PSL Barrel / Trunion

I'm kinda new to the AK world all together but just recently I got interested and I find them fascinating. I used to think they were commie junk until I finally bought one. Now I'm sorry I didn't get interested sooner.

I'm a newbie to this forum and this question has probably been answered before but here goes.

I just bought a PSL kit and I'm looking at receivers. I watched a 5 part video on you tube demonstrating how to build a PSL. I guess I'm missing something but why does the barrel have to be separated from the front trunion before the trunion is riveted in the receiver? Why can't the barrel in the trunion be riveted in place

The answer may be obvious but the reason escapes me.

I'm curious also.

Short answer––you don't have to.

That's what I thought. It seems to me if it's already together properly then it should be left alone and mounted in the receiver in one piece.
Thanks.

Many PSL had incorrect headspace from factory and need to be checked before use. Many need an oversize pin after redrilling the barrel pin hole to correct HS. Most of the kits around have suffered from this and are why they are in kit form. Replacing the entire Barrel ass'y into a new receiver will still maintain the original incorrect HS and create an unsafe firing condition...IE blown up rifle.

But how would separating the barrel from the trunion and then pinning them back together correct anything? I can see removing the barrel once everything is assembled and the head space is checked and found to need adjustment.

How does one set the rivets with the barrel in place? Do you propose to use the barrel as a bucking bar?
If so, how do you know that the rivets are set properly?
The only correct way to assemble the rifle is to remove the barrel, set the rivets and reinstall the barrel, checking (and if necessary adjusting) the headspace before replacing the barrel pin.

I don't have my receiver yet but it's been ordered so I can't see what I'm dealing with yet. Don't the rivets go all the way through the front trunnion to the other side? If that's not the case then I understand why the barrel should be separated and the trunnion installed first.

You have to remove the barrel from the trunion to be able to set the upper rivets thru the receiver to the inside of the trunion. The lower rivet goes completely thru the receiver & is set externally. The mag well rivets are the most accessable of the trunion rivets. Once the rivets are all properly set, you can press the barrel back into the receiver/trunion assembly to check the headspace & repin the barrel. Any other way will cause you problems down the road, causing you to have to take the entire front end of the rifle apart to fix what came loose!

Now that I have my receiver, I see exactly how it all goes together. I will have to fabricate a few tools to make this easier. Thanks.

Copyright © 1996 - 2013 :: AR15.Com LLC :: All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.