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1919A? Madness. Anyone built one ?

4K views 21 replies 13 participants last post by  Shortrnd 
#1 ·
Hey everyone. I've noticed that the 1919 kits are getting cheaper, anyone ever built one ? How hard are they to construct ? I've built my share of AK's and pieced together AR15's before, but how does this compare to constructing the 1919 ? I notice that you can get the 80% right sideplates from a guy named Geronimo off of GB, and kits from different suppliers.

Depending on how tax season goes, I just might invest in a kit and a sideplate. I'm in waaaaay over my head if I just jumped in, so does anyone have resources or tips and ideas ? Thanks guys. :)

:drunk:
 
#2 ·
Jose', you need to check out weaponeer.net. Those guys are the 1919 madmen! CHEEEEP prices in the group buys too.
 
#4 ·
Damn, I was hoping someone could tell me the physical/mechanical differences between the 1/4" and 3/16" FA sideplates. I've looked for myself, but the only sideplates I can find are the 1/4" SA plates. I know the typical answer "read a book", can anyone point me towards such a book ? I'm not wanting to construct a 10-year vacation to Club Ass-Gang-Bang, I just like to know the difference.

I know I'm new here, but don't confuse me for a damn troll.

:drunk:
 
#5 ·
I found this on one of the M1919 sites.

BATF requires that semi builders use a 1/4 inch plate, and that it--and the bolt and trigger box--be milled down so that the sideplate has a ridge that slides in a groove in the bolt and trigger box. This is done to ensure that the internal parts can't simply be replaced by full auto parts to create a machine gun.
 
#8 ·
I do not know it I would say it was easyer than an AK but it is very differant . differant kind of work. try 1919a4.com they will have ALL the info you need. they even have a toutural on the front page about 1/2 way down on the right hand side step by step from unpacking to test fireing. keep in mind you can buy one for a similar price as building. thies will be very expensive someday and the ability to easily sell it could be in your favor. a registered reciever has some benifets. I have seen them for under $1000 all ready. by the time you buy a kit, machine work, tools , bla bla bla. you will be close to that , and still have a home made gun that could be hard to sell. if you can do the machine work yourself yes it will be cheaper but still not registered.
just my 2 cent.
 
#9 ·
Also, keep in mind that all kits now available are Israeli production, not WWII GI, and they are in 7.62 NATO, not .30-06. Not really a big deal to many, but if you are looking for a WWII GI gun, what's available now won't be it.
 
#10 ·
era tech,llc
14799 n. cedar, POB 475
Dolan springs, AZ
(928) 767-4945
e-mail eratech@citilink.net
great book on building & converting to semi auto. lots of photos, $24.95 ppd
& book price deductable from future build. $150 for 1919 80% semi auto plate.
he's listed as Pegasus on the 1919a4 board. great book! & he even does the
semi auto work on your parts if you like.
good luck rusty
 
#11 ·
Weaponeer.net has THE best 1919a4 kits you can find. Ask me how I know. LOL.

It is in some ways easier than an AK build. There is no pressing barrels, bending flats, concerns about matching #s kits for headspacing, or a need for expensive jigs. The rivets are easier to do (in my opinion...... probably not for most of you guys) but you will need to have some welding done. Hotbarrel is right about 1919a4.com. Those guys know their sh_t when it comes to 1919s and they are extremely helpful.

As far as the Izzy kits are concerned yes all of the affordable kits are Izzy. That doesn not mean that they weren't WWII USGI at some point. Some of them were and then converted to 7.62 NATO. Converting back to 30-06 is not difficult at all. I'm not sure why anyone would want to shoot more expensive ammo but you can if you would like to. You can even go as far as converting your 1919 to shoot dirt cheap 8mm if that's your thing.

Hope that helps. Don't hesitate to build one of these. They are not difficult and are a blast to build and shoot.
 
#12 ·
I built two of them in 2001. Designed and built my own side plate, trigger and sear and did all the machine work. They are a different design philosophy and the work is more mechanically intense. The AK's I built 10 years ago were more difficult with respect to the receiver fabrication because of the flimsiness of the material and riveting. If you are interested, go to www.1919a4.com and you will get all the help you could possibly desire, plus there are a lot of folks there that make and sell at reasonable prices, everything you might need. :)
 
#13 ·
rusty said:
era tech,llc
14799 n. cedar, POB 475
Dolan springs, AZ
(928) 767-4945
e-mail eratech@citilink.net
great book on building & converting to semi auto. lots of photos, $24.95 ppd
& book price deductable from future build. $150 for 1919 80% semi auto plate.
he's listed as Pegasus on the 1919a4 board. great book! & he even does the
semi auto work on your parts if you like.
good luck rusty[/QUOTE
Better go to http://1919a4.com/ , go to discussion then use search function for Pegasus. Bad Ju-Ju.
BD
 
#14 ·
hotbarrel said:
I do not know it I would say it was easyer than an AK but it is very differant . differant kind of work. try 1919a4.com they will have ALL the info you need. they even have a toutural on the front page about 1/2 way down on the right hand side step by step from unpacking to test fireing. keep in mind you can buy one for a similar price as building. thies will be very expensive someday and the ability to easily sell it could be in your favor. a registered reciever has some benifets. I have seen them for under $1000 all ready. by the time you buy a kit, machine work, tools , bla bla bla. you will be close to that , and still have a home made gun that could be hard to sell. if you can do the machine work yourself yes it will be cheaper but still not registered.
just my 2 cent.
It will be cheaper and will be resellable in the future....if it ever came to that. There is a letter, I believe on 1919a4.com, that mentions something about following the same procedures as a manufacturer, marking your sideplate with a serial number, and having it registered through a dealer. Supposedly the guys on 1919a4.com have done it from what I've read. I don't know all of the exact details, but I think you can get your 80% sideplate(that is finished into a gun) registered. In fact, this approach could probably be taken on our homebuild AK's too. I think the reason you don't see it very often, is because your average AK isn't worth as much as your average 1919a4.
 
#16 ·
my mistake

Big Daddy said:
[/QUOTE
Better go to http://1919a4.com/ , go to discussion then use search function for Pegasus. Bad Ju-Ju.
BD
i take it back. while i got the book right away, ive never had any work done by him because i called first & to his credit he told me it would take months because he was swamped. but i found the book very usefull, which is why i reccomended it. i should've stopped there. in the future i will be much more careful & only give info on things i have personal knowledge of. im sorry.
and thank you to big daddy for correcting me.
once again, i am sorry.
rusty.
 
#20 ·
I've been kicking it around for awhile, picked 1-PAT's brain a little, I think it's time to go for it.

Like I need another project.
I'm just finishing up those 2 Mausers I was building.
Fitting a short chambered barrel with a hand ream is way more time consuming than you can imagine.
Two turns of the ream, take the barrel out of the barrel vise, clean it, install on receiver, check head space, take it apart, barrel back in barrel vise, repeat, repeat, repeat.

I've got a pile of bent flats, and a stack of kits already waiting. yeah, I need another project.

Do I see a group buy on sideplates on the horizon.
 
#21 ·
This is really good news. I would love to go no where else than right here to get help with my 1919 build. I am getting very excited. On another note, the guy on the other board is selling kits for $365 + $20 shipping I believe. Then there are the select kits which are $380 I think plus shipping. IMO, I would get the regular kit. I got one of both and they are basically the same, except the select has most of the finish left. Most reparkerize their guns anyways so I would go with the cheaper if I had to do it again. If I were you guys, I would definitely buy your kit NOW! There is only one or two other companies that still have the Izzy kits, and they are quite a bit more expensive than what I have quoted. These kits will be gone soon, I guarantee it. Long before any of the AK kits dry up.
 
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