Folding mechanism question

[DLT 1,646]

Just how tough and sturdy are the mechanisms? Does anyone know how much abuse they can take before you shear them off the rifle?

[JoeAK 337]

Which mechanism?

 

I know from personal experience that a Tapco will break if you drop it on a couch at a weird angle.

 

You'd probably do serious damage to a rifle before you break an AK-100 folder.

[Spacehog 2,218]

Which mechanism?

 

I know from personal experience that a Tapco will break if you drop it on a couch at a weird angle.

 

You'd probably do serious damage to a rifle before you break an AK-100 folder.

or an Ace or Stormworkz hinge

[Sneak 81]

I've got the ACE hinge on my s12, sturdy, no complaints. I haven't dropped mine though, thankfully.

[D.C.MORRISON 494]

For a rifle. I suggest you look at the bonesteel folding mech. I use an ace on my S12. It is quite solid. However, I'm using  bonesteel on my AK74 and my AK47.  If the tang were still on the S12 I would install a bonesteel mech on it.

[DLT 1,646]

I love the AK-100 folding mech but lack a press and other required tools to install. I do remember reading that the rivets can be heated until red hot and then carefully hammered in place.

[Mullet Man 2,114]

I do remember reading that the rivets can be heated until red hot and then carefully hammered in place.

I wonder what that would accomplish, because the rivets are not an interference fit like rivets used to build a bridge or old building, where the cooling of the rivets seats the fit after its hammered in. AM rivets are crush fit.

[DLT 1,646]

 

I do remember reading that the rivets can be heated until red hot and then carefully hammered in place.

I wonder what that would accomplish, because the rivets are not an interference fit like rivets used to build a bridge or old building, where the cooling of the rivets seats the fit after its hammered in. AM rivets are crush fit.

 

I honestly don't know.  Do you have any suggestions on how else to install rivets without a press?  I've been thinking that maybe a vice could be used along with a few pieces of steel with dimples drilled into them for the long rear rivet, and some sort of nut and bolt assembly for the inside of the receiver for the other smaller rear rivets might do the trick.

Edited January 29, 2015 by DLT

[G O B 3,516]

I use a ball peen hammer, a home made buck and set. The buck is any heavy steel piece to buck the rivet on the side away from the set. The ball peen is used to start the rivet-light blows to round over the metal and start forming the head. The set is just a piece of bar stock or a large bolt with a cavity dremmeled in the end to form a nice rivet head, and used to make the rivet head nice and 'factory looking'. Always hammer against the buck, and the buck must be firmly supported either in a STURDY vice, or by the bulk weight of the buck itself if you have heavy steel chunks available.I made my bucks out of fish plates for 15# elevator rails.

[wasrNwarpaint 184]

Im very happy with the Kvar steel folding stock I have..I prefer warsaw length stocks and this was a little long for me so I drilled out the spot welds at the butt , removed the butt plate, chopped off an inch in length & welded the butt plate back in place.

 

Its not only a comfortable lenght of pull now but I can run a 12 rnd drum in the folded position

 

[KennyFSU 249]

I have a Bonesteel folder and it's good to go.