The Gun Counter

So, back in the old forum I posted about the AK pistol I built on a virgin NDS-1 AK receiver, using an AMD-65 parts kit. Now, AK pistols are cool and all, but realistically they are just a tool for wasting ammo, not that there is anything wrong with that. The eventual plan was to always turn it into a rifle, whether that be as an SBR with a tax stamp, or with a barrel extension. There are several extended muzzle devices available to take the 12.4" AMD barrel out to the legal 16", but without exception, they all look goofy, at least in my opinion. I was pretty much resigned to paying $200 to the ATF, or keeping it as a pistol, until one day somebody on another forum posted a picture of an AMD-65 based rifle with an L1-A1 (British FAL) flash hider permanently installed, which not only made the length legal, it actually looked cool.

I ordered an L1-A1 flash hider ($5), and was disappointed to learn that the ID was too large to just slip over the AK barrel's threads, but that it was close enough that making a bushing would be difficult. And I want to save the threads, in case I ever do decide to SBR it (or NFA is repealed, ya right). My solution, attached below, was to combine the FAL flash hider, with the stub of an AK slant break, and TIG weld them together. I trimmed them such that when assembled, the resultant barrel length is around 16-3/8", measured using a brass rod down the bore, resting on the bolt face. The next thing to do is to blind pin it to the barrel, and then weld over the end of the pin. That way, if I ever want to remove the extension, I'll just have to grind away the pin, and will have just one small bad area on the threads to clean up, which I can live with. Following that, I can drill and tap the pistol rear trunnion for an ACE folding stock mechanism, and add a US trigger group for parts count (922R doesn't apply to pistols).

Attached here is a picture of the AK pistol as currently built (and as previously posted to the old forum). I've been holding off getting it refinished until I get it the way that I want it. Notice that the gas tube is carrying a standard AK upper hand guard, whereas the original AMD-65 tubes are bare, having no provision for furniture. The tube is actually a Romy tube, that I shortened and swaged out to fit over the gas block. There are various homebrew ways of doing that, but I spent $20 on a special tool made for the purpose, which I'll probably sell once I am sure I'm done with it.

Rear sight is the standard Mojo peep sight, adjustable for windage and elevation. I'm not sure if I am going to stay with that, or go with something else. I want to try the new AK rear sight from Tech Sights on one of my rifles when it is available, and I'd really love to be able to justify putting a Krebs rail on it, but at $275 or whatever he is getting, I'll probably have to pass. Most likely I will end up riveting on one of the siderail optic mounts that I have in my parts box.

Here is somebody else's AMD-65 based rifle that was my source of inspiration. I don't really know how they attached it, if it was just slipped on and welded, or what. Mine will look something like this, but with a skeletonized folding stock. Not sure at this point if I am going to make my own, or just use one of the ACE or Tromix units. I'm definitely going to use the ACE mechanism though.

Nice job! Get a lathe and you'll REALLY be dangerous (in a good way).

Very nicely done. Did you trim off the threaded portion of the FAL flashider, or just tig it as is?

I trimmed the flash hider somewhat, but the original threaded portion is still in there, it just isn't doing anything. I also bored it slightly for more clearance. And yeah, I need a lathe, but I don't have the room for anything other than one of those micro lathes, which don't really interest me.

[EDIT: Well, crap. Just realized that I couldn't mount the Krebs unit anyway, since I have no stock tang, duh. Looks like I'll be going the side rail route for my optic after all. Maybe this time I can get it on there level with the bore, since I have established that level with the receiver rail, and level with the bore aren't necessarily the same.]