Tools

Use an Air Riveter to Install or Remove AK Barrels

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For years I used my 20 ton press to remove and install barrels on AK rifles and then somone, Gunplumber maybe, told me to try using an air riveter instead.  You know what, it surprisingly works well and now I only use my press on the removal of really stubborn barrels.

I am going to throw two terms around in this post that I need to explain.  Air hammers and air riveters are remarkably similar – a pneumatic (air powered) pistol is going down a bore and slamming into the end of the unit where a tool is attached.  Thus they are delivered from the hundreds to almost three thousand blows per minute (BPM).  What usually, but not always, differentiates the two is the degree of control you have with the trigger and an integral air regulator to adjust the BPM and how hard the blows are.   If you see a tool with virtually no controls, it is likely an air hammer.  However, as you will read here, there are air hammers that do overlap with air riveters.

With air riveters, the main thing you get is a variable flow trigger, sometimes called a “tickle trigger” and usually a built in air regulator.  This allows you to really dial in the speed and strength of the blows.    When guys gush about how well they can control a big riveter, pay close attention because they aren’t kidding.  When you are building an airplane you need precision and you sure don’t want the riveter to slip and mar the aluminum.  Traditionally with air hammers we think about driving apart exhaust pipes, cutting open barrels and what not.  With air riveters, think of airplanes,

Okay – enough background – let’s talk about how to size these things – riveters are are sized based on the stroke length of the piston and an arcane naming scheme like “2X”, “3X” and “4X”.   Each has a piston about one inch longer than the previous model and the longer the piston, the harder it hits and the bigger rivet you can drive.  Think of the piston in a car – diameter and stroke set the stage for more power.

For example Aircraft Tool Supply sells all kinds of tools for folks who build airplanes and have decent riveters – I have one of their ATS-3X units and it has held up great.  At any rate, here are their tool ratings for example:

Note how the stroke is increasing from their base 200B unit through the 4x.  When you get to the 5x and 7x, both the stroke and bore size increase.  The capacity stated is for aluminum rivets so for steel rivets go two sizes up was a rule I was once told.

Most rivets you encounter around firearms will be steel and between 5/32″ to 3/16″.  I was told not to go smaller than 3X and have no regret with doing AK trigger guards but I did wind up with two units because I wanted to more powerful unit for barrels and barrel pins.   By the way, I was told not to go too small or all the hammer blows would risk work hardening the rivets.

Historically, I have mainly used this riveter for the trigger guard and an occasional barrel pin.  For most of my heavy work such as barrel pins and  barrels, I use an Ingersoll-Rand (IR) model 117 air hammer.  Now here’s the interesting thing – most air hammers, especially cheap imports, do not have variable triggers – they tend to be on or off.  Like riveters, the IR 117 has a variable trigger and a built in regulator.  With piston stroke of 3.5″, and an 22/26″ bore it makes the 117 a tad bigger than the 4X riveter from ATS so all things being equal, the IR 117 will hit harder.

I know Harbor Freight has an air riveter now (they didn’t when I bought mine) but have zero experience with it and also not so good experiences with their air hammers not lasting.

Even Amazon now has a wide selection of 3x and 4x riveters. Click here to see them in a new tab. Amazon’s searches return pop riveters and all kinds of stuff – you want the solid rivet guns to be clear.

A big requirement for this work is control – you need a variable trigger so you can get just a few blows all the way up to continuous.  A regulatory allows you to adjust how hard the unit hits.  Some past import air hammers I have used seemed to have triggers that were either wide open, or completely unpredictable.  If you have one that is this way, don’t try working on a firearm that you care about.

Both the ATS and IR units were recommended to me and I both do a great job.  Note, there are bigger riveters and air hammers out there but you will notice that the tool shank goes from the very common 0.401″ to a larger diameter such as 0.498.

At any rate, let’s get back to barrels.  Modern AK barrels are what is known as an interference fit with the barrel being pressed into the front trunnion and locked in place by a cross pin.  In general a 12 ton press will do the job reliably but it takes a while to get the jigs set up and parts ready to go.  A 4X riveter will usually do the job also but with way less set up time.   I say usually because once in a while you run into pins or barrels that just do not want to come out and that’s when a big press is the way to go.

Practice First

Let me give you one piece of honest advice – if you go this route, practice before you beat the snot out of your parts.  Air riveters and hammers want to move around on you and you need to know how to control them.

Removing the Barrel Pin

Now you may wonder why I went the pneumatic route vs. sticking with my press.  The answer is real simple –  when I am taking stuff apart, I don’t want to take a ton of time.  I can use the 117 to pop out the barrel pin with either a drift pin or a tapered pin in seconds with very little set up.   I usually just put the trunnion and barrel assembly on  bench block with a hole for the pin to enter as I drive it out from the other side – I drive from the operating side (right when viewed from the top) towards the non-operating side (the left side).

If you are using a tapered pin driver, get the pin started and stop before the tool will hurt the trunnion.  You can drive it out the rest of the way fairly easily with a drift punch and a big hammer.  If you have drift punches for your air tool, just pick one slightly smaller than the hole and drive the pin out.

These days I keep parts in a magnetic tray to avoid losing them and that’s where I stick the barrel pin.  If you ever lose or damage the pin, get a 7mm drill bit and cut off the shank to create the length you need.  I used to keep 7mm drill rod somewhere – I’m not really sure where it is now.

Backing Out the Barrel

Driving the barrel off the trunnion is pretty easy but you do need to make a tool that fits in the trunnion and has a brass “head” to drive the barrel out without damaging the chamber end – DO NOT USE STEEL – it needs to be a softer metal and brass does a good job.

My backout tool is a  6″ long 1/2″ bolt with a brass nut on the end with a ground down steel backing nut behind it:

Why 6″ long?  Because that is what I had in my box.  Shorter would be more controllable. I actually have a long 12″ unit I use if I need to back a barrel out of a trunnion that is in the receiver.

Here’s a photo of the ground down steel backing nut and the brass nut that sits on the chamber end and applies the actual blows to drive it out.

You definitely need the steel backing but or the brass will deform and come off the threads.  You can also see how the brass extends in front of the bolt – I always check to make sure I have about an 1/8th inch or so of brass before I use it.  This is basically a shorter version of my barrel back out tool (click here for the post about that from way back when).

Now to deliver the blows on the business end of my IR 117 is a 7″ brass peening  tool that ATS sells directly.  I bought a 3″ unit but it will not fit in the wire retainer of my 117.  They also have a 5″ model that I bet would work fine.

So, I mount the trunnion in my wood jawed vise to not tear it up, insert the backout tool and then use the 117 to apply the blows.   I will hold the bolt with one hand and use the 117 with the other.  Do NOT put your hand where the bolt and peening hammer come together or you will pinch the hell out of it.  I did that once years ago and it taught me a lesson complete with a blood blister as a reminder.

So I do a bit and check – I do not try to do it all at once.  By looking int he barrel pin hole, you should see it slowly backing out.  In general, the last bit of removing the barrel I do with a  big ball pein hammer to make sure the barrel assembly either is pulled out the last bit by me or land in some form of box or cushion vs. the hard floor.

That’s it!   The barrel is out.

Installing the Barrel

To install a barrel, I first install an old slant brake that I ground flat to protect the threads.  I have not used a muzzle nut because they do not seem to offer much protection to the front of the muzzle – they are mainly designed to protect the threads.  With the ground down slant brake, there is a plenty of material in front of the muzzle to protect it.  

You can see how it has mushroomed over time but that’s fine.  I’ve used it a ton and if I ever have a problem, I’ll chuck it and make another.

My best guess is that it came out of a Romanian G kit years ago.  I have a bunch of oddball parts like this that got replaced by US parts for the sake of 922r compliance.

I thread the converted brake / muzzle protector all the way back on the barrel to engage all the threads possible and back it right against the front sight block (FSB).  The idea is that you want the threads to take the impact and not the muzzle.

To start the installation, I push the barrel assembly into the trunnion and tap it with a big ball pein hammer.  I keep sighting down the rear sight block (RSB) making sure it is true.  At the point, you can use a rubber mallet or other non-marring mallet to tap the RSB and angle the barrel slightly one way or the other to course correct.  It is really, really important to get the alignment right at the start.  You will not be able to adjust it once you get very far in.  If it turns out you have alignment problem later, I would recommend driving the barrel assembly out and starting over.

To do the actual driving, I use the IR 117 with the brass peening hammer attachment.  I put the brass hammer face right on the converted slant brake and drive it in.  I keep checking the barrel pin hole to make sure I stop just short of the final location and that it is aligned.  If the surfaces are not aligned, I would drive the barrel back out and start over.  In this next photo, you can see I stopped just short of where I need to be.

Now this particular kit was a headspaced Polish WBP kit and I had checked headspace before I removed the barrel.  If I needed to set the headspace, I would start checking it somewhere around here.

At this point, I drive the barrel in the rest of the way by tapping the end with a big ballpein hammer – or any BFH will do 🙂  It really doesn’t take a ton of energy.  You want to tap and test over and over.  Don’t get impatient and try and drive it in all at once or you risk overshooting where you want to be.  If you do overshoot, it’s going to take some time and you need to make that longer barrel backout tool and either use your press or your air tool (I’d use my IR 117) and push it back out just enough to then fine tune the location.

Do not use headspace gauges as barrel stops.  You may know this but just in case you don’t – gauges are precision instruments and you only install them to test the headspace and *not* as a way to stop travel.  I’ve heard of guys doing that and, for a change, I wasn’t one of them 🙂

Once the channel is clear and you have one nice continous path from one side of the trunnion to the other it is time to reinstall the pin.

Installing the barrel pin

With I do is start the pin with a big ball pein hammer and then drive it in the rest of the way with an old rivet set that I use just for this purpose.  Years ago I bought a ton of used 0.401 shank rivet sets and rivet tools off eBay for a very reasonable price.  I use one that covers the pin nicely and drive it right in and let me tell you, it goes in fast.  You can stop short and drive it in the test of the way by hand if you want.  I tend to just drive it right into place with the air tool.

By the way, I’ve accumulated a number of rivet tools and bucking bars over the years.  Here’s a quicksnap shot of my toolbox:

I’ve bought a number of rivet tool lots from eBay over the years.

That’s it – done.  I hope this helps you out!

By the way, here are used rivet tools currently on eBay.  Be sure the shank size matches your air hammer or air riveter (all of mine are 0.401″ for example).

Palmetto State Armory (PSA) has a stunning array of Kalashnikov firearms now. AK-47s, AK74s, 100 series, rifles, pistols … it’s impressive. Click here to go to their main AK menu.

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Russia and also USSR

Learn About The Type 2 Soviet AK-47 – Forgotten Weapons Video

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It’s interesting that we hold the AK-47 in near mythic regard when it comes to reliability.  It took almost 12 years from 1947 to the release of the AKM (Avtomát Kaláshnikova modernizírovanny or  “Modernized Kalashnikov Automatic Rifle”) in 1959.  The journey the design team made over the years is quite interesting.

I did a post on the Type 1 previously (click here to open it) and that first iteration had problems with the stamped sheet metal receiver that affected reliability.  In response, Valeriy Kharkov lead a design team who created a milled receiver from a forging to address the reliability problems and it was ready by 1949.

The Soviets had plenty of labor, that wasn’t a problem so in a manually intensive manner, they machined a six pound block of steel that required 120 steps into a finished 1.4 pound receiver.  That means they wasted almost 3.6 pounds of quality steel and used a ton of consumables and machine time.  To be honest, it boggles my mind but they accomplished their mission – the QC problems with the receiver were addressed.

In the following video, Ian McCollum does a great job showing a type 2  and describing the differences between it, the type 1 and the following type 3.   For example, he points out the rear receiver extension that is made from sheet metal that is an instant identifier of a Type 2 fixed stock rifle (sometimes referred to as the “2A”).  Note, they made the type 2 with an underfolder stock also (the “2B”).

Another tell is that the lightening cuts are parallel to the top of the receiver in the type 2 and in the type 3 they are parallel to the bottom.

There are quite a few other changes such as the grip now being a single piece, the selector lever having an additional clearance added above the pins, gas vent holes moved to 10 and 2 o-clock and more.

By the way, one thing Ian does is refer to it as the AK-49 and I have never read anything that supports that nomenclature.  If you Google AK-49, nothing turns up.  I would recommend you refer to it as an AK-47 Type 2.  Other than that, I think it is a great video and you can actually see the many details as Ian points them out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch">

If you want to read a book that does a great job detailing the Type 2 and its history, I would recommend The Grim Reaper by Frank Iannamico.  Poyer’s book has details but not as much history.

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Russia and also USSR

Learn About The Original Type 1 Soviet AK-47 – Forgotten Weapons Video

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Ian McCollum does a great job showing an actual Soviet Type 1 sheet metal AK-47.   I’ve read about the Type and seen a few photos but nothing as detailed as this.  We so often focus on the AKM but Mikhail Kalashnikov and his design team at Izhevsk had to go through a lot of learning and evolution of the design.

For me this was absolutely fascinating as Ian talks about the Type 1’s history and QC problems this early design had and then actually opens the rifle up to show the many differences.

  • Grip plates vs a true grip
  • No center support to keep the receiver from getting crushed
  • A selector lever that was only on the operating side that did not go all the way through
  • Longer trunnion
  • Ejector was part of the trunnion
  • Different rivet pattern
  • Fluted gas piston
  • and more

If you like AK’s, be sure to watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch">

Also, consider donating to Ian.  He puts a ton of time into his videos and the research required.  Here’s a link to his Patreon page.

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.

Romania

The Romanian PSL Rifle – Feeling Nostalgic for the 7.62x54R DMR

I have to admit that I am a huge fan of Ian McCollum’s Forgotten Weapons videos.  On May 28th, 2018, he released “Romania Doesn’t Make the Dragunov:  The PSL”.  Being a fan of the PSL, I had to watch it:

As usual, Ian did a great job.  The PSL, or in Romanian, the Puşcă Semiautomată cu Lunetă model 1974 was Romania’s designated marksman rifle (DMR) in 7.62x54R and came about after they had a disagreement with the USSR and would not longer get access to the Dragunov design.

In a classic example of pragmatism, the designers at Regia Autonoma pentru Productia de Tehnica Militara, also know as  the RATMIL Cugir arsenal, upscaled the Kalashnikov rifle design to handle the larger round.  The receiver design is based on the RPK light machine gun with reinforcing plates at the rear and a bulged front trunnion.   To make use of the relatively old 7.62x54R cartridge, it used a 24.4″ long barrel whereas a typical AKM has a barrel that is about 16.3″ long.

In short, while some people refer to it as a Dragunov, it really isn’t the same design at all.  The Dragunov’s design is unique and more complex.  The PSL is essentially an AK-47 on steroids and it does a pretty good job for what it was intended for – being a DMR and providing supporting fire at longer distance targets vs. a sniper rifle.  A DMR has good enough accuracy to – say about 2-3″ MOA or better whereas a sniper, or precision rifle, will tend to be sub-MOA.

Paired with the rifle is a LPS 4×6 TIP2 ((Lunetă Puṣcă Semiautomată Tip 2, or “Scope, Semi-Automatic Rifle, Type 2”) scope that attaches via the receiver side plate.

Really, the PSL design was a success for the Romanians.  It was relatively inexpensive, rugged and did the job.  They actually wound up exporting it to a number of countries for military use including:  Afghanistang, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Congo-Kinshasa, Ethiopia, Iraq (after Hussein), Moldova, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Somalia.

Here it is seen in the hands of an Afghan Army soldier:

In the following photo an Ethiopian solider is firing a PSL:

Of course, another market existed for these semi-auto rifles also – the United States.  It was imported under a variety of names including:  PSL-54C, Romak III, FPK and SSG-97.  They were all the same rifle more or less and might show modifications for importation such as removal of the bayonet lug or no third FCG pin provision in the receiver.  The PSLs in the US could have been assembled either at RATMIL or later after Romania joined NATO, the ARMS arsenal.  Note, there are also PSLs floating around built from kits on US receivers also with quality running the whole gamut from poor to excellent.

My PSL

At any rate, part of the reason I wrote this is that I felt nostalgic.  I bought a Century Arms assembled PSL Sporter from Centerfire Systems in 2010.  Here it is next to a Yugo M70B1 for comparison and it has a Konus optic on a BP-02 SVD/PSL low center mount that is in line with the bore that I purchased from Kalinka Optics:

Contrary to rumor, the skeleton stock as the original design and not something they did for the US market.  The skeleton thumbhole profile was developed to reduce weight, withstand recoil and be relatively comfortable – hiding under the steel butt plate was a spring to dampen recoil.

I couldn’t leave the rifle along because I really wanted an SVD so I had to pick up a Rhineland Arms  unfinished walnut SVD conversion stock set – all it needed was the finish.  I used one of the Minwax cherry stains (I don’t recall which now I’m afraid) and the multiple coats of boiled linseed oil (BLO) on top.

One thing I did need to do was to carefully remove the gas tube cover retainers on both ends.  I carefull ground them off with my Dremel and then refinished the gas tube as you can see in the next photo.

I then drilled and tapped the receiver to hold a small piece of picatinny rail and took care not to harm the serial number and what not.   I figured the rail could be readily removed for inspection if ever needed.

So here was the end result including a Versapod bipod with claw feet:

I definitely am nostalgic about the rifle.  In one of those twists of fate, I had to sell it before I ever got to shoot it.  If I ever fell into a good deal on one, I would get it.

** Note, images that have a grey wood background, are of the Rhineland stock, the finished custom rifle or are in the shop are mine.  The other images are in the public domain and are from Wikipedia’s entry on the PSL.

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Pakistan, POF, Roller Locks - HK

Customizing and Shooting the Pakistani Ordnance Factory POF-5 Pistol

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Having watched one too many TV shows and movies with H&K’s MP5 submachine gun over the years, the sub gun has been on my “I want to have one list” for years but way out of my price range.  While surfing, I read about how Pakistani Ordnance Factory (POF) licensed the design and tooling necessary from H&K Germany to make roller locked weapons including MP5 clones.  In reading about the various Mp5 clones,  it became apparent that the POF-5 units are actually well regarded.  What really tipped the scales was a great post by T. Mark Graham at Arizona Response Systems who really knows his way around MP5s saying they were good to go with details of his analysis provided.

This led me to calling up Chuck at Kelly Enterprises and talking about whether to buy a Zenith (my first choice) or a POF.  Chuck is a very straight forward guy and tells it the way it is.  The Zenith would be hard to get and he had POF-5 pistols in stock plus he gave me a great deal so I ordered one and had it sent to my friend and FFL, Scott Igert, at Modern Antique Firearms.  Chuck sent me all the tracking info and just a few days later, the POF-5 was with Scott waiting for me to pick it up.

On inspection you could tell the receiver paint was a bit glossier than the more satin finish of an HK but other than the action feeling dry and new (that gritty not worn in feeling), it looked good to go.

Now, I have two personality quirks.  First, I can’t hit the broad side of a barn with a pistol let alone one this big and heavy.  Second, I can’t help but customize any gun I buy and this wasn’t any different.

I did a ton of reading and decided to go with a cool S&B brace, a B&T scope mount, Dakota Tactical handguard, a B&T muzzle brake and ordered a bunch of POF MP5 magazines.  You can buy the brace at PSA and Brownells. By the way, Brownells has a ton of replacement parts and aftermarket parts for the MP5 reflecting it’s long-time use by law enforcement no doubt – click here to see them.

Installing the brace was easy – like any HK, you push out the rear pin, pull off the cap and put on the brace.  I bought one all ready to go.

The handguard is a keymod unit from Dakota Tactical and they use a screw instead of a front pin to hold the unit in place.  It really locks up nice and I like the feel of it.  The rail section holding the Streamlight in the below photo is made by Monoki.

Now the scope mount is the standard B&T universal rail, the BT-21262-1.  I would caution against you buying a cheap optics mount for an HK-type weapon.  There are tons of stories of cheap ones falling off, not seating properly, etc.  The B&T unit is a mil-grade unit.  You slide it on and then work the little claws or feet into position and then secure them with the supplied screws.

Next up  was to install the Vortex Crossfire Red Dot optic.  These are the latest red dots from Vortex and come with both low and high mounting options.

Out of the box it has the high mount installed for the AR enthusiasts but includes the low plate as well.

As you can see, with the default high riser on it, the optic is way too high.  I prefer optics as low as possible where I can get a good cheek weld.

It’s real easy to change – there are just four screws that need to be removed on the bottom.  I used a bit from my Weaver driver set vs. the supplied key which would work but is slow compared to a driver.

I have the Weaver Deluxe Tool Kit and use the drivers all the time.  I use the block and hammer some but not a great deal.

Notice that Loc-Tite Blue (the medium strength formula) is used to secure the screws.

Here’s the end result.  Note, I will install a quick release mount at a later date.

One side comment – you may find it funny that the thing that puzzled me most was the B&T brake.  It installs on the tri-lobe fitting on the muzzle. There is a quick release lever that baffled me until I carefully inspected it and saw that one end is open and a cross pin is retaining it.  I then pushed the other way and lever lifted right up.  Duh!  I’d never seen one before!  It is solid and I like it.

The case you see is a 32″ Blackhawk Homeland Security Weapons Carry Case.  It comes with one internal mag carrier and I added a second pouch.  They are sized for 30 round AR mags and you can get two 30-round MP5 magazines in each pouch pocket.

Next up, I cleaned the bore and lubricated the weapon – especially the bolt head and trigger pack.  Past experience taught me to go through and make sure it was ready.

Two of my brother-in-laws and I took it to the range.  We used 124 grain S&B FMJ ammo and it functioned great and was accurate.  We had a blast at 15-25 yards shooting it despite it being a brisk day.  I really like how this combination worked out.  We didn’t use the light but the green laser was nice and bright when we tried it out.

We put probably about 200 rounds through it.  You can now feel the action has really smoothed out and I wouldn’t hesitate using this for home defense if I needed – which is why I put the light on it.

All in all, I’m very pleased and would recommend the POF-5 to anyone looking for a semi-auto MP5-type pistol.

Update 10/6/2018:  We put almost 500 rounds through this pistol this summer without one single failure to feed or eject.  We mainly shot the 124 grain FMJ S&B ammo except for one time, as a test, I shot about 20 rounds of Hornady 135gr Critical Duty ammo with no problem.  All of the magazines used (and I have 10 of them) are POF magazines.  Honestly, this thing is awesome.  I’ve only cleaned and re-lubed it once so far but it is on the to-do list.

12/12/18 Update:  I recently bought an HK SP5K and am documenting my journey with it.  Click here for the first post.

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Fixing Stuff, General

Getting the Simplicity Broadmor 16 Hydro Lawn Tractor Ready for the Season – Air and Oil Filters via Amazon

Given we live in a rural area, it can be a challenge trying to find the right air and oil filter for our Simplicity Broadmor 16 Hydro tractor.  It has a Kohler engine and the air and oil filters are readily available on Amazon.   It makes life way easier to just order them.  Sometimes I’ll get a deal on several and have one for the following year.

So, just to make things easy for you, here are links if you need to order them:

I only change the oil filter once a year.  If there’s a real good deal, I might buy a two pack.   You can search and double check prices.

For the air filter, I definitely use the model with the pre-cleaner.  The foam pre-cleaner catches a ton of dust.  Each year I have to clean and re-oil the pre-cleaner several times due to all the dust.

I change these each season plus I grease the oil fittings.   When we got the tractor I asked the mechanic who delivered it what would be the one thing he’d recommend to get long life from the tractor.  Of course he pointed out the oil and air filters but then he added to make sure to keep the tractor greased using the Zerk fittings and I have ever since.

I hope this helps you out some as well.

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.

Fixing Stuff, General

Fixed a Starting Problem on my Simplicity Broadmor 16 Hydro Tractor

We bought this Simplicity Broadmor 16HP lawn tractor back around 1999-ish and it has served us well.  In the years since, I’ve had to replace a few parts and figure things out as the dealer went out of business.  Luckily, finding parts is pretty straight forward given the WWW and Amazon.

At some point last summer, the tractor began to develop intermittent problems with starting when it was hot.  It didn’t happen all the time and was a bear to try and find – sometimes you’d turn the starter switch and nothing would happen.  Well, I just assumed it was the solenoid given similar problems with cars over the years.  I did some digging and bought both a solenoid and starter off of Amazon.  In the Simplicity, and many tractors for that matter, they are two separate parts mounted away from each other.  The solenoid is up under the dash held in place by two screws and the starter is held in place by two screws and a collar.

I ordered a Caltric Starter for the Kohler CV16 engine and it mounted up just fine.

I ordered a Stens 435-099 starter solenoid and it went in just fine as well.

Well, I thought I was set but the problem got worse.  In a ways, that was a good thing.  Because when the problem happens readily, you can sort out what is wrong.

This spring, when we got the tractor out, every time it would get hot it would not re-start.  I put my multimeter on the starter power cable and it was dead.  I did not hear any clicking from the solenoid either.  If I wiggled the switch then it might start but not always so the switch made me suspicious.  If I used jumper cables and went right to the starter, it would start and run no problem with the key one.  Okay, time to replace the switch.

I did some digging and the replacement switch was a Briggs and Stratton 1686734SM unit.  I got that on order from Amazon and waited for it to show up.

Now there is just a bit of a twist here that I want to share with folks to save you some time.  It turns out the tractor was built using an all plastic switch (groan) part number 1718305 that requires you to change the wiring in the connector.

Note the letters next to the male spades – this is how you confirm it is the 1718305 switch – the layout of the pins:

It just so happens that to use the replacement 1686734SM unit, you need to diagonally swap the four lower wires – upper left to lower right and upper right to lower left.  They recommend you label the wires before you do the swap – I just jotted down the color codes.

The following photo is from the instruction sheet that came with the switch — it’s actually well done and helped me figure this out:

Figure 2 shows the identifying marks for the plastic 1718305 switch and exactly matched what I had.

Figure 3 shows the pin out of the original connector

Figure 4 shows the new lay out.

In case you lose track of the wires for whatever reason, here are the color codes that are in my Broadmor by labeled connector pin:

  • A.  Red / White (meaning primarily red with a white stripe)
  • B.  Red — this is from the battery so make sure your battery is disconnected
  • G.  Black
  • L. Red/Black
  • M.  Purple/White
  • S. Blue/White

First, disconnect the negative cable from the battery or you risk some fireworks when you change the red/hot wire.

To change the wires around, I moved them a pair at a time – just the lower four are changing — I ran a small blade screw driver in and loosened the female spade fitting inside the connector and pulled it back out gently with a pair of needle nose pliers.  I then swapped the location and pushed each connector into the new location.

To seal the connections, I applied a layer of silicone grease on the female connector openings so that when the male spades pushed in, they would be coated with the grease.  I have a jar of Mission Automotive brand Silicone grease that I use all the time.

I then confirmed the layout one last time, sat on the tractor, made sure the engine was clear and started it.  Everything worked on the first try – a good sign.

The switch fit nicely inside the OEM hole.  It comes with extra parts for mounting and I just did what Simplicity did – I installed the switch, used the supplied hex nut to secure it on the front and pressed on the switch cover.  I then tested again just to be safe.

By the way, here are photos of the back of the installed switch:

I then mowed part of the lawn for 10-15 minutes and when the tractor was good and hot, I turned it off and back on several times.  I then let the tractor idle for about 10-15 minutes and again could turn it off and on with no problem.

I think the problem is solved as the tractor is still working just fine.  I wanted to post this in case you needed to know what to get from Amazon or see the wire colors and hope it helps you out.

7/20/19 Update:  I did the above in June 2018 and the tractor is still running just fine.  All of the above have held up without any problems.

5/23/20 Update:  Still holding up just fine.  I’ve mowed the yard two times this year.  No problems.

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Poland

Our New Polish Beryl Gen 2 Grip Model

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The karabinek szturmowy wzór 1996 Beryl rifle is manufactured by the Łucznik Arms Factory in Radom, Poland and is the successor to the Tantal.  The first versions of the rifle had a rather typical AKM style grip.

With the kbs wz. 1996C Beryl variant, an ergonomic grip appeared that looked very similar to what the Israelis developed for their Galil Ultra.

So, after doing some digging, I tracked down a brand new copy of that ergonomic grip and made our version.  Note, I am simply calling it the second generation or gen 2.  That’s my naming and not the Pole’s.

You can see this is like our other grips – it is cast as a solid block and then a hole is drilled for a grip screw.  It is sized to fit a normal 100mm long screw like you find with most AKM grips.  “US” is cast into the back.  If you look at the throat, this ought to fit most rifles but some final fitting/fine tuning may be needed.  I have not tried putting this on a Yugo with their unique grip nut strap.

The original has grooves on the back but we will need to sand there so these ridges/lines on the backstrap will not be there.  We will sand and blast the grip so it evens out with the surrounding surfaces.

Here is the grip mounted on a Romy G AKM.  No fitting was needed – it went right on.

I wear size XL gloves and the top where the web of my hand from the index to the thumb would sit is just a tad small for me.  The grooves and thumb shelf are very comfortable and could be used with either hand.  For me, I prefer the Russian AK-12 grip or the Bulgarian ARM-9 grip.  I’d recommend this for folks who wear Medium to Large to sized gloves.  If you wear XL or bigger, you may find this a tad small at the top but it is very doable.  I hope to build a Beryl later this year and still plan to use this grip for myself.  I also left it on the Romy for further testing.  I think folks will like this grip regardless of whether they are building a Polish rifle or one from another country.

Click here to go to our online store if you are interested in learning more and/or buying one.

Please note the opening photos of the Beryl rifle are from Wikipedia.  They have a nice basic introduction to the Beryl if you’d like to learn more. 

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.

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