's. They screw up HK's. What makes you think the could do an AK right? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Probably the fact that the Iraqis and Egyptians have been able to make them. That's not setting the bar very high for skill required.

And this was my second thought.

Third World shitholes can turn out workable AK's, but I wouldn't bet Hesse could.

And that's really bad.

My Hesse AK-74 is not that bad after I had the ejector rail tip tig welded due to the soft metal there. Why would someone cut corners and not harden the part is beyond me. If anyone plans on purchasing one through JoeKen beware that you will eventually have to repair that area for the rifle to function properly. I figure if the rifle falls apart on me that I can reuse everything and have the front trunion riveted like it's supposed to be. Let's hope it doesn't come to that though.

Quoted: Quoted: Now on the other hand, Hesse bare recivers are quite good. The must have contracted them out. They are?! I've heard all kinds of horror stories about them as well - how do they compare to an OOW/ITM receiver?

Unless OOW/ITM has improved their hardening technique lately, I would take a Hesse over them. Maybe I gotthe only two good hesse bare receivers who knows ? There is a well deserved stigma attached to anything with Hesse on it however.

Hey guys, a question for ya.......Are the current owners of Vulcan the same as were for Hesse?

In other words, is it a definite that Vulcan is just another name for Hesse, and that nothing in ownership has changed? Thanks in advance :)

Quoted: Hey guys, a question for ya.......Are the current owners of Vulcan the same as were for Hesse? In other words, is it a definite that Vulcan is just another name for Hesse, and that nothing in ownership has changed? Thanks in advance :)

IIRC, Yes. At least, I recall that the Vulcan site and the Hesse site were owned by the same person.

I'm tossing around the idea of getting a Hesse recievered FAL. The guy said he's got a bunch of rounds through it and its just fine...heck, people told me to avoid P22s like the pleague and I love mine to death. They said the same thing about the Norinco Uzi I want to trade him.....

I don't know about all their stuff, but really, those pictures on that web-site were pretty well taken. The welds on those receivers are "so damned ugly" (like that ape woman said to Taylor on the Planet Of The Apes film).

As far as the problem that caused the crookedness in the receiver, and the crookedness itself, that's some scary stuff!

You know what they say about photos...."a picture can tell a thousand words".

Well, they convinced me enough that I wouldn't even buy a magazine pouch from them. It has to take a hell of a shoddy company to offer such a beast as pictured on that website (IMO).

Lumpy said above: "you need more?"

To that I say, "no sir, I gots the picture".

You sure don't need to beat it into me :)

Quoted: the hexxe conversions of the saiga rifles are not too bad...if you find one that the muzzle break is welded on straight. i have been told (by a fellow that i don't think would mislead me) that bob hesse employs high school students or recent grads to do the work. the test firing 'range' is a piece of pipe running down thru the floor.

That's true, I have a co-worker who has a friend who worked for Hesse at like 17.  He still does some stuff for Hesse now, at 18....

Quoted: I'm tossing around the idea of getting a Hesse recievered FAL. The guy said he's got a bunch of rounds through it and its just fine...<snip>...

Once in a while Hesse would slip up and make something that really worked the way it is suppose to.

If this FAL is local I would see if I could shoot it before purchasing it. And then form my decision. It may indeed be a good one. If it's across the country and you're essentially buying it sight unseen, I would pass. Likely the guy is trying to pawn off a piece of crap. IMHO.

Quoted: Quoted: I'm tossing around the idea of getting a Hesse recievered FAL. The guy said he's got a bunch of rounds through it and its just fine...<snip>... Once in a while Hesse would slip up and make something that really worked the way it is suppose to. If this FAL is local I would see if I could shoot it before purchasing it. And then form my decision. It may indeed be a good one. If it's across the country and you're essentially buying it sight unseen, I would pass. Likely the guy is trying to pawn off a piece of crap. IMHO.

Good advice Fruit. It is on the other side of the country unfortunatly. Guess I'll pass.

I put a hesse receiver on my AMD65. Had a few minor problems that were my fault. Parts fit in to receiver just fine, it shoots great. No problems with wear, yet. I'v ordered 3 more receivers from joeken. OOW receiver has dimention variations on selector shaft hole, which will cause problems on build, plus it is not a hardened receiver, the hesse is.
             OJF

So we've heard about HeXXe AKs.......we heard about HeXXe FALs......here's one for HeXXe ARs:

www.falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=41034

Campy is most probably correct concerning the actual AK receiver.  But the stigma attached to a parts kit built on a HeXXe receiver (by a competent gunsmith) is "It's a HeXXe...NO THANKS."  For instance....if I attend a gunshow and just happen to have enough money in my pocket to buy an AK that someone is walking around with that caught my eye....the minute I see "HeXXe" on the receiver, I'm not taking any chances.  No matter if the potential seller is saying "but, but, but it was built by a local gunsmith..."  NO THANKS.  The name "HeXXe" on any kind of firearm substantially reduces it's value, and subsequent resale value....

"Vulcan" Arms????  Just another attempt by HeXXe to change the name to protect the guilty.  Do a search on the domain name and you will see the owner is:


Domain Name.......... vulcanarms.com
 Creation Date........ 2002-10-01
 Registration Date.... 2002-10-01
 Expiry Date.......... 2003-10-01
 Organisation Name.... Robert Hesse
 Organisation Address. 9487 Inver Grove Trail
 Organisation Address.
 Organisation Address. Inver Grove Heights
 Organisation Address. 55076
 Organisation Address. MN
 Organisation Address. UNITED STATES

Admin Name........... Hesse Robert
 Admin Address........ 9487 Inver Grove Trail
 Admin Address........
 Admin Address........ Inver Grove Heights
 Admin Address........ 55076
 Admin Address........ MN
 Admin Address........ UNITED STATES
 Admin Email.......... [email protected]
 Admin Phone.......... +1.6514555760
 Admin Fax............

Tech Name............ YahooDomains TechContact
 Tech Address......... 701 First Ave.
 Tech Address.........
 Tech Address......... Sunnyvale
 Tech Address......... 94089
 Tech Address......... CA
 Tech Address......... UNITED STATES
 Tech Email........... [email protected]
 Tech Phone........... +1.6198813096
 Tech Fax............. +1.6198813010
 Name Server.......... ns8.san.yahoo.com
 Name Server.......... ns9.san.yahoo.com




Friends don't let friends buy HeXXe....

KF

Quoted:heck, people told me to avoid P22s like the pleague and I love mine to death. They said the same thing about the Norinco Uzi I want to trade him.....

The p22's just occasionally had bad firing pins and a loose barrel extension.  Nothing that cant be fixed in like 10 minutes with a shoestring and a flyswatter.

Incorrectly milled, welded and I dont even want to think about head spaced receivers are a completly different story.  

Little story for the group from 8 months ago.  I got my Springfield armory hk91 replica.  2 of my good friends loved it.  The both bought knock offs.  Nate bought a century knock off, dave bought a hesse knockoff.  Neither one cost more than $450.  

That first day we went to the range and they shot mine for about 2 mags.  Nate locked and cocked his and realized that 2 of the 3 mags that came with his would not seat right in the mag well.  He smacked in the 3rd mag and went to town.  It was rough but it shot fine.

Dave rolls up with his hesse and proceeds to lose the hearing in his right ear as the receiver turned to hamburger.  He lost all the hearing in his right ear and got 18 stitches in the side of his head and neck.  We are still not sure what happened, whether it was a kb or overpressure round or whatever.  The ammo is southafrican and I'd used about 600 rounds of it before the problem and close to 3k rounds of it since with out any type of failure.

I've since decided that "cheap knockoffs" are not for me.  I'll pay a little more for peace of mind.  I do own a SAR1, which the monkeys at century have "restored to original spec" but I sure as shit didnt shoot it the first few mags while holding it.

If the receiver is properly hardened, especially the ejector, then you should not have any problems whatsoever.