AK & Related Rifles

The Custom Yugo M72 Carbine and Vepr FM-AK47-21 Meet

Okay, I had them both out to shoot photos so I had to take some side by side photos.  In case you want to read the blog posts about each rifle, click here for the Yugo M72 Carbine or here for the Vepr FM-AK47-21.

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AK & Related Rifles

Custom Built Yugo M72B1 Carbine By Two Rivers Arms

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I have always liked Yugo AK rifles.  One of my favorites is the M72B1 RPK.  It’s a big rifle and really overkill for me with the long barrel and bipod.  For quite some time I wanted to either build or buy a carbine length RPK.  I was talking to Tim at Two Rivers Arms one day and he said he could absolutely make one and custom fabricate a side rail to boot.  That was just what I wanted so I sent him my parts and then waited my turn in the build line as those guys are so busy.  After a few months Tim called and said it was ready and he shipped it to my FFL, Scott Igert at Modern Antique Firearms in the Fall of 2015.

Seriously, this rifle shoots like a dream but I didn’t get a chance to take some decent photos until now.  The most telling difference is that this is a 16″ cut down Green Mountain barrel vs. the normal 21.3″.  It has a 1:9.5″ twist and not chrome lined – I’m going to keep it clean and will not be burning through tons of mag dumps so I wasn’t really worried about the chrome.

Here’s a run down of the parts:

Glamour Shots 🙂

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AK & Related Rifles

Finally got a Russian Vepr 7.62x39mm Side Folder – The FM-AK47-21

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Well, the when I heard the Treasury Department blocked further importation of Veprs, I jumped and bought the FM-AK47-21 that FIME imported.  I’ve owned a number of Molot Veprs over the years so I knew I would be getting a quality rifle.  I’d not bought one earlier because I didn’t see the need to rush – then the Treasury blocked them and that caused me to pull the trigger.  So, I rushed and ordered one from Classic Firearms and had it delivered to my FFL, Scott Igert of Modern Antique Firearms.  Here’s what showed up:

It’s one solid rifle.  As usual, Molot did a great job – fitment is excellent, heavy 1.5mm RPK receiver, heavy barrel, RPK recoil spring guide rod, pretty good trigger and cool folding stock.  Things I don’t like – the folder hinge is going to make installing an optic rail interesting, the grip is way too small for my hands (Gee, I know a guy who makes grips that will fit).  I’m also not a huge fan of the ribbed RPK handguard.  I get that it would help with insulation on a full-auto RPK but I find the ribs annoying.  I may make a polymer version of the Russian wood originals – it’s something I’ll need to think about.

It shipped with a tiny 5 round magazine but at least it is a double stack.  I’ll replace it with normal AK mags.  I bought a bunch of rock solid Romanian steel mags years ago and that’s my go-to magazine for reliability and looks.  I used a Romy for the photos in this post.

So, I decided to go ahead and make some changes right up front.  I wanted a good muzzle brake so I reached out to Justin McMillion at JMac Customs.  We talked about my desire for a good brake and he recommended his RRD-4C which comes with the required 14mm x 1mm left hand thread.  He shipped fast and the quality of the machining and finish are excellent.  I like the way the porting is done.  With the top opened up, the gasses will vent up pushing the barrel down.

To install it, I pushed the spring loaded detent to release the muzzle nut and then turned it clock wise for removal – AKs are reverse threaded so you do the opposite to remove or install them.  I then threaded the RRD-4C on and was done in just a few minutes.

 

Next, I cast, drilled and finished a black Molot Generation II grip for the rifle.  I thought about using a Bulgarian ARM-9 but decided a Russian designed grip made more sense on a Russian gun – or at least it made sense to me.  I may yet go to the ARM-9 but the Molot Gen II feels pretty good.  To install it, I then removed the dust cover (you will need to hold the grip nut in place later), took out the recoil spring assembly, unscrewed the original grip and removed it.  I then held the grip nut in place with one hand and installed the Molot Gen II using one of my heavy duty grip screws (they have a bigger head and are an alloy hardened to 12.9) to secure the grip.

So here is the rifle at this point.  I’ll decide about the optics later.  I may well go with a RS!Regulate mount and Vortex Strike Eagle but that is a project for a later date.

 

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Flashlights and Lasers

Streamlight Microstream and Stylus Pro Lights – Quality Brilliance in Small Packages

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I recently needed to find new small LED lights that had four key characteristics – reliable, acceptable brightness, decent battery life, and small size.  Let me explain the reason for them:

  • Reliable – to be honest, a lot of the “miracle” lights that are advertised are total pieces of crap.  Everything from poor switches, low quality soldering and, believe it or not, weak springs that break down with use and no longer make reliable contact with the battery.  When I need a light, I need a light.
  • Acceptable Brightness – there is a trade-off between brightness and battery life.  There always has been and always will be.  Now LEDs have really helped push that envelope but even they have trade offs.  For most use, you’d be surprised just how bright 45-100 lumens really is and the cheap lights are misrepresenting about what they put out anyways.  Americans especially seem to think that brighter is better.  Well, for me, I really need to figure out the balance.  I’ve found that 45-100 lumens is pretty darned good for stuff within 100 feet.  No scientific studies were done – I just walked outside and shined different lights around.
  • Decent battery life – I needed a light where the battery would give me at least two hours of light per battery set.  This magical number is based on having easy access to replacement batteries.  Out in the Styx, you may find decent priced AAA batteries but not CR123As for example.
  • Small Size – I need a flashlight that fits in my pocket and does not weigh a ton.

So, armed with this, I started digging around.  I have no affiliation with Streamlight so when I tell you I like their stuff, I actually like their stuff.  I have been using their TLR weapons lights for a number of years now and never had one fail.  Armed with that, I started looking at their small lights and decided to get both the Microstream (single AAA battery) and the Stylus Pro (two AAA batteries) to try out.

Now the specs are pretty good for both.  Look at the battery life relative to Lumens:

So, I installed the supplied Duracel AAA batteries and spent some time playing with both.  The switches are solid, no rattles, and the light is pretty good.  This is me running the lights side by side at a fence about 30 feet away.  The Microstream did surprisingly well compared to the bigger light – it seems to be a tighter beam vs. more of a flood from the Stylus Pro.  The Microstream is on the left and the Stylus Pro is on the right.

Bottom line, both seem like they will meet my needs.  I’m going to carry the Microstream for regular use and the Stylus Pro when more light is needed for a longer time.

2/22/2018 Update:  These lights have held up great.  I even accidentally put one through the clothes washer without any problem -nothing happened to the finish and no water got inside!  I actually have four of the little single battery Microstreams and they are pretty much my every day carry when working in the shop, travelling, etc.

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Pistols

The Dan Wesson Bruin and RIA Big Rock Meet – Side By Side Photos

I am still trying to sort out which of the 10mm pistols to keep. The Dan Wesson Bruin is refined and functions beautifully but only holds 8 rounds. The Rock Island Armory (RIA) 52000  10mm ” Pro Match HC “Big Rock is not as smooth and doesn’t like all ammo but it holds 16+1 rounds, has a bull barrel and ought to smooth out the more it is fired. I suppose I am leaning towards the Big Rock right now but haven’t decided for sure.In the mean time, I thought you might like to see the two pistols in more of a side-by-side manner for comparison.

 

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Blades and Edged Weapons Including Khukuris

How To Make a Kydex Cross Draw Khukuri Sheath

I recently made a sheath for a khukuri with serrations on the back of the spine and it was a bit of a learning experience compared to how I normally make a khukuri sheath and though I would share what was done.  The khukuri in question had a nicely done blade and fitment was good.  It had about a 10″ blade, 6″ handle and 16″ overall.  The spine was between 1/4-3/8″ thick.  All in all, it was a medium weight nice khukuri though I am not really sure who made it

Now for this weight range, I could go with .080 or .093″ Kydex.  I went on the heavy side and used .093″ thick black Kydex that I buy in 12×24″ sheets – usually from www.knifekits.com.

So, first up I do two layers of blue painters tape on each side to allow for some “wiggle room” between the blade and the Kydex.  If you want it tighter, use just one layer.  I would recommend having this space to allow for dust, dirt, etc.  Next up is to trim the Kydex so it is long enough to have a bit of material past the end of the blade, a few inches onto the handle and then an about 1.5″ or so on each side when the Kydex folds over.  If you want to use two pieces, you certainly can.  The final sheath I did for this khukuri uses two sheets of Kydex trimmed to size.

Once the Kydex is trimmed to size, you need to heat it to around 360F but less than 400F.  I Use a 16×20″ MPress Heat Press with a digital controller to set the temperature at 360F and to heat the Kydex for 40 seconds.  Note that I also have Teflon/PTFE sheets attached with rare earth magnets to protect the press’ faces if the Kydex were to melt.

In years past, I used a modified hot plate / electric griddle to heat my Kydex.  For a tad over two years now I have had the MPress and really like it.  At any rate, once the Kydex is hot and pliant, you need to mold the Kydex to the blade.  In this first take, I used my HD Industrial vacuum press to do the work.   You draw the vacuum down and let the membrane do the work and cool down so the Kydex stiffens again.

 

Next up, draw your planning lines around the blade.  You need to figure out your rivet pattern and then drill the holes.  I do 0.75″ centers to accommodate large Tek-Lok belt fasteners among other options.  Notice the big flap drawn at the top above the handle.  That creates the “funnels” that will guide the khukuri into the sheath and then lock it into place.

Next, debur the holes with a deburring tool such as the Mango II in the above photo.  Then, install the correct size rivets in the holes.  Orient the larger factor finished end of the rivet to be facing viewers when the blade is carried.  It looks better than the small end that results after compressing the rivets.  After that, use a rivet tool to flare and secure the rivets.  I use purpose-built dies in my 1/2 ton arbor press to do that but there are cheaper manual units for use with hammer.  If you plan on doing many sheaths or holsters, go with the arbor press.

Here’s the result.  Note that the round tools are what I use to form the funnels.

Next, I use a band saw to cut close to the outside cut-off line I drew.

I then use a Rigid Oscillating End Sander to do the shaping.  I bought thebunitat Home Depot two years ago and it works great for this.  I use a 40-60 grit belt to quickly do the grinding.

Now I did the test fitting and had an “oh crap” moment.  I normally expose the blade to allow for quick insertion and extraction but I couldn’t do that with this model due to the serrations.  They were exposed and would clearly hang up on everything so it was time to come up with a plan B.  It dawned on my that I needed something to serve as a “sheath” for the serrations that would give me work room inside the sheath once it was formed.  So after thinking about for a few minutes, I took some 3/16″ fuel line, slit it down the middle and pulled it onto the khukuri.

I also wanted the khukuri to push a lot further into the rear piece of Kydex so that meant I needed to use the khukuri press that I designed just for this.  It is built like a tank from layers of 3/4″ plywood and uses four 500# Quick Clamps to compress the Khydex.  The results is tight uniform clamp around the handle and blade of a khukuri.

Next, it was time again to mark, cut and rivet the sheath.  Again, note the tabs drawn above the handle to form the funnel.

After cutting, I use a heat gun to heat each tab and bend it over a round mandrel.  I have a 1/2″ round piece of aluminum that I normally use.  Note, I have burned out a number of cheap heat guns.  The DeWalt is over two years old and still going strong.

I use MEK solvent on a rag to smooth over the edges of the Kydex and make it look good.  If you use MEK, be sure to wear solvent gloves and work outdoors or in a very well ventilated area.  That stuff is hot – meaning it evaporates fast and is not something you want to be breathing.

I used 1″ heavy duty nylon webbing for the retention strap along with a snap stud and quality heavy-duty #24 snap head.  I heat an old small screw driver to melt a hole in the strap for the stud and the snap head and then a purpose built die in my arbor press to actually open the rivet head inside the snap.

The Tek-Lok is secured to the sheath via slotted posts, screws and rubber spacers cut to the length needed.  Note, use Vibra-Tite or blue Loc-Tite to secure the screws and nuts or they will work lose and fall off.

Here is the end result.  The old buffalo hide and wood sheath is above for reference.  I like adding paracord for lashing and survival use.

In the next photo you can see the opening for the tip of the khukuri to slide into – that pocket is essential.  Once the tip is inserted, the handle is pushed towards the funnels that open, allow the handle to pass and then spring closed locking the handle in.  To truly lock it in and protect against brush, you need a retention strap that serves to keep the sheath closed – if the sheath is held shut then the blade can’t come out.

Here are two more shots

I hope you found the post of interest!

 

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Gunsmithing, Pistols

Upgrading the Big Rock’s Sights With Help From Scott Igert of Modern Antique Firearms

The Rock Island Armory Model 52000 Pro Match Ultra 6″ – 10mm pistol is affectionately known as the “Big Rock” to folks who own one.  When I got mine, one of the few things I wanted to improve were the sights. The front fiber optic segment was a dim red and the back white dots were just paint.  When I’d sight down the pistol, the sights didn’t really “jump” out and catch my eye the way I would like.

 

Scott Igert, owns Modern Antique Firearms, in Benton Harbor, MI, and is a good friend of mine. I told him about the sights because I knew he could upgrade them to be more visible. So, one day I ook the pistol to his shop and and snapped some photos while he worked his magic.  Now Scott does this all the time so he has all the supplies on hand and knows exactly what to do, which was real obvious as I watched and he explained what he was doing.

First up was to replace the front fiber segment. He showed me how the fiber is held in place by flared ends that were created by heating the fiber.  He simply snipped the fiber in the middle being careful not to hurt the rest of the sight that held it in place and then just pulled it out.

Next, we talked about the color of fiber I wanted and it was bright orange. He had these big lengths of fiber in different colors and diameters that he picked through to get the one that would fit the Big Rock, cut it longer than needed and scraped it until the outside diameter was such that it could slide into the old sight base’s holders for the fiber.

Scott gave the fiber segment a quick spritz of weapons oil to get it to slide into the holder. He then trimmed the fiber so there was still enough protruding to melt into the bulged shape needed to secure the fiber in place. With that, the front was done.

For the rear, he selected a very eye catching yellow paint to fill the two round depressions that were painted white. He used a small rod to apply the paint and a business card to wipe away the excess and let it dry.

Wow – what a difference now. The combination is eye catching and a huge improvement.  I’ll need to get an after picture that does the new sight justice.  If you are disappointed with your pistol sights, definitely contact Scott.

 

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Pistols

Dan Wesson Bruin First Look – A 6″ 10mm Refined Power House

As part of my foray into 10mm pistols, I picked up a Dan Wesson Bruin with the help of Scott Igert of Modern Antique Firearms.  The Bruin intriqued me based on reviews and that this was a Dan Wesson pistol!  I have liked Dan Wessons since the days they made the revolvers with exchangeable barrels.  Not too long go they were acquired by CZ  but the quality is still there based on everything I have heard.  I sure liked their Titan but at $4-4,200, it was way, way outside my price range compared to the $1,800 Bruin.

Now I bought the Model 1880 10mm Bronze Bruin before my Big Rock because we found it first and the more I read, the more I wanted to get one.  In my opinion it is excellently built. Here are the off-the-shelf specs:

  • Magazine Capacity:  8 rounds
  • Frame:  Forged Stainless
  • Overall Length:  9.7″
  • Barrel Length:  6.03″
  • Width:  1.5″
  • Weight:  2.74 pounds
  • Trigger:  Single Action
  • Front Sight:  Tritium Fiber Optic
  • Rear Sight:  Adjustable Night Sights

When the pistol arrived, Scott, his cousin Andrew and myself were all very impressed. It was coated in a ton of oil in a bag but the first thing we all noticed was how smooth it was – no grittiness anywhere. She slide and trigger were all so slick.  The trigger is probably the best feeling of any pistol I own.

I field stripped the Bruin, wiped off the packing oil, lubricated it and took the pistol to the range. It shot like a dream. No problems of any kind with 180 grain S&B FMJ loads or either 155gr or 180gr JHP loads from Underwood. The Bruin handled everything smooth as silk and its weight really made recoil a non-issue. It’s there but it’s not a big deal is how I would describe it.  Normally my carpal tunnel will act up and tell me when recoil is too much but I really just had fun.  I’m so used to having to fiddle with guns that when one works just the way it should out of the box, it is a real treat.

Given the magazine capacity, I went ahead and bought two more magazines giving me a total of four mags. Interestingly, the website said they were out of stock but when I called their parts department they said they did have them and the gentleman I talked to mentioned that the website quantity onhand vs. actual wasn’t that reliable.  So if you need mags, call them.  Don’t just go by the website plus they have mags both with and without the rubber bumpter. I like the bumpers personally – they add a bit of weight to help the empty mags drop plus help protect the floor plate when they hit the ground.

One little detail I really like is the extended slide release lever.  It has a little extended shelf that gives you a tad bit more leverage to push down and release the slide despite the heavy recoil spring.

Obviously I am  a big fan of this pistol.  I do have one con to mention – the Bruin has a distinctive angled front barrel plug that makes field stripping a bit tricky as you try and get things lined up. To be honest, I would chuck that angle and field stripping would become much easier.  That is my only complaint.

At this point I am debating whether to keep the Bruin, the Big Rock or both,  It may take me a while to decide 🙂  The Big Rock is a wicked brute and the Bruin is very refined.  Both are better pistols than I am a shooter so more thinking is required. In the mean time here are some photos:

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When Strength and Quality Matter Most