My Tula AKS-74U Unboxing Video

[AKS-74U]

I made a video of me unboxing a Tula AKS-74U krinkov kit I picked up off Gunbroker, and thought you folks might enjoy it too.

Now my name on here is more fitting compared to when I first joined.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh_rbJbbWbs


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWr2W3UC_XA

 

[pwoller]

Better then Christmas!

 

[.452browning]

Awesome!

 

[Que]

That is very nice. Congratulations on a nice find.

 

[AKS-74U]

Thanks, guys. I'm still excited!

Seeing it first hand is a great way to come to the realization that such items must've been demilled from brand new rifles. This stuff is as new as new can be.

I'm not sure that I necessarily expected anything different, but whatever it was that I was prepared to find, I was more than delighted with what I did receive.

I don't think I would have come to the decision to buy such an item, price-wise, if it weren't for the panic buying that had driven the prices of "riff-raff" AKs up to the point that the "special" stuff started looking like more of a bargain. Strange how that works.

 

[stoyan79]

Is the barrel original? Very unlikely.
How much did you pay?

 

[AKS-74U]

Is the barrel original? Very unlikely.
How much did you pay?

I was thinking that it is original, but I'm not an expert. The auction has a pic of the barrel where the proof or arsenal markings are visible. What is your opinion?

Tula AKS-74U Krinkov AK AK47 Krink AK74 : Gun Parts Kits at GunBroker.com

 

[Airwolf]

If you need a builder, Troy Sellers at InRange did a great job on mine.

 

[shooter521]

If you need a builder, Troy Sellers at InRange did a great job on mine.

This!

 

[AKS-74U]

If you need a builder, Troy Sellers at InRange did a great job on mine.

I've heard good things about his work. I was considering going with Mario at Piece of History Firearms over here in Tucson, on a 74U LLC receiver.

Whoever I go with, it will be someone reputable for this type of build.

 

[stoyan79]

The barrel looks like Bulgarian cut down AK-74.

Check the crown, this would be the easiest way to tell.
Premature chrome lining flaking sometimes happens when you cut and re-crown.
Either way, its better than US barrel.

If it makes you feel better, 99.9% of Russian krinks out there are build on cut AK-74 barrels, being EG or Bulgarian.
Original barrel Russian Krink kit is extremely rare and it won't surprise me if it brings over $2,500 on GB.

Your best bet would be Mario (POHF) build on 74U LLC receiver.

 

[stoyan79]

Look at the rest of his auctions, he offers barrel services for AKs, so I am 100% sure the barrel is not original.
This seller has been known to install barrels into barrel-less kits and sell them on GB.

Rifles, Shotguns and Handguns for Sale - Buy Handguns, Rifles, and Shotguns Online at GunBroker.com

Also this is Rguns kit.

I figure, kits are $800, Bulgarian AK-74 barrels are $200 when you can find them, labor for the barrel work is $100, so you only overpaid $300.

 

[AKS-74U]

Look at the rest of his auctions, he offers barrel services for AKs, so I am 100% sure the barrel is not original.
This seller has been known to install barrels into barrel-less kits and sell them on GB.

Rifles, Shotguns and Handguns for Sale - Buy Handguns, Rifles, and Shotguns Online at GunBroker.com

Also this is Rguns kit.

I figure, kits are $800, Bulgarian AK-74 barrels are $200 when you can find them, labor for the barrel work is $100, so you only overpaid $300.

I did also just notice he offers barrel services. I didn't notice that in his other auctions before, but I'm not sure he had one of those up at the time of this one either. When I saw his barrel services auction, I had the same thought.

Would the knowledge that this seller installs barrels into barrel-less kits and sells them on GB be something I can see discussed somewhere?

My main concern about it being a cut down Bulgarian barrel, instead of a Bulgarian AKS-74U barrel, would be that it may not have the correct twist.

For argument's sake, is it your belief that zero kits with original barrels were ever imported? If so, what is your opinion of the kits that K-VAR has on their site, that are claimed to have original barrel but are missing the trigger guard?

 

[stoyan79]

I remember there was a thread about him on The AK Forum a while back.

Most, if not all Bulgarian AKS-74U kits came with original barrels, the Russian kits though were never imported in large quantities with barrels.

Don't worry about the twist rate, many were built with cut down EG or Bulgarian barrels (including mine) and they shoot just fine.

I did also just notice he offers barrel services. I didn't notice that in his other auctions before, but I'm not sure he had one of those up at the time of this one either. When I saw his barrel services auction, I had the same thought.

Would the knowledge that this seller installs barrels into barrel-less kits and sells them on GB be something I can see discussed somewhere?

My main concern about it being a cut down Bulgarian barrel, instead of a Bulgarian AKS-74U barrel, would be that it may not have the correct twist.

For argument's sake, is it your belief that zero kits with original barrels were ever imported? If so, what is your opinion of the kits that K-VAR has on their site, that are claimed to have original barrel but are missing the trigger guard?

 

[AKS-74U]

I remember there was a thread about him on The AK Forum a while back.

Most, if not all Bulgarian AKS-74U kits came with original barrels, the Russian kits though were never imported in large quantities with barrels.

Don't worry about the twist rate, many were built with cut down EG or Bulgarian barrels (including mine) and they shoot just fine.

Thanks for the words of advice. I'd like to check that thread out. I'll look for it. If you have the link, please share it.

I had a post started and I'll just put it here in reply.

I had another post drafted on another computer with some more details, but off the top of my head I will say that the barrel does have indications that it is cut down and not original. For starters I can see that the barrel assembly and front receiver stub have a similar, but different, finish from the rear receiver stub.

As far as the barrel is concerned, according to some pictures on TheAKForum, the crown does look like the crown of an authentic barrel would be, as far as having being flat with a small chamfer/bevel near the bore. It is stamped with a number that is the same as one stamped on a Bulgarian barrel pictures in a thread over there. Apparently it's not a serial number unless, somehow my barrel was that same one in the picture.

I count 6 lands and grooves the barrel. I thought I saw info that the correct barrels have 4. The rifling looks good, nice and sharp. I wasn't able to determine twist rate yet, although I think I might be able to do that at some point with a cleaning kit. So, I would say the barrel is probably a cut AK74 barrel as stoyan79 asserts.

During the inspection, I became a little concerned about a number that is on the top of the front trunnion, which is different than the serial number on the side. However, it appears from a cursory search online that it is the mold number, not a serial number, so I think it's normal.

The recoil spring assembly appears to be Russian and not Bulgarian. The top cover doesn't have a number on it, but I am not sure if there is normally one there, or if perhaps a non-matching number was ground off.

Also, I keep forgetting that the kit on K-VAR is a Bulgarian, not Russian kit, so the fact that it has a barrel is somewhat unrelated.

So, I'm thinking you are onto something and I bought a Tula AKS-74U kit, less receiver and barrel, with a Bulgarian AK74 barrel cut to fit it. If it were a Bulgarian AKS-74U barrel, the crown would be different and what I might describe as "curvilinear," which is what speaker cones have been called that have the same, non-V-shaped cross section where the sides aren't straight but are instead curved.

Understanding the barrel I have, I do think there was some overpayment involved. I'm not sure how much the barrel work is worth, and it's hard to say what the value of a Bulgarian barrel would be in this market. I did notice $100 charge the seller asks for barrel work is for new barrels that need only population, headspacing and pinning. Previously-installed barrels, not including any chopping and crowning, is another $25 according to the auction. Trying to look on the bright side, I imagine sending him such a barrel for the work that was done with shipping his way, could have cost me at least $165 on top of the RGUNS kit and barrel cost. There may be other folks that would do all the barrel work for $100. In this market, maybe a Bulgarian barrel might cost $250?

With some optimistic assumptions, I might be able to rationalize the price premium down to near $250 or so. On this one, I did the "buy it now" option and didn't have to wait the however-long it takes for RGUNS to ship. I've already been waiting for over a month for the kit I ordered from them.

I think you have your finger on the pulse of the AKS-74U situation. Not that I have a choice, but I can more easily accept the overpayment in light of the market we have at the moment. I didn't realize the barrel is what it is, and it will be interesting to see how it shoots, especially compared to the other one I am on track to get someday. I was planning on trying to get a Bluejack barrel on the next batch, so if there are any big problems with the barrel on this kit I might be able to change it out.

 

[stoyan79]

Don't loose any sleep over it, you have a great kit that will make a great krink!

I would prefer a cut down EG or Bulgarian barrel before any US made one, even before a bluejack barrel. Just my preference.

Thanks for the words of advice. I'd like to check that thread out. I'll look for it. If you have the link, please share it.

I had a post started and I'll just put it here in reply.

I had another post drafted on another computer with some more details, but off the top of my head I will say that the barrel does have indications that it is cut down and not original. For starters I can see that the barrel assembly and front receiver stub have a similar, but different, finish from the rear receiver stub.

As far as the barrel is concerned, according to some pictures on TheAKForum, the crown does look like the crown of an authentic barrel would be, as far as having being flat with a small chamfer/bevel near the bore. It is stamped with a number that is the same as one stamped on a Bulgarian barrel pictures in a thread over there. Apparently it's not a serial number unless, somehow my barrel was that same one in the picture.

I count 6 lands and grooves the barrel. I thought I saw info that the correct barrels have 4. The rifling looks good, nice and sharp. I wasn't able to determine twist rate yet, although I think I might be able to do that at some point with a cleaning kit. So, I would say the barrel is probably a cut AK74 barrel as stoyan79 asserts.

During the inspection, I became a little concerned about a number that is on the top of the front trunnion, which is different than the serial number on the side. However, it appears from a cursory search online that it is the mold number, not a serial number, so I think it's normal.

The recoil spring assembly appears to be Russian and not Bulgarian. The top cover doesn't have a number on it, but I am not sure if there is normally one there, or if perhaps a non-matching number was ground off.

Also, I keep forgetting that the kit on K-VAR is a Bulgarian, not Russian kit, so the fact that it has a barrel is somewhat unrelated.

So, I'm thinking you are onto something and I bought a Tula AKS-74U kit, less receiver and barrel, with a Bulgarian AK74 barrel cut to fit it. If it were a Bulgarian AKS-74U barrel, the crown would be different and what I might describe as "curvilinear," which is what speaker cones have been called that have the same, non-V-shaped cross section where the sides aren't straight but are instead curved.

Understanding the barrel I have, I do think there was some overpayment involved. I'm not sure how much the barrel work is worth, and it's hard to say what the value of a Bulgarian barrel would be in this market. I did notice $100 charge the seller asks for barrel work is for new barrels that need only population, headspacing and pinning. Previously-installed barrels, not including any chopping and crowning, is another $25 according to the auction. Trying to look on the bright side, I imagine sending him such a barrel for the work that was done with shipping his way, could have cost me at least $165 on top of the RGUNS kit and barrel cost. There may be other folks that would do all the barrel work for $100. In this market, maybe a Bulgarian barrel might cost $250?

With some optimistic assumptions, I might be able to rationalize the price premium down to near $250 or so. On this one, I did the "buy it now" option and didn't have to wait the however-long it takes for RGUNS to ship. I've already been waiting for over a month for the kit I ordered from them.

I think you have your finger on the pulse of the AKS-74U situation. Not that I have a choice, but I can more easily accept the overpayment in light of the market we have at the moment. I didn't realize the barrel is what it is, and it will be interesting to see how it shoots, especially compared to the other one I am on track to get someday. I was planning on trying to get a Bluejack barrel on the next batch, so if there are any big problems with the barrel on this kit I might be able to change it out.

 

[Kutnupe14]

I can't watch, styrofoam is killing me! I'll have to skip ahead.

 

[AKS-74U]

Don't loose any sleep over it, you have a great kit that will make a great krink!

I would prefer a cut down EG or Bulgarian barrel before any US made one, even before a bluejack barrel. Just my preference.

Thanks for the frame of reference and context. I'm both at peace with the purchase, and also learned a bit as well.

When I started looking closely, I started to think there was more to the picture than just the barrel not being original. The mold number on the trunnion in particular really threw me until I learned what it is. Also, I'm used to seeing serial numbers stamped on the rear of the top cover near the recoil spring assembly "button," but this one has the number engraved in the side, so of course there wouldn't be another number at the rear.

I started wondering if even the triangle stock was a Bulgarian version or even Taiwanese repro, but I'm reconciled those fears and think it's just a "common" RGUNS type Tula krinkov kit with a cut down AK74 barrel just like you had wrote in the beginning.

I'm wondering, how hard is it really to do a decent job assembling (riveting) one of these up? I did buy a 20 ton press and have access to some riveting jigs. If I can do the assembly myself then the savings from not paying an expert to do it could offset the price premium. If I'm at least careful enough not to damage the parts, if something doesn't turn out right I can always say uncle and then send it to an experienced builder. If I tried it I think I would still practice with a more mundane kit, however.

 

[AKS-74U]

I can't watch, styrofoam is killing me! I'll have to skip ahead.

Lol, yeah there are some slow points in the video. It was pretty much impromptu. I didn't have a script or plan of what to say or anything, and it was one of my first as far as keeping things in frame and such. If I do more, I'll eventually have more experience with editing and that type of thing, being able to fast forward or skip the boring stuff.

 

[stoyan79]

Send it to Mario, this is a pristine, expensive kit, that deserves only to be build by the best.

Get a stamp first, I hate seeing Krinks with barrel extensions.

AKs, are not hard to build, I am sure you can do it, but nice kits are very expensive + building tools are about $500 for the whole set, which won't be worth it, unless you have 10+ kits to build.

Thanks for the frame of reference and context. I'm both at peace with the purchase, and also learned a bit as well.

When I started looking closely, I started to think there was more to the picture than just the barrel not being original. The mold number on the trunnion in particular really threw me until I learned what it is. Also, I'm used to seeing serial numbers stamped on the rear of the top cover near the recoil spring assembly "button," but this one has the number engraved in the side, so of course there wouldn't be another number at the rear.

I started wondering if even the triangle stock was a Bulgarian version or even Taiwanese repro, but I'm reconciled those fears and think it's just a "common" RGUNS type Tula krinkov kit with a cut down AK74 barrel just like you had wrote in the beginning.

I'm wondering, how hard is it really to do a decent job assembling (riveting) one of these up? I did buy a 20 ton press and have access to some riveting jigs. If I can do the assembly myself then the savings from not paying an expert to do it could offset the price premium. If I'm at least careful enough not to damage the parts, if something doesn't turn out right I can always say uncle and then send it to an experienced builder. If I tried it I think I would still practice with a more mundane kit, however.