APEX Gunparts Balkan stock set review - UPDATE

[awp101]

I saw the Labor Day sale thread APEX posted the Friday before Labor Day and decided to jump on it. Placed the order in the early afternoon and had a tracking number before the end of the day. On a holiday weekend no less. Sets were delivered the following Tuesday per the tracking info.

Emails confirming the order, processing and shipping info were sent in a timely manner, items arrived when promised and as advertised. I don't think there's much more a vendor can do than that!

So, what did I get for my $25+shipping? Three sets of Balkan used AK stock sets covered in that wonderful goo known as cosmolene. Here's what they looked like:

First set:

OK, this is interesting. Maybe a symbol burned or pressed into the stock?

Second set:

Nice, sling swivel mod. A possibility for an ongoing project...

Third set:

Scoreboard! A sticker AND a carving! Looks like this is the set I'll use.

Overall, a pretty cool deal!

Thanks APEX!

[NineFiveBravo]

I have 8 of their sets, and I think it was money well spent. I separate the wood from the the metal, and dump them all in the same bucket of warm water and some sort of degreasing agent. Let them soak for a few minutes, then hit all the parts with a brass wire brush. Hand dry them, and see what needs to be done. Sand and stain when appropriate, otherwise let it ride. Helps me keep my AK rifles just how I like them, dirty lookin and banged up. Lot of character in some of these old sets, too... some odd stickers too. Mine has postage stamps with something like the equivalent of PowerPuff girls on it. Score.

[awp101]

Here's the buttsock on the frAnKen-bAlK:

[mustangpd]

noob question but what happened to the upper hand guard?

[awp101]

noob question but what happened to the upper hand guard?

I'm looking for a Yugo gas tube. Since those crazy Yugos had to do things slightly different a standard AKM tube won't work.

[hazmat]

That answers my question, if you stuck Yugo barrels on standard AK receivers. I do have another question though, did you have to relieve any material from the RSB to get HS? I've got a complete Yugo front end and an EG front trunion. When I tried to put the two together, I lacked thousandths of getting everything to go. I literally ran out of barrel.

[awp101]

I do have another question though, did you have to relieve any material from the RSB to get HS? I've got a complete Yugo front end and an EG front trunion. When I tried to put the two together, I lacked thousandths of getting everything to go. I literally ran out of barrel.

The short answer is: I don't know.

Another member who wants to remain anonymous graciously offered to do the barreling and any machine work. He was interested in the project because it's a Tantal receiver, Bulgy bolt and carrier, EG trunnion, Yugo front end. Hence my nicknaming it frAnKenbAlK...

[hazmat]

Gotcha.

[binky59]

APEX is great, I bought 1 thing from them on another site and after giving them my payment info. I asked if they had any deals on other AK stuff and I ended up buying 3 sets of the Balkan wood, I have a few projects that I need cheap stocks for so it worked out great because I can lower my asking price after I work on
them. Can't wait to get started.