Looking good Ancorp. You're right, the aging you did to those MAG midcaps makes them look light years better. What treatment did you give them so far? I may have to try it as well, lol

Aha! Now I hear from you, Simon. :S

I simply stained them. Minwax Red Oak 215 if I remember correct (from Canadian Tire). Took days to dry but it did. Then - steel wool to get rid of the excess shine in some places, and some dust that fell on it during the days of drying.

Do it. Now.

Hey im back and see you are still creating ridiculously beautiful AKs hope my parts helped :D.

FYI my wood kit and front end is now available for sale on here.

Eh thought I'd give an early "pre" update on the AKM.

Big major upgrade on it, it is now a proper AKM.

Entire front end replaced. Mostly of real parts, build on an ICS outer barrel, and DTP rear sight block. Also installed an ICS 1000m rear sight.

Polish AKMS upper and lower handguard (plywood, like soviet AKMs)
Polish AKM gas tube
Hungarian AKM gas chamber
East German AKM front sight block and post
East German gas tube retainer lever
Romanian lower handguard retainer
Romanian AKM slant brake

The beauty of this front end is - realistic takedown (no pic of the lower stripped because the lower retainer lever is sticking, and I can't get it off the right way just yet) and everything is pinned on like a real AK, no little screws underneath like a TM. The handguards are pretty much stripped of their finish, so I will probably redo them in some nice red stain to look like Russian ones.

Since it came with a slant brake and metal front end, the ones off my AKM will go to my Krink, so they will both be full metal and with slanty brakes.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/DSC02620.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...DSC02621-1.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/DSC02622.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/DSC02624.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/DSC02623.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...DSC02626-1.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/DSC02625.jpg

Don't have a matching stock, thus I picked up a whole Romanian AIM (their AKM variant, same thing, except donkey-dick lower handguard) wood set (also off a real AK of course). With this new front end, all you have to do is dremel the inside of the lower a little, as well as the part that sticks out towards the rear. The front needs no modifications, and the upper installs like a real AK, no modifications. Stock will need heavy modding though, the TM rear is not exactly real steel stock friendly, especially not for stamped AK stocks. That has yet to be done. The stock would look great for an AKM or an AIM, but I think I'll keep the finish original military on the AIM, and get a second Romanian AKM stock, and refinish it to match the Polish AKMS foregrips.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/DSC02619.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/DSC02628.jpg

With a little dremelling (sorry, flash pic in the dark):

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1..._4AKs/romy.jpg

Thus I'll be able to swap from AKM to AIM very quickly whenever I please.

This is probably my last project for a long while. Need money, and not as much time to work on these anymore.

Thanks to all those following this thread.
Cheers,
Alex

awsome work buddy.

you AKM is deffinatly coming along well, oh and ur 103 is ok i guess :p

I have been "dremelling", drilling for 1 hour ,plus some hours work to get the buttstock finished

http://super.felix.photos2.free.fr/c...1/DSCN2625.jpg

http://super.felix.photos2.free.fr/c...1/DSCN2634.jpg

sorry man i only read your first post and latest update but i must say that whatever flaws you have had (idk if this was intentional) made it look damn good. it looks like its battle worthy...good job man! looking forward to your "HUGE update coming in a couple weeks" hahaha