• SUBSCRIBE
Athlon Outdoors Supersite
Tactical Life Website
Ballistic Website
Personal Defense World Website
Skillsetmag Website
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
        • Thermal Vision
        • Night Vision
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS
No Result
View All Result
Athlon Outdoors
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
        • Thermal Vision
        • Night Vision
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS
No Result
View All Result
Athlon Outdoors Super Site
No Result
View All Result
  • TL
  • PDW
  • BM
  • Skillset
 
Welcome to GLOCKTOBER! Click here for all things GLOCK.

Stamped or Milled: Identifying AK Receivers

ShareTweetPin1
Mec-Gar’s 1911 9mm 10-Round Magazine
Tactical-LifebyTactical-Life
October 15, 2013
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter



Terminology can sometimes lose its way and, in the process, its clear meanings. Some terms are generic: The word “Krinkov,” though its origins are heavily debated, almost universally refers to an AK variant with a very short barrel. Some terms, such as “milled receiver,” reveal a lot about the manufacturing process, telling us a very specific tale about the subject gun. But whether it is by a series of misunderstandings, partially overheard conversations or creative marketing, there seems to be a lot of liberty taken with certain terms that were initially quite specific. Today I will discuss AK-47 receivers in the context of how they are manufactured, to try to shed a little light on the associated terminology.

Stamped Vs. Milled
Regardless of manufacturer, all Kalashnikov receivers have two things in common. First, they are made of steel. Second, if they have been built correctly, they have the potential to run quite well—and in my experience this has held true. The main difference between AK receivers is how they’re manufactured. Built from a steel “flat” that is drilled, bent and riveted to the front and rear trunnions for completion, stamped receivers are often between 0.4 and 0.6 inches thick—although differences on both ends of the spectrum can be found in some cases—and must be heat-treated for durability. If rails are added to a stamped receiver, then they must be welded in. Also, when the AK has an underfolding stock, the stamped receiver requires a center support plus another reinforcement plate. These provide rigidity and integrity to compensate for the stamped receiver’s lack of material compared with that of stamped receivers on full-stock AKs. Stamped receivers are finished in numerous ways, to specifications determined by each manufacturer. Milled receivers are built from a solid block of steel, where material is removed (“milled” away) to achieve the proper interior and exterior dimensions. This process allows parts that would otherwise be added to the receiver separately to be integral to it (i.e., forming one piece with the receiver). In the case of AK-type rifles, said parts include the rails and rear trunnion. Steel can start as a casting, where the metal is poured into a mold with a general shape and allowed to cool. Sometimes vacuum pressure casting is used to help minimize porosity. The steel can also be forged, in which it is compressed to force out imperfections through the process of increasing the density of the molecules. As with their stamped counterparts, milled receivers come in a wide variety of finishes.

Steel Clues
Although from a distance and to the untrained eye, stamped- and milled-receiver AKs may look very similar, there are several obvious differences between them. To identify a milled receiver, the first thing to look for is a large, horizontal, rectangular inset, above or in front of the magazine well. This inset, which can be as long as 5 inches, serves as a lightening cut to reduce the AK’s weight. Stamped receivers may or may not have dimples directly over the magazine well. These dimples act as a magazine guide and are usually over 0.1 inches deep and a bit under an inch wide. Another indicator of a stamped receiver is the presence of several visible rivets where the rails and trunnion are riveted in place (as opposed to machined into the receiver during the milling process). Triggerguards are usually riveted on the bottom of both stamped and milled receivers, so these rivets will not provide much help in identifying your receiver. However, once you remove the top cover, recoil spring, bolt and carrier, you can simply look inside where it will all be clear: Interior parts that are usually riveted or welded into the stamped receivers will be machined into the milled receiver.

Choose Your Receiver
While I won’t be entering the debate on whether a stamped or milled receiver is superior, each has some pros worth mentioning. Compared with milled receivers, stamped receivers are lighter and less expensive to manufacture and arguably have a longer life in terms of round count; also, stamped receivers have parts interchangeability with numerous parts guns, so worn parts can be replaced. As for milled receivers, they are more rigid thanks to their one-piece design and, due to their precision manufacturing, have more uniform performance; and guns with milled receivers are arguably more accurate than those with stamped receivers. Ultimately, it is the end user’s preferences that will inform his or her choice between a milled- or stamped-receiver AK-type rifle. This author has owned dozens of AKs, with both stamped and milled receivers, and all have been assistive in eating all the ammunition my budget could spare. A more important question may be who manufactured the gun or, in the case of a parts gun built on an aftermarket receiver, who assembled it? (Having seen AKs of every level of quality, I’ve found this more important than the type of receiver.) Since numerous companies in numerous countries have been manufacturing AKs for over 50 years, we are apt to see more makes than we can count, in more configurations than we can keep up with.If you stick with a well-known manufacturer, you are bound to find yourself with a gun that will outlive you, depending on the punishment you expect it to endure. (The same goes with the builders who assemble AKs from receivers.) Even in my experience as someone who does long-term endurance testing, AKs typically continue to function and perform well beyond what the manufacturer typically recommends.

A quality receiver and a quality gunsmith (or manufacturer) can replicate the legendary performance of the original factory guns. Base receivers I’ve found to work well are Ohio Ordnance Works receivers and NoDak Spud receivers. And talented gunsmiths like Krebs Custom Guns and In Range, Inc. can make those guns look and perform like they came from Mother Russia. For factory guns, Arsenal, Inc. has never disappointed or failed to exceed any expectations. If you want something a little older, the Poly-Tech rifles imported before 1989 were beautiful and functioned fantastic. There are also several “diamonds in the rough” out there, which can be found with a little research. One of the guns I tested had been abused more than any other but kept eating everything available—it was a “low-end” Maadi, manufactured in Egypt. Whatever your interest and your budget, there is certainly an AK-type gun out there for you. The important thing is knowing what is available and what the terminology actually means. I hope I have provided you with a base for your continued learning and pursuit of the AK. ★

Didn't find what you were looking for?

MOST POPULAR

300 Blackout vs 308, rifles, ammunition

300 Blackout vs 308 Win: Which Round Reigns Supreme in AR-15s?

Taurus Home Defender revolver in .410.

KA-BOOM: Here Comes the Taurus Judge Home Defender!

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

21 Best New Handguns [2023]

Police Sidearms, police duty pistols, Handguns, America's Largest Police Departments 2018

Police Sidearms: Handguns of America’s 10 Largest Departments

TRENDING

raleigh police, raleigh police biting, frederick hall, frederick hall biting

VIDEO: Belligerent Suspect Punches, Bites Raleigh Police Officers

SCCY CPX 2: Why the Sub-$300 Pistol Continues to Be So Popular

Glock 20 SF 10mm

Kalashnikov USA KS-12 ak shotguns

Kalashnikov USA KS-12, KS-12T AK Shotguns Now Shipping to Dealers

The vintage 4 X 4 Ford Bronco is a classic.

My Vintage 4X4 Is Much Cooler Than Your Fancy Electric SUV

BROWSE BY BRAND

Skillset-Logo_yellow-153x47png
Ballistic_LOGO-217x47
CH-Logo_blue-153x47
T-L-SS-stack life-47x140
PDW_CCH_LOGO-300x101
PDW-2022-Sidebyside-logo 160x30-blk
GOW LOGO x101
AF_LOGO-184x47

SPOTLIGHT

Infrasound horror movies, scary

Infrasound: The Hidden Sound That Makes Horror Movies So Unsettling

Getting a scare out of horror movie fans takes a lot more than a guy in a hockey mask murdering...

RELATED POSTS

Friday the 13th and the shooting sports

Friday the 13th and Superstition in the Shooting Sports World

...

The Watchtower Type 15M.

Watchtower Type 15M is Premium Forged and “All American Made”

...

The Heritage Tactical Rancher Carbine.

Heritage Tactical Rancher Carbine Brings the .22 LR and Mag Fun

...

Load More

TRENDING

Bear OPS Butterfly Knife

Bear OPS Butterfly Knives

Knife users who have come to depend on butterfly knives will be happy to hear that Bear OPS added eight...

The Taurus GX4 Carry.

Taurus GX4 Carry Finds the Balance Between Capacity and Carry

Taurus USA has really created quite a stir in the industry over the past few years with all the new...

Sending rounds downrange at Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous.

Best New Hunting Guns & Gear From Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous

Traveling for work lost some of the allure it brought 30 years ago. But I still look forward to the...

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

21 Best New Handguns [2023]

The NSSF SHOT Show is the premier event to get your hands on new gear. It gives us a first...

MOST POPULAR

The Mossberg MC2sc semi-auto pistol.

12 Best Micro-Compact Handguns for Concealed Carry [2022]

A thick veil of fog stood forever in front of me as I cruised down the highway at 6:30 in...

Police Sidearms, police duty pistols, Handguns, America's Largest Police Departments 2018

Police Sidearms: Handguns of America’s 10 Largest Departments

Law enforcement in the United States is in constant evolution and that includes various police sidearms. These days, law enforcement...

U.S. Secret Service adopts Glock G47

FIRST LOOK: Glock Just Very Quietly Unveiled the New Glock 47 Pistol

Tuesday afternoon we broke news that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection selected three Glock 9mm pistols as its new standard...

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

21 Best New Handguns [2023]

The NSSF SHOT Show is the premier event to get your hands on new gear. It gives us a first...

VIDEO SERIES: AT THE READY | SEASON 2

MORE VIDEOS

The Taurus GX4 Carry.

Taurus GX4 Carry Finds the Balance Between Capacity and Carry

The 21st Tec TEC47 Rifle.

The 21st Tec TEC47 AR-10 in 7.62x39mm Accepts AK Mags

HANDGUNS

Predator – M134 Minigun.

Iconic Scary Movie Guns Just in Time for Halloween

The Taurus GX4 Carry.

Taurus GX4 Carry Finds the Balance Between Capacity and Carry

The Sig Sauer P320 FCU and Custom Shop circumvent restrictive state regulations.

Sig P320 FCU and Custom Shop Overcome Restrictive State Laws

New Graphene finish.

The Taurus GX4 Micro-Compact is Now Available in Graphene

The Pedersoli Howdah.

The Pedersoli Howdah: Recreating the Howdah’s Legacy

The SK Customs Morelos.

SK Customs Morelos 1911 Heralds Generalissimo Jose Morelos

RIFLES - click to see all

The 21st Tec TEC47 Rifle.

The 21st Tec TEC47 AR-10 in 7.62x39mm Accepts AK Mags

The Watchtower Type 15M.

Watchtower Type 15M is Premium Forged and “All American Made”

The Heritage Tactical Rancher Carbine.

Heritage Tactical Rancher Carbine Brings the .22 LR and Mag Fun

The limited edition RISE Armament Topo Watchman rifle.

UPDATED: New RISE Armament Topo Watchman Limited-Edition

AMMO - click to see all

HEVI-Shot HEVI-Bismuth Upland loads.

HEVI-Shot HEVI-Bismuth Upland Expands Hunting Lineup

Ammo Storage, Survival Ammo, long term ammo storage, Prepper

Best Methods for Long-Term Ammo Storage

6 .410 Ammo Options for Home and Personal Defense.

.410 Ammo for Home Defense [2023]

.44 Magnum dirty harry

Your Guide to the .44 Magnum Cartridge

The Escort PS Youth 20-gauge shotgun.

The Escort PS Youth Shotgun is Now Available in .410 Bore

The 2022 Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous event.

Rendezvous Roundup: Guns & Gear at Athlon’s Signature Event

Magazines Available Now! Subscribe today for Home Delivery!
FREE NEWSLETTERS! Subscribe!
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • CORPORATE
  • ADVERTISE
  • EDIT DESK
No Result
View All Result
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS

© 2023 Athlon Outdoors - Premium Firearm product and industry news, reviews and magazines" .