buying a kit w/o a barrel

[ryan]

Copes is going to have their 74 kits on sale for black friday. They have the Bulgarian barrel's for $124. How hard is it to build a kit having to put a new barrel in? I have never done that part before.

 

[SpeedRacer]

Best bringing it to a pro. You need the proper tools and knowledge to index the barrel and set the headspace. An incorrectly set headspacing can lead to a poorly functioning or downright dangerous rifle. PM #1bambam and he can probably explain it better.

 

[AK shooter]

This guy does good work, I don't know what he charges.

http://home.comcast.net/~restoreit1/

Here is some of his work.

http://www.theakforum.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=142034

 

[my-rifle]

To use a new barrel, you have to press on the rear sight base, drill and pin it, then press on the gas block, drill and pin it, then press on the front sight block, drill and pin it. Once you have all that done and the pieces are all lined up correctly with each other as well as the extractor cutout at the breech, you have to press the barrel into the trunnion at the front of the receiver. I generally use a shop press for this. With a new barrel, getting headspace right is going to be hit-or-miss. The barrel tends to move in jumps as it's pressed in, and it's easy to jump right past your ideal headspace and wind up in a place where the headspace is too small. Assuming you get the headspace right you have to drill a barrel pin hole, and pin the barrel into the trunnion.

 

[bs875]

If you have to ask you don't have enough knowledge to do it. Mistakes are too expensive. Contact #1bambam and have him do it.

Here's a link to the Copes kit.

http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_info.php?cPath=202&products_id=3090

They have Bulgy barrels for $105.