AK pistol from AMD possible?

[RPK]

I know of the restrictions on building a semi-auto pistol with detachable magazine, but could some of you 'smiths clarify a little of this for me?

I was wondering if it would be possible to make an AK pistol from an AMD parts kit. I have wanted a Krink pistol for some time, but as the kits are $400+, then adding the gunsmith fees, it's out of my range. I know it cannot have a forward grip, weigh over 50oz. unloaded, & has to be built on a virgin receiver. Would it be possible to make one that falls under all these restrictions?

I was thinking something along the lines of this:

[Antares]

AKs are just too heavy and cannot be lightened enough to make a pistol under the current AWB. Wait until it sunsets and what you propose would be perfectly legal.

[NagantNut]

Does any body know how much an AMD-65 weighs? I don't think it weighs much more than six or seven pounds. Maybe if you got rid of the muzzle break or made one from aluminum it might save a few ounces. But I think Antares might be right, an AK weighing less than 50 ounces!? Thats just over three pounds... I think the barrel must weigh that much.

[Antares]

The problem with AKs is theres no real good place to trim weight. We could get into a discussion about aluminum receivers but I doubt we wanna go there :)

Best way to cut down on some weight would be to:
get a krink gas piston
move the gas block back
cut down the gas tube
Remove handguard, and handguard attachment ring (you cant have it anyway)
and cut down the barrel.

If more weight is needed,
Remove front sight
Put 1913 rail on rear sight
Pop on your favorite red dot (accessories dont count toward weight calculation) ;)
Lightening cuts in the carrier
Lightening cuts on rear trunion

And after all that work, you may or may not have something that comes out less than 50oz :small_gri

You have 10 months till the silly thing expires anyway, so just wait it out and see what happens. :sidegrin_

[NagantNut]

I agree, the heaviest parts of the weapon are the most critical. Basically the entire front end-- ie the bolt carrier, barrel, gas block, rear sight assy, front sight and front trunion. You could save some weight by using a krink barrel and a front sight/gas block instead of two seperate pieces. Also, the rear sight block could be trimmed down a bit and a krink top cover w/sight put on instead. But by that time you've already put $300+ dollars into it and you could have bought the krink in the first place... :confused:

Why not just weld up/plug the gas port and make it a single shot repeater? You could keep the folding stock and put an evil muzzle device on the barrel to make it 16". Or you could make it a repeating pistol with the 12" barrel and no stock. :D

[coltshorty14]

AHHH but for only $5.00 to the feds you can make it a AOW. And then you can have your forward pistol grip, and a flash hider if you so desire because the brake will not have to be permanetly attached.....Just a thought.....

I belive, I am not sure, that it would also be possible to have the stock in a permenatly folded positon.....

[Packrat]

I believe, if you permanently attached a Chinese drum (or
attached in such a way that it requires tools to remove)
you could build a legal pistol.

You can also make a rifle without a stock if the 16" bbl/
26" overall provisions are met. Would that be sufficient?

[RPK]

AHHH but for only $5.00 to the feds you can make it a AOW. And then you can have your forward pistol grip, and a flash hider if you so desire because the brake will not have to be permanetly attached.....Just a thought.....

I belive, I am not sure, that it would also be possible to have the stock in a permenatly folded positon.....

I was under the impression that to manufacture a new AOW the tax was $200, but if you bought an existing AOW the transfer tax was $5.

Am I wrong?

[justashooter]

I was under the impression that to manufacture a new AOW the tax was $200, but if you bought an existing AOW the transfer tax was $5.

Am I wrong?


you are right. a form 1 and $200 is where it all starts.

[sniper69]

from http://www.aks-74u.com/ under the US options button:

An AOW cannot have nor ever have or have had a stock attached so it must be built from a
virgin receiver. If you decide to build it yourself you will need to file a form 1 with the ATF
(you will need to file 2 form 1's with photos and signed by the CLEO with 2 fingerprint cards
and $200. If you decide to hire a C2 manufacture the gun, you will need to file a form 4 instead
of a form 1 (same requirements as above, except you will need to pay $5 for tax to ATF rather
than $200). An AOW also will need a foregrip that is "at an angle to the barrel" in order to
be classified as an AOW.

Don't know for sure, but sounds like if you had a smith build your AOW it would only be a $5 transfer, or am I misunderstanding this?

[justashooter]

the original manufacturer must file the form 1 and pay 200$, whether it is you or your gunsmith that "manufactures" the AOW. any subsequent owners pay the 5$ transfer tax.

for the savings in size, an AOW with a 12.5" bbl and two grips is interesting, but the amd's i'm working on will be built with 1 3/8" added to the front of the original brake, and the stock fixed/folded till the ban lifts. this meets the 16/26" rule and is only 4" longer than an unbraked "amd pistol".

think about it.

[sniper69]

justashooter,
Do you mean like the one silver dollar did and posted about at another site. The pic he posted was http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid75/pb5d1bfa024d970aa85c5f8e3103291e6/fb4be660.jpg and to quote silver dollar from the other site "It is a BentMetal blank, locked closed. By using Troy's extension and RPB's longer brake, it now measures 26-3/8" in the closed position to keep the Feds happy."
I bet it would be fun to shoot with the stock closed like that, only AMD-65 I have shot was with the stock left permanently open.

**I didn't know if I should put the link to the other site (gunsnet) to where the pic was originally posted, so I hope I didn't offend anyone or step on any toes posting the pic and the quote here.**

[coltshorty14]

from http://www.aks-74u.com/ under the US options button:

An AOW cannot have nor ever have or have had a stock attached so it must be built from a
virgin receiver. If you decide to build it yourself you will need to file a form 1 with the ATF
(you will need to file 2 form 1's with photos and signed by the CLEO with 2 fingerprint cards
and $200. If you decide to hire a C2 manufacture the gun, you will need to file a form 4 instead
of a form 1 (same requirements as above, except you will need to pay $5 for tax to ATF rather
than $200). An AOW also will need a foregrip that is "at an angle to the barrel" in order to
be classified as an AOW.

Don't know for sure, but sounds like if you had a smith build your AOW it would only be a $5 transfer, or am I misunderstanding this?
A Class 2 smith would not have to pay the $200 bucks cause they already pay 2000 a year in taxes...

[RPK]

the original manufacturer must file the form 1 and pay 200$, whether it is you or your gunsmith that "manufactures" the AOW. any subsequent owners pay the 5$ transfer tax.

for the savings in size, an AOW with a 12.5" bbl and two grips is interesting, but the amd's i'm working on will be built with 1 3/8" added to the front of the original brake, and the stock fixed/folded till the ban lifts. this meets the 16/26" rule and is only 4" longer than an unbraked "amd pistol".

think about it.



What are you doing about the parts count since the gas piston is shorter than the standard AK?
Does the US brake count as a part in this instance?

Since there's only about a 4" difference, I may go this route.
(if I can afford to :( )

[sniper69]

FAC sells a US copy of the AMD piston. It is part number AMD65PSTN for $17.95. It is on page 41 of their catalog I just got (dec 2003). From what I understand the US brake would count towards the parts count, but hopefully someone that knows for sure can chime in on this.

[etp777]

Brake doesn't really count, as it adds a part, doesn't replace one(well, adds part to normal count). Stamped receiver needs 5 US parts with no brake, and 6 if you have a brake. So while the brake counts as a US part, using a brake at all addes requirement of one part, so it basically just cancels out.

[justashooter]

common US parts can be:

receiver, piston, HTS (3), pistol grip - six the easy way for about $60 plus receiver

forearm, buttstock, barrel - none practical with an amd65

follower, floor plate - cheap, but limits you to one magazine while the feds are watching

i will be welding some (1 3/8") 3/4 sch 160 pipe to the front of the original brake (same OD). may use follower and floor plate to save the original grips and avoid the gas piston change.

[Packrat]

AMD-65 has a brake so replacing it would reduce the count by 1. I think the original count would be 16, so you would have to replace 6 parts. If the forward grip is a standard grip turned around, then replacing it and the PG would be 2 parts. If it's not FA, then you could use a US FCG, that would be 3 parts. Replace the piston, that makes 6 parts.

Or get the 10 followers and floorplates someone was selling reasonably, and get the 20 rnd mags that TAPCO has, replace the followers and floorplates, and never use any other mags in it. That gets you 2 more parts.