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Work order — RPK

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: medium.

Shop difficulty: Tier 2 of 3

AKM-pattern action, so the shop job is the AK fire-control group. The hammer and trigger pins depend on a retaining spring that must be routed exactly, and the hammer spring is strong and bites. There is no timing, and the riveted receiver and pinned barrel stay together, which keeps it at Tier 2. Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's.

Bench time: strip ~50 min, rebuild ~80 min (estimate). Actual: strip ______ rebuild ______

Special tools:

• AK fire-control slave pins or punches — Hammer and trigger pins
• AK front sight adjustment tool — If the front sight post is removed

Watch for:

• The hammer/trigger-pin retaining spring has to be routed through the right anchor points. It can sit several ways and only one is right, so the group has to be refitted and checked over and over. (reassembly; Ballseye's Boomers (owner blog))
• The hammer spring's legs are wrapped round the hammer to clear the pins and are under heavy tension. They spring loose while the hammer is fitted. (reassembly; Ballseye's Boomers (owner blog))

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, bolt travel is deliberately restricted and you cannot properly inspect the chamber.
3. Rock the magazine forward and out of the magazine well.
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.
   Warning: Most AK variants have no bolt hold-open, so you must hold the bolt back yourself. Keep fingers clear when you release it.
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 protruding through the rear of the dust cover.
3. Lift the rear of the dust cover up and pull it back and off.
   Warning: The recoil spring assembly is compressed behind it. Keep a hand over the rear of the receiver.
4. Push the recoil spring assembly forward to clear its seat, then lift it out.
5. Pull the bolt carrier fully rearward to the cutout in the receiver rails and lift it up and out.
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 upward until vertical, then lift the gas tube and upper handguard 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 into the front trunnion recess, seat the rear, and rotate the lever down to lock.
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 gas piston into the gas tube, and slide it forward.
4. Set the recoil spring assembly into the carrier channel and push it forward until the guide rod seats.
5. Set the front lip of the dust cover into its recess, then press the rear down until the 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.

Fit or check on rebuild

• Retaining spring seated in both pin grooves — An unlatched spring lets the trigger pin walk out.
• Dust-cover tab through the cover — Otherwise the cover comes off under recoil.
• Function check (safety, trigger reset, feeding, extraction) — Standard after any detail strip. No single source.
• Re-zero sights or scope — Sights and optics come off for coating, and point of impact must be re-confirmed. This is a standard check, so no source.

6. Function check

• Verify the rifle is unloaded with no magazine inserted before each step.
• With the safety lever on SAFE, confirm bolt travel is restricted and the trigger does nothing.
• 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 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. Small Arms Identification and Operation Guide — Eurasian Communist Countries — U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency secondary
3. AK Reassembly - It Took A Lot Of Wriggling — Ballseye's Boomers (owner blog) anecdotal
   https://ballseyesboomers.blogspot.com/2012/04/ak-reassembly-it-took-lot-of-wriggling.html

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.