Recrowning an AK? Is it worth it?

[SteelCore]

Hey, AK-sters:

I was cleaning the AK and took off the slant brake and noted a lotta uneven carbon depositing on the muzzle, and the crown really doesn't look a that great. I mean it seems to shoot OK, not as accurate as a polis or yugo AK, and I wondered if crowning it might bring the accuracy up.

I've fired it wothouth the slant brake, and that doesn't seem to bring tha accuracy up any either.

I just wanna do what I can to optimize my WASR-10 Hi-cap.

[k98k792]

Not a good idea to recrown a chrome lined bore.

[okie shooter]

You can do it, but why, its still an WASR, ak when you are done.

How much accuracy do you expect for the third worlds gangsta gun, made to hit large human sized targets by untrained marksman. If you want to start cutting holes in paper, a ar, would be much more of a rifle to start and work on, or even get your hands on a saiga, with a 20" barrel and tighten up the action, triggers and such on that. I imagine you could tighten up your groups by better ammo, and working on the trigger much more than crowning the barrel.

I guess this comes from a guy who picked up his third ak in 223(awaiting the coming shortage and price hikes of other rounds, atleast this ak round is made here in the US in huge numbers), not from some one who only has one ak rifle. I guess I am saying there are more accurate and better built ak variants to start working on for accuracy, I might pick my ak hunter with the 20" barrel and milled receiver to try to make a tack driver though. Just my two cents though.

[SteelCore]

thanks. I guess that would cause the chrome to have a place to peel?

I'll just get out the brake cleaner and clean under the ... brake!

[k98k792]

You got it Steely,chrome can start peeling.Seen it happen.

Oddly enough out of all the Aks I own,the WASR is one of the more accurate.Romanian quality control is pretty spotty. Luck of the draw

[SteelCore]

I guess after tuning my CETME "kit gun" up, I was looking for the challenge. Where's the fun in starting with a good AK and making it better? (Mine shoots good at 50 yds, and I know I'll never get the accuracy up as hi as say, my SKSs...

That is why I bought the last of Planning's SKS-Ms...I do like the SKS platform for its reiability and accuracy over the AK, now I gots one that takes AK mags!

Can't wait to put the 75rd drum on dat!

Anyhow, I'll be going the 'CQB gun' route with the WASR anyhow, adding the side folder.

I just got to thinkin, and you know...it got my into trouble again..:rockon::nonono:

[nalioth]

That is why I bought the last of Planning's SKS-Ms...I do like the SKS platform for its reiability and accuracy over the AK, now I gots one that takes AK mags!

Can't wait to put the 75rd drum on dat!

I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. The neck of the drum is too short to allow the drum to lock in place :(



....than again, you could always dremel your SKS to make it work. http://www.novarata.net/forum/images/smiles/devil.gif

[okie shooter]

Steelcore, you cannot use the ak drums or as I have been told they will not fit the stocks of the sks d/m, the rise of the drum extension is too short to allow it to lock in, I have never tried one personally though. The sks d/m has a deep inlet for the magazines. From what I have read you have to take the steel reinforcement plate out of the mag well on the sks d/m then open up the well so the mag will fit in. Again never tried it my self, not owning any drums but plenty of aks, two sks d/m and a pile of regular mags. Any one else have one and get a drum to fit.

[walt-oxie1]

You can recrown a chrome lined bore. The ones where people say they have seen the lining come off are most likely Polish AK rifles, they have a bad reputation for it. AK pistols are made everyday with chrome lined barrels and are recrowned with no ill effects. If the chrome is peeling off of barrels then it is not bonded anymore or the barrel has been shot out. Afterall the barrel is crowned and chamber reamed AFTER the factory chrome lining. If the finish machine work was done first and then it was chrome lined it would add material to the inside of the barrel. If this is the case, how would you be able to chamber a round? You wouldn't !!

If you can clean the fouling off under your brake and the barrel looks good then you will be fine. If it looks dinged or deformed I would recrown it since it will hinder accuracy.

[k98k792]

I know a AK gunsmith that will not chamber ream chrome lined Ak barrels anymore because he has had too many of them flake.This is a guy who has done Hundreds of AKs
If there is a major problem with the crown then what do you have to lose?
However if it is as I suspect that there is nothing wrong with the crown,and he just hopes to improve accuracy by doing it,why risk it. By the way,it was a Romy that I saw flake after crowning.
Are you going to guarantee his WASR barrel won't do it?

[walt-oxie1]

I know a AK gunsmith that will not chamber ream chrome lined Ak barrels anymore because he has had too many of them flake.This is a guy who has done Hundreds of AKs
If there is a major problem with the crown then what do you have to lose?
However if it is as I suspect that there is nothing wrong with the crown,and he just hopes to improve accuracy by doing it,why risk it. By the way,it was a Romy that I saw flake after crowning.
Are you going to guarantee his WASR barrel won't do it?


I am not going to guarantee it won't or it will, even if it is left alone. I do agree with you though, if it can be cleaned up and the crown is not damaged it should be left alone.

[SteelCore]

Good to know, that's OK...woulda been cool, but I'm not gonna mod a perfectly good rifle for a shot at a drum mag...not worth it.

Just having 30 rnds in an SKS will be enuf to float my boat!

Thx walt and K98, et. al., for the info on recrowning.

[okie shooter]

Steelcore, From what I have read, they say that the aftermarket folders might allow you to use the drums in a sks d/m. Not sure, but either the chote, or advanced technologies might work, if you have a friend with one, you might see if you can do it, other wise, get your hands on a extra sks d/m stock and you might be able to open it up kinda like a thompson mag well opens up on the sides, removeing some of the steel reinforcement and wood if you really want the drum to fit. If you look out there there were fixed drums for sks's and they have a longer tower on top of the drum to fit the rifles.

The one on the left was the drum made for sks, the right an ak, sorry the angles arnt right, but you can see the tower is higher on the sks one.

[SteelCore]

But I'll pass. I don't wanna run afoul of any 922r issues by changing stocks...not sure how that works...

Interesting on that SKS drum, but no way that it would hold iteselm in to the SKS-M...without mods.

[vair65]

Steelcore, take the slant brake off and soak the crown in a plastic can top of Sea Foam Deep Creep for a couple of day's. I had the same problem on one of mine and after the soak, the carbon and crap popped off and I took a brass wire wheel too clean it up and the crown looked fine. A little discolored but so what.