Hello, I am looking to purchase my 1st AK reciever and I decided I would want the strongest reciever I could get. Am I correct in thinking that it's an RPK reciever? Is a Tabuk reciever the same thing or similar? I have built an AR-15 and and I'm about done with an AR-10, but have not done an AK before. I am currently finding AKs very confusing and complicated with all of the countries of origin and all the variants. However I'm sure that I will catch on quick enough. Is there a company that sells a milled RPK or Tabuk Reciever?

Thanks.

pkm is the belt fed in 762x54r. the pkm kits run about 6 to 15 grand each and are bigger than an m60. ive been into ak since the early 90s before it was popular. it was still unpatriotic and taboo to collect enemy weapons so closely back when i was deeply into it. ive seen alot come and go. what you need is an old school imported ak like sa85m etc.

if your that new to the idea id say go buy a built ak. the rpk receiver is thicker yes but its not like you would think. veprs are russian rpk rec ak but early had no chrome lining and just too heavy of a format even when shortened especially to add optics etc.

the heavier recs were needed on military chinese and yugo/serbian ak only due to chinese steel at the time of design being too brittle for russian spec akm design and yugo was too malable / opposite aka bubble gum steel. yugo steel was lacking proper alloys due to domestic steel supply being relied on from the beginning.

what you need is an imported akm like sa85m preferably pre ban. milled ak is just as durable but far heavier than needed. your never going to wear out or crush your akm if its in true russian spec. try to avoid us ak copy parts and recs as much as possible unless its all you can afford. if you do go the usa route research each and every item heavily as its a minefield of things that can go wrong or out of spec.