AK Flats

[Lateralus]

ive been toying with the idea of using a flat for my next build. ive found some that have all the holes drilled, and the rails included. Has anyone else here built up using one of these? will i need a bending jig? can a machine shop help? how much are bending jigs and where can i get them? thanks in advance guys!

heres the link for what im considering:

http://secure.netsolhost.com/575571.587307/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=AOAL&Product_Code=AKBP21&Category_Code=AKBP

[Mag_Rat]

Yes, you need a bending jig.

http://ak-builder.com/ak/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=2

http://www.tapco.com/proddesc.aspx?id=decba312-c816-4018-9605-9828303ec886

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=45689

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=33497

and all the small stuff

[bwiese]

Why anyone wants to build an AK from a flat when there are good $80 receivers out there is just beyond me.

And if you get the wrong instructions and drill a 'happy hole' you're at risk of being considered possessing an MG.

[JHC]

I've built from DROS'd AK receivers as well as flats and allthough the DCI receivers are perfect I still prefer building from a flat. One reason of course is that it's more of a challenge, another plus to flat building is the lack of the DROS to track when confiscation happens for us paranoid types, and the best reason for me to build from a flat is that it costs me too much $ from having to take off from work to go see the FFL twice ( my guy is only open for buisness 2 hours a week) that $80 dollar receiver turns into a couple hundred dollars from all that.

Anyway, to the OP I'd reccomend building off a 100% DCI receiver if it's your first time, perfect right out of the box, if they had a box. If your ready to move on to flat building go with the AKbuilder flats with no trunion holes drilled, they are far superior to the Tapco flats in many ways. As for the dreaded "felony hole", flats have the FCG holes prepunched to aviod that confusion. If you build off of a prebent blank receiver that is when you have the chance of drilling a hole in the wrong spot.

You should use a bending jig and can build it yourself but you'd be better off buying one and selling it when you are done, better yet find someone in your area that has one to let you use since they will also have the press, spotwelder, and torch you will need

[jjperl]

Yes, you absolutly need a bending jig, a 12 ton hydrolic press, a good spot welder, and a rivet squeezer. So if you dont want to spend a minimum of $500 just on tools, I would recomend purchasing a prebent reciever and just register it.

[Lateralus]

ive already built 2 on NDS-3s, i know what im doing (i think lol). i was just getting some info on the idea.

bill, any links to a recommended 80%?

[jumbopanda]

I recommend ak-builder.com flats over tapco ones.

[bwiese]

bill, any links to a recommended 80%?

I recommend walking away from anything that's at/near 80%. People are getting in trouble - the vendor, and perhaps even the individual.

There is no such thing as 80% codified in the law - what's 80% for you may be 95% for the ATF or 35% for an unskilled newbie. There's simply no agreed-upon legal standard for measure of completion.

Aside from other more major issues (somewhat separate NFA stuff for non-AKs that some non-AK Calgunners have run into with ATF, much to their detriment) you could end up with something that's regarded as close-enough-to-being-a-full-receiver that it gets regarded as one, and that means an illegal unpapered transfer occurred on both a Federal and state basis.

If you're buying+building a partial receiver get something that's a helluva long way *below* "80%" - so you might as well start from scratch on a flat, or just get an NDS3 or whatever.

I believe some '80%' receiver sales on auction sites (or even sneaked thru on EBay) may be ATF stings or run by "cooperating witnesses", esp if they're related to SMG stuff.

[shonc99]

+1 for the DCI reciever the first time out. The NDS-1 reciever is ready to be built up though it is $83. If you search around there are templates (try gunco.net) and decide on either bent and not drilled or vice versa.

All you really need to do the bending it a vise, two metal bars and a big hammer. At $10-15 a flat it is cheap enough to make a few mistakes, Better yet, you could cut a blank from sheetmetal using the template.