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Work order — AKM / AK-47 Pattern Rifle

Taking the firearm apart for a job such as refinishing, and putting it back together to specification. Generated from the Pew-Takedown entry last updated 2026-10-29. Confidence: high.

Shop difficulty: Tier 2 of 3

A riveted receiver with nothing to fit, but the trigger group goes in against the hammer spring with the pins held by a single retaining spring, and the handguard retainer, gas tube lock and selector are notoriously tight. No timing and no special fixtures. A middle-of-the-range rifle job. 66 parts (stand-in: Mitchell Arms 'AK-47 Autoloading Rifle' (semi-automatic Yugoslav-made AK/AKM-pattern import) per the Gun Digest exploded drawing legend, keys 1-66, incl. magazine (51, 52, 34). The drawing i). Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's.

Bench time: strip ~45 min, rebuild ~60 min (estimate). Actual: strip ______ rebuild ______

Special tools:

• AK front sight adjustment tool — Front sight post (only if moved)
• Slave pins / rubber band — Holding the hammer spring and trigger parts during pin installation
• Small punch for the firing-pin and extractor pins — Bolt strip
• Pistol grip nut driver (long screwdriver) — Pistol grip screw through the grip

Watch for:

• Getting the trigger group out means lifting the hammer spring (mainspring) legs and hooking them behind the hammer ears, then holding them there while the trigger pin comes out. Reassembly reverses this under spring load, with the pin retaining spring ('shepherd's crook') laid over the pins. (both; The Firearm Blog)
• Once hooked, the mainspring legs have to be held while the pins move, typically with a rubber band or the cleaning-kit cap. (both; The Firearm Blog)
• The gas tube lock lever and the lower handguard retainer are often very tight and need a tool to rotate. (both; The Firearm Blog)
• The selector lever is a spring-steel part held by its own tension and can be bent while being worked out of the receiver. (both; The Firearm Blog)

Tools

• Screwdriver or the rim of a case — Rotating a stiff gas tube lever on some variants.

1. Clear and make safe

1. Point the muzzle in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger.
2. Rotate the safety lever down to the FIRE position so the charging handle can travel fully rearward.
   Warning: With the lever on SAFE, the bolt travel is deliberately restricted. You cannot properly inspect the chamber until the lever is down.
3. Rock the magazine forward and out of the magazine well.
   Tip: Press the magazine catch behind the magazine and rock the front of the magazine forward.
4. Pull the charging handle fully to the rear and hold it there. Look into the chamber and the magazine well.
5. Physically feel the chamber to confirm it is empty. Most AK variants have no bolt hold-open, so you will need to hold the bolt back yourself.
   Warning: Without a bolt hold-open, the bolt slams forward when you let go. Keep fingers clear.
6. Ease the bolt forward and remove all live ammunition from the work area.

2. Disassemble

Field Strip

1. Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure.
2. Press in the recoil spring guide rod tab that protrudes through the rear of the dust cover.
   Tip: On some rifles the tab is stiff. Press it with a thumb or the rim of a case, not a screwdriver blade that can slip.
3. With the tab depressed, lift the rear of the dust cover up and pull it back and off.
   Warning: The recoil spring assembly is under compression behind it. Keep a hand over the rear of the receiver.
4. Push the recoil spring assembly forward to clear its seat in the rear of the receiver, then lift it up and out.
5. Pull the bolt carrier fully to the rear until it reaches the cutout in the receiver rails, then lift it up and out of the receiver.
6. Rotate the bolt to unlock it from its cam track and pull it forward out of the carrier.
7. Rotate the gas tube lever on the right side of the rear sight block upward until it stands vertical, then lift the gas tube and upper handguard up and off.
   Tip: Rifles without the AKM-style lever use a different retainer. Some Yugoslav and older patterns require a tool.
8. Stop here for routine cleaning. The trigger group, lower handguard, and barrel do not need to come off.

3. Refinish

The components the procedures above separate. Coating, masking and cure are outside this database; follow your coating system's instructions. A part the manufacturer marks "factory fit" should not be swapped or reworked.

No manufacturer statement of materials or finish is recorded. Identify each part's material before choosing prep and cure.

4. Reassemble

Reassembly

1. Set the gas tube and upper handguard back into the front trunnion recess, seat the rear onto the rear sight block, and rotate the gas tube lever down to lock it.
2. Insert the bolt into the front of the carrier and rotate it so its lug engages the cam track.
3. Set the carrier into the receiver rails with the bolt forward, engage the carrier's gas piston into the gas tube, and slide the carrier forward.
4. Set the recoil spring assembly into the carrier's rear channel and push it forward until the guide rod seats in its recess at the rear of the receiver.
5. Set the front lip of the dust cover into the rear sight block recess, then press the rear down until the recoil spring guide rod tab snaps through its hole.
   Warning: If the tab is not protruding through the dust cover, the cover will come off under recoil.
6. Cycle the action several times and perform the function check.

5. Torque

No manufacturer torque values are recorded for this firearm.

Reported by other sources — not the manufacturer

Notes: The official military manuals give no torque value. They say: "2) Исправность приклада: винты затыльника должны быть полностью завинчены, шлицы винтов очищены;" [translation by this project: "2) Condition of the butt stock: the butt-plate screws must be fully screwed in and the screw slots cleaned;"] (Наставление по стрелковому делу. 7,62-мм модернизированный автомат Калашникова (АКМ и АКМС). Издание третье, исправленное и дополненное (1970) — file nastav_akm_1970.pdf, p. 82, ст. 71) "При утопленном фиксаторе компенсатор и муфта должны легко свинчиваться со ствола." [translation by this project: "With the retainer pressed in, the compensator and the thread protector must screw easily off the barrel."] (Наставление по стрелковому делу. 7,62-мм модернизированный автомат Калашникова (АКМ и АКМС). Издание третье, исправленное и дополненное (1970) — file nastav_akm_1970.pdf, p. 85, ст. 72 (inspection of the disassembled weapon))

Fit or check on rebuild

• Function check (disconnector, safety) — The hammer spring legs and disconnector spring must be seated correctly; check that the safety blocks and the hammer resets
• Front sight/zero — Front sight and muzzle device moved for coating mean a re-zero
• Handguard and gas tube lock fit — Coating build-up makes the retainer and gas tube levers even tighter; check that they lock

6. Function check

• Verify the rifle is unloaded with no magazine inserted before each step.
• With the safety lever on SAFE, attempt to pull the charging handle fully back. Bolt travel should be restricted.
• With the safety on SAFE, press the trigger. Nothing should happen.
• Rotate the safety to FIRE, charge the rifle, and press the trigger. The hammer should fall.
• Hold the trigger back, charge the rifle, and release the trigger slowly — you should hear the disconnector click.
• Confirm the dust cover is locked down and the recoil spring tab protrudes through it.
• Confirm the magazine rocks in and locks positively.

If any check fails, the firearm is not safe to fire. Stop and see a licensed gunsmith.

Sources

1. 7.62mm Kalashnikov Modernized Assault Rifle (AKM) Operator's Manual — USSR Ministry of Defence primary
2. Operator's Manual for AK-47 Assault Rifle — U.S. Department of the Army (foreign materiel) secondary
3. MI-AKG2 Handguard Installation Instructions (Standard Length M-Lok and KeyMod Versions) — Midwest Industries, Inc. secondary
   https://midwestindustriesinc.com/content/installation-instructions/AK47-Handguard-MI-AKG2-UM-Instructions.pdf
4. MI-AK Drop In Hand Guard Installation Instructions (MI-AKMDI, MI-AKMDI-K, MI-AKMDI-M70, MI-AKMDI-M92) — Midwest Industries, Inc. secondary
   https://midwestindustriesinc.com/content/installation-instructions/AK47-Handguard-MI-AKMDI-Instructions.pdf
5. Zhukov-S AK Stock (MAG585) Installation Instructions, 072-0100-B — Magpul Industries secondary
   https://magpul.com/media/wysiwyg/Instructions/MAG585_Zhukov-S_Stock_INSRT.pdf
6. Наставление по стрелковому делу. 7,62-мм модернизированный автомат Калашникова (АКМ и АКМС). Издание третье, исправленное и дополненное (1970) — file nastav_akm_1970.pdf — Министерство обороны СССР (Воениздат), 1970 — scan hosted on archive.org primary
   https://archive.org/download/NastavLehne_AKM/nastav_akm_1970.pdf
7. Midwest Industries AK Alpha M-LOK Handguard (MI-AK-ALPHA6 / MI-AK-ALPHA10.0) — Instructions — Midwest Industries, Inc. secondary
   https://midwestindustriesinc.com/content/installation-instructions/AK-Alpha-Series-Handguard-Instructions.pdf
8. Midwest Industries AK Alpha Railed Top Cover (MI-AK-ALPHA-RTC) — Instructions — Midwest Industries, Inc. secondary
   https://midwestindustriesinc.com/content/installation-instructions/AK-Alpha-Series-Railed-Top-Cover-MI-AK-Alpha-RTC-Instructions.pdf
9. Midwest Industries AK Alpha Railed Dot Mount (MI-AK-ALPHA-RDM / MI-AK-ALPHA-T2M) — Instructions — Midwest Industries, Inc. secondary
   https://midwestindustriesinc.com/content/installation-instructions/AK-Alpha-Series-T2M-RDM-Instructions.pdf
10. 12 Hidden Features of the AK-47 Cleaning Kit — The Firearm Blog secondary
    https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2016/11/18/12-hidden-features-ak-47-cleaning-kit/
11. TFB FIELD STRIP: How To Field Strip AK Rifles And Variants Of The AKM (reader comment) — The Firearm Blog anecdotal
    https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2020/02/13/field-strip-ak-rifles-variants/
12. The Gun Digest Book of Exploded Gun Drawings (975 isometric views) - Mitchell Arms 'AK-47 Autoloading Rifle' — Gun Digest Books / Krause Publications (scan on archive.org) secondary
    https://archive.org/download/the-book-of-exploded-gun-drawings-975-isometric-views/The%20Book%20of%20Exploded%20Gun%20Drawings%20-%20975%20Isometric%20Views.pdf

Educational guide only. Some information comes from non-authoritative sources. Always consult your manufacturer's manual and a licensed gunsmith. Verify your firearm is unloaded before every procedure. Full disclaimer: https://github.com/Fundamental-build-LLC/Pew-Takedown

Legal notice: this material is third-party information compiled from sources of varying reliability and is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not gunsmithing, technical, safety or legal advice, it is not verified or endorsed by any manufacturer, and it must not be taken as fact. Any work on a firearm beyond the routine field stripping described in its own owner's manual should be performed only by a licensed and insured gunsmith. You use this material entirely at your own risk. Fundamental Build LLC and the project's contributors make no warranty of any kind and accept no liability for death, injury, damage or loss arising from its use. Full terms: LEGAL.md.