Part 6 - AK-47 Folding Stock Mod and Installation Project For WASR MAK SSR Saiga Rifles and Shotguns

In this video series I will modify a fixed, polymer Bulgarian AK-47 stock and a laminated wood Romanian AK-47 stock to become two side-folding stocks! Based on an exciting discussion on the Saiga-12.com fora, this project features wood, plastic, metal, and two different kinds of epoxy.
In the sixth and, so far, final chapter I show off the finished product and reflect upon the project. Some range footage and still photos of both stocks are also included.
Thanks for watching this series of videos. Please feel free to comment, post questions, or check out my other videos!
Useful links:
Ace folding mechanism - riflestocks.com...
StormWerkz folding mechanism - stormwerkz.com/...
Brownells Acraglas - www.brownells.c...
Marc Stokeld's article on Acraglas finishes - www.doublegunsh...
TheGunStockDoctor, source of Tom's 1/3 Mix - thegunstockdoct...
Consult your local laws before attempting this project on your own. Also be sure to use appropriate cautions, including but not limited to protective eye-, ear-, and respiratory-wear, when using tools, chemicals, and firearms. These items have inherent dangers. You must understand and acknowledge your own responsibility for your safety and the safety of those around you. You must act on that responsibility when handling firearms, tools, chemicals.
This video is for entertainment only. Any projects undertaken in response or subsequent to this video are done at your own risk. I will not be held liable for any injury or loss of life or property you may incur.
Music - "Gaslamp Funworks" by Kevin MacLeod of Incompetech.com

[@DrThunder88]

Thanks! The rifle with the polymer stock actually has Bakelite handguards. They do have a rather vividly patterned appearance though.

[@DrThunder88]

Thanks! The black Bulgarian stock measures 9.25" from the front end to the buttplate.

[@DrThunder88]

For the synthetic stock, I filled the wrist area with some glass-filled AcraGlas epoxy. I then drilled the epoxy so some long 10-32 machine screws could pass through and into the receiver block.

[@DrThunder88]

@FixWithFirepower Thank you for the kind words!

[@MrHOMESKILLET1]

Good trigger control

[@DrThunder88]

@StoverRed Thanks!

[@GunFunZS]

Dr. Thunder. - time for you to put some index finger tabs on your AK safeties. You're clearly a practical and handy fellow.

[@wolf14900]

I really like the polymer one but it looks kinda weird with wood handguards lol. Great job

[@FixWithFirepower]

Great video Thanks for the info

[@st0verr]

These are sweet guns

[@DrThunder88]

Some Norinco Hunters were made with a dust cover-mounted rear sight like the Galil and Valmet rifles. Mine, however, did not. I had to use Tech-Sights' AK200 rear sight on mine. It's a nice sight if it's what you're used to. I tricked mine out ever so slightly to make it easier to field-strip. Thanks for watching!

[@DrThunder88]

It's a fairly new Tapco G2 trigger group, so the hammer still has the correct geometry to keep the bolt back under tension from the hammer spring. It's only a metastable BHO, though. A mild bump to the gun or allowing the bolt carrier to accelerate forward will jar it loose, as evidenced by the fact that it does not interfere with functioning. Thanks for watching and for the kind words!

[@DrThunder88]

You're very kind, but I don't know if I could handle being paid for my hobbies! The folding mechanisms are by ACE Ltd. (RifleStocks dotcom) and Stormwerkz. Both are high-quality pieces, the major difference being that the Stormwerkz hinge locks open and closed whereas the ACE only locks open.

[@DrThunder88]

Thanks! It's not a precision rifle by any means, but I try to maintain good habits. Whether or not it's a good habit, of course, is only my opinion. Regardless, it is a habit! And thank you for watching!

[@DrThunder88]

@ckrockets I get more than a few weird looks when I'm recording videos. That's why I like going to the range when it's cold! Thanks for watching and the kind words!

[@DrThunder88]

They are so similar that, if there is a difference, it is imperceptible to me.

[@DrThunder88]

@LifeisGood762 Scary? It's straight-up 1920s-esque merriment! Unless you're talking about the sting under the title card, which is a little ominous. Just kidding! I do try to eschew overly dramatic or hard driving background music in an effort to avoid looking more pretentious than I already am. Both the original and replacement stocks I used on the SSR were black, so Bulgy seemed appropriate, and the OD Tapco stock I used would have matched the Norinco even better.

[@amackey313]

HUGE fan of the wood one, I've done custom engraving into mine, I'll soon post, although now i think i'm going to try this out. Where did you get that bend, piece?, or uh folding device?

[@trishahaubrich1212]

how did you get the bolt to stay open at 2:00 in the video by itself without the cutout in the safety lever? By the way great videos! Very informative and a great alternative to having to replace your rear trunnion without sacrificing the factory look.

[@MrCymax]

dude really nice conversion... i am considering this specially for the right side fold ... did u do the same thing on the syntetic stock

[@raudelcontreras2102]

Great Video man. Riffles look Awesome, how are they holding up ??

[@dustyak79]

good job the bugly looks good that dont appear to give it anymore length than normal and better than alot of other god aweful ugly contraptions on the market today.

[@rifleman7313]

Great video series. Did you say that it could be fired with the stock folded to the left or not? I was thinking about doing something similar but with a left side scope mount. Not that I would attempt to fire the rifle with the stock folded and the optic mounted. Disregard the end of my response I just hadn't watched to the end of the video. Either way great video series.

[@Civiliansoldier762]

I'll trade you a set of tech sights for the bulgy stock

[@mowafab]

i wouldn't count on the mag as a US part

[@DrThunder88]

That's a good point. Typically I don't use the magazine parts for 922r compliance, but, in this case, I still had the factory gas piston in the SSR-85.

[@C0D3M4N89]

Awesome guns!!! I want to do something like this w a fixed wooden stock for my Zpap M92. What kind of trunnion do you have and what kind of folding adapter did you attach the wooden stock to?

[@DrThunder88]

Thanks! The rifle has a standard AKM rear trunnion with the tang cut off, allowing me to use an Ace (Doublestar) AKRBC internal receiver block. As I understand it, the ZPAP M92 has a rear trunnion that also includes the rear of the receiver, which needs a different type of stock mount like a Stormwerkz SA-M92-03 or 03A. I can't remember which folding mechanism I used, as I have rifles with both a Doublestar FSM and a Stormwerkz SFM-UNI-01. They're both good hinges, the main difference being the Stormwerkz hinge locks in the folded position where the Doublestar can just be pushed open.

[@1Warzone1]

hey whats the length of the butt stock on the black one? rifles look awesome!

[@shoppapa7238]

I want to cut and install an ak underfolder on a mosin nagant any advice?

[@DrThunder88]

Rethink the project? I'm just kidding! That sounds like a heck of a project, and I'm a little out of my depth. I only have a few Mosins and have never messed around with an underfolder. My only thought would be to put a pistol grip behind the trigger guard and install the stock hinge mechanism in the wrist. Let me know how it goes if you give it a try!

[@shoppapa7238]

@@DrThunder88 yeah that's what I was going for lol. I do have a grip I just don't know ak stocks do you think it's feasible?

[@MrTfumes]

did the norinco come with the galil style rear sight? im trying to figure a way to move the rear sight on my wasr to the far back. heard it greatly improves accuracy. thanks

[@DrThunder88]

Other than the buttstock, neither of the rifles have any wood on them.

[@amackey313]

should sell your services

[@MadMetalShop]

Put the wood together man! Lol. Why mix wood and polymer? Just bustin balls :-) lol.