RPK-74 upper hand guard?

[Sven]

This question is about the upper hand guard on the RPK-74 with Polymer furniture. The Pictures from Russia that I have seen show this hand guard on the gas tube to be grooved with the grooves being perpindicular to the grooves on the lower hand guard. The Polymer furniture that has been poping up here in the US all have the upper hand guard being smooth and non-grooved.

Has anyone ever seen an actual Ruusian RPK-74 with the upper hand guard being of the smooth type?:confused:

[Sven]

Another question if any knows the answer. The Russian RPK-74 that I have seen all have black polymer furniture. The kits in the US seem to have the plum polymer furniture. Does anyone know if the Russians used the plum stock sets on there RPK-74's?

[Chamberlin]

Sven the plum stocks *are* russian (and Bulgarian, which are russian guns anyways). They may be using black now for the RPK-74M but I haven't see any real good pictures that prove to me it is deep black and not just dark plum. If you are doing a RPK-74 Soviet era, wood or plum is the only way to go...
THe ribbed upper handgaurds are specific to the Russian RPK-74....get in line I have been looking for one for almost 2 years now.. A friend got one off of eBay this past year... another collector friend owns one, and those are the only two I know of in country. I shoulda swiped that one off that RPK-74 in the Izhmash museum (probably the pics you saw on the Russian forum of me holding that rifle).
BTW, I owned a real post sample RPK-74 that came with the smooth plum upper, but it was a bulgarian marked gun...but ribbed upper is the proper one.... use wood if you can't find it....
wood looks great.
-C

[Stottman]

Chamberlin-

There are indeed solid black stock sets for the RPK-74M. I saw fixed ones offered on Molot's Vepr IB which is a semi RPK clone. I saw it with my own eyes, in good light so I am positive. I also have a pic of a RPKS-74 with a black stock. Its in some Russian book, Kalashkov's book I think.

[Chamberlin]

Cool Stot, thanks for the confirmation! Here is the pic of the commerical RPK you are talking about...
Do they still call it a RPK-74M if the stock doesn't fold? Or does the naming convention follow the AK-74/AK-74M thing?
-C
http://personal.riverusers.com/~cinemusm/Rpk-74_10rounder.jpg

[Stottman]

Cool.

Its called a VEPR 1B. I assumed that all military RPK production went to the folding stock like the AK-74M.

I am trying to purchase a couple from Russia actually. Robinson Arms said that they are not allowed to import them. I figured if I add a thumbhole and turn down the muzzle threads I will be good. It still doesnt accept hi caps correct? After all, the VEPR is on the importable list. I have a letter off to the ATF import branch right now. I can import guns into Germany pretty easy, just a matter of getting permission from the Russians and if I can import it to the US.

[Chamberlin]

OK, I got confused.... I thought you said fixed stock RPK-74M...
but I just read it wrong! Yea, as far as I know M models are all folding with scope rails (and black plastic!).

I think all the Veprs are hi-cap capable aren't they?
-C

[Stottman]

As originally imported to the US and the European market, VEPRs need to be modified to take hi caps.

[Chamberlin]

Ah yea, that's where robinson comes in right? I didn't know they
cut the mag wells on Veprs... the finish looks pretty good, I figure that was all done in Molot (since Robinson would have to refinish
after cutting a magwell). THe etching though does look to be laser type, although I still thought that was done in RUssia too.
-C

[Stottman]

They might not have to cut them. It might be something weird like a different feed ramp and mag catch.

[Chamberlin]

Stot, was looking closely at my Vepr today, it is possible they cut the mag wells, as the paint around there is a *little* shinier...
hmmm.
Also, the mag catch has a small hole in it, and the cross pin for it has shiny marks from being recently peened. There is also paint on half of the spring too... Just like they replaced this part and repainted it. The Mag catch itself is like a bulgarian, and has the rectangular dimple stamped into it, whereas Russian ones *usually* have the stamped dimple that continues all the way to the tip of the lever.... Hmmmmmm..... SO, maybe Robinson gets them as low cap mag receivers, which have those saiga type 10 round mags where the vertical dimensions are different on the lockup areas. They open up the magwell, and replace the magcatch to accept the hicap mags? Maybe the hole drilled into the lever is an installation aide Robinson came up with to speed up production? There is definately some evidence of mods in these areas.... Looks like a call to Robinson is in order... The paint sure is a close match, maybe they got a stash from Molot????
-C