build a gun

In late 2019 I decided it was time for a new rifle. There are many very good factory competition multigun rifles on the market now but I decided to put together my own rifle, with each and every part exactly what I wanted.

This was my first every Polymer 80 build, and I hope it inspires confidence if you have been thinking of trying it out. I am in no way a gunsmith, and arguably not even a decent gun mechanic. I used simple hand tools, that I would wager everyone has laying around. No drill presses or lathes around these parts.

If you restore or repair older firearms, you will eventually run into a broken spring for which a replacement is unavailable. Being able to make a replacement is a very useful skill to have.

Lee Armory combines Russian design and quality virgin parts with American craftsmanship to make a superior gun. They take the risk out of buying an AK. Wither you build it or they do, you get a winner every time.

The BM59 is a unique and interesting battle rifle. Building one is a challenging and rewarding project. It is not exactly a beginner’s project. But it is quite doable for someone with the right tools and the knowledge to use them.

In part 1, I discussed the parts for the build, the legal issues, and converted the bolt carrier semi-auto. In this part, I will continue the RPD build with the barrel installation and head spacing the bolt.

This article is not a 100% step-by-step guide to building a semi-auto RPD. It’s an overview of the process intended to give you an idea of what is required to build one.

It is quite possible to build an AK from an 80% receiver without a lot of equipment. It does not require a whole lot of special skills to do either. Hopefully, this will inspire some of you would-be AK builders to give it a shot.

Some of you out there reading articles on building firearms are thinking “This is all well and good, but I don’t have a machine shop in my garage.” If that’s the case, I had you in mind when I decided on this build.