Who can bend flats?

[Fallschirmjaager]

I've given up looking for a 100% RPK receiver. I found a place with 1.5mm flats, but I don't trust myself to do that. Anyone do builds from receiver flats?

ETA: Also found prebent blanks, if that's better!

 

[novus collectus]

Having someone else bend your flats if they already have holes drilled and can be fabricated enough to be considered a reciever would be them manufacturing and if it is a regulated firearm it might be considered a transfer to you if you are not careful.
However, if they set everything up for you and you were just the one to perform the bending part, then it might be ok.
If you are talking about flats with no holes drilled and such, then that isn't a problem because as I understand it the bent flat is still not more than a so called "80% reciever.

I am not a lawyer and I could be way off on this one because it is so hard to find exacting wording to cite.

 

[mikec]

Doesn't NoDak have RPK receivers?

Novus is pretty much on target about someone else doing the work. They would have manufactured the receiver and then it has to be marked. Granted, "midcountygunshop" does have the proper license for this.

 

[Markp]

I've given up looking for a 100% RPK receiver. I found a place with 1.5mm flats, but I don't trust myself to do that. Anyone do builds from receiver flats?

ETA: Also found prebent blanks, if that's better!

Prebent blanks are a good answer for the RPK... All you need is a drill press or mill to finish them, and a spot welder for the rails, don't forget to heat treat the extractor. BTW, I recently picked up 3 100% RPK receivers for $39.95 each... bitch of it was I had to pay $40 to transfer them each to myself.

If you are looking for good blanks and don't mind waiting a bit, Coldsteelsolutions makes excellent AK blanks, the PSL bent blank I got today was a thing of beauty and only $50.

I would offer to help, but I don't have the Jig, just the 20 ton press.

Mark

 

[Topher]

Check with CarryaGlock... i.e. Marlin at PDI...
He has an 07 license I think...

If he can't Glade Valley in Frederick might be able to...

 

[midcountyg]

I could complete your flat, but you may want to check NDS first. I do believe they still offer the receiver you need. In the end, that route would probably be cheaper with a yugo style receiver. They are more difficult to bend then a standard 1mm, and it takes a different jig to do it. I have bent one of the Yugo's for my own build a few years ago, so I know it can be done if needs be.

 

[Fallschirmjaager]

I wouldn't mind paying a transfer fee if I go that route, I just want to get this thing built. NDS has Yugo receivers, my kit is a Romanian. I was under the impression that those receivers were not interchangeable. (If I'm wrong, please tell me! I'll order one tomorrow!) I asked Glade Valley when I took my PMKMS to them to rivet, they do great work but they don't like bending flats. I might have to trek out to Preston or Martinsburg then.

Markp, mind sharing where you found those? Are there any left or am I too late?

 

[Tractor Boy]

so, what if someone has the jig, I come over and under their guidance do it myself, does that constitute manufacturing or them building it for me if I just borrow the equipment??? I would love to learn to do it myself and build a few as well so that I can learn more about them and improve my collection

 

[novus collectus]

so, what if someone has the jig, I come over and under their guidance do it myself, does that constitute manufacturing or them building it for me if I just borrow the equipment??? I would love to learn to do it myself and build a few as well so that I can learn more about them and improve my collection

I assume that if you are the one doing the work, it does not matter who's equipment you use to do it with because it is you who is making the reciever.

 

[Markp]

I wouldn't mind paying a transfer fee if I go that route, I just want to get this thing built. NDS has Yugo receivers, my kit is a Romanian. I was under the impression that those receivers were not interchangeable. (If I'm wrong, please tell me! I'll order one tomorrow!) I asked Glade Valley when I took my PMKMS to them to rivet, they do great work but they don't like bending flats. I might have to trek out to Preston or Martinsburg then.

Markp, mind sharing where you found those? Are there any left or am I too late?

The company I got them from went out of business 2 weeks ago. They are out. Differences in the location of the pins for the rear or front trunnion may or may not exist. I will have to look at my RPK receivers... Nothing I can't fix with a welder and a drill press.

Mark

 

[midcountyg]

I wouldn't mind paying a transfer fee if I go that route, I just want to get this thing built. NDS has Yugo receivers, my kit is a Romanian. I was under the impression that those receivers were not interchangeable. (If I'm wrong, please tell me! I'll order one tomorrow!) I asked Glade Valley when I took my PMKMS to them to rivet, they do great work but they don't like bending flats. I might have to trek out to Preston or Martinsburg then.

Markp, mind sharing where you found those? Are there any left or am I too late?

Can you send me pics of the front and rear trunnions?

 

[Tractor Boy]

midcounty, from what I have been seeing as a trend and hearing from others its almost not cost effective to do a build now... is this true? and what if any benefits does building one from a kit have to offer?

 

[Fallschirmjaager]

Can you send me pics of the front and rear trunnions?

I have to find my camera but I sure can! Thanks!

 

[midcountyg]

midcounty, from what I have been seeing as a trend and hearing from others its almost not cost effective to do a build now... is this true? and what if any benefits does building one from a kit have to offer?

It really depends on what your end goal is. If you just want a cheap shooter, WASR10 will sling lead all day. Some people want to build just for the satisfaction of doing it, others because they want a specific type of AK, and others because a custom built AK will be a better quality then the WASR. Prices on the WASR's has come back down, and some of the kit prices have as well. The biggest problem with the kits now is having to get a new barrel for the latest imported ones. ATF has banned the import of the barrels. There are new barrels out there, but that is another hundred bucks plus the time and effort to transfer the sights and gas block, plus headspace it. Building one will not save money over buying a cheap AK, but that doesn't mean it's not worth it.

 

[Tractor Boy]

thanx for the info, I appreciate it, I think for now I'll just get a WASR-10/63 just to shoot.... whats the difference in the other AK's like Yugo M70, and AMD-65, MAADI, and RPK is it a quality difference or is it just personal taste?? I still really would like to build one, or even a few.....

 

[redduck21502]

However, if they set everything up for you and you were just the one to perform the bending part, then it might be ok.

I always wondered if I bought a block of aluminum and new some one with CNC machine if I could put it into a machine, push the button to have the computer do all the work and be considered the manufacturer (for AR15 lowers). Or better yet, have someone else set it up as you suggest and I just push the button. I really don't know what setup is involved for CNC and whether you just let the computer do all the work or not, but it sounded like a nice idea. If I could pay $200 for the use of the machine and then buy 10 blocks of aluminum, it should be fairly cheap to manufacture my own AR15 lowers.


I was going to link to some flat bending jigs that use a hydraulic press, for the OP, but I just cannot seem to find them anymore.

I always wanted to build something from 80%, but it just sounds too hard to do. Plus, there are the instance of the one 80% place getting raided and having their records seized. I personally don't want to do it for the experience, just to have something off the books. The AK flats looked really easy, as long as you have the bending jig and a press, and the price of flats was always like $10. Haven't looked in awhile, but it sounded like a good deal. For AR15's, I still like the $100 lowers that are stripped over trying to drill holes and tap that dang buffer tube hole.

 

[midcountyg]

thanx for the info, I appreciate it, I think for now I'll just get a WASR-10/63 just to shoot.... whats the difference in the other AK's like Yugo M70, and AMD-65, MAADI, and RPK is it a quality difference or is it just personal taste?? I still really would like to build one, or even a few.....

Mostly personal taste, altough the Yugo and RPK rifles are heavier built.

 

[midcountyg]

I always wondered if I bought a block of aluminum and new some one with CNC machine if I could put it into a machine, push the button to have the computer do all the work and be considered the manufacturer (for AR15 lowers). Or better yet, have someone else set it up as you suggest and I just push the button. I really don't know what setup is involved for CNC and whether you just let the computer do all the work or not, but it sounded like a nice idea. If I could pay $200 for the use of the machine and then buy 10 blocks of aluminum, it should be fairly cheap to manufacture my own AR15 lowers.

Not cheap at all. I talked to a CNC shop about doing a bunch of 80% lowers that I could finish off into complete receivers later. That route would have ended up costing over 100 bucks per 80%, then add my time.... Way too much when you can buy stripped lowers ready to go.

 

[h2u]

midcounty, from what I have been seeing as a trend and hearing from others its almost not cost effective to do a build now... is this true? and what if any benefits does building one from a kit have to offer?

I can throw in my .02.
I travel a lot and spend time with the family when I'm actually in town. I purchased "a few" AK kits a couple of years ago when they were reasonable. I have the Nodak receivers as well. I could wait until I have time to build the kits, or I could spend some cash and have a quality build by one of our local guys. If I waited on me to have time to build, it could take years. I decided to have two different local companies build some of my AK kits for me. Corsica Coatings did two and Mid County Gunshop did two as well. I supplied the kits, receivers, and compliance parts. When everything has been tallied, I spent 95-110% of what the current retail price is for three of the four AK's. I chalk this up to supporting local business and I definitely will get/have received awesome customer service from both. In the end I feel good because I supported the locals and got a "custom" build. I certainly didn't have to be worried about getting any canted sight blocks or bad QC.
YMMV.

 

[K31]

Uri Geller.