My Idea for an AK47 Bolt Hold Open-Safety Lever

[Markasaurus]

A lot of people want to be able to hold their AK bolt open at times. The common modification is simply cutting on the safety with a dremel to hold the bolt lever.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j169/marc780/Common-extended-cut.jpg

It works, it's simple and couldn't be cheaper. So what's the problem, you ask?
The AK safety lever also functions as a dust cover. Cutting a big gaping slot in the safety lever negates that function. This is not a problem for most shooters since the gun is probably getting cleaned once in a while anyway. But the point is, your safety lever/dust cover is now a safety lever/bolt hold open and that's it.

My idea involves a little bit of sheet metal work or perhaps a simple redesign of the stamping of the safety lever. Not every AK safety lever has the "shelf" stamped out at the front but my Romy WASR does.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j169/marc780/Safety-addPaint.jpg
I mean the very front part of the safety - note there are two protrusions about 1/4" that are probably meant for the thumb and forefinger to push the safety up and down.

So my idea is, why not design the stamping with the upper protrusion coming out about an additional 1/8", then an added 1/4" - 3/8" portion of the sheet metal bent up at a 90 degree angle? The illustration shows what i mean, hopefully - modification shown in red lines.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j169/marc780/Safety-addBoltLockGenius.jpg

You now have a safety/dust cover, AND bolt Hold open. Just pull back the bolt and raise the safety.

Does anyone have any opinions on this idea?

[96 SS]

I think the bolt hold open is a silly USrangenazi thing that should just be abandoned in the first place.

But your idea would seem to work.

[Grizzly16]

I think the bolt hold open is a silly USrangenazi thing that should just be abandoned in the first place.

But your idea would seem to work.

Except a few ranges require the bolt to be open/back during down times. Yes it is stupid but I had to rig up some bailing wire to hold the bolt back on mine when I zero'd it. Thankfully I have other options and won't be going back to that one.

[96 SS]

I tell em it's an AK - it doesn't lock back. If they want to verify go ahead.

It has worked everywhere I have been.

(yes - I get the point though)

[warpigM-4]

bailing wire I would asked to borrow a pen and stuck it the chamber :sarcastic:
the Newer Saigas have a BHO installed right next to the trigger that holds the bolt back buy just pushing up on it.
The problem with that was On my S-12 I had a friend that had Gorilla hands and when he shot it his big fingers would cause a jam:eek:. because it would push up and stop the bolt or slow it down

Your ideal would work or Just spend a couple of bucks on a red chamber flag and stick in it at the range

[Markasaurus]

I thought of riveting or even JB welding on a piece of metal but there just isn't enough metal to work with, without messing up the safety function or causing yet another circular scratch on the receiver.
If you were good at welding sheet metal it would be a snap to do this modification. I can't weld anything and i don't know anybody i could ask to do it. Even though it would probably work for a while, JB Weld is too ghetto and there's probably not enough metal to attach anything to anyway.

There are a couple reasons i'd like a bolt hold open - one is that sometimes you want the bolt open for cooling after dumping a few mags. The other is it makes it easier to inspect for empty chamber, and it makes it easier to insert a loaded mag if the bolt is back already. And sometimes when you haven't fired the gun in a while you might want to run a cleaning patch down the bore, and maybe inspect the bore too. It would be easier to do these things if you have a bolt hold open. But i'm not willing to cut a huge gaping dust hole in the safety just for that.

I don't know why somebody else in the whole world, filled with about 200 million AK's, did not think of this simple modification yet, and make it.

[lloydkristmas]

Many serious AK users employ weapons with enhanced/modified safety levers, and the 'huge' hole cut-out doesnt seem to negatively affect function or reliability.

[96 SS]

And if you want to run a patch - cover and carrier come out in 5 seconds . . .

[Aries144]

I think he's got a point. Though I'm not so worried about having bolt hold-open as I am not having a gaping hole in my receiver just above my trigger parts.

I wish Krebs or someone made a version without the hole.

If I need to hold the bolt open, I just prop it open with a spent case. Problem solved.

[KalashniKEV]

Same as everyone else...


A lot of people want to be able to hold their AK bolt open at times.

Why would I want my bolt to be open? It's not like there's a last round BHO, or even a release.

Close that thing!

[SteyrAUG]

I just drop a spent case in the opening to hold the bolt back.

[Gunfixr]

The hole won't be a big deal.
The guys that get their AKs converted over to a left side charging handle have a big slot running almost the full length of the dust cover, and I've seen pics of such guns on the middle of a class, covered in mud, and the thing still running.
That little hole in the safety won't hurt a thing.

Hell, it's an AK, a little dirt just helps scrape out the carbon.

[96 SS]

The guys that get their AKs converted over to a left side charging handle have a big slot running almost the full length of the dust cover

Sorry - but willingly opening up your rifle action that way is one short of idiotic. You would never mill an open slot on your AR or FAL - rediculous.

[KalashniKEV]

Hell, it's an AK, a little dirt just helps scrape out the carbon.

AKs, 240s, and FALs will crunch sand all day... until they don't.

No matter how robust a firearms operating mechanism is, introducing foreign debris into the action is not good. If compromising the integrity of a proven design will give me super accuracy or blazing speed, I'll consider it... for a moment... and then probably not do it.

If we're talking about compromising the integrity of the design because we're afraid the Range Nazi shouting, "Clear on the Left??? HEY, ACTIONS OPEN... MOHAMMED! I CAN'T SEE THAT STEEL CASE! REACH DOWN AND GRAB SOME AMERICAN BRASS! GET AN M1A! THE RANGE IS COLD LIKE MY McDONALD's MILKSHAKE!!!"

...well then I'd find a new place to shoot and not cut up my selector.

That's just me though.

[SteyrAUG]

Sorry - but willingly opening up your rifle action that way is one short of idiotic. You would never mill an open slot on your AR or FAL - rediculous.


To me all this stuff is gimicky.

It's so easy to can't your rifle 45 degrees and do an over the top left handed "Galil" charge and it's so easy to pick up a spent case to hold your bolt open there is no reason for slotted top covers with left handed bolts and tabs on your safety selector.

If I was going to modify anything, I would put some kind of plastic foot on the rear of the safety selector so that it glides a little easier and with less noise. Of course you could accomplish the same with a few wraps of fishing line.

Of course it's hard to sell the above ideas on the internet.

[mashed68]

Its an ak- dust getting in where you dremel a hole to hold the bolt back is not a concern of mine.