Spacehog 2,218 Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 I have acquired a VEPR 12 with the fixed tubular stock. It has to go. I have done repeated searches on what options are out there. First thought was to replace the rear trunnion with a standard RPK. However after closely examining the stock / rear trunnion interface, it would appear the the entire stock assembly is pinned into the rear trunnion. Drill out the pins and the whe stock assembly looks like it would come free: Can anyone confirm this is indeed what I am looking at? TIA 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spacehog 2,218 Posted October 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Took a leap and answered my own question. Those two pins do in fact hold the entire stock mechanism in the trunnion. Pics for posterity sake: 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
XdamagedX 248 Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 kinda resembles a milled receiver stock attachment point 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Do you have a standard RPK trunion? If that is an easy job, these shotguns suddenly got more appealing to me. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spacehog 2,218 Posted October 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 kinda resembles a milled receiver stock attachment point I thought the exact same thing. Do you have a standard RPK trunion? If that is an easy job, these shotguns suddenly got more appealing to me. Unfortunately I do not. At least one that is not in an RPK. I am looking at whether or not it is viable, but I can mod a standard AK stock to fit the existing trunnion, and even a Tromix weld on back plate would be an easy option at this point with the stock coming out cleanly. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Check your messages. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spacehog 2,218 Posted October 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 (edited) For the record, the rivet spacing is wrong if using a standard AK rear trunnion and shaving it down to fit inside the thicker VEPR receiver. The RPK rivet spacing is closer together and appears to match up with the top two rivets in the VEPR. (Obviously the third lower rivet hole would have to be welded up.) Which brings up another question, the current three hole rear trunnion design is alot beefier than the trunnions on the early imports which came with black wooden buttstocks. Was this design change because they went to folders, or was there some design issue which cause them to go to a beefier trunnion for added strength or durability? One last thing I will comment on concerning the stock. I suspect that the BATFE was not going to allow anymore of these into the country unless they were converted over to fixed stocks. After carefully inspecting how the stock was put together, it was evident that Molot went through painstaking effort to use as many blind pins as possible and staking every other pin which could have been removed on both sides. Somebody did not want these easily modified. Just MHO. Edited October 20, 2015 by Spacehog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dad2142Dad 6,559 Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Nice pickup Hog! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
seanjon46 1 Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Thanks for posting pictures of the fixed type. I have wanted to know more about these Trunnion for awhile. Was hoping it was the folding type (just missing hardware) looks like that's not the case. Have you decided what stock you will put on it? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spacehog 2,218 Posted October 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 (edited) Thanks for posting pictures of the fixed type. I have wanted to know more about these Trunnion for awhile. Was hoping it was the folding type (just missing hardware) looks like that's not the case. Have you decided what stock you will put on it? Right now, I just modded the tongue of a Tapco warsaw length AK buttstock and have installed it as a place holder. I like the cheek weld better than the factory, and it is actually lighter. It will not stay that way however. I am going to take some time and research what I really want. Not sure whether it will be a standard AK type buttstock or something in the ACE format. Ether way I want it to be adjustable for LOP and have an integrated cheek riser. Edited October 20, 2015 by Spacehog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 I actually think the RPK stock is a good choice for a shotgun. It has a big footprint. Length of pull might be a bit on the long side. That or a skeletonized stock tabuk style always look good to me. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
saltydecimator 482 Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 I still don't understand why they reinvented the wheel vs just shipping with crappy wood Stock and normal trunnion. Is it like an underfolder trunnion? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
XD45 7,124 Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 Looks like an opportunity for somebody to do a folding mechanism... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spacehog 2,218 Posted October 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 I do not think it is an underfolder trunnion Salty. It is unusual. The legs for the third rivet (lowest rivet) are offset on each side. The leg on the right is flush with the back of the receiver, while the left leg is actually recessed into the receiver about 1/4". Actually I think DS is correct. The trunnion looks like it it designed to have a folder mech on the left side. Going a different route with this one. Here it is with the temporary AK stock attached: FTR, I do not understand why they are not importing them in this configuration either. But I am still waiting for square back VEPRs to come back into the country for less than $500. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 I would suspect that the civilian guns get parts left over from military contracts. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 What military contracts are happening for Vepr 12? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
silentstryder 0 Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 Took a leap and answered my own question. Those two pins do in fact hold the entire stock mechanism in the trunnion. Pics for posterity sake: image.jpg image.jpg image.jpg image.jpg How far down did you have to drill out those pins? Just 1/2 inch, or all the way to the bottom? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
saltydecimator 482 Posted November 22, 2015 Report Share Posted November 22, 2015 Geeeeeez Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mancat 2,368 Posted November 22, 2015 Report Share Posted November 22, 2015 I still don't understand why they reinvented the wheel vs just shipping with crappy wood Stock and normal trunnion. Is it like an underfolder trunnion? Compliance with various Euro civilian sales issues - e.g. Italy won't allow folding stocks unless an internal mechanism blocks the trigger while folded, and Italy and Spain are probably the largest shotgun markets in Europe, Italy especially is huge on shotguns.., Also some US importers probably complaining they couldn't sell in certain states due to the factory folding stock. The trunnion and receiver are RPK-74M, a competent AK smith should be able to install an RPK-74M folding trunnion and stock. An AK-74M type trunnion would probably be a cheaper option, but it will need to have some machining work done to make it slightly narrower for the RPK receiver, and enlarge the machined slots for the 1.5mm receiver rails. Unfortunately due to the angle of the receiver back, and the rivet pattern, installing a standard AK trunnion would require some welding of rivet holes and addition of material to the receiver back to correct the slight angle. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spacehog 2,218 Posted November 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 A RPK fixed stock trunnion fits perfectly with the current VEPR 12s. Obviously the third rivet hole needs to be welded up. To Salty's point, Molot needs to do away with this POS trunnion design and go back to the original US import design if they can't get folders into the US. As mentioned earlier, I believe this is done by design. A standard RPK fixed stock trunnion does away with the various folding regulations amongst countries, and offers the most after market options for configuring this shotgun the way most would like it. The rear trunnion design is the only criticism I would give it versus a Saiga. The pins need to be drilled all the way through the stock assembly above. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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