How nice can you make an AK?

G

Greg Bell

New member
Guys,

I have a Mak-90. I bought it new for $349 about 6 months ago. Not the greatest price but it is in good shape (for a Mak). This gun shoots great (totally reliable) but it isn't a tackdriver. How nice can an AK be made to shoot without affecting its reliability. I don't plan on fooling with the Mak--I would prefer assembling a kit. Any suggestions on what I should do to build the ultimate Ak? (fixed stock +legal).

GHB
 
I really do not like thumbhole stocks! I bought soupbowl Enterprises USA pistol grip kit. I then refinished the walnut wood. (Yes it looked good originally, but I like mine to shine)I took the time to drill the cleaning rod in the fore-end. Takes a lot of patience but the rifle just does not look right without it. Installed a Shok-buff buffer and presto-Had a rifle that looked as good or better than any pre-ban and still shoots pretty wide groups. :) I would not trade it for anything, well a full auto maybey :)

BTW Who cares about accuracy on an AK? Shoot it as fast as you can afford! You will break before the gun does!


Later
Daren
 
This is just hearsay, but I've read that using American made ammo can improve things. Don't know if it's true, but I guess it's worth a shot.

FWIT, I bought the fixed stock kit from Tapco. I costs around 180. I paid my local smith 60 to install it and I couldn't be more pleased.
 
I put a Williams sight on the Mak90 and also a red plastic front sight. The acquisition of target got much faster, much easier in low light and accuracy improved, reducing group to half their previous size. However, those groups were still twice or more of the AR15 (function of better sight radius, mostly). My 1916 P14 (.303 bolt rifle) yielded groups lles than half of the AR15 size.

I am not sure how durable Williams aperture sight is, but it does improve matters and cost only $25. If it ever breaks off, the raised metal "ears" of the regular sight can be used as emergency backup.

Also, I had a couple of failures to feed with a 75rd drum (rounds would hit the bottom of the feed ramp, for some reason). For off-hand shooting, the dinky 5-rd mags work great, drums are fine for work with support, but heavy. 30-rd mags seem better suited for full auto SMG-style work.

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[This message has been edited by cornered rat (edited November 23, 1999).]
 
yep yep yep

1. US LEGAL stock kit. Cause AK's should NOT have thumbhole stocks

2. valmet ejection port buffer (saves brass -prevents the big DING in the side, esp if your ak is a 223 like mine)

3. Internal buffer to reduce metal on metal wear

4. re-blue the damn thing if its chinese (the blueing is REALLY thin on some recievers)

5. I like the ak-74 style compensator it makes it noisier but it looks cool and it DOES reduce muzzle climb

6. LOTS and LOTS of magazines.

On improving accuracy??

DO NOT USE THE SLING to steady the rifle Your sling is attached to the barrel and pressure on it will affect your point of impact

PRATICE your trigger squeeze. (dry fire on a dummy round) The biggest flaw in the ak is that BIG creep-snap of the trigger which makes you flinch at the moment of truth. pratice taking slow aimed shots with the rifle.

REDUCE the size of your target. Shoot at bowling pins instead of paper plates, golf balls instead of grapfruits you will shoot better because you are focusing on a smaller target.

Russian side mounted scope rails are the best if you want to scope your AK. You really don't need much more than a 4x scope... but with a 3x9x40 and practice I bet you'd be suprised at how WELL that AK shoots.

Hope it helps...

Dr.Rob
 
From Dr.Rob's post:

"You really don't need much more than a 4x scope... but with a 3x9x40 and practice I bet you'd be suprised at how WELL that AK shoots."

It can shoot real well indeed.

I did not put scope on my NHM-91, but I designed, made and installed adjustable
peep sight at the back of the receiver,
and replaced front sight with a bit more
decent one. These measuree increased sighting radius to approx. 30 inches. My sportized AK shoots under 2" groups at 100 yards and and 3/4" or better groups at 50 yards with milsurp ammo.
Lapua ammo does not shoot any better than
East German ammo, which I bought from AIM.
Russian or Chinese ammo are pretty close
in accuracy to East German ammo. I did not
try any U.S. made ammo yet...

I also trimmed wood on NHM-91, which was absolutely ugly and irratated me to a
serious degree. I did nothing with trigger,
which has smooth but long pull, not really
suitable for target shooting, but I will do
it in a near future.

Needless to say, my Chinese AK proved to be totally reliable, so the only thing that really needed to be done to improve its performance was improvement of sights.
Good scope, as Dr.Rob said, on a steady
mount (not receiver cover mount, but just
receiver side mount) is also the way to go if
you do not mind extra weight of the piece...
 
I've been pretty surprised by the accuracy of my Norinco MAK-90. Offhand hits on desert hares at 100-150 yards are not a problem. I was able to regularly hit a 2inch wide pole at 150-200 yards on a rest. And again, it has proven totally reliable regardess of the crap I've fed it and the conditions it's endured. It's definately a keeper, aren't they all?
 
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