I wouldn't consider several hundred rounds proof of reliability for the firearm.
To the OP, cost and time wise I found it better to buy than build. If you were going to do a bunch of them it would be different, but when I looked into it a few years ago the tools and jigs needed, plus the time involved, it was not cost effective for me to build rather than buy.
It is actually an Ebay knock off if I am not mistaken. Paid $35 for it. I ring steel with it at 100 yards, consistently and without having to ever adjust it. I doubt it would handle much of a fall but it is sufficient. Primary Arms should be head and shoulders above in qualityHey Kyle, is that a Primary arms AK RDS you got on there? I'm thinking about getting one and mounting it same as you have. PA advertises co-witness with that perticular RDS, just curious how well it works (if it is?). Thanks!
Doesnt change the fact that they are proven to work as well as rivets. Plus it doesnt require the number of tools needed to do a rivet built. There was an AK that was held together with toothpicks that fired a few rounds before failing. Rivets were used because they are cheaper and easier in mass production than screws. Rivets were replaced with them in skyscraper construction a long time ago. If you use a cheap screw... you may see failure. Rivets fail too. The parts you are holding together are subjected to roughly the same forces that your shoulder sees.
The vast majority of the AK community shuns from screw builds, and here's why...
First of all, Kalashnikov didn't design the rifle with screws, and there's a good reason for that. Screws can back out, adhesives can fail, and the threads on a screw could "cut" the receiver holes. But the biggest thing is that properly set rivets expand in the channel and more or less force the two matted items to be close together.
Secondly, screw builds are typically done without removing the barrel; which means that the screws don't have much "meat" to bite on.
You gotta understand that the simple inexpensive rivet is pretty much foolproof. It doesn't need to be fiddled with, and it doesn't come loose. If a screw loosened during firing, which is always a possibility, the shooter may not have the time or even know that it is happening. If the front trunnion becomes loose and the rifle is fired; bad bad things will happen.
But I'll offer this again, show me one professional AK builder that uses screws, and I'll concede your point.
First I want to thank you all for the flood of advice. Its nice to know I can get an anwser quickly. And major mad max thank you for the link. Hopefully ill have some money this this pay period to buy the kit. Then get the receiver and barrel next pay check. Also I wondef if it would be alright to pm you if I have any other questions.
Thank you every one for all the responses so quickly. All have been helpful and all have been insightful.
If by chance you are ever in the San Antonio area, let us know and maybe we can get a couple of AK folks together for a range trip!
Cheers! M2
For some reason I'm hearing "Hold my beer and watch this" in the backgroundCount me in on the range trip! You can shoot my bolt build