Cost to replace AK barrel?

[aquaman]

Anyone here ever had this done professionally? If so what was the cost ?

I have AKMS polish underfolder, New in Box made by century. The quality is amazing for Century but it has a US barrel

I got the rifle for a cheap price from a guy down here in VA and I have a few original Romanian barrels left. Id do it myself but I want this one to be 100%

Id like to know if this is cost effective, I really want one underfolder just for my collection but I dont want to spend 1600 on one of the pre bans.

Thanks

 

[G O B]

I've done virgin barrels with a 7MM endmill and a bench top drill press. Use Comblock go/no go gages.

 

[Kingjamez]

Why do you want to replace the US barrel?
If you do replace it, you'll likely have to consider 922R as it is unlikely that century put more than the minimum US made parts on it.

-Jim

 

[aquaman]

Why do you want to replace the US barrel?
If you do replace it, you'll likely have to consider 922R as it is unlikely that century put more than the minimum US made parts on it.

-Jim

922 is not a issue, i can make that up easily. the US barrel is non chrome lined and not hammer forged. i wouldnt have bought such a rifle but the price was impossible to walk away from

 

[Jaybeez]

922 is not a issue, i can make that up easily. the US barrel is non chrome lined and not hammer forged. i wouldnt have bought such a rifle but the price was impossible to walk away from

you may actually have a pretty nice barrel already. I think the us barrels being made now have a slightly better twist rate for the "commercial" ammo we get imported here. have you shot it and compared it too a foreign barrel ak?

if you have to make it 100%, try to find a Polish barrel, the machining and finish will match.

 

[aquaman]

you may actually have a pretty nice barrel already. I think the us barrels being made now have a slightly better twist rate for the "commercial" ammo we get imported here. have you shot it and compared it too a foreign barrel ak?

if you have to make it 100%, try to find a Polish barrel, the machining and finish will match.

Jay, I have not shot it. its still new in the box. The finish does not bother me because the rifle is parkerized so It wont match anyway.
Another member here has the same rifle and says its chrome lined, I checked mine and it does not look like it is and the people at century have no idea (figures)

 

[Bigdtc]

I would shoot it first.. I kinda thought the same thing with my Yugo but found later that it has a barrel made by Green Mountain and it shoots very well..

 

[clandestine]

U.S. AK Barrels are crap for the most part. While the gun may shoot ok now it will degrade pretty fast. especially with BiMetal Projectiles.

Mike at Midcounty can replace the barrel for you. Apex will probebly have the barrels.

If you run Yugo Surplus through it it will last longer and extract fine if the chamber isnt rough.

 

[hvymax]

But the question is still quanto denero por tu hermana??? ooopps barrel swap???

 

[Bigdtc]

U.S. AK Barrels are crap for the most part. While the gun may shoot ok now it will degrade pretty fast. especially with BiMetal Projectiles.

Mike at Midcounty can replace the barrel for you. Apex will probebly have the barrels.

If you run Yugo Surplus through it it will last longer and extract fine if the chamber isnt rough.

Good point.. I forgot about the Yugo ammo.. It is really good stuff and is far more accurate than Wolf, etc...
Chad, What is your opinion of the Green Mountain barrels.. I thought they were GTG?? I use mostly Yugo Mil-Surp through it..

 

[clandestine]

Good point.. I forgot about the Yugo ammo.. It is really good stuff and is far more accurate than Wolf, etc...
Chad, What is your opinion of the Green Mountain barrels.. I thought they were GTG?? I use mostly Yugo Mil-Surp through it..

They are good Barrels for American and Yugo Ammo (As long you clean the corrosive residue). The BiMetal Projectiles tend to wear U.S. Rifling and Throats faster. When I say "wear" Im saying it starts to show its wear at about the 5K round mark.

You should be fine if you arent doing classes with high round counts or doing bump firing.

 

[oldman12]

Thanks for your input Mr Chad. 5 k really isn't that bad. I use GT or Wolf, if I have to.They get cleaned after range time normally. 3 to 5k even in a SHTF scenario would still be exceptable for me.

 

[jawn]

They are good Barrels for American and Yugo Ammo (As long you clean the corrosive residue). The BiMetal Projectiles tend to wear U.S. Rifling and Throats faster. When I say "wear" Im saying it starts to show its wear at about the 5K round mark.

You should be fine if you arent doing classes with high round counts or doing bump firing.

5K?! That's not even a full year of shooting for me.

 

[Jaybeez]

Jay, I have not shot it. its still new in the box. The finish does not bother me because the rifle is parkerized so It wont match anyway.
Another member here has the same rifle and says its chrome lined, I checked mine and it does not look like it is and the people at century have no idea (figures)

well I was talking more about the machining of the surface. Polish parts tend to be much more refined than the Romanian stuff.

if you are set on tossing that barrel anyways, shoot it first, it may surprise you. it's got to be better than the yugos built with sewer pipes, and the tantals built with .223 barrels in 5.45 . I bet its one of the best shooters you own.

if you shoot the Yugo ammo, treat it as corrosive in that barrel.

 

[Scott7891]

+1 to Chad's advice. The only area I disagree with him with is that I don't think the barrels are good at all

Unless you are using a u.s. barrel for range work or light shooting it will be in no way shape or form superior to original factory barrels. U.S. barrels have been made in the last few years reverse engineered with no factory blueprunts compared to decades of technical knowledge and know-how by the people who essentially invented the AK. Would you buy AR barrels from Russia because they are cheaper and if not then why do U.S. AK barrels get a pass and yes I know about the barrel ban and don't give me that AK barrels are cheap crap line because apparently u.s. builders can't get them right (inferior metals, rough chambers, uneven application and downright flaking of chrome-lining, out-of-spec, the whole tantal fiasco ".223 and 5.45 are the same so lets be cheap bastards and use 5.56 barrels instead, the rounds tumble sidewards before they penetrate the target it is how they were designed" , and just overall arrogance and ignorance of the platform by the general public). There is a reason many u.s. builders such as glade valley sporting goods in Frederick refuse to use u.s. AK barrels. I'd rather have the shot up Yugo barrel because at least it is hammer forged and built to factory specs....Maybe one day U.S. barrels will be like nodak spud for receivers but they are still a ways off from that happening. /rant.

Aquaman, unless you are seriously in love with your rifle I would just sell it. By the time you do the rebarrelimg process you could have used that money to buy a better rifle from the get-go. Id even opt for a WASR underfolder rather than a century build and it will generally be cheaper. At least the WASR will have the factory barrel and assembled by an arsenal who was building them since the 60's. A century build is still a century build no matter what you do to it....

 

[aquaman]

+1 to Chad's advice. The only area I disagree with him with is that I don't think the barrels are good at all

Unless you are using a u.s. barrel for range work or light shooting it will be in no way shape or form superior to original factory barrels. U.S. barrels have been made in the last few years reverse engineered with no factory blueprunts compared to decades of technical knowledge and know-how by the people who essentially invented the AK. Would you buy AR barrels from Russia because they are cheaper and if not then why do U.S. AK barrels get a pass and yes I know about the barrel ban and don't give me that AK barrels are cheap crap line because apparently u.s. builders can't get them right (inferior metals, uneven application and downright flaking of chrome-lining, out-of-spec, the whole tantal fiasco ".223 and 5.45 are the same so lets be cheap bastards and use 5.56 barrels instead, the rounds tumble sidewards before they penetrate the target it is how they were designed" , and just overall arrogance and ignorance of the platform by the general public). There is a reason many u.s. builders such as glade valley sporting goods in Frederick refuse to use u.s. AK barrels. I'd rather have the shot up Yugo barrel because at least it is hammer forged and built to factory specs....Maybe one day U.S. barrels will be like nodak spud for receivers but they are still a ways off from that happening. /rant.

Aquaman, unless you are seriously in love with your rifle I would just sell it. By the time you do the rebarrelimg process you could have used that money to buy a better rifle from the get-go. A century is still a century no matter what you do to it....

I hear your Scott, I just want a nice underfolder for my collection without spending 1500-2000. I dont know of anything in the sub 1k range. I have yet to get a ruff idea of the labor cost to do the swap. I have the barrel already

 

[Scott7891]

I hear your Scott, I just want a nice underfolder for my collection without spending 1500-2000. I dont know of anything in the sub 1k range. I have yet to get a ruff idea of the labor cost to do the swap. I have the barrel already

I'm telling ya get the WASR underfolder they can be had in the mid $500-$600 range with a factory barrel plus you can swap out the furniture and change the finish as much as you wish.

Save the barrel you bought it will be a good excuse to go for another build plus there aren't many of them left.