Do you have an old HK grip, or any other plastic item, you want to rejuvenate? Or maybe you bought one of the contract grips, washed it and now it’s a dull grey and all of the scratches stand out and you want to make it look better? It’s easier than you might think.
Clean the grip
I recently boought a bunch of the the surplus HK33 “contract grips” that were made by SME Arms and Ordnance manufacturer, Malaysia under license from HK and most of them really needed cleaning – everything from cosmoline to brown masking tape with numbers were on them.
The first thing is to really clean the grip. I use a Vevor 30L ultrasonic cleaner[click here for a review I did on mine] with Simple Green HD and water in it but you can use any warm-to-hot soapy water and something to scrub with to clean it up. Use compressed air to blow it dry real quick before any exposed steel surfaces rust.
These HK33 grips are a mess. Most are beaten up to some extent. Many were covered in cosmoline – that grip on the top that is shiny is coated in it. Some even had old dry masking tape wrapped around the actual hand-grip portion.
If you aren’t interested in ultrasonic cleaners, you can also have very good luck with hot soapy water. I used to recommend brake cleaner but that has really lost its cleaning power as various regulations have really reduced its strength.
This is a 30 liter Vevor ultrasonic cleaner filled with Simple Green Pro HD heated to 158F (70C). It gets rid of pretty much everything in 15 minutes including most if not all of the paint in the lettering.
Dealing with scratches and small nicks
Major repairs can be a challenge. Filling them with black epoxy or black super glue creates visible repairs. Black super glue to close a clean crack works surprisingly well. Starbond makes a black super glue that is superb at closing cracks plus bonding clean surfaces together in general – click here to see it at Amazon
For minor scrapes and scratches, the best approach I have found is to use 0000 (sometimes called “quadruple ought” or super fine) steel wool and vigorously rub down surfaces to get rid of scratches and any plastic sticking up from getting nicked. The benefit I have found with it vs. sandpaper is that it doesn’t destroy the surface finish as easily.
This is an actual HK German SEF grip converted for use on an MP5K. I used 0000 steel wool to knock over any sticking out plastic and reduce minor scratches. I find careful use of steel wool helps me improve the surface some without destroying the pebbled finish on the plastic.
Restoring the black color
Black plastic fades as the surface layer loses its oil/moisturizers. The trick to try and replace those lost chemicals and bring the color back.
Black plastic that has been ultrasonically cleaned is greyish and you can see all of the scratches. If you don’t know it’s coming you can have a “what just happened” moment.
The treatment I use is made by Car Guys and is called “Plastic Restorer”. Again, make sure the grip is clean and then rub this stuff in. I use nitrile gloves and work it in. You want a thin film there. I let the stuff sit overnight and buff it off with a shop towel the next day. It does a nice job and will last for sometime. I’m not exactly sure how long – I’ve been using it for almost six months and nothing has faded yet.
On this HK SEF grip, it’s been cleaned and I used steel wool to knock down any rough spots. Next up is applying Car Guys Plastic Restorer.The actual cream that comes out is an odd blue grey color. I wear nitrile gloves, put the cream in my glove and then apply enough to leave a film. It does need to have a light film – not super thick but something like this. It has to sit to work, I try to let it sit overnight if I can. They say at least 10 minutes but I find the longer the better. You then wipe it down and remove any residue on the surface,This is the same grip. It sat overnight and then I wiped it down the following day.Same grip – other side.These are four of the grey ashen grips shows above after following this process.Same grips – the other side.
Summary
I did not know why black colored platics fade with time. Now I do and the Car Guys Plastic Restorer works on more colors than just black. Click here for it on Amazon – there’s a reason there are over 31,000 reviews and a score of 4.4. It’s that good. So, whether it’s plastic on firearms, cars or something else, this stuff might really help you bring the color back.
One perk is that it does seal and provide UV protection after it is applied. I’ve been using it for six months and nothing has faded yet but then again, no finish lasts forever so I would bet that some day I will need to touch things up.
Note: This stuff isn’t for headlights and it doesn’t fix physically damaged plastic when there is a thick crust of oxidation or scratches. It’s meant to bring the color back is all.
I hope this helps you out.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
There are some things I like on MP5Ks and some things I don’t. I usually dislike the triggers but my MKE AP5-P has a fairly decent trigger as MP5 and MP5Ks go. My MKE also had a factory contoured grip. Of all the HK grips out there, the contoured is the one I like best but there is one I like even more – the “Magpul SL Grip for HK94, HK93, 91 and Semi Shelf Clones”. That one heck of a long product name – just remember the model – MAG1070-BLK.
This is the Magpul “SL Grip Module for HK94/93/91/MP5 & Semi Shelf HK Clones” – Model MAG1070-BLKZenith ZF5-P. Very nicely made pistol. Relatively bland grip.Century Imports’ MKE AP5-P. It’s excellent. I like the contour grip more but that’s a personal preference.
A few months ago, I installed one on my Zenith ZF5-P and really liked it. Whereas the MKE has a contoured grip, the Zenith has a basic straight grip that is only slightly more ergonomic than a rounded rectangle. I’d read a few posts about guys converting over the Magpul grip, so I did the same. You know what? I realy like it.
Here it is on the Zenith. By the way, that is Magpul’s cool ESK Extended Selector Lever. I have links to them at the bottom of the post.Here’s the second one on my MKE AP5-P.
Doing the Conversion
The Magpul SL grip wasn’t designed for use on a MP5K but what you need to do is pretty straight forward if you have the tools and at least some basic knowledge of locating holes to be drilled.
Let’s go over some basics – first off, the steel “tail” that sticks out of the Magpul will need to be cut off. I’d recommend using something like a hacksaw, reciprocating saw or a bandsaw. I have a metal cutting bandsaw so I used that. Please notice I did not list a Dremel or similar rotary tool with an abrasive wheel. They risk making the steel so hot that the plastic could be damaged.
The first step was to cut off the tail. I did it flush with the end of the plastic and cleaned it up with a belt sander.
Next, sand the tail end smooth. Take off as little material as possible as it will help you get a solid lockup.
Take off as little material as you can until the grip fits and the end cap, brace or stock can fully seat. By the way, I should have cleaned up a bit more before this photo – the dust you see if from me sanding Hungarian Grey-Blue AMD grips that we make. The dust is not from the Magpul grip – it will be black flecks of plastic and a bit of metal from the steel reinforcing channel inside the rear.
As you may have noticed, many MP5K-type weapons, such as those from MKE and Zenith, use two small pins to retain the grip assembly – one in the front at the bottom and one in the top rear. With the semi shelf and a snug fit, you just need the single rear pin to hold the grip’s rear end up and in place.
The front of the grip has a plate that interfaces with the semi shelf on your MP5K. Magpul includes instructions for SP5 owners that they may need to remove a little material for a good fit and I would assume this extends to the SP5K but I don’t know this for sure. With both my MKE and Zenith, no adustment was needed.
That little rectangle welded just to the right of the front grip pin hole is the semi shelf.This is the locking plate for the grip that interfaces with the semi shelf at the bottom slot in the photo (if the weapon were held upside down, it would be the slot at the top .)
In terms of locating the hole, take your current grip and measure backwards from the front locking plate to the center of the hole. Then, measure down from the top of the grip. Use these two measures to locate where you need to do your cutting and then setup your mill accordingly or at least a good drill press because all you are doing is plunge cuts.
Measure the hole from the locking plate to where the center of the hole is on your existing grip – this is the horizontal measure. I’d recommend using calipers to do this. You then need to do the vertical location by measuring from the top of the grip to the center of the existing hole. The more precise you can be, the better your results will be.
Cutting the rear hole.
Critical: You must make an insert from hard wood, plastic, or aluminum. If you don’t, the walls of the grip will flex and your holes are going to be a mess. I learned this the hard way. The width left to right is about 7/8″ and then you can decide how you want to handle the vertical. I’d recommend surrounding the area where you want to make the cut. I run my insert the whole length of the inside top to provide a firm support both for the clamps and the plunge cuts. You don’t wany anything to flex.
If you don’t have an insert to keep the grip open, they will flex as you attempt to cut them and you’ll make a mess. This is 7/8″ left to right. I then made it the length I wanted. The “leg” on the left bottom is to help it stay in position in the grip. The hole on the right shows you where the 6mm end mill plunges into it.
The first step is to cut the reliefs where the pin goes. The head of the takedown pin is about 9-9.1mm wide. A 9.5mm cut doesn’t give you much room to adjust. 10mm is just a tad wider and gives you more room to adjust your cuts later with a circular file and not have the head unable to sit down in the recess. The reliefs need to be cut about 3mm deep.
That is a 10mm end mill and I just finished a 3mm deep cut. A 9.5mm head would give you a tighter fit around the head of the pin but 10mm gives you some adjustment room.
Next is to cut the 6mm holes for the pins. I’d recommend against a drill bit as it might get squirrely on you – both in terms of deflection or the bit getting caught on one of the holes in the steel reinforcement. Get a 6mm carbide end mill, make sure your grip is held securely and do a plunge cut.
A 6mm end mill was used to plunge cut the center hole for the pin.Here is the MKE Pin with an OD head diameter of 9.1mm. The countersink was cut 10mm wide and 3mm deep. This gives a bit more room for adjustments.
If you do use a drill press, check your runout. If you have more than 0.5mm on one side, you risk cutting to big of a hole. You want to be somewhere between 6.0 and 6.1mm. If you go too wide, the retaining wire may not get a good enough hold to keep the pin in place.
Cleaning Up
Use a fine file or diamond abrasive stick to remove all material left over from cutting inside the grip so you have a smooth surface.
It’s time to test fit the grip. It may go in great all by itself or you may need to adjust it just a tad with a circular file. I’d recommend a 6mm tapered circular file so you have a lot of control.
This 6mm tapered Bahco file is great for adjusting holes. Click here to see it on Amazon.Use a circular file to adjust the grip until it fits. Don’t rush – take off a bit and test, take off a bit and test until it fits. That is the Bahco 6mm file I mentioned earlier. It’s great for this kind of work.
Note, test fitting the grip by itself is one thing. Doing it with the stock, brace or endcap in place is another. You may find further adjustments with the circular file are required. Also, you can make things fit sometimes by moving or tapping the grip or whatever is on the end around. The sheet metal of the receiver can flex and sometimes it gives you just enough alignment to push the pin on through. I often tap (not bang) them in with a small hammer with a non-marring head.
You want everything to be snug. You’ll find the front pin doesn’t matter if everything is tight. If you really want a front pin, you would need to make a custom pin given the width of the Magul’s front lower “ears”. It would also only be cosmetic because you would be inserting a steel pin into soft plastic that does not have a reinforcing plate.
The moral of the story is to keep the front-to-back length of the grip long so it is snug – again, don’t cut or sand off more of the black plastic than you must. Also, try to be as close as you can with the pin holes at least vertically. Because of how the grip is sandwiched between the mag well and whatever is on the rear, it’s not going anywhere. The rear pin is the final part to limit movement.
I used the file to slot the hole backward just a bit. Note how tight the grip is up against my SB Tactical brace. It’s not going to wiggle.
The Results
The MKE feels great. I will upgrade the selector the Magpul ESK but even with the stock MKE selector I like the feel more.
Summary
I hope this helps you out if you want to do this yourself. For folks who just want to do the final filing adjustments, we will converted Magpul grips for sale. Please click here to go to our store.
Here are the original Magpul grips in case you are looking for them:
Production Grip Comment
For our production grips. the holes are based on a new unissued German MP5K grip. Depending on a bunch of factors, the exact holes in the grip you get will vary a bit. Fitting will be required – front to back and the hole locations.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
If you are looking for an extended selector lever for your MP5 or MP5K, these are really nice.
I hate bad triggers and the worst triggers I have ever used were on HK MP5 and MP5K weapons. I have no idea of the design intent – maybe a real strong emphasis on avoiding an accidental discharge by having a long spongy pull and then a break somewhere around eight pounds. For someone who likes crisp triggers and a lighter pull, the HK triggers in general can be a rude awakening.
I recently picked up Zenith Firearms ZF5-P, which is a MP5K clone. Zenith Firearms is based in Afton, VA, and make their various rifles and pistols there. They used to import MKE clones from Turkey but severed ties and are actually making them here in the US.
I bought the ZF5-P for a few reasons – First, I got a good deal on it. That always helps. Second, I no longer had any form of an MP5 and kind of wanted to get back in. Third, and the subject of this story, I knew Timney made a well-regarded trigger pack for the MP5/MP5K. Fourth, I had an urge to tinker and needed a test platform.
Now Zenith makes a big deal that they machine their cartridge walls vs. bending sheet metal resulting in a better trigger. I was kind of curious to check that out as well.
For the rest of the article, I’ll just refer to the trigger as an MP5 trigger because the MP5 and MP5K share the same trigger pack. It’s the grip that differs.
The Zenith’s Original Trigger
Well, I was hoping for a good trigger out of the box because of Zenith machining the walls of their trigger pack but to be honest, it was just another MP5 trigger. I bought a new Century MKE AP5-P and its trigger was better than the Zenith’s also. It’s not that the Zenith’s trigger is bad – my point is that the unit I received was no better than any other MP5 trigger I’ve used.
I used a Wheeler “Professional Digital Trigger Pull Gauge” and did 10 pulls of the trigger after lubrication plus I had pulled the trigger maybe two dozen times since I bought it so there was a tad bit of wear in before testing. At any rate, the lightest pull was 7 pounds 5.9oz. The heaviest was 7 pounds 13.5 ounces and the average came in at 7 pounds 11.3 ounces. So, just shy of 7.75 or seven and three quarter pounds. Still long, creepy, spongy … pick the bad discriptor you like.
The Timney MP5 2-Stage Trigger
It’s nicely machined and ready to go. You just need to move the ejector, ejector axle and ejector spring from your old trigger to this one. It’s easy to do.
These triggers are compatible with SEF/ Semi-Auto trigger packs and their style of safety selector levers.
These triggers are NOT compatible with Ambi/Navy/FBI trigger packs or .22 clones, as they are different internally.
Timney provides clear installation instructions in the package plus they have the following video to help with the install.
Folks, that trigger is amazing. Here are pull test results: Minimum pull weight was 3 pounds 2.7 oz. Maximum was 4 pounds 0.1 ounce. The average was 3 pounds 10.3 oz.
I’d call it crisp and clean. Night and day better than the original Zenith trigger.
Range Time
My brother-in-law, nephew and I took the Zenith ZF5-P and a Century MKE AP5-P to the range. For an MP5, the MKE’s trigger is fairly decent but was seriously beaten by the Timney.
My nephew really liked the Timney trigger – we all did. By the way, one thing I really like is that a B&T low profile optics mount enables you to cowitness a Vortex Crossfire red dot with the iron sights.
Summary
I have never hid my dislike of MP5 triggers – I genuinely don’t like them and the only good things I can say are that they are reliable and you’ll probably never have an accidental discharge.
The Timney trigger ranks as one of the best upgrades I have done to a firearm. If you want a better trigger for your MP5/MP5K, or a clone of them, then get the Timney trigger.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
I’ve heard about using ultrasonic cleaners on firearms for years but never really investigated them. Recently, I had a need to clean a bunch of HK33 grips that had cosmoline, oil, and whatever else on them. Actually, I knew well in advance because they were part of a project and I had to figure out how to clean up a 50+ of these used grimy grips.
The HK 33 grips had cosmoline on them.
My Cleaning Options
I knew cleaning that many by hand with a solvent would take forever and be expensive. Hot water and dish soap was an option but slow and time consuming. An ultrasonic cleaner seemed like a perfect solution. I talked it over with my friend Scott, who owns Michigan Gun Exchange. Scott has one in his shop and uses it to clean firearms. He showed me how it worked and I was impressed. This type of cleaning would be perfect.
Ultrasonic Cleaners
An ultrasonic cleaner cleans parts three ways – the liquid bath, ultrasonic vibrations and heat all combined at once. If you’ve every fought getting cosmoline or old grease that has set up, you know how heat is your friend.
Okay, it was time to research. I couldn’t afford or have the space for a giant unit. Doing some digging, the Vevor 30 liter unit got good reviews and looked like it would work for the majority of firearm parts I would need to put in it. I considered the length, width, height and the diagonal for really long parts. The stainless basket you put the parts in measures 18.3″ x 10.8″ x 6.7″. The diagonal is 21.25″.
Note, in terms of actual volume it holds, they say the unit is 30 liters in the title but also report that it measures between 29 and 30 liters or 7.7-7.9 gallons. They recommend the fluid be at least 75% full to protect the heating element plus you never run an ultrasonic cleaner dry or it can damage the unit.
By the way, on a larger unit like this, make sure it has a drain valve and the Vevor 30L does.
This is the Vevor 30L cleaner. The unit is simple to operate with the temperature on the left and the timer on the right,
Deciding On The Solvent To Use
Dedicated ultrasonic cleaner fluids are rediculously expensive. What a lot of gun guys do is to use 50:50 Simple Green and water. I started reading more on that and there was one small detail I wanted to avoid – aluminum left in plain Simple Green for too long is apt to react and cause pitting. The aluminum friendly formulation is Simple Green Pro HD.
I’d recommend using Simpe Green Pro HD because it is aluminum friendly. I know guys using the regular Simple Green at a 50:50 ratio and they aren’t having problems – my suspicion is that the parts in the liquid long enough for a problem to happen.
Simple Green’s recommended ratios for their Pro HD formulation are:
For heavy cleaning: 1 part Pro HD to 3 parts water
For medium cleaning: 1 part Pro HD to 5 parts water
For light cleaning: 1 part Pro HD to 10 parts water
Well, given how thick cosmoline, grease and oil can be, I went with the heavy cleaning 1:3 ratio and it worked great.
Two comments – first, I bought mine from Home Depot. They ship to a home for free in my area. Amazon is rediculously expensive due to the weight. Second, I didn’t find out until later that Simple Green also has an “Extreme Aircraft and Precision Cleaner” formula. I might try that in the future as they expressly made it to not react with plastics, composites, aluminum, etc.
Heating the Tank
One complaint of folks using the large ultrasonic cleaners is that their internal heaters take hours to heat the fluid up. Well, I can’t wait hours so did some digging on that front and bought an immersion heater. They all have a potential shock hazard so you do not want to put your hand in the fluid while heating it.
I bought an immersion heater made by HAIYEATBNB off Amazon. because it has a temperature regulator and got good reviews — it’s a game changer. Scott bought one after I told him how fast it heated the tank.
To be clear, the immersion heater is to dramatically speed up the heating of the solvent and then it is removed. A quick summary of steps is to put the heater in the fluid, plug in the unit and set the temperature, let it heat it up, unplug the heater, let it cool off a tad before you remove it and set it in a container so it doesn’t drip. The Vevor cleaner’s internal heating unit can maintain the temperature. The immersion heater is just fast forwarding the heating process.
The recommended temperature range for ultrasonic cleaners range from 130-180 degrees Farenheit. The theortetical “best” temperature for cavitation is 158F (70C) and guys report great luck between 155 and 165. Just bear in mind that the hotter you go, the more evaporation you will have also.
This is the HAIYEATBNB immersion heater. I like having the temperature control and the actual heating element contained inside the metal shield that has the stars on it. Yeah, I am sure the shape will cause some jokes but it works quite nicely.
The immersion heater sped things up dramatically. I could bring the tank up to temperature in 30-40 minutes. The exact time depends on the volume of liquid and what the starting temperature of the fluid is.
The immersion heater’s temperature gauge will not match the ultrasonic cleaner’s temperature gauge. If you want to know the actual temperature more accurately, you use a more precise instrument such as my Fluke 62 Max+ shown here. Note, the temperatures will vary depending on where you point it. At some point you just have to say “close enough” and call it even.
Safety comment: There is the potential for electric shock with any immersion heater. We used them on our farm growing up and survived. I’m not too sure I would worry about any freaked out electric shock comments you see in all of the reviews on Amazon across most of the heaters I looked at. Simply put, avoid sticking your hand in there while it is heating. Standing barefoot in a puddle of water that has an earth ground while putting your hand in the solvent during operation of the immersion heater will get you shocked so don’t do that!! Sheesh.
Testing
I timed the ordering with everything arriving so I could immediately put the unit into use. If it was going to fail, I wanted to know as soon as possible so I could return it.
In terms of fluid, Vevor recommends you have at least three quarters full or you may damage the unit. If the fluid capacity is about 7.7 gallons then this puts it at 5.8 gallons of fluid. (The above photos do not reflect this just to be clear – I had about three to four gallons in when I snapped them.)
I then put in the immersion heater and watched the temperatures climb both on the heater and cleaner’s gauges and they didn’t match. That really wasn’t surprising to me. It’s hard to say which is more accurate but I decided to go with the temperature measurement from the Vevor cleaner. They claim their temperature reading is within +/- 5 degrees celsius which would be about +/- 9 degress Farenheit if I am doing my math right.
Given the size of the unit I could easily put two grip modules in side by side and that’s what I did. I didn’t try stacking them as that might reduce the cleaning effectiveness. I put the unit’s timer at five minutes and let it run. It was fascinating to watch the crud come off – even the red and white paint filler in the S-U-O symbols on the grip were dissolving.
The cleaner was fascinating to watch operate. I took this photo because you caan see the paint dissolving from the selector position marks.
I read a few complaints about the noise these things generate. The Vevor makes a buzzing sound for sure. Maybe it’s just me but it really didn’t bother me. I didn’t need it to be quiet – I needed it to clean stuff.
The timer went off, I then removed the units, sprayed them down with water to remove the cleaner and then used an air line to blow all of the water out.
The results were amazing. Scott had warned me that everything comes off – including the “sheen” of the black plastic resulting in a dull charcoal color. I then went on to do about a dozen more. In two or threee cases there was still some caked on cosmoline inside the grips that a second pass got rid of.
The results were very impressive. In just a few cases did I run a grip through a second time.
Have A Plan to Avoid Rusting Afterwards
I should tell you to have a game plan to avoid flash rust forming on steel items you clean. Ultrasonic cleaners will strip all the oil and grease off so that means untreated steel can form rust when exposed to moisture in the air. “Flash rusting” is a term for when bare steel is exposed to moisture in the air and starts to show visible rust within minutes of exposure.
Spraying WD-40 can help displace water – another option is to use compressed air if you have access to all surfaces – first but then you need something to prevent rust such as a light spray oil or whatever your preference is. My point is to think it through to avoid flash rusting after you clean.
Summary
At this point, I am very happy with the Vevor 30L ultrasonic cleaner. If you have ever wanted to get into ultrasonic cleaning for whatever you are working on, the Vevor units are cost effective and you just need to decide on what size works for you. Click here for a listing of Vevor cleaners on Amazon and here for all brands.
I hope this helps you out.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
Okay, some guys hate AR gear on AKs and if it’s not your cup of tea, that’s fine. I do like AR stocks and have no problems putting whatever stock on whatever family of firearms. I’m more into pragmatism and making a firearms do what I want than arguing over AR vs. AK or whatever. This is also why I have commenting turned off on the blog.
At any rate, even before I bought the M77, I knew I was going to trick it out for my purposes and I wanted to put one of the Magpul PRS Lite stocks on it for a few reasons:
I like adjustable stocks like the PRS but don’t need to constantly change the length of pull or the comb (where your cheek sets) thus I didn’t need to spend the money on a full blown PRS Gen 3. By the way, in case you are wondering PRS stands for “Precision Rifle/Sniper”.
The M77 will never be mistaken for a carbine given its length nor do I need to collapse the stock so the fixed postion PRS Lite was fine by me.
There are aftermarket thick recoil pads you can put on a PRS to absorb recoil.
By using a buffer tube, I can slide in a mercury recoil suppressor to add weight, absorb some of the recoil and balance the rifle out a bit more to compensate for a long barrel and relatively heavy front end.
Last but not least, the PRS Lite reminds me a bit of a PKM stock due to the skeletonized opening. (I’m sure someone just spit their drink out reading that). I had a new mint Romanian PKM stock many years ago that I sold at some point and still wish I hadn’t. In short, I like the looks.
Also, the PRS Lite is a bit cheaper than a PRS Gen 3 but that wasn’t a big factor for me – the PKM look is actually what tipped me in the direction of the Lite model.
This is the MagPul PRS Lite. It’s definitely a solid stock that I like – it does what I need it to.
Parts you will need
Zastava/Yugo to M4 adapter – this screws into the square hole in the rear trunnion and then presents the hole the buffer tube screws into and the end plate. Go with an aluminum model from a reputable vendor like Ace, JMac Customs, Desert Fox, etc. Note, JMac went a very different route with their pioneering 1913 Picatinny rail interface for the stocks and I provide more details down during installation.
A buffer tube – I’d recommend a M4 six position Mil-Spec carbine buffer tube for the greatest flexibility. Rifle length tubes are rarely used on new firearms now as people want the adjustable stocks. Commercial sized buffer tubes were due to some things Colt did many years ago and thus on the way out so go with Mil-Spec which refers to the outer diameter of the tube.
An AR end plate – on an AR, this plate keeps the selector spring captured and also aligns the buffer tube via vertical key that sticks up and keeps the carbine buffer tube from rotating – it does help to have it for that reason and you have tons of options out there ranging from the basic to ones with sling hooks and even QD sling sockets. Not all adapter support an end plate so this might not be needed,
A castle nut – this nut is threaded on the buffer tube and then tightened down against the end plate to secure the buffer tube in place. Note, you will need a spanner wrench or specialized castle nut wrench of install or remove a castle nut without tearing it up – I recommend the Magpul wrench. By the way, the castle nut gets its name from looking like a medevial castle’s crennelated tower. Crenels are the parts that stick up like teeth to give defenders some protection.
Finally, whatever stock you want. Just remember to match the buffer tube to the stock. If you get a rifle stock and it needs a rifle buffer tube then get a rifle buffer tube, etc. The PRS and PRS lite have an adapter and can work with either tube type but most stocks designed for a carbine can only work with a carbine buffer tube (just make sure you match on either the Mil-Spec or commercial diameter).
Removing the old stock
The first step is to remove the recoil pad which is held in place by two beefy wood screws with allen/hex wrench sockets in them. Remove them and then the recoil pad will pull off. You then remove the buttstock bolt and the stock pulls out of the end of the rifle.
Remove these two beefy screws and the recoil pad will pull off. I’m happy to see a modern screw head vs. slotted. I would have been even happier if they were torx screws this is a nice upgrade from the old days.I kind of felt like Crocodile Dundee when I first saw the new recoil pad screws they are using “Now this is a screw”. If you’ve not seen the movie then the reference is lost but my point is that is a really heavy duty screw.With the recoil pad off, use a 13mm socket on an extension to reach in and unscrew the buttstock bolt. Yes, that’s a bed. It was super cold out and I set up in our spare bedroom to take these photos.They’ve shortened the buttstock bolt considerably. I’ve considered having these made but Zastava USA seems to keep them in stock so there is no pressing demand for them unlike our original Yugo military length bolts.This is what goes into the rear trunnion. The numbering reflects the rifle it was fitted to. Note, these do sometimes get a wee bit stuck in the trunnion so you might need to wiggle it a bit or a few light taps with a rubber mallet and it will pull right out.This is the rear trunnion and the use of a square hole and big bolt to secure it is one of the unique design changes the Yugoslavs did to the Soviet designs. See the finish residue and chips in there? The snug fitting of the stock, how much the finish has stuck to the metal and a bit of sawdust all combine to cause the stock to offer a bit of resistance during removal. In this case it all came out easily with just a bit of wiggling. You should remove all of that of course.
Adding the new stock
To add the buffer tube, I decided to use two parts that I happened to have in stock. I used an Ace modular adapter (“AKRBY-AR15” is the exact model) and then a JMAC modular stock to M4 adapter that has sadly been discontinued – I bought mine a few years ago so it’s not surprising things have changed.
JMac went a different route some years back and pioneered adapters that expose a 1913 Picatinny rail at the rear to which you can mount a ton of different stocks. That’s another option for you – click here. Once you have that, you add a folding mechanism, then a skeletonized tube (ST) for a cool “I’m not a normal AR look” and then your AR stock if you go that route.
If you do not want the modular approach, Zastava also sells a direct adapter. It screws into the rear trunnion and gives you the mount for the M4 buffer tube.
This is the Ace Zastava/Yugo modular stock adapter. Only one of the two rows of screws holes are actually used giving you a bit of vertical adjustment. The adapter is secured by an 8mm allen key socket screw. The screw holes are tapped for #10-32 screws.The JMac M4-Ace adapter is really well made. The two horizontal screw holes are for securing the Mac Adapter to the modular stock adapter. The bottom opening is for securing the botttom of the AR end plate that in turn holds the buffer tube in position vertically.Put medium strength Loc-tite on before you install the screws.
If you want to insert a mercury recoil reducer
This next step is entirely optional – I installed a C&H mercury reducer to add weight to the rear and absorb a bit of recoil. The completely sealed 7/8″x5″ C&H tube weighs 16oz. The liquid mercury inside sloshes inside and absorbs some of the recoil. Does it do a ton on it’s own – no. Does it and the weight help mitigate some of the recoil? The short answer is yes.
What I do is wrap tape around the C&H so it fits snug and is roughly centered. I spray brake cleaner in the tub to get any oil out. scuff it up and spray it out again. I then scuff up the C&H tube, clean it with alchol (brake cleaner makes the tape gooey), coat the C&B unit with epoxy and push it in. Some epoxy will come out the drain hole so wipe it off with a rag with brake cleaner and then close it with a piece of tape. By the way, one end of the tube is tapped for a 1/4-20 bolt to help install it. Remove the bolt before everything sets up of course.That’s not coming out or loosen up. Use a towel with brake cleaner to remove any epoxy on surfaces you don’t want. You need to do this before it sets up. By the way, the longer an epoxy takes to cure, the better it will hold up to shocks over time. Don’t use epoxies that claim to set in just 90 seconds or 5 minutes.
Let’s continue with installing the buffer tube
Put the castle nut on the buffer tubes with the largest slots facing backwards and thread it all the way to the bak, Then install the end plate with the “boss” (raised oval) facing forwards to it will go into the end of the AR adapter. You then insert the buffer tube into the adapter and start screwing it in place. When you can’t screw it in any further because of the plate, back it off a turn, push the plate into the adapter, tighten the castle nut with your fingers. Finally, tighten it down with the caste nut wrench – the torque spec is 38-39 ft pounds (you’ll sometimes ready 40 ft pounds but 38-39 is per USMC TM 05538/10012-IN). If you want to do farmer tight, that is up to you. I’d also recommend staking the nut – putting a divot in the nut in one of the small holes between the end nut and the castle nut so the castle nut can no longer turn without a wrench. Again, up to you.
Here you can see the end plate, the groove in the buffer tube that it travels in and just a bit of the castle nut behind. All are oriented correctly.I screwed in the buffer tube until the end plate couldn’t rotate, backed it off one turn (or so) until I could get the end plate to slide forward and go in its hole. Note the orientation of the castle nut and it is not tight yet.,Do you mess with castle nuts a lot? Get a Magpul Armorer’s Wrench. In the photo, the right side is for the castle nut. The left is for the barrel nuts and I don’t use that one much but that castle nut portion gives you a wonderfully secure grip especially when you are breaking ones free. The square hole is for a 1/2″ torque wrench. The oval hole is for rifle receiver extensions and the groove in the castle nut end can be used on the traditional bird cage flash hiders.Once the buffer is installed, the PRS site can go right on. Just follow the directions with the stock, You remove the screw that holds the front flush cup in place and slide the stock on. You can then put the QD swivel flush cup on whatever side you want.Both the full blow PRS Gen 3 and PRS Lite stocks have thin hard recoil pads that I always replace. This is a Limbsaver PRS Gen 3 recoil pad that fits both models. It’s well made, fits and feels great. I always make the swap unless the stock is going on a light recoiling rifle like 5.56 NATO. If you want the best recoil pad I have found for the PRS Gen 3 or PRS Lite, get the Limbsaver pad.
End Result
The rifle feels really good and handles well. I think it looks great also!
Summary
Once you know the parts you need, it’s a pretty easy swap to make. Once you get the M4 buffer tube installed you have tons and tons of options out there .
I hope this helps you out.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
I started seeing them two weeks ago and I just ordered two. Folks, the ALG AKT-UL is hands down my favorite AK trigger. Smooth and crisp. I can’t recommend them enough. I like the Enhanced model, which is a step down, but given the choice, I’ll go for the Ultimate.
These have been out of stock literally for years – since before COVID I think, So, they are back but I have no idea how long they will be in stock so snag them while you can.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
The Following is a Basic Do-it-yourself Manganese Parkerizing Formula
A couple of friends online, Elkaholic and Ding, got me interested in parkerizing years ago and gave me a home brew formula and process steps they use. I have been tuning that formula for a few years and thought I would share it as I use it both for blades and firearms. It works great as either the base for a top finish, such as Molyresin or as a finish all by itself. You may be wondering “why not just buy a premade formula such as the great parkerizing solution from Brownell’s” – the short answer is because tinkering can be fun and more rewarding. I like to experiment and try different things. So, with that said, here is the recipe:
Also, be sure to use stainless steel for your tanks. I watch for sales or buy stuff off eBay. The big cooker above is from Walmart and the rectangular pan shown below is from Amazon and is normally the water pan for buffet lines.
For tongs to move stuff around, use solid stainless. I tried the plastic ones and they can leave a plastic residue on blasted surfaces and mess up your finish.
Just like baking, if you want more of the solution, take the recipe and multiply it by two, four or however many multiples you want. Just be sure you have a place to store it when done. I use 5 gallon jugs and label them.
Steps to Follow
Add acid to water in a stainless pan/pot and heat to 190F – don’t boil and waste it. I use a baking thermometer clipped to the side of the pan.
Spray each wool biscuit with brake cleaner to remove oils and allow each time to dry
As the solution warms shred the steel wool into the liquid and add the manganese dioxide
Let the mix simmer and dissolve the steel wool before adding parts
I always blast my parts before I parkerize them – I’ve heard guys tell about using a wire brush on a buffer or drill press as well but I’ve not tried that. Blasting removes the oxides and exposes the bare steel.
Make sure your parts are very, very clean and degreased — only handle with rubber gloves after they are cleaned or oils from your skin can mess things up
You can suspend your parts in the liquid with stainless wire. Leave them until the fizzing stops or about 30-40 minutes. The time varies.
Rinse the parts with boiling water thoroughly to remove the acid.
Spray parts with WD40 to get the water away from the steel
Wipe down with oil or apply whatever secondary finish you want – don’t do both 🙂 If you are going to apply a finish on top of the parkerized surface, use acetone or brake cleaner to remove any oils and then follow their instructions.
At the bottom of the post are links to Amazon products including long parkerizing tanks.
Cleaning Up
When you are done, let your mixture cool and strain the liquid through a coffee filter into a plastic can for future use. I use a blue kerosene 5 gallon container because it is a different color from all my other 5 gallon containers plus I label it. Point being, you do not want to get confused and pour this stuff in when you meant to use a fuel, etc.
The precipitate, the stuff on the bottom, should be scooped onto a shallow pan, allowed to dry and be disposed of as a hazardous waste. For example, where ever your community collects old paints, batteries, etc.
Brownells Has Great Parkerizing Solutions and Kits
Brownells sells very well regarded ready-to-use formulations. I have no hesitation at all to recommend the below items to you – they are top notch.
Click here for their manganese parkerization supplies. Their formula meets Mil Spec STD171
If you have a lot small parts you want to park, they have a bench top kit ready to go that you can buy – click here
Click here for their complete parkerizing tank system. This is a complete system for gunsmiths or others who need to park everything from small parts and pistols up to firearms and swords.
In Summary
I hope this helps you out. I’ve used the above many times and the results are solid.
Updated 2/13/24 with new sources and fixed some grammar issues.
Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
Mr. Gaboury does an exceptional job giving the reader the historical context of what was going on in Israel with its fight for independence, the plethora of firearms they were using and then search for a new submachine gun. Of course, this culminated in the creation and evolution of the Uzi design by Uzi Gal.
From there he covers the evolution of the weapon with the Mini Uzi, the Uzi Carbine, Uzi Pistol/Micro Uzi, Ruger MP9 and the Uzi Pro. The book was published in 2017 and its coverage is very current.
One thing I did not know was how widespread the adoption of the Uzi was and Mr. Gaboury provides coverage of its use in The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, South Africa, China and other countries.
He then covers a number of other topics in the book that I’ll skip for the sake of brevity. For me, the last section of the book was very, very helpful where he provides significant detail on the weapon including:
Operation, Disassembly and Specifications
Parts Identification
Magazines
Accessories
Being new to Uzis, his coverage of the firing cycle, fire control group and how it all comes together in the grip frame (what some call the “grip stick”) was worth the price of the book all by itself. For me, it was really the history and this last section the detailing of the operation and assembly that were hugely worthwhile. I’d recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about the iconic Uzi.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
