How To Care for a Wood Romanian AK-47

The AK-47 (Avtomat Kalashnikova 47) was designed for the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov between 1944 and 1946. It first entered military service in 1947, hence the model number designation, but was not adopted as the primary firearm until 1949. As of 2010, the AK-47 is the primary rifle of nearly 70 countries and it remains the most widely used assault rifle in the world, with more AK-style rifles being manufactured than all other assault rifles combined. Many surplus AK-47s have been converted to fire strictly semi-auto for sale to the general public. Due to the design and durability of the AK-47, maintenance and care are relatively simple in comparison to the majority of other assault rifles.

Things You'll Need

  • Gun oil
  • Gun cleaning patches
  • Bore brush
  • Rags
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Instructions

    • 1

      Eject the magazine and pull the charging handle back to make sure that the rifle is not loaded. Once you have determined that the chamber is empty and the rifle is unloaded, point the rifle in a safe direction and pull the trigger. This will return the striker to resting position and allow you to safely disassemble the rifle.

    • 2

      Depress the driving spring guide button located on the rear of the upper receiver and lift the bolt cover off. The bolt cover must be removed rear end first. Once the cover has been removed, set it aside.

    • 3

      Push the driving spring guide button forward and lift it up to separate it from the receiver.

    • 4

      Pull the charging handle back to release the bolt carrier assembly and lift the assembly from the upper receiver.

    • 5

      Press the bolt forward into the carrier assembly and rotate it until it disengages from the carrier.

    • 6

      Remove the gas tube. The gas tube is located inside the upper section of the forward handgrip of the rifle. It can be removed by turning the lever located on the right side of the rear sight upward. If you are unable to lift the lever by hand, carefully use the blade of a flathead screwdriver to assist you.

    • 7

      Wipe down all parts of the rifle with a dry rag to remove any dust and debris.

    • 8

      Remove the cleaning rod from the underside of the barrel and insert a dry cleaning patch into the opening at the end of the rod. Insert the rod completely into the barrel and pull it back out. Repeat this process several times to ensure that all debris has been removed from the inside of the barrel. Once this is complete, apply a small amount of gun oil to a new patch and repeat the process.

    • 9

      Attach the bore brush to the end of the cleaning rod and insert it into the gas tube. Run the brush back and forth though the tube until all debris has been removed.

    • 10

      Apply a small amount of gun oil to all moving parts on the rifle and then wipe them clean with a rag.

    • 11

      Reassemble the rifle.

    • 12

      Apply a small amount of gun oil to a rag and wipe down all of the wood parts of the rifle. Allow the oil to soak in for several minutes and then wipe the excess oil off.

    • 13

      Perform a function check of the rifle. First, insert an empty magazine into the rifle, pull the charging handle back and release it. The bolt will lock back, indicating that the rifle is empty. Remove the magazine, pull the bolt back and release it again. This will return the bolt to the closed position. Check to make sure that the safety is not on and then squeeze the trigger. If you hear a click, your rifle is functioning correctly.