Miso Beno
01-04-2009, 12:09 AM
Id been poking around another firearms forum when I ran into Colorado Shooting Sport's 'AK LIGHTNING BOLT.' (http://www.coloradoshootingsports.com/AKIntro.html) I thought about buying one until I saw that they were $225.00+shipping. While it's probably a fair price for a US made AKM Bolt Carrier and Dust cover, it's far too much for someone like myself to invest in. Instead I decided that I'd put some spare AK parts I had lying around and make my own for the cool price of $0.00 and a few hours of work.
I started with a bare bolt carrier with a TAPCO gas piston and a broken punch as my bar stock. Then I drilled a hole similar in diameter to the punch handle and had my pops run a bead on the outside of the bolt.
http://ruserio.us/images/1/DSC_5002.jpg
http://ruserio.us/images/1/DSC_4998.jpg
Using a rotary tool I cut the punch handle down to what I thought was the correct size. It ended up being a little too small and after some more welding, swearing I came up with a much much better idea.
http://ruserio.us/images/1/DSC_5070.jpg
Reaching into my scrap box I pulled out this piece of crap I found on a range years ago, drilled it and had it welded a head onto the original handle. The head allows the new handle to rotate much like a charging handle off of an FNFAL and looks snazzy as hell.
http://ruserio.us/images/1/DSC_5123.jpg
Today I did the first shooting test after headspacing my Romanian G-Kit build with the new carrier and spare bolt and believe it or not, I still have all of my appendages. Next week I'll bead blast the entire assembly and parkerize it again.
Video! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjTPmL60OEo)
I started with a bare bolt carrier with a TAPCO gas piston and a broken punch as my bar stock. Then I drilled a hole similar in diameter to the punch handle and had my pops run a bead on the outside of the bolt.
http://ruserio.us/images/1/DSC_5002.jpg
http://ruserio.us/images/1/DSC_4998.jpg
Using a rotary tool I cut the punch handle down to what I thought was the correct size. It ended up being a little too small and after some more welding, swearing I came up with a much much better idea.
http://ruserio.us/images/1/DSC_5070.jpg
Reaching into my scrap box I pulled out this piece of crap I found on a range years ago, drilled it and had it welded a head onto the original handle. The head allows the new handle to rotate much like a charging handle off of an FNFAL and looks snazzy as hell.
http://ruserio.us/images/1/DSC_5123.jpg
Today I did the first shooting test after headspacing my Romanian G-Kit build with the new carrier and spare bolt and believe it or not, I still have all of my appendages. Next week I'll bead blast the entire assembly and parkerize it again.
Video! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjTPmL60OEo)