changing AK caliber ...

[mojo]

To all the smiths (and I guess anyone else) ... how hard would it be to chamber an AK for a different intermediate round other than the standard 7.62x39? Something smaller ... like somewhere between 7.62 and 5.45?

[deth502]

depending on what your looking to change to, and what you have now, and what your skill level and/or budget are make a big diffrence.

[mojo]

Well I didn't have any specific caliber in mind (not sure of options I guess). I definitely wouldn't be doing the work myself. So from a smith's perspective would it be easier to start with a kit or a rifle?

[deth502]

it'd prob be a matter of opinion for the specific smith.

i think the options would be pretty slim, espically if you want them to feed from a std 762x39, 545x39, or 556 mag made to fit an ak.

possibly one of theose new calibers everyone and their brother are now making to fit in the ar platform.

there are a few crazy caliber conversions ive seen going on on other boards, but if you were to find someone to do it for you and actually pay them for it, you'd better REALLLY want one.$$$$

[mojo]

Originally Posted by deth502

there are a few crazy caliber conversions ive seen going on on other boards, but if you were to find someone to do it for you and actually pay them for it, you'd better REALLLY want one.$$$$

I think Jon from this board made a 9mm version

I figured it won't be cheap ... but would be nice to have. My neighbor said when he was in Vietnam they could shoot their 5.56 in the AKs that they found. I heard this before but find it a little hard to believe, not sure if it's true or not.

[PA Rifleman]

Originally Posted by mojo

... My neighbor said when he was in Vietnam they could shoot their 5.56 in the AKs that they found. I heard this before but find it a little hard to believe, not sure if it's true or not.

There are plenty of experienced folks on this board that will be able to answer this question with authority.

No, 5.56x45 will not function in an AK. This old saw never seems to die.

Re: re-chambering. Best bet is purchasing on in the chamber size you're seeking.

Changing the chambering affects not just the barrel, but the magazine and the feeding geometry. It's also likely to change the pressure curve profile in the barrel, so the gas port will likely need to be relocated or at least resized. Is is possible, as evidenced by the existence of the AK-100 series and the Siaga shotgun series.

[mojo]

What if say I wanted something like 6.5mm Grendel (as an example)? They don't have any existing equipment chambered for that currently, unless I missed something.

[deth502]

yea, ive made a 9mm too. its NOT a simple change.

with enough time and money, anything's possible, but i doubt there are very many smiths out there that can custom make an ak style bolt to fit a 12 ga shell, and i shudder to think what it would cost if they tried.


looks like these are the "easy" ones for a 7.62x39 ak:

1. .20 PPC
2. .220 Russian
3. 5.6x39mm Russian
4. .22 PPC
5. .22 Waldog
6. 6x39mm
7. 6mm PPC
8. 6.5 Grendel
9. 6.5x39mm

check it out here:

http://ammoguide.com/cgi-bin/aichamb...?sn=VgfaIkLIcF

of course, changing the bolt face diameter will open the options up alot, but also raise the price alot too.

[deth502]

and keep in mind, that list will just tell you which carts will work wiht the mag lenget, and bolt face. that dosent nessisarily mean all of theose will be able to be made to feed reliably without making your own propritary mags.

[Jackal]

That is an interesting project, could be highly satisfying in the end. As others have said, it would be difficult and from what I have seen projects like that end up having only a few sources of information published on them or you would be the pioneer.

You would be (or your smith) making a new gun. It can obviously be done though if an AK was ever made from scratch in the first place, which it was by Kalashnikov to begin with.