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Posted: 3/16/2026 11:41:42 PM EDT
 not another psa review Seriously. It is absolutely ridiculous PSA is not using the correct rivets and dimpling receivers. |
Elite Soviet Democrat
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Here's some of M13's welding work on my NHM-90. With this level of craftsmanship out of his own shop, I don't know why anyone listens to what he has to say about other shops' AK build quality. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By MudEagle: Here's some of M13's welding work on my NHM-90. With this level of craftsmanship out of his own shop, I don't know why anyone listens to what he has to say about other shops' AK build quality. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/470117/M13_s_great_welds_on_my_NHM-90_png-3730960.JPG Ooof, I've actually been impressed with the PSA build quality. |
| Yeah I had to send my gun from them to Zach Schaffer to fix it. The threads weren’t concentric, the gas port was huge and the magazine well wasn’t even centered. They’re terrible and it kinda makes me angry that they’re hyped so hard because I wasted a lot of money and a year of my life just trying to get a decent rifle because of them. |
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Originally Posted By MudEagle: Here's some of M13's welding work on my NHM-90. With this level of craftsmanship out of his own shop, I don't know why anyone listens to what he has to say about other shops' AK build quality. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/470117/M13_s_great_welds_on_my_NHM-90_png-3730960.JPG Pack it up. Shut it down, boys. If this is the quality that M13 is putting out, I don't think their opinion on building AKs much matters. |
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Originally Posted By MudEagle: Here's some of M13's welding work on my NHM-90. With this level of craftsmanship out of his own shop, I don't know why anyone listens to what he has to say about other shops' AK build quality. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/470117/M13_s_great_welds_on_my_NHM-90_png-3730960.JPG Boom! Headshot! I've wanted an AK for awhile now and have been on the fence about whether to buy a kit and send it off to be built or just order a PSA rifle. Things like this make me just want go with the PSA easy button. There doesn't seem to be much difference in price. |
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Originally Posted By themao:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ-H7aZ6EoYSeriously. It is absolutely ridiculous PSA is not using the correct rivets and dimpling receivers. This is what I don't understand, when Waffenwerks/DDI, Century RAS/VSKA, IO, etc etc etc, all did their American made Kalashnikov, they used cheap materials for their core parts which resulted in failures, loss of head space, etc etc. The AK community lost all hope of an American Made AK until PSA spoke the loudest about doing it correctly. Now we got PSA who makes decent core parts (I've seen a lot of out of spec parts too), one of the best barrels, but refuses to rivet, dimple correctly, and refuses to build to caliber specific Specs, it blows my mind. They could totally dominate that entire space if they ensured proper QC. I think Jim Fuller said it the best, American Companies are out to make a profit, The USSR, CCP, etc, were all State Funded Arsenals, they didn't do it for profit, they did it for Defense. Not to mention these countries also ensure a bit of QC with severe and violent consequences for failures at an individual level, but I digress. I understand running a business to make a profit, but not at the cost of quality, and safety though. |
Bitching about correct rivets and dimpling is stupid. My GF5, 104, and AK-V are all phenomenal.  
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Originally Posted By d16man: Bitching about correct rivets and dimpling is stupid. My GF5, 104, and AK-V are all phenomenal. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/337946/1000003427-3186847.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/337946/20220929_191718-2652543.jpg Its something for the wannabe autists to reeeeeeee over. If it was actually an issue, there'd be PSAKs falling apart by now from it. They've been building that like that for coming up on a decade now. Should be right about this summer that 10 years rolls around. I got my GB2 August 2016. |
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Originally Posted By giantpune: Its something for the wannabe autists to reeeeeeee over. If it was actually an issue, there'd be PSAKs falling apart by now from it. They've been building that like that for coming up on a decade now. Should be right about this summer that 10 years rolls around. I got my GB2 August 2016. My PSA 103 lost head space after those rivets came loose at around 2-3k round mark. Same with my PSA 105. |
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Originally Posted By InfamousAK: My PSA 103 lost head space after those rivets came loose at around 2-3k round mark. Same with my PSA 105. That has been the feedback I have been receiving from end users the past 4 years. Sorry to hear about M13's issues. I was unaware. His points about riveting are correct however. It follows what I have learned from at least three other AK gunsmiths. |
Elite Soviet Democrat
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Originally Posted By themao: Sorry to hear about M13's issues. I was unaware. His points about riveting are correct however. It follows what I have learned from at least three other AK gunsmiths. That may be so, but maybe before he casts stones at others he should get his own shit together first. Klayco fellates M13 at every opportunity, so lots of AK guys think John is a top tier gunsmith. Unfortunately, his work and his customer service leave a lot -- a lot -- to be desired. |
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Originally Posted By InfamousAK: My PSA 103 lost head space after those rivets came loose at around 2-3k round mark. Same with my PSA 105. How do those rivets affect headspace? The headspace is set by the barrel, trunnion, bolt, and barrel pin. Those rivets are just holding the sheet metal onto the trunnion. You can buy already already headspaced kits that don't even have a receiver. |
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Originally Posted By themao: That has been the feedback I have been receiving from end users the past 4 years. Sorry to hear about M13's issues. I was unaware. His points about riveting are correct however. It follows what I have learned from at least three other AK gunsmiths. It falls on deaf ears. It’s a shame really because PSA could change 3 simple things and absolutely OWN every corner of the AK sphere. I had a 101 that ate firing pins. A match buddy of mine had his 102 literally grenade (this happens due to the amount of unsupported case in their 5.56 AKs) and I’ve currently got a 104 on life support. PSA needs to use the proper rivets, they need to dimple the receiver to the trunnion, and they need to use the correct parts in their 5.56. The 5.56 rifles utilize AKM sized trunnions with 74 spec thin stem bolts. It’s not a matter of if it will fail, but when. Now, to give credit where credit is due, the Krink has addressed some issues (according to one of the best builders in the country), and obviously the Sabre AK is built correctly with swell necks and dimples. It’s not fun to crap on PSA, they make a lot of cool models of AK that would be either unobtainable or prohibitively expensive otherwise. But they HAVE TO make some rolling changes. I haven’t made a follow up video on it (yet) but they “fixed” my buddies 102. He asked them if they built it back the correct way and their response was to give him a full refund  he took it, of course. They even refunded his $200 tax stamp!
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Originally Posted By Vague: Boom! Headshot! I've wanted an AK for awhile now and have been on the fence about whether to buy a kit and send it off to be built or just order a PSA rifle. Things like this make me just want go with the PSA easy button. There doesn't seem to be much difference in price. I wanted a 104 clone. I have several OG parts kit builds (from when romanian kits were 90 bucks with barrels intact, member those days?) that were done with dimples and swell necks and all the trimmings. They've been through thousands of rounds without any sort of noticeable wear of any concern. If i need AKs for SHTF type scenarios, those get the pick. I'm fortunate enough to be able to go for aesthetics and range toys now, so I ordered a GF5 AK104 barreled receiver assembly from PSA since it was less than 1/3 the price of what the few 107CRs are priced at on gunbroker. headed to the range in a little while to see what's what with it, but I can't find anything on it that concerns me. /shrug If memory serves a famous youtube clickbaiter did a 5k-round test i believe on a gf5 and it was fine. I don't foresee myself needing to get the barrel glowing red anytime soon, but even if there's an issue i'm well equipped with all the tooling and rivets to rebuild it m'self. 
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Originally Posted By giantpune: How do those rivets affect headspace? The headspace is set by the barrel, trunnion, bolt, and barrel pin. Those rivets are just holding the sheet metal onto the trunnion. You can buy already already headspaced kits that don't even have a receiver. Because such kits assumes you have an appropriately mated receiver to the trunnion. The bolt’s ability to cycle and make it to the trunnion/chamber depends upon the bolt carrier riding on the receiver rails. When the receiver is not mated appropriately to the trunnion, bad things can happen, especially on an AK. |
Elite Soviet Democrat
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Originally Posted By InfamousAK: My PSA 103 lost head space after those rivets came loose at around 2-3k round mark. Same with my PSA 105. You loose headspace when the barrel moves, not when a rivet comes loose. You can make perfect headspace with a barrel, a bolt and a trunnion and nothing else. It'll also safety fire and a manual loader. The receiver literally doesn't matter in a stamped AK. I've seen guys go thousands of rounds with screw builds and not have a single issue. Hell, I've seen welded builds go thousands of rounds without issue. Almost like the rivet doesn't matter any further than holding the trunnion into the receiver. |
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Originally Posted By themao: Because such kits assumes you have an appropriately mated receiver to the trunnion. The bolt’s ability to cycle and make it to the trunnion/chamber depends upon the bolt carrier riding on the receiver rails. When the receiver is not mated appropriately to the trunnion, bad things can happen, especially on an AK. That isn't headspace. Maybe a class on how to check headspace and what it is is on order. Without a safety sear (the infamous 3rd pin) an AK can fire OOB. That's to the AFT it's a feature, not a flaw. |
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Yeah rivets have nothing to do with headspace, zero. If your trunnion is so loose that the bolt can’t jump to the trunnion rails, something was seriously built wrong, but a swell neck will help keep that from happening with heavy use. All the swell neck rivets do is help lock down the sheet metal into the front trunnion. AKM’s use just one swell neck rivet per side on the front trunnion, while a -74 uses 2 per side. Seems like the Soviets thought it was important. But it does cause extra build time, both to machine the trunnion and to crunch the sheet metal into the rivet hole. Does PSA even machine their trunnions with holes compatible with swell necks? I kind of doubt it, but have never taken one apart. The worst thing would be to use straight rivets in a trunnion hole made for a swell neck, leaving a really poor connection… |
a loaded gun won’t set you free, so you say…
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OMG…actually watched the video. PSA is machining all 6 of the trunnion holes for swell necks, but then using standard rivets? That is a serious WTF! That makes the connection weaker than a correct swell neck rivet. It also makes it weaker than standard rivet connection like an AKM uses 4 of in a front trunnion! Literally the worst way to do things, and probably the most likely to have damage (egging) to the sheet metal over heavy use. PSA is literally leaving an air gap in their rivet connection. This essentially makes it a screw build for how effective it is. Now don’t get me wrong, screw builds actually are pretty damned good, but proper riveting is better… |
a loaded gun won’t set you free, so you say…
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Originally Posted By MudEagle: Here's some of M13's welding work on my NHM-90. With this level of craftsmanship out of his own shop, I don't know why anyone listens to what he has to say about other shops' AK build quality. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/470117/M13_s_great_welds_on_my_NHM-90_png-3730960.JPG Yeah that is pretty pathetic. Seems like someone failed to know their own limitations! (Like most “gunsmiths”). Doesn’t make him wrong about PSA doing their riveting in the most illogical way possible though… |
a loaded gun won’t set you free, so you say…
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I can never get a PSA to the point of failure that I can deem it an absolute piece of junk just from ammo cost and the amount of stuff I shoot. The akv and dagger I got up there. They both broke relatively quick but the akv I abused pretty good and new parts got it back in the game. I don't shoot enough to get the hate but shoot enough to know there are worse options for more money. Ammo prices have made buying cheap PSA guns obsolete for me now but I still have a bunch and they work still. |
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Originally Posted By Deerhurst: That isn't headspace. Maybe a class on how to check headspace and what it is is on order. Without a safety sear (the infamous 3rd pin) an AK can fire OOB. That's to the AFT it's a feature, not a flaw. "Headspace is the distance measured from the bolt face to the portion of the chamber restricting the cartridge from further forward movement" https://criterionbarrels.com/media/what-is-headspace-and-why-should-it-be-checked/?v=0b3b97fa6688 "The distance from the face of the closed breech of a firearm to the surface in the chamber on which the cartridge case seats. 1. BELT: A type of chamber design in which the cartridge seats in the chamber on an enlarged band ahead of the extractor groove of the cartridge body. 2. MOUTH: A type of chamber design in which the cartridge seats in the chamber on the mouth of the cartridge case. 3. RIMLESS: A type of chamber design in which the cartridge seats in the chamber on the shoulder of the cartridge case. 4. RIMMED: A type of chamber design in which the cartridge seats in the chamber on the rim or flange of the cartridge case." https://saami.org/glossary/headspace/ When your trunnion wiggles around relative to the stamped steel receiver due to inappropriate riveting, all bets are off the bolt will close home correctly on the cartridge. The barrel is pinned to the trunnion, and the relation of the trunnion to the receiver will change with inappropriate use and riveting. Headspace is bedsides the point though when the gun shakes itself apart to the point where it will no longer cycle, but it does create a dangerous situation. I have seen and heard of this happening on several PSA AK variants after 2000-3000 rounds, along with a few other infamous US made brands in the past. It is worse on the 5.56 variants, since the pressures are higher with the 5.56 NATO cartridge. To be frank, it's dumb to even talk about head space when you create a situation where you lose overall specifications of the design due to inappropriate assembly. It's dangerous, stupid, and inexcusable. It's every bit as bad as the Sig P320 debacle with out of spec, poorly made and designed components. |
Elite Soviet Democrat
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Originally Posted By JamesJones: I can never get a PSA to the point of failure that I can deem it an absolute piece of junk just from ammo cost and the amount of stuff I shoot. The akv and dagger I got up there. They both broke relatively quick but the akv I abused pretty good and new parts got it back in the game. I don't shoot enough to get the hate but shoot enough to know there are worse options for more money. Ammo prices have made buying cheap PSA guns obsolete for me now but I still have a bunch and they work still. There are some PSAs built appropriately or at least holding themselves together. It is not every one, but why roll the dice? These rifles are not being made appropriately. |
Elite Soviet Democrat
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Time to stop discussing headspacing as it relates to rivets- they have nothing in common. Completely different issues. Shitty rivets don’t cause headspace issues, well because they just can’t…. Headapacing issues would be soft trunnions, soft bolts, a soft barrel pin, or improperly set headspace to begin with… |
a loaded gun won’t set you free, so you say…
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Great vid. I've seen the swell neck rivet / dimple thing debated for easily the past year or so, but never really wrapped my head around it because I don't build AKs and the message generally gets lost in a debate about headspace. Is the simple version that there is a distinct possibility the gun will at some point start to come apart and potentially fire out of battery? |
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Originally Posted By Masterbeef: Great vid. I've seen the swell neck rivet / dimple thing debated for easily the past year or so, but never really wrapped my head around it because I don't build AKs and the message generally gets lost in a debate about headspace. Is the simple version that there is a distinct possibility the gun will at some point start to come apart and potentially fire out of battery? No. Not the very last part. You can cut all the rivets off and completely remove the receiver from the trunnion and it will not cause the gun to fire out of battery. |
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Thanks for dumbing it down for us simple folks. With 5.45 essentially dead and 7.62 trending to unaffordable, back in 2022 or so i picked up 105 and GF4 104 barreled receivers with the intention of finishing off what remains of the ammo stash, and would half joke id run them until they died or the ammo runs out. Sounds like part of that plan is going to work out.  Its unfortunate because they're both great shooters. Aside from having to RMA the 105 after the first 800 rounds or so, they've both been solid and aren't showing any alarming folding/peening on lugs/locking surfaces compared to what I've seen in the PSA horror stories all over the internet. Haven't had time to get out and shoot much the past coupe years but i believe the 105 sits somewhere around the 2.5k range (maybe a bit more, not real sure on that one) and the 104 is probably a bit under 2k. Roughly 5k of each caliber remain and I have more free time this year. What say the hive? Assuming its relatively inexpensive, should i consider getting them re-riveted (not necessarily by M13), or should I continue on until there's a noticeable problem? |
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Originally Posted By Masterbeef: Thanks for dumbing it down for us simple folks. With 5.45 essentially dead and 7.62 trending to unaffordable, back in 2022 or so i picked up 105 and GF4 104 barreled receivers with the intention of finishing off what remains of the ammo stash, and would half joke id run them until they died or the ammo runs out. Sounds like part of that plan is going to work out. Its unfortunate because they're both great shooters. Aside from having to RMA the 105 after the first 800 rounds or so, they've both been solid and aren't showing any alarming folding/peening on lugs/locking surfaces compared to what I've seen in the PSA horror stories all over the internet. Haven't had time to get out and shoot much the past coupe years but i believe the 105 sits somewhere around the 2.5k range (maybe a bit more, not real sure on that one) and the 104 is probably a bit under 2k. Roughly 5k of each caliber remain and I have more free time this year. What say the hive? Assuming its relatively inexpensive, should i consider getting them re-riveted (not necessarily by M13), or should I continue on until there's a noticeable problem? If it ain't fixed, don't broke it? I'd just keep shooting and if an issue arises, handle it then. Gun won't asplode if the trunnion loosens from the receiver. and you'll notice it pretty quickly if it happens.  I was considering a 300blk krink, but realized I could spend half the price on a *LOT* of brass and be able to shoot 7.62x39 for a good long time to come. So I did that instead. (plus i have three blackouts already, don't really need a fourth)
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Solid advice. The quest continues  If time allows as things progress I might start a separate thread and grab some pics of the guts whenever i take them down to clean, which generally isn't often, and maybe get a set of head space gauges if things start to look weird with the locking lugs, which I now understand is a separate issue. |
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