"Cugir" Rifle
 

Sold my home defense rifle last year. But still need one. Rifle price returned to normal recently, so got one. This is the postwar icon gun.

CAI imported. Looks being a parts gun. More than one number and more than one maker of parts, including US made parts. But it's unfired, the rod in gas tube is silver bright...Will try it over this weekend.

Did they ship this rifle with no cleaning rod? Is the muzzle threaded?

The rifle has no cleaning rod. Initially, I thought the dealer lost it. But I noticed same rifles carried by other dealers in the local area do not have cleaning rod either. So, no rod.

The muzzle has a ring installed. No threading on it. It's illegal here to install a flash hider, so they put a ring at the muzzle.

Rifle is mainly based on Romanian parts. The trigger is marked USA. The magazine is marked China.

I had one some years ago, that belonged to my "needs" to acquire more experience with that sort of firearms. :-)
Mine was brand new, and entirely made in Romania. I did not go overboard for it, in fact after about one year I sold it and never missed it ever after. Apparently among the best ones there are the ones made in the ex DDR .
For home defence I use a Glock 17, but it's just a matter of personal choices.
Anyway congratulations for your AK

Thank God! That muzzle ring instead of a flash hider makes it SO much safer!! :)

Didn't California just declare that AKs were not covered under the 2nd. Amendment?

That's probably a Tapco G2 trigger, many AKs come with these nowadays. I had a heavy and gritty trigger with lots of trigger slap in my SAR-1, but changing to a G2 cured it all. :thumbup:

Yes! the trigger is marked Tapco!

Fired 140 rounds from it in range. The gun performed great. No manufacturing issue. It does have two designer's issues IMO though: (1) the fixed stock is a little bit too short, making aiming uncomfortable; (2) the front laminated wood grip does not block heat well, it became very uncomfortable to hold after firing mere 60 rounds. Other than that, this gun is very good.

Very nice Alvin :cheers:, too bad we can't have these in CA :soapbox:

Sure you can. I built this earlier this year at a build party. For the short stock I slip on a one inch extension when shooting.

https://scontent-a-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/...00667593_n.jpg

Please also note the bulge on the holding wood of the barrel on Tony's rifle, this must be modified to resolve the (2) issue mentioned above.

Fired another 220 rounds in range. It worked fine.

I put a rubber stock extension on mine, it's a quick and cheap fix that makes it much more comfortable to shoot. The forearm on mine is made from some lightweight wood that blocks the heat quite well, but the steel rivet that goes through it sure gets hot after shooting a few mags. I have been thinking about replacing it with a shorter, recessed rivet, but it's one of those rainy day projects that probably won't get done... :rolleyes:

You can buy furniture pretty cheap. Mine is original Egyptian Maadi except for the requisite number of American made parts to make it legal.

Ironwood Designs makes extended AK butt stocks and furniture for many other semi-autos.

Experienced a problem on Kalash. Here is the story.

Carried this AK to range. First shot is normal. 2nd time pushing the trigger, it fired 2 rounds out, slam fire. 3rd time pushing the trigger, it fired 4-5 rounds.... and I felt the trigger was moving,,, moving horizontally. Something was seriously wrong.

Then, I checked it -- the trigger pivot pin had dropped to the ground, and the trigger was totally out of place.

I had disassembled this rifle a few days ago. So, I must installed something wrongly when I put it back?? There was a thin stainless steel wire spring on the left side of the receiver, which I did not think its function while putting it back. It went in anyway. Probably that spring was installed wrong!

Returned to home, I disassembled it again, and inspected the function of that wire spring carefully -- it turned out that wire spring does not do anything except holding the hammer pivot pin and trigger pivot pin in place. And the worst part -- even with hammer and trigger out, I could not install this spring to perform its function properly. It must be deformed a little bit when I disassembled the gun a few days ago.

Study on internet messages showed this is a common problem on Kalash type of rifle. A design issue. There is a formal name for this wire spring, called "Shephard's Crook". It's a nightmare.

Fortunately, US gunsmith designed a pin retainer plate to replace this wire clip, which solves this issue. Ordered one. Waiting its arrival.

The hammer pin, trigger pin, and sear pin (which your AK should not have) all have a groove cut near the head. The 'full auto' spring fits in these three grooves. When it is assembled semi-auto, you do not have the sear pin so full-auto spring does not work. The spring you have is a band-aid to try to fix this.

I use C-clips on my pins, available at pretty much any hardware store. Pin does not walk out.

For a better fix, some owners drill for a small Cotter pin. Much safer.

I thought about C-clips... with hammer and trigger in, it might be hard to install and deinstall (especially hard to see hammer pin groove due to the wrapping hammer spring).

Waiting pin retaining plate to come. Most reviews say it's good, some reviews complaint plate fitness, too thin etc. I will know very soon :)

But, don't you agree this being a design fault? The "paper clip" is simple in structure, easy to make, low cost, lots of advantages, but obviously easy to install for dummy was not in the original consideration. For this tiny wire's important function, I would think the retaining plate solution is much more appropriate.

Yes, it is hard to get the hammer C-clip in. Like Luger flat mainspring. :) Needs vise to hold action, small screwdrivers to push C-clip in position. I think I pushed in from magazine well.

I did mine several years/decades ago. No flat plate then. if it is spring steel and notched like roller chain master link clip, it should be good. Please post pics & manufacturer/distributor when it comes. ;)

Well, it is not Kalashnikov's design fault...He designed selective fire, not semi-auto... :thumbup:

Blame importer... :D

Visited store and inspected another Cugir WASR-10/63 rifle. A little bit surprised. Originally, I thought I deformed the Shephard's Crook when I took it out so it does not work anymore after I put it back. But inspecting another WASR indicated that was not the case -- on this WASR in store, the position of the crook is too high and it does not even touch the groove on the trigger pin, the pin does not fall out simply because attrition with the receiver !! Then, I am sure this pin will come out one day or another in range, inevitable.

So the quality of CAI assembly still has lots of room for improvement.

Is this the 'shepherd's crook' on the left??? I have to admit I don't know how it goes in anymore...I think it went under one pin and over the other...But I don't remember where/what anchored it... :confused:

Thanks for the pictures. It's interesting to notice different manufacturers having different versions of this pin retaining wire. On WASR-10/63, it looks different. Please note the wire does not positively lock into the trigger pin groove. It marginally touches the trigger pin!! No wonder the trigger pin could drop out during firing. I can blame Century Arms for their low quality, and work around the problem by rearrange the position of the folding a little bit, but I will go the better way -- install a pin retaining plate into this rifle.