M72 parts kit build

[Zer0DazE]

So I ordered one from Numrich while they had them on sale.  The box arrived today, and seeing the condition makes me wish I would have ordered a second.  The parts are in like new condition, showing little to no wear.  I would say that even at the currently advertised price they are decent deal considering what other kits are selling for.  I will post pics this weekend after I start cleaning them up.

This is going to be a slow moving thread that follows my build.  This will be my first build, so I will need to make tools, and I will post making them as well.  I have a 12 ton press, and bolt cutters.  I will need to decide if I will use the bolt cutters on the short rivets, or use the press with a modified bolt.  I have all winter and spring to build it, so I will play around with bolt methods and see which works best for me.

The plan is to order a nitrided barrel and a receiver from Childers.  I will get them ordered up later in the month.  Over the next month or so I will make plates and bars, and practice my riveting.

[Mikeym_us]

So I ordered one from Numrich while they had them on sale.  The box arrived today, and seeing the condition makes me wish I would have ordered a second.  The parts are in like new condition, showing little to no wear.  I would say that even at the currently advertised price they are decent deal considering what other kits are selling for.  I will post pics this weekend after I start cleaning them up.

This is going to be a slow moving thread that follows my build.  This will be my first build, so I will need to make tools, and I will post making them as well.  I have a 12 ton press, and bolt cutters.  I will need to decide if I will use the bolt cutters on the short rivets, or use the press with a modified bolt.  I have all winter and spring to build it, so I will play around with bolt methods and see which works best for me.

The plan is to order a nitrided barrel and a receiver from Childers.  I will get them ordered up later in the month.  Over the next month or so I will make plates and bars, and practice my riveting.

I would suggest his 80% blanks I got one for my M70 and he has the option for optional wording on the bottom so my blank is serialized to my kit and has all the important info on it.

And the nice thing is the M70 and M72 use the same receiver And if you pick up a M70AB1 kit you could use the folding stock from that kit on the M72.

[AKBLUE]

Childers makes nice receivers. The bolt cutters work very well on the short rivets.
Should be a good build journey and a satisfying project when completed.

[Zer0DazE]

Cleaned up the parts kit this morning with some mineral sprites so that I didn't end up with cosmoline all over me any time I came with in a few feet of the parts.  It looks like the rifle was built, packed in grease, and just stored until it was cut up and shipped state side.  The chunks of barrel show no fouling in them, and the bolt face has no marks on it.  It would have been nice if the original barrel didn't need to be cut up.

The only issues I found was a dig in the lower handguard, and the rear sight is bent to the left a little.  The first is no biggie, and the second should be a simple fix.




All numbered parts are matching.

Digging around my shop I found some 1/4" thick 1-1/2" steel bar, and some 3/16" angle.  That should get me started with rivet support plates.  I still need to hit my friend's shop to see what he has laying around.  Tractor Supply has 100 rivets for $7, so I picked up a pack of them to practice with.  I'm thinking I will rivet all the spoons and forks together and make sporks

[AKBLUE]

Looks good. The majority were in very good to excellent condition. A good bargain purchase.
Several instances where the rear sight ladder got bonked. 
I have one to build as well.

[Zer0DazE]

I have been slacking and working on other projects, but this week my receiver came in and I got off my butt and demilled the parts kit.



The receiver looks nice, but doesn't appear to be in the white.  Next weekend I will clean it up and rust blue it.

The demill was a pain, but I took my time (about 8 hours over 2 days).  If it wasn't for my 12 ton press and drill press I would have ruined parts.  Removing the FSB with the bi-pod was a real challenge.  Every pin in the kit needed my press to remove, and I only had 1 mishap.  The mishap can be seen on the rear gas block hole.  There is a small ding in it from when the tip of a starter punch broke.  It will be easily touched up with the Brownell's T4.  I will also need to touch up the barrel channel in the front trunnion as there is a tiny bit of galling at the top front near the barrel pin.  I kissed it with a file after it popped and before pressing it the rest of the way out, but I guess somethings can't be helped... and somethings I just don't know how to do.

In the end slow and steady left me with a nice looking parts kit.



The rest of my parts should come in from AKBuilder soon.

[AKBLUE]

Is the M72 done yet?

[Zer0DazE]

It's out for bluing.

[AKBLUE]

Cool., I just ordered one more of the M72's from Numrich last week.  They are all matching and nice.  With the coupon it was $216 delivered so I bought another.
Post pics when you get it back.

[Zer0DazE]

Cool., I just ordered one more of the M72's from Numrich last week.  They are all matching and nice.  With the coupon it was $216 delivered so I bought another.
Post pics when you get it back.

You are making me think I should order another.  I haven't gotten a coupon code from Numrich in a while, but if I did I would probably order another one of these.

Currently Ken Kubin has mine, and it should be back from bluing soon.  I would expect with the holiday I won't have it until sometime in January.

[AKBLUE]

I used one of the Numrich kits to build a milled "shorty" M72.  AWO sold the milled receivers for $70 about 3 years ago., the old ORF stock of receivers.  Great deal. AKBuilder short barrel.

[Angry]

Do you find the M72 shorty to be nose heavy?

[AKBLUE]

Do you find the M72 shorty to be nose heavy?

Not really. Though it is heavy overall based on the components.
Compared to a standard 20" barrel Zastava RPK with a bipod etc., the shorty is well balanced.

[Zer0DazE]

The M72 showed up at my door from Ken Kubin yesterday.  Here it is after a quick wipedown.





There is a possible issue, and I sent Ken an email about it.  There is what appears to be excessive lateral, or side to side, play in the carrier when the bolt is in battery.  There is far more play than in any of my current AK's, and any that I remember passing through my racks.  The distance between the upper rails at the point the carrier rests while the bolt is in battery is 1.03", or 26.16mm.  The carrier measures .975", and that leaves .055"  or 1.4mm.

I'm assuming the rifle was test fired after assembly since there was some fouling in the barrel, and it must have preformed without issue.  The forecast locally is garbage for the foreseeable future, so I probably won't get a chance to get behind the trigger anytime soon.

[Zer0DazE]

While my brisket was smoking I took the rifle out back to run a box of rounds though it.  No issues, but there were 3 or 4 of the 20 that more or less dribbled out of the ejection port, while the rest were sent 10-15' away (as you would expect).

Here is a video of the carrier movement.  You can see as it gets closer to being in battery it gets looser, and at about the point where the ejector should strike the case it is pretty tight.  The sweet red solo cup in the video is my super sweet phone camera holder.  It's way better than any tripod on the market. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLbb0epxop8

Edit:
And a couple of better pics



Yes, I know that wine rack is empty and that I need to go to the store.