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Fair enough you have experience over me. Doesn't alter the fact though that the yanks are making better and more accurate AK's than the Russians, AK's that still work even after being torture tested.

Well was a little busy earlier and just had time to take a look at the vids you posted. What I'm seeing is barrel flex, something I could show you on just about any rifle out there, the AR platform included, and yet a lot of those weapons still shoot far better than the AK with it's original barrel.

isn't the flexing the reason that freefloat handguards are a thing?

bradaz11 wrote:isn't the flexing the reason that freefloat handguards are a thing?

I don't know about that Brad, I did read something on AR15 com a while back of a chap who was complaining about his free float handguard. He reckoned after installing a free float his accuracy went all to hell. He then said that when he put his original mil spec handguard back on his rifle was accurate again.

It had a fair few people of that thread stumped and no one could really give him an answer as to why it was happening.

Rab wrote:

bradaz11 wrote:isn't the flexing the reason that freefloat handguards are a thing?

I don't know about that Brad, I did read something on AR15 com a while back of a chap who was complaining about his free float handguard. He reckoned after installing a free float his accuracy went all to hell. He then said that when he put his original mil spec handguard back on his rifle was accurate again.

It had a fair few people of that thread stumped and no one could really give him an answer as to why it was happening.

Some rifles don't like a free-floating barrel, for example the barrel on a Mosin Nagant is fairly long and relatively thin.If you free-float the barrel in the stock channel the accuracy suffers due the the whip in the barrel.....but if you add an oiled felt wrap about 3"-4" long around the barrel in the vicinity of the front barrel band it creates a harmonic damper between the barrel and the fore-end and accuracy will increase because the tension in that area alone dampens the whip effect of the barrel.It is a tried and tested method the Russians and I believe the Finns used (in conjunction with a shimmed receiver) to accurize Mosin sniper rifles.

For much the same reason my Dragunov is more accurate with the handguards fitted than without them at all, the way they fit puts a controlled amount of pressure on the barrel that is factored into the design.

Rab wrote:Fair enough you have experience over me. Doesn't alter the fact though that the yanks are making better and more accurate AK's than the Russians, AK's that still work even after being torture tested.

But they still work after being torture tested because they use the same spec bolts and bolt carriers etc and use the same tolerances that Russia etc use for their AKs.As Breacher said if you tighten the tolerances it won't work as an AK should, but it is worth noting the where tolerances do need the be fairly precise they are....like the bolt locking lugs for example.

If the Yanks can make a better AK than the Russians why are so many Americans lamenting the fact they can't get imported Saigas due to the sanctions?.Have a look at the link below for info on US AKs.....the Izhmash Saiga and Molot Vepr are both Russian!.

http://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/how-to-buy-an-ak/

But they still work after being torture tested because they use the same spec bolts and bolt carriers etc and use the same tolerances that Russia etc use for their AKs

I agree 100%, but why are they more accurate. As I said before, people in the US are making up AK's from kits and then putting aftermarket barrels on them and reporting better accuracy. As for the Saiga, don't know why some are lamenting over the fact they aren't imported, but from what I have just been reading the Kalashnikov USA Saiga is just as good.

Look the fact of the matter is, firearms, nearly any firearm can be improved upon and the AK family of rifles is no exception. When all is said and done it's just a rifle and nothing special.

snayperskaya wrote:

Rab wrote:

bradaz11 wrote:isn't the flexing the reason that freefloat handguards are a thing?

I don't know about that Brad, I did read something on AR15 com a while back of a chap who was complaining about his free float handguard. He reckoned after installing a free float his accuracy went all to hell. He then said that when he put his original mil spec handguard back on his rifle was accurate again.

It had a fair few people of that thread stumped and no one could really give him an answer as to why it was happening.

Some rifles don't like a free-floating barrel, for example the barrel on a Mosin Nagant is fairly long and relatively thin.If you free-float the barrel in the stock channel the accuracy suffers due the the whip in the barrel.....but if you add an oiled felt wrap about 3"-4" long around the barrel in the vicinity of the front barrel band it creates a harmonic damper between the barrel and the fore-end and accuracy will increase because the tension in that area alone dampens the whip effect of the barrel.It is a tried and tested method the Russians and I believe the Finns used (in conjunction with a shimmed receiver) to accurize Mosin sniper rifles.

For much the same reason my Dragunov is more accurate with the handguards fitted than without them at all, the way they fit puts a controlled amount of pressure on the barrel that is factored into the design.

IIRC the chap on AR15 com had a heavy barrel on his rifle.

Rab wrote:

bradaz11 wrote:isn't the flexing the reason that freefloat handguards are a thing?

I don't know about that Brad, I did read something on AR15 com a while back of a chap who was complaining about his free float handguard. He reckoned after installing a free float his accuracy went all to hell. He then said that when he put his original mil spec handguard back on his rifle was accurate again.

It had a fair few people of that thread stumped and no one could really give him an answer as to why it was happening.

if h changed his setup then the ammo that used to work well might no longer work well.

If I made a change that drastic to a rifle I'd be back developing a new load for it.