Locking bolt for AKM?

nbk2000 · May 14, 2005, 10:02 AM

I was wondering...

Would it be possible to lock the bolt on an AKM so that, after having chambered and fired a round, the bolt does NOT eject the cartridge but, rather, retains it in the chamber to be manually extracted?

Naturally, not causing damage to the rifle is top priority, so if it can be done, but at risk of damage, that'd also be good to know.

I'm not interested in chasing my brass, and brass catchers should be re-named 'brass jammers'.

Any information would be helpful.

Thank you.

Dfariswheel · May 14, 2005, 02:10 PM

There's several ways this can be done, the easiest is to somehow prevent the gas system from operating the action.

Among the methods, the simplest would be to remove the gas piston.
With the gas piston out, the rifle would operate as a straight-pull bolt action.

To return the rifle to semi-auto, all that would be needed would be to reinstall the gas piston.

Altering the rifle to operate semi-auto OR bolt action would involve installing a gas cut-off in the gas cylinder.

This would likely be a screw installed in such a way that turning the screw would block the gas port in the barrel.
This is do-able, but requires some VERY precision drill press, or better, milling machine work to get the screw hole PRECISELY in the right spot.

Botch it, and the barrel is ruined.

nbk2000 · May 16, 2005, 12:40 PM

Wouldn't the bolt still open (though not cycle) from the recoil, even if the gas return was blocked?

Dfariswheel · May 16, 2005, 01:54 PM

No.
The rotating bolt will remain locked until it's unlocked, either by the bolt carrier being blown back by gas, or by the bolt carrier handle being manually pulled.

Back in the 1960's when the old DCM was selling M1 carbines to NRA members for $20.00, people were doing all sorts of conversions just to have something different.

One conversion made a PUMP rifle out of the carbine, and for some reason straight-pull bolt action conversions were popular.

Due to the carbine's gas cylinder setup, the most popular method was to either put a closed plug in place of the gas piston and nut, or to use a commercial non-moving gas piston.

In either case, with the gas cut off, the bolt stayed locked until the op rod handle was pulled.

A bolt action conversion for the AK would be a little more trouble, since the gas system is different.

The least invasive method would be to remove the gas piston. This would have the added advantage of it being easy to convert the rifle back to stock condition.

If I were doing it, I'd remove the gas piston and make up a cap for the end of the bolt carrier.
This cap would both close and protect the hollow threaded end of the carrier, and if made larger on the end, would also center the carrier in the gas tube, just like the enlarged gas piston does.

The only difference would be that the cap would be much shorter than the gas piston.

It might be necessary to buy a new gas tube and bore larger diameter holes in it to vent as much gas as possible, since the stock tube's holes might not vent enough to keep the carrier from being blown back a short distance.

May 14, 2005, 10:02 AM	#1
nbk2000 Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2000 Posts: 216	Locking bolt for AKM? I was wondering... Would it be possible to lock the bolt on an AKM so that, after having chambered and fired a round, the bolt does NOT eject the cartridge but, rather, retains it in the chamber to be manually extracted? Naturally, not causing damage to the rifle is top priority, so if it can be done, but at risk of damage, that'd also be good to know. I'm not interested in chasing my brass, and brass catchers should be re-named 'brass jammers'. Any information would be helpful. Thank you. __________________ (\ /)Those who seek power are not to be trusted with it. (< >) Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids in America (")V(")The Bunny has been Terminated!

May 16, 2005, 12:40 PM	#3
nbk2000 Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2000 Posts: 216	Wouldn't the bolt still open (though not cycle) from the recoil, even if the gas return was blocked? __________________ (\ /)Those who seek power are not to be trusted with it. (< >) Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids in America (")V(")The Bunny has been Terminated!

May 14, 2005, 02:10 PM	#2
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	There's several ways this can be done, the easiest is to somehow prevent the gas system from operating the action. Among the methods, the simplest would be to remove the gas piston. With the gas piston out, the rifle would operate as a straight-pull bolt action. To return the rifle to semi-auto, all that would be needed would be to reinstall the gas piston. Altering the rifle to operate semi-auto OR bolt action would involve installing a gas cut-off in the gas cylinder. This would likely be a screw installed in such a way that turning the screw would block the gas port in the barrel. This is do-able, but requires some VERY precision drill press, or better, milling machine work to get the screw hole PRECISELY in the right spot. Botch it, and the barrel is ruined.

May 16, 2005, 01:54 PM	#4
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	No. The rotating bolt will remain locked until it's unlocked, either by the bolt carrier being blown back by gas, or by the bolt carrier handle being manually pulled. Back in the 1960's when the old DCM was selling M1 carbines to NRA members for $20.00, people were doing all sorts of conversions just to have something different. One conversion made a PUMP rifle out of the carbine, and for some reason straight-pull bolt action conversions were popular. Due to the carbine's gas cylinder setup, the most popular method was to either put a closed plug in place of the gas piston and nut, or to use a commercial non-moving gas piston. In either case, with the gas cut off, the bolt stayed locked until the op rod handle was pulled. A bolt action conversion for the AK would be a little more trouble, since the gas system is different. The least invasive method would be to remove the gas piston. This would have the added advantage of it being easy to convert the rifle back to stock condition. If I were doing it, I'd remove the gas piston and make up a cap for the end of the bolt carrier. This cap would both close and protect the hollow threaded end of the carrier, and if made larger on the end, would also center the carrier in the gas tube, just like the enlarged gas piston does. The only difference would be that the cap would be much shorter than the gas piston. It might be necessary to buy a new gas tube and bore larger diameter holes in it to vent as much gas as possible, since the stock tube's holes might not vent enough to keep the carrier from being blown back a short distance.