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K-VAR AK-74 Plum Kit

6K views 42 replies 22 participants last post by  7.62x39 
#1 ·
Just received mine and it does have matching numbers, the plum lower hand guard is lighter that the stock and upper handguard which look almost black.

The front trunion was drilled by a idiot, they drilled into the trunion on 2 of the rivets but I think the oles are salvageable. Two other holes are over-drilled, meaning the drill bit was bigger than the rivet, don't know if I can save these holes.

From purchasing other items from K-VAR this kit is a little low on quality but maybe were just getting the bottom of the barrel. They no doubt think that we'll buy anything and maybe that's true. I've seen other post about the front trunion damage, bad enough that some will have to weld up the holes (which I might have to do).
If I knew that I could get a better kit, I'd return it but it looks like their all in this shape!!!!

Anyone else get their AK-74 kit yet?
 

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#5 ·
At the price I paid for this kit it should be perfect. All that was needed to be done was just remove the rivet head. The idiot didn't have to drill into the trunion. The AMD-63 kit I got before this was done right.

When you drill out a rivet you only need to remove the head, then you use smaller drills working up to remove the stem. Done this before, many times. You never have to damage the work to remove a rivet!

I will be contacting K-VAR and letting them know how disappointed I am with the kit. But I guess the only recourse they have is to take it back or maybe provide me with a good trunion.

Edited to add: Okay, I sent an email to K-VAR letting them know about the kit. I'll post their response when I get one.
 
#10 ·
mike26038 said:
I had a kit form them, that still had the front part of the receiver attached.. I would prefer this, as I know I woulnt do that bad of a job removing the rivets..

Mine hasn't arrived yet but I'll be looking it over thoroughly. Mike, I think the receiver parts are being removed to avoid hassles with the feds, torch cut or not. I've seen a kit posted (I think it was here), where the full auto fcg was still in a section of the 3 times cut receiver. Not that it's illegal (I wouldn't know for sure) but one heck of a template to those who might be tempted.

? Not to be negative but K-var does sell trunnions, right...? Perhaps they got a better deal on these kits that made theirs $30-40 less than other companies were selling for... (and to think I traded a mint unissued '74 trunnion I thought I'd never need for a Russian sling)
 
#11 ·
FWIW,

I purchased a $160 black kit almost 2 years ago and around that time everyone complained about the drilled-out trunions. At the time, they also completely de-milled the trigger guard, so all four trigger guard holes were the same.

All Bulgarian '74 kits I have ever seen are like that... of course everyone sold out about then and they have been hard to get back in until now, but of those I have seen, they are all like that.

Now BEFORE the kits completely sold out, you could find them with completely-removed rivets, and there were no machine marks.
 
#13 ·
7.62x39 said:
Ditto, Although I don't think it will effect a rivet build, it may a screw build.
I ordered the wood kit and it is really nice. One of the rivets was worked on a little aggressively by whoever took it apart. I don't think it will affect my screw build though. My amd63 did not have the same problems as my K-var kit. I didn't even notice the rivet work until I saw this thread.
 
#15 ·
buy looking at the pictures i think you'll have zero problems with you're build. the rivet shank hole should still be at spec and the backside were the rivet is bucked and expanded is unmolested. if you're worried about the head walking, after you've pressed the berrel and punched out the rivets buy a countersink bit and carefully countersink the front two holes about the same as the rear hole is from the factory, but be sure you are on centerline with the hole, and use the tapered rivets this should prevent any headwalk. if its a screw build then the holes can be buggered up a little anyways, without too much grief. if you are still iffy after the above precautions rough up the mating surfaces of the trunnion and the reciever, clean them in boiling TSP solution, dry thoroughly and add a coat of duramix or jb weld to both surfaces and assemble the rivets or screws, believe me that puppy aint goin nowhere. now i'm not saying K-Var couldn't or shouldn't have done a better job, we need to let them know that the preferred method would be to grind the rivets flush or a little below the reciever stubb surface and then just pop it off with a screwdriver or chisel.
i'm the guy who was ordering his kit when they found the plum mags in the warehouse and posted it on the "evil ak board". my kit is just about perfect so i can't complain, the only downside to this whole build is that i got shot out of the saddle on a plum bayonet purchase by "the mad scientist of low budget gunsmithing" hcpookie, but i still cant complain because the wealth of free info he posts is worth many times the value of a plum bayonett.
70ss396 a.k.a. bigblock
P.S.
pookie,
just joking about the shot out of the saddle thing, i've already got a line on another one.
 
#19 ·
70ss396 said:
buy looking at the pictures i think you'll have zero problems with you're build. ... if its a screw build then the holes can be buggered up a little anyways, without too much grief...
The problem is that they went too deep and actually removed some of the trunnion material.
There is precious little material here for the threads to begin with.
You would be lucky to get one or two complete threads, at least on the one I received.

I'm not too concerned because I use rivets, but I do not think I would attempt a screw build on it.
 
#20 ·
John (at K-Var) emailed me today (boy, was that fast). He explained how the kits are taken apart (K-Var provides the working stardard on just how this will be accomplished). He guesses that some of the kits got through failing to meet these requirements. He has provided me with two (2) options.

#1 Return the complete parts set back to K-VAR and I will make sure to
send you a replacement parts set in perfect condition.

#2 They will send me a new triggerguard assembly free (all the holes were overdrilled) and a new front trunion (for $29.99, normally $59.99).

I have decided to take option #1. Since I'm new to doing this kind of stuff, I feel that the less problems I have the better.

So, it seems that K-Var is quick to respond and also good at providing options to correct problems. No wonder they are rated as good as they are.

I will continue to let you know how this unfolds and the condition of the "NEW" perfect AK-74 kit when it arrives (which I'm sure will take time).

Overall, at this point, I'm pleased with the way K-Var is handling the problem.
 
#21 ·
Toten Kopf said:
John (at K-Var) emailed me today (boy, was that fast). He explained how the kits are taken apart (K-Var provides the working stardard on just how this will be accomplished). He guesses that some of the kits got through failing to meet these requirements. He has provided me with two (2) options.

#1 Return the complete parts set back to K-VAR and I will make sure to
send you a replacement parts set in perfect condition.

#2 They will send me a new triggerguard assembly free (all the holes were overdrilled) and a new front trunion (for $29.99, normally $59.99).

I have decided to take option #1. Since I'm new to doing this kind of stuff, I feel that the less problems I have the better.

So, it seems that K-Var is quick to respond and also good at providing options to correct problems. No wonder they are rated as good as they are.

I will continue to let you know how this unfolds and the condition of the "NEW" perfect AK-74 kit when it arrives (which I'm sure will take time).

Overall, at this point, I'm pleased with the way K-Var is handling the problem.
Sorry that you have to go thru that. Sounds like they are doing the right thing. I saw that your trunnion was pretty well trashed. My question is this.......I have one trunnion hole that was drilled off center, but the other five are OK. Is it worth worrying about the one hole? It does not appear to be very deep, but I am new to this and will be doing a screw build. I would hate to have to go through the return process. I just want to build the sucker.
 
#22 ·
kpd007 said:
Sorry that you have to go thru that. Sounds like they are doing the right thing. I saw that your trunnion was pretty well trashed. My question is this.......I have one trunnion hole that was drilled off center, but the other five are OK. Is it worth worrying about the one hole? It does not appear to be very deep, but I am new to this and will be doing a screw build. I would hate to have to go through the return process. I just want to build the sucker.
I don't know what to tell you, perhaps with pictures 7.62x39, hcpookie or some of the more experienced builders could give you an answer.

I look at the problem this way, you pay $xxx.xx for a kit, your paying for it to be undamaged. Why pay the same price for a damaged kit? By the way, these kits were from new rifles, never issued. Now if these damaged kits were all there were, I guess you would have to decide to keep as is or not (at a reduced price, maybe). But there is no reason to damage these kits, just poor work....The rip, shit or bust attitude.

I'm just hoping to get a good kit.
 
#24 ·
UPDATE......

K-VAR sent an email asking me to have the AK-74 parts kit properly packaged as they will be sending UPS to pick it up on Monday or Tuesday (I don't even have to pay for shipping!!!!!)

Also said that the replacement kit will be sent next week.

WOW....I am impressed!!!!! Just hope the replacement kit is better than what I had (with other companies I have ended up with worse). Will continue to let everyone know what's going on.
 
#26 ·
Well, I received my replacement AK-74 kit from K-VAR today. All parts seem to be in very good condition. The front trunnion is in very good shape (compared to the first one I got), the only thing that I could see was that the lefthand center rivet hole did get slightly nicked (but nothing to worry about), am I picky or what? The trigger guard is a complete unit still attached to what's left of the receiver so I'll have to drill out the rivets. As a side note the trigger guard portion of the receiver had the trigger pin depression only on one side, I always remember it being on both sides. All in all, I'm pleased with the replacement kit.

All parts appear to be matching, the only part I didn't check was the carrier (didn't want to open the wrapper), even the extractor has a number on it!
The only thing I do miss is that orange colored bayonet, I got a black one this time (numbers match other parts).

And as in the first kit I got, this also appears to be unfired. So, K-VAR did good!!!!! I'm glad the little ordeal is over and I can start to worry about other things like the build. Now I just hope I can get the drill press overhaul completed quickly.
 
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