Need a Smith to re-barrel my AK-74

[jmecklen]

I'm looking for a gunsmith that can re-barrel my son's AK-74, preferably in the middle Tennessee area.

It's a Century Arms AK and has the corrosive ammo cancer.

I'd prefer to pay someone to do it, but if I can't find someone reasonable, I'm willing to buy the tools and do it myself.

Any leads?

 

[Smith]

Try Troy Sellars at In Range. Very busy guy for a reason http://www.inrangec2.com

[Caster]

You sure it's ruined?  Ive seen a lot of supposedly junk barrels over the years.....that weren't.  You'd be surprised what will clean up and firelap out smooth.  

[Schadenfreude]

If it's a Century chances are it was crap to begin with - helped a buddy re-barrel a new one that pretty much had zero rifling in it when he got it new.

[Dolomite_supafly]

If it's a Century chances are it was crap to begin with - helped a buddy re-barrel a new one that pretty much had zero rifling in it when he got it new.

Not so fast.

 

CAI is importing a lot of milspec guns that are some of the best on the market. Dare I say it but CAI is the top importer of top quality guns. In the past there have been issues but I have not heard of any widespread problems from CAI imported or built guns in the last 3 years. The only exception to that is the PAP. It had some issues with the bolt carrier being too soft but CAI did not produce those but they are making it right for any owner who complains. And it only applies to certain PAPs. Nothing wrong with the N-PAP DF as it is a current production, 100% foreign made, AK built by the Zastava corporation that would be the AK I would pick if I had to have an under folder.

 

And every single time I have contacted CAI they have been wanting to help. I called in with a simple question and one of the tech guys spent 45 minutes on the phone. I have never been placed on hold, they have always been extremely nice and helpful. I can say that there are plenty of other firearm manufacturers that are way, way worse as far as customer service and quality of their firearms.

 

WASRs, for example, are probably the best milspec AK on the market right now. The older WASRs had issues but the current production Romanian guns are 100% foreign made using 100% brand new parts. No more WASRs are being made using older parts from demilled guns. And so far the six or seven Romanian AKs I have bought in the last two years have been PERFECT. And if I had to grab just one gun today to trust my life to it would be a current production WASR regardless of price.

 

Cold hammer forged barrels, that are chrome lined, will last several lifetimes and everything else that makes up a current production WASR is as good as anything I have ever shot, used or owned. Not a single Romanian gun I have owned, or shot, has EVER had a malfunction. They are as accurate as any AK I have ever shot and it seems like the current production is a lot more accurate. Reports are coming in that they are shooting under 2 MOA using cheap ammunition which is better than most ARs, or other AKs, using milspec ammunition. But realistically as long as it can reliably shoot minute of bad guy inside of 200 yards it is acceptable for me.

 

And the guns they are currently manufacturing are a lot better than in the past and definitely better than anyone else in the same price range. No other manufacturer or importer can compare to CAI when price and quality are the major deciding factor. You won't find another manufacturer's gun that is as good as the WASR for the same price or even within a few hundred dollars of the WASR price.

 

I would like to know about another manufacturer selling a foreign made milspec AK with a forged barrel for under $600 shipped. The US is great at making ARs, it is "our" gun but we are decades behind even the most rudimentary foreign AK manufacturer. We see it over and over again, US manufacturers trying to duplicate the durability, reliability and accuracy of a foreign made AK only to fail unless it costs 2x more than the gun they are competing with. So why spend 2x as much to get a gun that is probably not as good as the gun that costs 1/2 as much.

 

Most of the "custom" AK builders out there are not builders. They are assemblers at best because all that most of them do is swap out parts, much like assembling an AR, then charge thousands more for the parts and labor that anyone can install themselves. They claim that when they "smooth" the action it is an added bonus but in reality anyone can do it in 20 minutes using 600 grit sandpaper to smooth the rails, bolt and carrier so the gun feels smoother. And the go to starting platform for all these "custom" builders has been the Saiga because it was so cheap to begin with. So, as you can imagine, these "custom" builders are now using the WASRs instead of the Saigas because of the ban. They take a $500 WASR, apply a few hours worth of labor installing parts and sanding the internal surfaces then charge the end user $2,500+ dollars for a gun the manufacturer probably has less than $1,000 in. And the absolutely worse part of the who thing is anything these modification do can be done by anyone with half a brain.

[R1100R]

I have had nothing but issues with every CAI made gun that I have ever purchased. To include their sorry ass CS department. I will NEVER purchase something they produced ever again. I have owned five of their products. Maybe Dolomite had luck not I.
They suck!!! Edited August 16, 2015 by R1100R

[R1100R]

In that light you might get Brett at Never Enough Guns to help with your rebarrel. He has built me two custom AK's. Located in the Clarksville area. Edited August 16, 2015 by R1100R

[jmecklen]

It key holed from day one. At some point in time, my son shot a bunch of corrosive ammo thru it and didn't clean it. I've cleaned and cleaned and soaked the bore and it still looks like shredded wheat.

I have heard the rumor that Century built some AK-74's with 5.56 mm barrels. This may have been one, but it's too late now to go back to Century and complain. 

For what it's worth, this is my third Century Arms rifle. One is a Romainian WASR AK-47 and the other as a CZ VZ2008. I can't complain about either one. They have both been reliable with any ammo I've tried and they both have decent practical accuracy, especially the CZ.

 Both N Range stores are closer to me than Clarksville. I'll give Troy a call.

Thanks for everyone's input.