Fakelite "faux bakelite" 7.62x39 Magazine for AK-47

My brother Nate and I testing my Fakelite "faux bakelite" 7.62x39 Magazine for the AK-47 type rifle. After making (painting) these mags with Krylon Fusion "burgundy" spray paint, Nate and I took them out for some field testing. The paint job held up quite well. It was pretty cold out that day. Well, cold for the South anyhow. These fakelite mags are easily made, look cool and will save you from shelling out $40-$80 for the real 7.62x39 bakelites. I hope this inspires you to try it yourself and post a video and pics of your creations!

Yugo M70AB2 modification project (part II)

Ok folks, here are some pics of my finished Yugo M70AB2 modified rifle. This rifle is no beauty queen, but the paint doesn't look too shabby either. The real test will be when I put a couple hundred rounds through it. We'll see how well the paint stands up to the heat, and if the weld holds. I hope to try it out this Saturday. I'll post some video of the test session. I hope that it doesn't rain.

Yugo M70AB2 modification project (part I)

Let's talk AK mods. There are those out there who are completely against it, and view it as a sin and then there are those of us who appreciate the classic AK look, but don't see anything wrong with updating our rifles with all the bells and whistles that modern society has to offer. I happen to be one of the later. Now, I didn't get crazy here, but decided to change the sights, grips, and add a cushioned recoil pad.

My rifle started out as a standard, no frills factory model Yugo m70ab2 undefolder AK type rifle. I think that factory handguards on the m70ab2 are somewhat boring looking, so I swapped them out with an AK-47 Leapers UTG M70 Yugo Tactical Quad Rail. This allows me to add optics and grips, etc. I put a Bushnell Trophy red dot on it, and zeroed it in at about 25 yards. It works great.




I also added a recoil pad, as the metal underfolding stock against my shoulder wasn't horrible, but didn't feel that great either. I have yet to try this out while firing the file, but it feels really nice when I shoulder it.




Here's what the rifle looked liked after adding these mods.




I was pretty happy until I saw a site online where they were adding H&K front and rear sights to AK's. Now that looks cool. So, I bought some HK G3 front and rear sights and had my local gunsmith put them on. He did a great job, but I should have told him to put the front sight post on as close to the gas block as possible. Well, my father and a friend cut a piece of conduit and welded it to the gas block. I think that it looks pretty darn cool. The weld is a bit rough, but looks cool. I applied a coat of aerosol Hi-Heat Spray Paint (made for use on grills, etc.) to give it a flat look and paint the metal conduit pipe. I have to wait another 48 hours to added another coat.

Here are some pics of the unfinished AK mod. I have the rifle tapped in order to paint it. I can't wait to add the final coats of paint and take this baby out for a test drive. I will post the final pics, along with a video and range report once it's ready. In the meantime, here are some pics of the mod in its current stage.

"Fake-lite" Faux Bakelite 7.62x39 magazine

I've always thought that bakelite magazines looked really cool. I've always thought that they were made solely for the 5.45x39 round. Several years ago I saw a bakelite mag in a SAR-3 rifle (5.56x45 AK). I believe that it was an AK-74 bakelite with a .223 (5.56x45) follower. I've never tried this, but I've heard mixed reports on the performance and reliability. The problem with a standarized 5.56x45 AK magazine is a story in of itself.

Well, I wanted a bakelite 7.62x39 magazine, and until about a month ago, didn't even know that they existed. I found some for sale on Gun Broker. These were made in China and Russia. They both looked great, but the cheapest I could find them for was $70!



Forget that. So, I decided to make my own "fake-lite" or faux bakelite 7.62x39 mags. I used 30 round polymer (Bulgarian and ProMag) magazines and paint them with several layers of Krylon Fusion for Plastic aerosol spray paint. This paint is designed specifically for use on plastic (in this case, poly mags). I still need to work on my painting skills, but I was pretty happy with the way the mags turned out. Now I just need to test them, which I hope to do soon. I will make sure to post a range report on my findings. So, far they are a cheap alternative to the Tula and Norinco real deal.

US PALM AK30 Magazine...new polymer AK 7.62x39 mag

I don't know the quality of this magazine, as I just saw this tonight on the ak47.net forums, but it looks pretty cool! Now, once the price drops to about $15 per mag, I'll be willing to try it. Or maybe the guys from US PALM will send me a couple to test and report on! I would love to have some in Bakelite. In the meantime, here's a summary from the link on ak47.net.

http://www.ak47.net/forums/topic.html?b=4&f=96&t=122484

October 5, 2009 (Scottsdale, AZ) – US Primary Armament & Logistical Manufacturing (US PALM) is proud to announce the introduction of our first product, the AK30 Magazine. The AK30 is 100% made in the USA. This new 30 round magazine fits all AK-47 rifles that use a detachable double-stack magazine. The AK30 is constructed of proprietary aerospace polymers from TangoDown, and its unique features and purpose-built design set itself apart from other polymer magazines.

We eliminated the removable floor plate so the magazine became a five-sided box. This unique design helped increase the strength and durability of the AK30, and utilizing the latest polymers makes this one of the most durable magazines on the planet. After molding, we permanently bond the body and end-cap together with molecular level adhesives, so no disassembly is possible or required. The AK30 has a unique low-friction semi-floating follower that is slotted to allow for easy cleaning and hassle-free maintenance. To clean it, dunk the magazine in hot soapy water, rinse, and invert to drain. The AK30 features a premium chromium-silicon spring that is heat treated, stress relieved and moly-coated and is rated for 100,000+ cycles.

The AK30 is more than just a pretty face. This magazine was designed with a purpose. A stainless steel cage is molded into the top of the magazine to reinforce the feed lips and locking surfaces. The aggressive ridges on the front and rear allow a positive purchase when seating the AK30 into a rifle. The deep waffle pattern on the magazine's sides assist in rapid extraction from mag pouches. Every surface of the AK30 was given careful consideration to benefit the operator working in the world's harshest conditions.

We took input from numerous industry professionals: real world operators, military and police active duty personnel, firearms instructors, manufacturing experts, and polymer industry chemists. We asked questions and when they spoke – we listened. We did our research to ensure the AK30 would be successful from day one.

The AK30 will be available by the end of this month in Black, FDE, and Bakelite colors for $29.95.

For developments on this and other products visit http://www.us-palm.com/

Saiga .223 conversion dilemma continues...

I just got back from the Dixie Gun & Knife show here in Charlotte, NC. It was pretty decent this time. I could kick myself for not taking my camera. Forget about the firearms, I could spend all day just people watching. I don't have the guts to just start snapping off photos though. Somehow, me taking picture of random folks armed to the teeth would work.

Anyway, I've been thinking about getting an Arsenal SLR-106 "F" model AK clone in 5.56 ever since I traded in my WASR-3. Although that rifle was poorly made, while it worked, it was really fun. The Arsenal brand is well known for the quality work they do on their AK builds, however they also charge a pretty penny for it. So, in order to cut back on costs, I've been considering buying a Saiga .223 rifle and converting it. After doing the math, seems that it may almost cost the same to convert the Saiga into an AK-101 look alike, as just buying an Arsenal 106F. I know that a partial conversion of the Saiga can be done, and made to look pretty cool, for around $630 (gunsmithing labor cluded), but I'd like to go all out. The guys at DPH Arms specialize in all things AK related, and Saiga conversion in particular. They have even come up with a flash hider that bolts onto the front sight block of the Saiga. This would save you from having to changes the FSB or thread the fron of the Saiga barrel.

There really are some cool modifications that minimize the gunsmithing necessary to convert a Saiga from the "hunting rifle" look that they arrive in the States in, and into more of an AKM weapon. If you're intersted in doing so there are several sights that cater to the conversion enthusiast. I do recomend DPH Arms, as their staff was really friendly and very knowledgible about doing the coversion. They also have that nice "hook on" flash hider. So, check them out.


http://dpharms.com/



Saiga Phantom Flash Hider and Retaining Clip

http://dpharms.com/saiga-phantom-flash-hider-and-retaining-clip-p-1045.html



Here's another really well illustrated Saiga .223 conversion.

http://www.cross-conn.com/Saiga_Conversion/