Back in 2014 I bought one of the 5.56 Vepr IV RPKs. Boy was it nice but it had a folding stock that was spot welded. I installed a Tapco G2 FCG, the appropriate muzzle device and one of my Molot Gen 2 grips and then US mags. I’d planned to replace the gas piston but wound up selling the rifle to fund other projects. I did, however, snap some photos.
The rifles were amazingly allowed into the US and were gorgeous but I could not abide by the tack welded open stock or funky US grip. First, I removed the butt stock to get it out of the way and protect it. I then used my cordless Dremel with a cut off wheel to slice the tack weld enough to pull it open and then sanded the edges smooth.
I then applied Brownells’ Oxpho Blue to the fresh bare steel to blacken it. The end result – you’d never know the tack was there.
To the left is the grip that IO put on the rifle when they imported it. To the right is my Molot Gen 2 grip and it is in subsequent photos also. We make each grip by hand here in Michigan so they count as a 922r compliance part.
Like so many of my firearms, it sat in the safe for a year or two and I never hard time to fire it. Eventually, I decided to sell it to fund other projects.
7/20/19 Update: This rifle is #1 on my list of “I wish I never sold it” They are worth a fortune now.
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.