Any AK "virgin" kit builders?

[crazy_taco]

I have a Yugo front end assembly that needs a barrel replaced with a virgin US made barrel from Copes' distributing. (they used to carry them a while back)


Does anyone know where I can get this kind of AK work done in TX?

[sharky47]

Drive to Fredericksburg and I can do it.

Whats wrong with the original barrel and what are you going to do with it?

[crazy_taco]

The original barrel is too dark and pitted. Rifling is strong, but I happen to have a new barrel and I might as well use it. Here's a pic of the bullet test:



I'd probably just get rid of the old barrel....

So you can do this?

I can't really drive to Fredericksburg, but I can ship it to you and then have me pay to ship it back.

I'll need you to do everything to it, including headspace and to mill the barrel pin hole through the new barrel.

[sharky47]

I am not a FFL, but you can ship me the non-regulated items like trunnion and barrel - those are not guns....

I can do everything, but I will need headspace gauges though. I am a machinist by trade and have removed/installed barrels in AKs before, but ones that were already pinned.......let me check on something though, might know a guy with 7.62X39 gauges - I will get back to you.......

[sharky47]

Oh, and if I install the barrel - how are you going to install the trunnion in the receiver? The only way I can think of to do it would be if I drilled/tapped the trunnion for a screw build while I had the barrel out - then you could assemble it with the barrel installed.

Is the new barrel a .308 or .310 bore?

[crazy_taco]

The barrel has a .310 bore.

After work is completed, and the barrel is pinned into place, I'm just going to press the pin and barrel out using my jigs and shop press. I have my rivet tools on order, and should get here within the week.

[sharky47]

Gotcha, ok - well let me double check and see if a fellow (local) AK builder has the gauges and I'll let you know if I can do it!

[crazy_taco]

Sure thing Sharky

[sharky47]

Sorry it's taken so long, never found gauges locally that I could borrow/rent. I am halfway through a Vector semi RPD build and ended up just ordering the gauges for myself. So, yeah - I have all the stuff to do your barrel now......

Just PM me if your still interested and we will go from there.

[NewTxn]

There is a good chance that even though the Yugo barrel is dark and pitted it will still shoot fine. Virgin barrels are a major hassle to work with and I doubt the small potential increase in accuracy that you may or may not get with the new barrel will be worth it. Just put the kit together as is and if it turns out that it shoots like crap then replace the barrel. I don't think the barrel replacement would be any harder on a built rifle than if you did it before assembly.