AK head spacing

[JKale2923]

Years ago I acquired an AK and shot it a few times and at that time I thought it was important to have plenty of spare parts. I purchased some extra pieces including a bolt that I know was from a different country than my AK. Shortly after that I was in the forum and someone was talking about the dangers have head spacing and that bolts were not interchangeable especially if they come from different countries of origin. I put my pieces away and kind of lost interest in AKs and shooting for a while but I recently went shooting and starting thinking about what I read years ago. I see where you can order head space gauges and have seen videos on how to use them, but what if you do find a problem? Is say the Polish bolt you are trying to put in your Chinese rifle just a throw away or is there something you can do to fix a head space issue? 

[LESchwartz]

Some thoughts:

First off, get CIP spec headspace gauges and not the SAMMI spec ones.  There are a bunch of very minor differences, but the bottom line is that SAMMI spec ones are less forgiving.

Next, you would check the space with the replacement bolt using the "go" and "field" gauges.  (If you have to make an adjustment, you would use the "go" and "nogo" gauges.)

If you have to adjust the headspace, you remove the barrel pin, move the barrel in or out, then re-drill the trunnion and install a larger sized pin.  (The size of the new pin is determined by how far you moved the barrel.)  If your looking to just "hot swap" the bolts, then YMMV and you may or may not be able to forego drilling.

And finally, Chinese versus European bolts may of may not work.  It's always best to get a bolt from the same country of origin as your rifle.

Larry

[JKale2923]

Good info! In other words if the bolt you are keeping as a "spare" has bad head space, look for another spare or find another rifle. It sounds like head space adjustments are a major project

[Hodgie]

Good info! In other words if the bolt you are keeping as a "spare" has bad head space, look for another spare or find another rifle. It sounds like head space adjustments are a major project

Yes it’s not like an AR where you can have a back up bolt and carrier and 95% + of the time it’s going to drop in and you are ready to rock and roll. You adjust headspace for the new euro bolt and your factory bolt is now out of headspace with the AK.

I love AK’s but you have to live the plug and play modularity of the AR platform.

[LESchwartz]

I think the first 30 seconds of this video says it all:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrTk0zRUdpY&t=157s . . .

 

Larry

[Onepoint]

Yeah it's not an easy process, even worse trying to fix it rather than set it.  I got lucky with the kit builds I did all headspaced fine using the original trunnion because the barrels were intact when you bought them back then.   I did have to head space one build with a new barrel, what PITA that was.

Got me to thinking about how AKs were expensive back then, but kits were dirt cheap, ARs were relatively cheap but the 'preban' parts kits were expensive.

Now ARs are dirt cheap, AKs relatively expensive and the AK kits are even more in some cases and with far less useable parts. 

Gun people are weird.

[JimmyJamesKY]

I'm happy for the cheap ARs.  Now that I have a couple, I can appreciate how easy they are to use.  Easy to shoot, and shoot well.  I don't have any AKs, but I'd bet ARs are more accurate in general, and definitely easier to upgrade, switch optics etc.

Only problem is there are too many options and not enough money (in my account). 

Just so I'm not derailing the topic, I don't know jack about head spacing, but it sounds like a chore on the AK.

[JKale2923]

I was expecting an answer like grind down the bolt but I can tell it is more complicated than that

[JKale2923]

BTW since we are talking about AK spare parts, I noticed a while back that my "Spare" bolt carrier was really designed for a milled AK receiver. Someone told me not to worry about it so I packed it with the rest of my stuff and forgot about it, but is that true? It seems to fit in my Romania AK, although it is a bit tight, If I pull back on the charging handle and let it fly it does appear to go into battery but I have never tested with a live round. As long as the bolt I am using is head spaced properly am I safe with a milled bolt carrier in a stamped receiver?

[Danjal]

I was expecting an answer like grind down the bolt but I can tell it is more complicated than that

That wouldn't accomplish anything as the bolt spaces off the locking lugs, the trunion, and barrel (chamber). You can increase the headspace doing that on the lugs, but you're taking off hardened steel, weakening the lugs, and the issue with headspace is it opens up after time, not reduces.

Countries didn't change the bolts, just the receiver manufacturing process. It'll be fine if it headspaces correctly.