just finished my first rivet build(whoo hooo)

[dix2111]

I just finished my first rivet build. Thanks to everyone for the great advice. It was much easier than I had thought. I have some rather ugly rear trunnion rivets and a smiley face and a cone shaped rivet but overall it's so far my favorite ak.

the barrel went in very easy. I put the barrel in the freezer for a week(I was waiting on receivers) and heated the trunion with a harbor freight heat shrink gun for about 10 minutes. about 10 taps with a 5 pound hammer on a brass punch and it slid right in. You actually have to be careful you don't over shoot your pin hole. The barrel retaining pin also tapped right in.
One thing I found out is that while nodak recommends that you don't use a single hook trigger mech the receiver is only cut for a single hook so you have to dremel out a notch on the bottom of the receiver or just cut off one of the double hammer hooks.

To any one thinking about doing a rivet build but is too nervous, just listen to what everyone has to say on this forum. So far practically all the advice I've gotten from this forum has been correct.
You definitely want to get a rivet squishing tool from restoreit1. that thing works like a charm.

I did have some trouble making nice rivets on the rear trunion. It's ok on my first one because I will eventually make a pistol out of it but I've got 4 more to put together.
What do you think about threading the rear trunion holes and screwing a headless screw into the center and pounding a shorter rivet into each side after heating them up with mapp gas.
Thanks again to everyone for the good advice.

[jwc0506]

sounds good! the rear rivets take a little more skill, so no-worries that you didn't get them perfect the 1st time.

the trick you want to do-dix2111 is to use a dimpled backing plate off an anvil to"back-up" the rivet ur tapping down the rivet(non headed side) of rear longer rivet....i use a 24 oz ballpeen hammer(flat side) to "TAP" the rivet down to about the size of a rivet.....then all i do is peen over the edges(with round "peening side of hammer) into a rounded state. once it looks good to go you can hand file off the bumpiness, sand it smooth and ur done. just be sure ur using the "peening" or round side of the hammer as u tap the edges over. imagine smacking the top edge of a round objects top corner as ur doing the work...... ur tapping on the corners-dix2111-all around it in the case ur doin it by hand. also refrain from hitting or missing the reciever by all means! for a cleaner head look into a modified pin punch etc....

that is kind of a basic description, to do a more advanced rivet head you can make or purchase a; dimpled punch. so after you tapped the rivet down to about the rivet height on the surface of ur reciever you can then use the punch to finish her off. use MODERATLY frim taps rather then out of control hard and out of aim shots..... to light tio salso no good as you don't get abough force exerted into ur rivet forming work...... tap firm enough to get the job done. also lighten the taps up a notch when ur peening over the heads so u don't marr up ur reciever. having a sense of CONTROL is a major + to ak kit building.

[KernelKrink]

Originally Posted by dix2111

I did have some trouble making nice rivets on the rear trunion. It's ok on my first one because I will eventually make a pistol out of it but I've got 4 more to put together.
What do you think about threading the rear trunion holes and screwing a headless screw into the center and pounding a shorter rivet into each side after heating them up with mapp gas.
Thanks again to everyone for the good advice.

If you originally built it as a rifle, it can never be a pistol. If you shorten the bbl below 16", even if the stock is removed, you will have created a short bbl rifle, not a pistol. SBR's require prior approval, registration, and payment of a $200 tax.

The "headless screw and 2 shorter rivets" thing will not work well. The rivet will not be holding much of anything.

[jwc0506]

i don't know anything about the-pistol builds, but what-Kernelkrinks says makes sense. chances are good you'll probably purchase another romie kit like most of us did for ur -pistol build project..... have fun!

[sjohnson]

Demill the rifle, build onto a virgin receiver and you can then make it a pistol. That original receiver will remain forever a rifle receiver just as the good Kernel said.