Polishing a turd, lol.

[Keychain]

Hiya, just thought I would fill everyone in on the progress I am making on my latest Maadi MISR-90. So far I stripped the wood and hand rubbed 5 coats of linseed oil on and stripped the paint off the bolt carrier and polished it out using a buffer and jewelers rouge....If you wanna see a picture, just email me and I'll send you one.
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Sent out too many emails, so I decided to post a pic instead, hope ya'll like it. http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=148562&a=1085817&p=13791669&Sequence=1
Keep it safe,

Keychain

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If you want a dependable weapon, get an AK. If you want an accurate weapon get an AR. If you want a dependable and accurate weapon, get both!

[This message has been edited by Keychain (edited 11-21-1999).]

[Tanstaafl]

Keychain --

I just picked up my second Misr S/A today. Did the same -- complete strip and detail. These almost seem to be deliberately made ugly by whoever is installing the US parts in them. Black overspray inside and out (on top of the original epoxy enamel), with a liberal hit or two on the wood.

I also took a close look at the smith work on the bolt fitting – not much cleanup needed on this second unit. Just a little stoning to improve its appearance. After all is said and done I now have two clean and fully functional hi-cap Maadi AKs for a bargain price.

Also – for both of mine I’ve been able to correct a slight cant in the front sight base by holding the barrel in a vise with barrel blocks and using a large Crescent wrench padded with a shop towel to carefully move the base to center. There was enough give in the pins to allow this. No extraordinary force needed.

By the way, if yours is one of the newer rifles it may not be an Misr-90. That was an Egyptian/Chinese hybrid a few years back (perhaps due to Chinese rifles landing in the US just as the ban took effect, causing the importer to de-Chinese the rifles). Look at the rivet pattern for the barrel trunnion – it is most likely AKM pattern (2-up, 1-down), and not Chinese. The Misr-90 used a Chinese barrel and trunnion (perhaps other parts as well) in an Egyptian stamped receiver. I’ve seen a few of these and they appear to have better fit and finish than the new Misr.

I’ve found these to be a good value for a shooter, a bit ugly but with the expected AK reliability, and hi-cap mags to boot. Good luck with yours.

[Keychain]

Tanstaafl, This is the second one that I have bought this month and both of them have no apparent Chinese parts in them. The reason that I say this is that I have two Chinese preban AK's (Poly Legend and Norinco Type 56) and the receiver pattern is identical to that of the Russian and Bulgerian patter, not chinese. Also, the chamber end of the bbl's are .905" in diameter, not .767" like the Chinese guns. The fit of both is much tighter than any Chinese gun I have ever owned, including a handfull of MAK's and NHM's. Between the two of them, I have pumped over 600 rounds of Norinco steel core through them without a single flaw. As for the finish, I am working on that step by step. I am going to strip the metal on the lateset one to the bare surface and finish it with Ten Ring Precisions TRGunkote, possibly in stainless just to calm a wild hair, lol. For more info, check out www.tenring.com (http://www.tenring.com) for details on their wonderfully tough ass product, I highly recomend it if your looking for a superior finish.

Out in Texas,

Keychain

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If you want a dependable weapon, get an AK. If you want an accurate weapon get an AR. If you want a dependable and accurate weapon, get both!

[Pitbull]

What is the process for polishing one of these up after I get it apart and how are you finishing the receivers?

Brian

[Keychain]

Brian, In the posted pic, all it did was refinish the wood with linseed oil. In the other pics I posted under differant threads, you can see that I refinished my Maadi's metal parts with TRGunKote. There really isn't alot that you can do with the painted surface rather than stripping it and redoing it, in my opinion at least.

Keychain

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If you want a dependable weapon, get an AK. If you want an accurate weapon get an AR. If you want a dependable and accurate weapon, get both!

[colonel kalashnikov]

Hey Keychain,

It looks great. I aspire to refinish the wood on my USA-Maadi Hi Cap, as it has a horrible finish on the wood foregrips and buttstock. I work at a paint store and have access to many basic refinishing items (i.e. linseed oil, spar varnish, poly, etc.). Could you please tell me what I can do to refinish the wood.....sand it down to bare wood, and then what?

[Keychain]

colonel kalashnikov, what I did was used a varnish stripper to remove the factory finish, then washed the parts down with paint thinner and let it dry. Then I rubbed them down very good with 1000 grit sandpaper. Then I simply rubbed in the linseed oil with my hands till I had 5 coats on the parts. Hope this helps.

Keychain

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If you want a dependable weapon, get an AK. If you want an accurate weapon get an AR. If you want a dependable and accurate weapon, get both!

[colonel kalashnikov]

Thanx for the info keychain, i have just started the project.....A couple more quest. though......straight linseed oil is the only finish that you use? Apply it with your hand? I guess it levels well? Does Poly or Spar Varnish do a better job if one is so inclined, or just use hand rubbed linseed oil? BTW, all we have at the paint store is 'boiled linseed oil'. Is that what you use, or do you use just 'linseed oil'? thanx again, in advance...

[This message has been edited by colonel kalashnikov (edited 12-09-1999).]

[DKost]

How do you strip the metal?