Newbie Polish AK question

[iliketacos]

I picked up a used AK and was just trying to figure out if it's an AK47 or AKM. It's stamped 1978 with the 11 in a circle so I'm assuming it's a polish gun. It looks like it was made from a parts kit at one point. I couldn't find too much online about this one. This has a small wooden buttstock and furniture. Most of the Polish stuff I have looked at online has an underfolder. Just curious if they also made fixed stock polish versions and if it has a chromed lined barrel. Thanks in advance for the help!

[imanaknut]

Welcome to the group !!!

AK would have a milled receiver, the front trunion is machined as part of the receiver. An AKM would have a stamped steel receiver, with the front trunion a separate part that is riveted to the sheet metal receiver.

If it was a recent kit build, the barrel might not be original, so it could be either chrome or non-chrome lined. Best way to tell is the muzzle of many chromed barrels I have seen, the chrome actually seems to melt out from the bore onto the muzzle. Some chrome lined barrels also have chrome lined chambers, so look in the breech to see if the breech end of the barrel is silver colored.

As for folder vs fixed stock, someone else would have to help you as I am not much up on Polish stuff. My specialty is rifles that were imported as whole rifles before ATF decided that our second amendment could be stomped on without any retribution.

Hang around, someone should be able to help in a couple of hours or so when the rest of the country get into their "normal" day.

[iliketacos]

Welcome to the group !!!

AK would have a milled receiver, the front trunion is machined as part of the receiver. An AKM would have a stamped steel receiver, with the front trunion a separate part that is riveted to the sheet metal receiver.

If it was a recent kit build, the barrel might not be original, so it could be either chrome or non-chrome lined. Best way to tell is the muzzle of many chromed barrels I have seen, the chrome actually seems to melt out from the bore onto the muzzle. Some chrome lined barrels also have chrome lined chambers, so look in the breech to see if the breech end of the barrel is silver colored.

As for folder vs fixed stock, someone else would have to help you as I am not much up on Polish stuff. My specialty is rifles that were imported as whole rifles before ATF decided that our second amendment could be stomped on without any retribution.

Hang around, someone should be able to help in a couple of hours or so when the rest of the country get into their "normal" day.

Thanks for the reply.
I could take a few pictures and upload them I guess. A picture is worth a thousand words.. It's definitely NOT milled. It looks like a kit made on a new flat and badly at that. I actually took it to a local gun shop and it was like taking the ugly girl to the dance but they did say if it functions okay that I should hold on to it as kits are getting expensive now and at the end of the day a functional ugly AK is better than nothing. I was thinking about duracoating it or something or maybe paint it gold or something. If it's gonna be ugly might as well make it funny too!
I took it out and it fires fine without any issues. The short butt stock is horrible. It came up and smacked me right in the cheek bone twice then I decided I had enough.

[imanaknut]

I like your sense of humor. Also nice to see that an ugly duckling flat build does function well.

Duracoating is a good idea especially if the finish isn't the greatest. You might even go with a dark green or desert tan just to be different. Camo if you don't mind spending a few extra dollars. If nothing else it would make it your personal one of a kind!

As for the butt stock, a picture in this case would be nice. The standard AK/AKM stock is short to clear the heavy coats that the Russian military wore. Doesn't work as well with us long arm Americans. It sound like you might have something someone cobbled up. The nice thing is standard AKM butt stocks are easy to come by, and some very reasonably priced. There are also "NATO length" stocks available for people that like the longer length.