Khyber Pass AK question

[awp101]

Are they strictly 7.62x39 with a 74 triangle sidefolder or does a 7.62x39 with a mish-mash of parts from various countries and an underfolder count as well?

[mriddick]

I think the classic thought is a AKM 762x39 with the AK74 folder but I've also seen it referred to as any mix match of parts including 74's. As far as I know no one has copyrighted the idea (and lets hope they haven't ) so hopefully no one would be giving you too much grief if it didn't fit exactly in someone else's idea of what one is...

[gpwasr10]

The very process the gun makers of the Kyber pass use make it pretty well a "model free" environment. I think a mish mash AK that looked a little rough would be very acceptable... especially if you mixed Cyrillic and English characters on the receiver.

[O.S.O.K.]

Let's face it. Most people that care or know will think of a triangle folder on a 7.62x39 "battlefield pickup" looking thang.

Like this here:



Anything esle and you'll constantly be explaining why it's a kyber pass ak.....

[awp101]

Yeah, that's kind of the issue I'm facing. Technically it could be any oddball configuration (within reason) but the classic is an AKS stock on an AKM.

It's just a lot easier to find underfolder sets than it is side folders...

[hazmat]

It's just a lot easier to find underfolder sets than it is side folders...

You ain't shittin, there. I spent right at $200 for the side folding trunion and stock for the Russian 74 I'm working on. $60 for the trunion and associated parts, and another $135 for one of them goofy side folder into a fixed stock receiver get up that KMart has for sale, just so I could get the stock part off it.

I don't even know where the term 'Khyber Pass' came from to describe the rifle in question. I mean, yeah technically it probably came from the Khyber Pass area of Pakistan, and the most famous picture is of one OBL firing a triangle folding AKM, but where did it come from, you know?

[awp101]

I don't even know where the term 'Khyber Pass' came from to describe the rifle in question. I mean, yeah technically it probably came from the Khyber Pass area of Pakistan, and the most famous picture is of one OBL firing a triangle folding AKM, but where did it come from, you know?

Good lookin' 74!

I suspect it was either the beginning of the field mods like started showing up there in and Iraq or it was repairing deadlined weapons (or building new) with what was on hand. Probably a combination of both...

[FunkyPertwee]

There is a famous video of Bin Laden walking around in the mountains carrying a soviet AKM with side folder and bakelite stock. I think this is where the term comes from, but I'm not entirely sure.

Either way, I wish bakelite 7.62 mags were cheap.

Oh, and as usual, nice rifle Hazmat.

[hazmat]

Good lookin' 74!

I suspect it was either the beginning of the field mods like started showing up there in and Iraq or it was repairing deadlined weapons (or building new) with what was on hand. Probably a combination of both...

That would be my '85 dated Romy 'G' KP. Back when you could get the whole stock kit from KMart for a decent price. Coincidentally, that's a Russian tourniquet wrapped around the stock. There is a small amount of knowledge I gleened from other sources while the site was down last year. That was one of them. I didn't know the Russians used to wrap their tourniquets around the stocks of their '74Ms in A-stan. Who knew? So, in order to make mine a more correct version, I put the t-quet on.

[awp101]

You miss letters in rifle designations, I miss obviously 7.62x39 mags in rifles...

You may have put me on the path to how I'm going to do this one though. Since triangle folders are scarce and reasonably priced triangle folders are like finding rocking horse crap I've been trying to figure out what to build.

Watching world events in the 70s and 80s as a child (yeah, even then I didn't fit in with my peers) the AKMS is the classic AK in my mind. The problem is, my one experience shooting an underfolder was less than pleasant. It was a Norinco Hunter someone had modded to accept the uf. Maybe the conversion wasn't done properly (it was during the ban so I asked no questions), I don't know. I do know it flopped around a bit and the recoil was painful on my cheek.

Following the KP theme I do have a slightly carved stock from a milled Yugo. I think I can make it work on an AKM receiver but that may fall more into the "field expedient" category.

I wonder if the tourniquet trick would work on the uf? I was thinking rubber tubing would work for a bit of padding but the tourniquet idea is intriguing....

[hazmat]

Over at arfcom, they had the obligatory paracord wrap job. Several have done it, both to their triangle and wire SFs, and with their UFs. That's one way to go about it.

As for the UF parts, Kmart I think still has the Bulgy set ups, Copes and Apex may have what you're looking for as well. And DSA used to have the same folder parts as Kmart. I've built 5 UFs and have one pre 89 Clayco UF. When the tensioning nut on the right side is adjusted correctly, it's not really a problem. Lockup is good and tight, which helps.

For no more than most of us shoot our rifles, the wee bit of wobble that would develop is tolerable. Where you really get the problems is in the prolonged use and abuse. Although I believe the Chinese versions will suffer from the onset of stock wobble long before the Eastern European rifles will, due primarily to the use of a reinforcing trunion in the European rifles. Oh, they'll get the wobbles, but not nearly as soon as the Chinese ones will. The Chinese rifles lack this nifty little feature. That's why my Clayco is now a safe queen and doesn't get shot.