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These hacks that are posted are for entertainment purposes only).
Show everyone the simple shortcuts or Hacks that worked out here!
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Good idea
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(This is for entertainment only. Do not do this.)
You ever found a deal that was to good to be true? I know I did I was able to find a used Polish tantal AK74 for under $500.00.
I was really happy with it I got to the range and (Iâm not kidding around here) the rifle shot a 2 Foot group! I wish I was joking with you. No keyholes just a huge group at only 100 yards.
I did some research on this problem and found out in some case the importer used the incorrect barrels on this model causing bad accuracy and keyholing. After even more research I found out that if the barrel was black it was the wrong one. As you can see this one has a gray parkerization that matches the rest of the parts, so this was the proper barrel for this gun.
When I removed the muzzle brake I had found the issue! The crown was corroded. This will definitely hurt your accuracy because this is the last thing the projectile touches before leaving the barrel. An uneven or not perpendicular crown will hurt your accuracy big time.
I knew I would have to re cut the crown so first I measured the barrel length.
Get a cleaning rod or something that wonât hurt the bore. Close the action the make a mark on the rod. Remove it and measure it.
You can see here that I have more than 16.5â here. ( do not cut below 16â on your rifle, if you do you will need to drill, pin, and weld to have at least 16â of barrel)
To remove the barrel on a AK is no quick and easy thing like on a AR-15.
Every thing from the front sight post, gas block, barrel, trunnion, and rear sight are all set with pins. Taking them all out to recrown will also mean head spacing, drilling out and using an oversized pin.
As much as I wanted to do all this stuff itâs still my little budget rifle and I just donât have the time for this at the moment.
I grabbed a counter bore cutting tool and removed the center post.
I got on the lathe with a piece of simple 1018 mild steel and made a cutter guide for the bore of the barrel.
You can see here that you are trying to put a slight taper on the barrel end so the guide is held in snug and will not rotate.
1018 is mild and not as strong as 4140-4150 barrel steels so if there is a mistake hopefully there will be no damage to the rifling.
Once you have made a guide make sure you use oil only on the cutting tool guide side.
Install the guide into the barrel.
You can cut by hand or drill. Donât force the cutting tool, and take a little at a time. Also use cutting oil.
When you are done cutting re measure the barrel and make sure you have more than 16â total.
Use a little gun bluing to protect your new crown!
I took the rifle back to the range and shot a paper plate at 100 yards here are the results!
Remember donât ever do this! Be safe and have fun!
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Now that is a great idea!!!
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I like it. But like you said. Donât try it. Itâs like swallowing a sword. Looks totally cool, but isnât. But totally looks cool.
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Iâm afraid all my gunsmithing is a hack.
Dremel: the quicker screwer upper.
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Have you guys ever read Ragnar Bensonâs âGuerrilla Gunsmithingâ? Really sketchy makeshift repairs. He even suggests using a nail as a firing pinâŠ
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thatâs really hack! But if it works in a bad situation who am I to judge!
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True, but it groups better than 2 feet now⊠I call that a win!
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Im not going to try it. Ive got plenty of spares. 
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Awesome!!!
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My shooting partner had 2 tantals that had the same issue as you did
One was really bad and was keyholing every shot there was only one fix for it I pulled all the barrel components and pulled the barrel and re installed a new polish barrel
The second rifle also had a lot of corrosion almost as if they had used some 7n6 to test fire it and never cleaned it
I also re crowned that barre and it works very very well now
The tantal is a great 5.45 rifle but I was pretty upset when century refused to fix them or send new barrels for both guns
I beleive I read on the saiga 12 forum that the cause for this was them using 5.56 barrels blanks and Changing the rifling to a 5.45 rifling
I never investigated this point because it didnât matter after both rifles were fixed
One happy dude right here
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Yeah thatâs the same story I heard too.
On the second Iâm assuming that you removed it and chucked it in a lathe to recrown.
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I used a crowning tool to start it and then threw it in the lathe when it was taking to long
I basically took both rifles down to trunnions and receivers and went through everything
I was going to try out s new method with it
The brass screw and lapping compound method
I was short on time so I took the easy way out
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Yeah the brass screw method just seems wrong to me. Iâm sure it would work but then your going off of what ever center there already is.
Hence the method I have above keeps the cutter more concentric.
Hands down putting it in a lathe and centering off of the bore is the best method there is.
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Thanks for showing us how you did it.
And especially thanks for not just taking the rifle to a gun show and unloading it on some unsuspecting victim.
Five stars for just that alone.
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I agree I was just wanting to learn something alternative to just using a lathe or a anulated cutter
My buddy still has both of his tantals and loves them
Too bad you canât really find them for cheap anymore
I think he payed 450-500 a peice
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