New to the AK platform

Looking for some help on a barrel change?

Is the PSA AK-P barrel pinned to the receiver? Do i need a gunsmith to remove the barrel? Can i do it myself?

Reason being, the 24mm threads dont offer much in the way of very effective brakes. I was planning on the SLR 24mm hybrid comp, but am not willing to wait the month to get one. (If you have one you'd sell, im in, 100% and problem solved

To be honest. Would rather have the lantac drakon as that is one of the most effective  brakes around. Problem is. I am putting the SLR 9" hanguard on and need an 11or 11.5" bbl with 14x1 LH threads to make that happen.

Thoughts, suggestions. Inputs?

Recs for a cheap bbl? Green mountain has an 11.5" for $125 or so...

From there...do i need to mess with the gas block too? If so, what is required?

Any suggestions for good articles for gaining some AK knowledge would be helpful too, they are just vastly different than an AR platform

Thanks!

Bueller...Bueller?

Barrel is pressed and pinned in place.  You can replace it yourself with some tools, but its not really worth the cost to buy the tools for 1 job, and its somewhat involved for somebody with no experience.  Something you should leave to a professional.

What you can do if you really wanted is have the gas block trimmed back and cut 1/2-28 or 14mm threads right on the barrel.  You can do that without having to pull the barrel from the gun.

These two used to be 24mm. Now they're not.  They were both done without pulling the barrel off the gun or the gas block off the barrel.

too easy! i'll give my smith a call on that one...thanks for the suggestion.

How much over-all length did that process take off the bbl...right now, with a 10.5" bbl...and the 9" SLR rail...its going to be close, as is, to throw that Lantac Drakon on there without muzzle blast damaging the handguard

Awesome post, thank you.

Is that 1/2X28 threading, or 14LHX1?

I assume the shoulders are squared as well?

morgan@Class3machining did them.  @eastTXhunter

Mine started off as 16" rifles and were cut back to 12.5".  I think if you did the same thing on the AK-P, you wouldn't lose any barrel length.
These ones are 1/2-28.  Morgan can probably mansplain it better.  But basically, the barrel as it is is just barely fat enough for 14mm threads.  If your bore is not dead nuts center, then there may not be enough meat for the threads.  1/2-28 are a smaller diameter, which gives you more wiggle room to compensate in case the bore is not centered in the barrel.  And yes, the shoulders are squared off.  All I did was crank down some griffin brakes on there and my suppressors mounted and aligned perfectly.