Bulgarian SLR-95 De-Ban

[Lord Ak-47]

I recently got my hands on one and was trying to get correct information about how to de-ban one of these. I need to know what style of gas block and what front sight base to look for. Also any good places that might have these available would help.

Also is it worth the effort to add a lower tang (No pre cut area on my rear trunion).

Any pictures or stories of people who have done conversions would be helpful.

Thanks in advance

[Schuetzenman]

Hi, welcome to gunsnet. K-Var is probbly the place to look for the Bulgarian parts you need. Changing front sight towers or gas blocks is not an easy thing. Actually if you go modern Bulgarian the front sight base will have the bayonet lug on it and you use a big muzzle brake / flash hider that is the mounting point for the guard loop of the bayonet. The 90° gas block is how the Bulgarians make their milled 7.62x39 AK type weapons.

With a threaded muzzle device you'll need 5 parts on a milled weapon. Buttstock, pistol grip, handguards would give you 3. If you replace the Hammer, trigger and disconnector with a US set that would do you 3 more, one more than to meet minmal compliance.

[imanaknut]

Welcome to the group !!! :welcome:

Check Apex Gun Parts for Bulgarian sight and gas blocks:

https://www.apexgunparts.com/index.php/cPath/21_91

Don't ask why the Bulgarian AK had an AK-74 style gas block. I have heard some say that there were issues with the 45 degree block causing bullet issues, but with a zillion in production, I really doubt it.

As for the lower tang, I have successfully used a milled stock without the lower tang. It would be possible to cut the slot in the receiver for the tang, plus the rivet holes, but I would not do anything to that rifle that can't be undone as it is a fairly rare rifle, and unless we get our rights back, you are not going to see many more.

[Lord Ak-47]

Thanks for welcoming me to the forum.

imanaknut, I read people saying its not a good idea to put a buttstock without lower tang, how possible would it be to break upper tang?

[Schuetzenman]

Ah you think I'd of remembered the lower tang thing as I did my own SLR95 conversion. Yeah, they only have the top tang. I bought and riveted in place the lower tang but to fit it right is a chore. 10 hours of dremel and file work to do a precise no slop job is what it took me to do. Then I refinished the entire weapon in KG Gun Kote Satin Teflon Black.

Some guys have cheated so to speak and cut the bottom tang off and just screw it into the lower tang recess so it looks like it's part of the weapon but really is just filling up the tang slot.

[Lord Ak-47]

10 hours, thats a lot of elbow grease. I dont know if my novice dremel skills are ready for that challenge. Did you use the tang from K-Var or somewhere else?

[imanaknut]

Although it seems like a lifetime ago, I think I did get the parts from K-var.

[Schuetzenman]

10 hours, thats a lot of elbow grease. I dont know if my novice dremel skills are ready for that challenge. Did you use the tang from K-Var or somewhere else?

Yes I got a lower tang kit with rivet from K-Var. It's a tricky install. On a factory gun they probably use a device called a shaper to cut a sware bottomed groove that the tang would fit in. This is all inside the receiver on the bottom where the tang will exit the back of the receiver. There is a ridge of metal left in the back of the receivers, or at least there was in mine. I had to drill through that to hog out some metal. The tang being dead square will require the use of small flat or square flies to establish / cut the two 90° corners to fit the tang close. If you were to drill then you would have a sloppy fit. The tang will be held in by two rivets if my memory is correct . One is the rear trigger guard rivet, the other is just for the securing of the tang and it will be hidden under the pistol grip. There is no quick way for the DIY home installation to be done fast and properly. If you do not have a press to cursh the rivets and proper backing plates or punches to support the round dome head of the rivets I wouldn't even attempt it. I would just go the dummy tang route, screw a cut off tang section into the slot on the stock and call it good.

The buttstock shanks fit tight in the stocks and I wouldn't anticiapate any issue with just casual shooting of the weapon on a range with only having the upper tang to support the stock. Just don't buttstroke a human with it and you should be fine.

[Lord Ak-47]

Schuetzenman thanks for the detailed description of the process, it really helps to know what exactly it would take to do and makes me think I might have to wait awhile before I undertake a project like that.