ak heat treat

reckoning · Joined: 25 Dec 2009 Posts: 2 Location: reno, nv

First I would like to say, hello to everyone. I just stumbled accros this forum and it looks pretty good. I have asked tis question on many other foruns and have not gotten an answer. First, Should an AK sheet metal receiver be heat treated all over? What is the ideal heat treat? Second can I heat treat the entire receiver myself? Without warping it. Do I need to make a fixture? Does it need to be anealed? I want it to be correct. Any ideas?

Bubba · Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2009 4:36 pm Post subject:

first , why heat treat it?
Why do you want to make your own?

I'm not being a jerk, my answer matters on what you want the rifle for

If you are trying to make a battle rifle, go to gun for an emergency with your life on the line.. then I don't feel building an AK is the way to go

I am speaking from many years of experience now watching people build AKs
Building AKs is not like building ARs where you can assemble a working rifle in a few hours and it will work for a long time

An AK requires all the tools, etc I am sure you already know about.. so until you have built a few of them don't expect them to be perfect or even in working order

Hand made AKs tend to fall apart at some point. We just can't replicate in our garages and shops the factory folds, holes and rivets the 'real factories' can do

So if this is just a "prove to yourself you can do it" type rifle, then fold your own.. if not I'd recommend buying a factory made AK

Assuming you still want my opinion you'll want to heat treat the entire receiver for rigidity and durability over time (the Russians would have just treated the holes if they thought that would work, but they did the whole receiver)

I've seen whole batches of receivers destroyed from heat treating without the correct jigs (fixtures) in place, so do some research on that.. I bet there are videos describing it on DVD
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Old Grunt · Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:37 am Post subject:

I really have to go with Bubba on this one. About 5 years ago I purchased a Russian AK kit and a "fold it yourself" reciever kit, just to prove I could do it.

AFTER spending the money I asked my shooting buds how they would proceed, and was roundly told to forget the whole thing. Ther heat treating part is where I was convinced I had the greatest chance of failure.

I ended up selling everything to another guy who, after a year, bailed on the project as well and parted out the kits.

Not to be a kill joy, but as Clint Eastwood once said; "A man's got to know his limitations."
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reckoning · Joined: 25 Dec 2009 Posts: 2 Location: reno, nv

I have built many AKs from receivers. Nodak Spud, Elk River, Global Trades, Century, and many more. I have also bent receivers from a Flat and heat treated the holes. What I would like to do is build a proper AK receiver like the russians did. I am prepared to build fixtures and purchace a heat treat oven to do it. I would like to know the technique.