Wildly Inaccurate Bulgarian AK-74

raftman · May 1, 2010, 10:18 PM

So... got me a Century Arms NDS-2 AK-74. My luck with Century products seems to be about 50/50. Problem this time is, the gun is really inaccurate, nowhere near the accuracy that people with the same exact model of gun are reporting, and nowhere near my Russian-made Saiga in 7.62x39. I mean, the NDS-2 it hits the paper only 20-30% of the time from 100 yards, and groups are all over the paper at 50 yards. The bore on the gun looks quite good, but after having removed the muzzle brake, the muzzle looks plain awful, the worst I've ever seen, a picture is included below. Will recrowning the barrel do any good? And if so, would I be able pull it with the home gunsmithing type recrowning technique, or should I leave to a professional?

predator86 · May 2, 2010, 01:15 AM

wow...do you know what country it originated from? i assume century built it on a u.s. reciever?

raftman · May 2, 2010, 02:39 AM

You assume correctly. It was advertised as Bulgarian.

Jimro · May 2, 2010, 01:11 PM

Raftman,

The crown looks fine, the muzzle face could use some cosmetic cleanup, but I doubt it will affect accuracy.

Ammo, don't know what you are shooting now, but trying a different brand and bullet weight is a good start.

Sights, when a rifle is all over the paper usually something in the sighting system is rattling loose.

Jimro

Chris_B · May 2, 2010, 02:10 PM

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I beleive the 'crown' is the part at which the bore departs from its straight line path, it's not the whole muzzle. Your muzzle is chamfered to protect the crown; the crown is about 1/16" down the pipe, so to speak

Sure the muzzle is dirty but as far as affecting accuracy, I'm not seeing where the crown has issues, I don't think that's a ding at 6-7 o'clock, I think that's a reflection due to the rifling

I wonder- is the barrel contacting something when hot, or is a handguard too tight, influencing the barrel when things expand from heat?

ohen cepel · May 2, 2010, 02:46 PM

I think they used a bunch of barrels that were the wrong diameter, that may be your issue.

Axel357 · May 2, 2010, 05:29 PM

Yeah they made a run that had 5.56 diameter barrels. Send it back to Century and get a refund.

Dfariswheel · May 2, 2010, 05:57 PM

As above, clean the front of the barrel.
I use a brass scraper and finish with a "lead-away" cloth.
While this is dirty, it has zero effect on accuracy.
Fail to clean the muzzle and the muzzle break occasionally and the rifle will foul to the point where it's very difficult to get it off the barrel.

Century did have a run of Bulgarian rifles in which they installed barrels made for the US 5.56 round. These are notorious for inaccuracy and key-holing bullets.

Kmar40 · May 2, 2010, 06:15 PM

Ahhhh, Century Arms? Nuff said.

zombieslayer · May 3, 2010, 06:36 AM

Send it back... Tell em to give you a different barrel. Sounds like you got one with a 5.56 as mentioned above. Good luck

Jimro · May 3, 2010, 11:04 AM

You could always slug the bore and if it really is 5.56 then do a chamber cast to see if you could use 5.6x39 ammunition.

I would read this http://www.snipersparadise.com/tsmag/aug2004.htm and see if a little handloading wouldn't turn your rifle into a tack driver.

Jimro

May 1, 2010, 10:18 PM	#1
raftman Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2009 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,890	Wildly Inaccurate Bulgarian AK-74 So... got me a Century Arms NDS-2 AK-74. My luck with Century products seems to be about 50/50. Problem this time is, the gun is really inaccurate, nowhere near the accuracy that people with the same exact model of gun are reporting, and nowhere near my Russian-made Saiga in 7.62x39. I mean, the NDS-2 it hits the paper only 20-30% of the time from 100 yards, and groups are all over the paper at 50 yards. The bore on the gun looks quite good, but after having removed the muzzle brake, the muzzle looks plain awful, the worst I've ever seen, a picture is included below. Will recrowning the barrel do any good? And if so, would I be able pull it with the home gunsmithing type recrowning technique, or should I leave to a professional? __________________ "My momma, she done told me, there's heart and then there's hate If one of 'em's inside of you, the other one, it aint."

May 2, 2010, 01:15 AM	#2
predator86 Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2007 Location: wisconsin Posts: 549	wow...do you know what country it originated from? i assume century built it on a u.s. reciever? __________________ Beware the man with one gun.

May 2, 2010, 02:39 AM	#3
raftman Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2009 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,890	You assume correctly. It was advertised as Bulgarian. __________________ "My momma, she done told me, there's heart and then there's hate If one of 'em's inside of you, the other one, it aint."

May 2, 2010, 01:11 PM	#4
Jimro Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2006 Posts: 7,097	Raftman, The crown looks fine, the muzzle face could use some cosmetic cleanup, but I doubt it will affect accuracy. Ammo, don't know what you are shooting now, but trying a different brand and bullet weight is a good start. Sights, when a rifle is all over the paper usually something in the sighting system is rattling loose. Jimro __________________ Machine guns are awesome until you have to carry one.

May 2, 2010, 02:46 PM	#6
ohen cepel Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 1999 Location: Where they send me Posts: 1,013	I think they used a bunch of barrels that were the wrong diameter, that may be your issue. __________________ He who dares wins. NRA Life Benefactor Member

May 2, 2010, 02:10 PM	#5
Chris_B Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2007 Posts: 3,101	Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I beleive the 'crown' is the part at which the bore departs from its straight line path, it's not the whole muzzle. Your muzzle is chamfered to protect the crown; the crown is about 1/16" down the pipe, so to speak Sure the muzzle is dirty but as far as affecting accuracy, I'm not seeing where the crown has issues, I don't think that's a ding at 6-7 o'clock, I think that's a reflection due to the rifling I wonder- is the barrel contacting something when hot, or is a handguard too tight, influencing the barrel when things expand from heat?

May 2, 2010, 05:29 PM	#7
Axel357 Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 242	Yeah they made a run that had 5.56 diameter barrels. Send it back to Century and get a refund. __________________ "The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good" -George Washington

May 2, 2010, 05:57 PM	#8
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	As above, clean the front of the barrel. I use a brass scraper and finish with a "lead-away" cloth. While this is dirty, it has zero effect on accuracy. Fail to clean the muzzle and the muzzle break occasionally and the rifle will foul to the point where it's very difficult to get it off the barrel. Century did have a run of Bulgarian rifles in which they installed barrels made for the US 5.56 round. These are notorious for inaccuracy and key-holing bullets.

May 2, 2010, 06:15 PM	#9
Kmar40 Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 668	Ahhhh, Century Arms? Nuff said.

May 3, 2010, 06:36 AM	#10
zombieslayer Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,198	Send it back... Tell em to give you a different barrel. Sounds like you got one with a 5.56 as mentioned above. Good luck __________________ "An angry prophet, denouncing the hypocrisies of our time"

May 3, 2010, 11:04 AM	#11
Jimro Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2006 Posts: 7,097	You could always slug the bore and if it really is 5.56 then do a chamber cast to see if you could use 5.6x39 ammunition. I would read this http://www.snipersparadise.com/tsmag/aug2004.htm and see if a little handloading wouldn't turn your rifle into a tack driver. Jimro __________________ Machine guns are awesome until you have to carry one.