Wow, lots of interest/input, good! Yup, your Nodak receiver needs to be painted or parked for sure.
I'm sad to say that I'm late to both the AK, and especially the parts kit scene.
Since the ban ended in '04, there are some great, (and not so great), complete rifles currently available on both original foreign and American made receivers and barrels.
When I got into surplus rifles around '00, the only complete Kalashnikov rifles often found were neutered Romanian WASR 10 single stacks, the SAR 1, and Chinese MAK-90 rifles. I did see some Polytech rifles here and there, as well as a few milled Arsenals, but the prices were always too far out of reach.
What I missed out on, were all the excellent parts kits floating around. I saw them for sale in Shotgun News, but never had a clue that a few years down the road, those prices would go through the roof as kits dried up and barrel importation ceased. Just in time for some of the best American receivers to become available at affordable prices.
To be honest I've never seen a Russian kit up close, the Romanian Guard kits with barrels seem like a good way to go if you can still find them. I've got a Maadi kit , sans barrel, a milled Yugo, a 1960 Polish milled kit, a Firing Line receiver, and a few random barrels. These days I'd be more interested in building a few shooters for me, not so much period correct replicas with all the appropriate markings and accessories. Bending flats doesn't seem so fun when there are so many good receivers around ready to go in almost any configuration you could imagine. It would have made sense to bend your own a few years ago. What's the point of spending $100 on a receiver for a $75 kit? But when kits run up near $400-$500 complete, what's a few more bucks?
Let's keep this going! Also, post up any unique kits you guys have that may not be currently available or easy to find! Anyone have one of the East Germans yet?
I'm sad to say that I'm late to both the AK, and especially the parts kit scene.
Since the ban ended in '04, there are some great, (and not so great), complete rifles currently available on both original foreign and American made receivers and barrels.
When I got into surplus rifles around '00, the only complete Kalashnikov rifles often found were neutered Romanian WASR 10 single stacks, the SAR 1, and Chinese MAK-90 rifles. I did see some Polytech rifles here and there, as well as a few milled Arsenals, but the prices were always too far out of reach.
What I missed out on, were all the excellent parts kits floating around. I saw them for sale in Shotgun News, but never had a clue that a few years down the road, those prices would go through the roof as kits dried up and barrel importation ceased. Just in time for some of the best American receivers to become available at affordable prices.
To be honest I've never seen a Russian kit up close, the Romanian Guard kits with barrels seem like a good way to go if you can still find them. I've got a Maadi kit , sans barrel, a milled Yugo, a 1960 Polish milled kit, a Firing Line receiver, and a few random barrels. These days I'd be more interested in building a few shooters for me, not so much period correct replicas with all the appropriate markings and accessories. Bending flats doesn't seem so fun when there are so many good receivers around ready to go in almost any configuration you could imagine. It would have made sense to bend your own a few years ago. What's the point of spending $100 on a receiver for a $75 kit? But when kits run up near $400-$500 complete, what's a few more bucks?
Let's keep this going! Also, post up any unique kits you guys have that may not be currently available or easy to find! Anyone have one of the East Germans yet?
