imarangemaster 315 Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 Its done! Since I got a set of used early Russian plum colored wood AKM furniture (walnut, at that) back from my best friend, I decided to restore my factory configuration Saiga IZ132 featureless build, to a retro AKM build. It has the requisite kydex Solar Tactical paddle on the beautiful bakelite grip to make it "featureless so I can use my "Legally possessed by me in California prior to 1-1-2000" high capacity magazines. Here's what I started with: Then the restoration begins: Then I have this! BTW, the magazines with green tape are filled with Chinese steel core ammo, and the magazines with red tape are full of 124 grn HP 8M3 "fragtastic" Sapsan Ulyanovsk loads. The stock set also looks more "plum" in real life... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ramz 0 Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 Love it ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BigChongus 765 Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sim_Player 1,939 Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 Very nice! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bigtwin 219 Posted January 20, 2015 Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Are you sure it is done rangemaster? That rifle has changed furniture more in the last month or two than some members change their underwear! Looks nice man, I hope you like it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
imarangemaster 315 Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hahaha! It has been a slow metamorphosis. At first I was happy to get another Saiga and then the ban hit. The I decided to make it a nice California compliant featureless build with some practical touches. At first I was happy with my modified stock featureless Saiga. The other 5 Saigas I restored with pistol grips, but that was before I moved back to Kalifornistan. Then Two things happened:One, I was missing my Poly-Tech Type 56 I had registered with the original Roberti-Roos ban in 1990. (Thats why I have all the pre-2000 magazines) I sold it in 2000 or 2001 when I was forced out on a blown back disability from the SO.Second, I thought of getting an Iraq contractor WASR from Atlantic, because I love the retro AK look. I thought, though, I really don't need two AKs, so I started thinking of just restoring the Saiga.When my buddy gave me back the furniture from the last Saiga I restored that I sold him about 2011, all I really needed was a trigger and handguard retainer, since I already had the rest.Also, initially I was not a kydex paddle guy. I ran a hammerhead on my AR KISS SP1 carbine clone, so the stock Saiga was OK. About a month ago, though, I switched to a kydex paddle on the AR, as the hammerhead was just too UGLY! Now that I am used to the paddle on it, I was less resistant to the paddle on the AK. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
imarangemaster 315 Posted February 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 Picked this up to go with the AKM. A Commie rifle has to be paired with a Commie pistol! A pristine Czech 1954 CZ52 in 7.62x25 Tokarev or 7.63 Mauser. I was in the shop on Saturday picking up my 1957 made Ruger MK 1 22 pistol, and and saw it., I could not make up my mind. Well, I went in to the shop today, after drooling over it all weekend (he is closed Sunday and Monday). We talked a little, and I ended up getting it for $480 +$25 CA DROS! He dropped it because it only had 350 rounds of ammo left for it. Besides the ammo, it came with two mags, cleaning rod, and excellent Czech holster. Serial number is FK05802, and it has "rid" after the serial number, and "54" (year of manufacture, IIRC) on the other side by the crossed swords proof. Finish is 98%+ and the bore is excellent, with no pitting. The ammo is lacquer coated with sealed primers, and a headstamp of Cyrillic letters that almost look like "cym" or maybe "aym" and a stamp of "53" under it. It is packed in square boxes, 250 rounds apiece, though one has only 100 rounds. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bigtwin 219 Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Very cool! I wouldn't mind seeing a pic of that 1957 Ruger though! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
imarangemaster 315 Posted February 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Very cool! I wouldn't mind seeing a pic of that 1957 Ruger though! You got it. Later today. I paid $315 with two mags and a Hunter holster. Actually, I traded in 1,000 rounds of Lake City/Federal 5.56 XM193 for it straight across, including DROS fee. I had a couple thousand of the XM193, and have switched to MK 262 MOD1 77 grn OTMs and M855 as up front loads, nd just use the M193 for plinking. I also load plinking rounds, so I really didn't need the extra 1,000 5.56 I picked up two more mags, and a double mag pouch off Fleabay. It was having occasional feed issues and extraction issues, because the recoil spring was sluggish and the extractor spring was sagging, so I replaced them. It should run great. A Mark 1 like this was the first pistol I ever bought in 1973, when I turned 21. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bigtwin 219 Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 Sounds like a hell of a deal! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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