U Drive and Screw Builds are Dangerous?

[Mike 56]

I was just at Surplus Rifle and their is a thread about screw and u-drive builds. http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=32658 I have about 60 rounds though my Romy screw build so far every thing is ok so far should i be worried?

Mike

[savageevo]

make sure you use the strongest locktight on the screws or use jb weld

[grammaton76]

Eh, if you see a screw backing out or getting loose (check 'em regularly when shooting)... set the gun aside and have it redone with rivets.

[wilit]

Something strikes me as odd with the story.

Why would you use screws for the rear trunion? The main purpose of using u-drives or screws is to secure the front trunion without having to remove the barrel. Theoretically, you would only need 4 screws for an AKM build and still use the long rivet on the lower part of the front trunion.

With the ease of driving out the old rivets on the rear trunion and squashing them, I would think riveting it would be less time consuming than tapping them for screws.

[Charliegone]

I've used rivets and udrives together. I don't really trust u drives with the rear trunnions. I think it's ok for the upper 4 screws, but not for the rest, rivets all the way.

[saki302]

I would bet the screws are at least as, if not stronger than, the rivets. Even if they back out, the AK design headspaces on and locks into the trunion- the worst catastrophe would be your gun falling apart- it should not nmake it blow up. Look at that sheet metal receiver- it doesn't do anything except guide the bolt and hold everything where it should go.

The only down side I have read to screw builds is that they don't look 'proper'. PErsonally I wouldn't trust U-drives as there's no real way to torue them, but that's my personal preference.

-Dave

PS- I read through that article, and still haven't found any verifiable evidence of a catastrophiocally failing screw build. And I think the warsaw pact screw stuff is BS. Rivets are cheaper than screws, and if you're starting with a disassembled kit, it is no harder than, and probably easier to do than tapping screw holes.

And the bolt carrier ripping up someone's wrist? C'mon- in a free state build look where your wrist goes when you hold it- BS I sez. The carrier is locked until the recoil force unlocks it. I'm sure it could give you a nasty cut if it did hit a wrist, but life threatening? I want to see pics before I buy it.

Did reading that give anyone else a heaadache?

[PanzerAce]

Did reading that give anyone else a heaadache?

Gave me a headache, I just gave up about 1/4 of the way into the first long post, saw the rest was similar, and closed the window.