February 03, 2012
By George Spafford
George Spafford is building a replica of the Yugo M70B rifle using a stub parts kit. This installment finishes the series
Polishing the Bolt and the Final Product
Polish the bolt carrier with a buffing wheel to restore its shine.
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The M70's bolt carrier is chrome-plated. If you thoroughly degrease it, a buffing wheel can be used to polish the bolt to the point it looks like new. I have a series of buffing compounds and used medium grit and a soft wheel on my 6-inch polisher followed by a fine grit to really bring the bolt carrier's shine back to life on my rifle.
Was it Worth It?
It's not a pure Yugo M70B1 but it's close. The rifle was fun to build and I really like the feel of it. I'm sure accuracy will continue to improve as we get to know each other. I've taken it to the range several times now and must say that it is a very enjoyable rifle to shoot. I'll let you decide on whether you like it or not. That's the great thing about building a rifle — you have tons of options and what you do and how you do it is entirely up to you.
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As I already owned all the tools, the investment was only $380 for the parts and materials I used to build the rifle. Would I do it again? Definitely! Just look at the results.
Completed hybrid M70B1
The finished hybrid M70B1 next to a custom Romanian G Series AIM/PM63 with K-VAR furniture and Deavis sling. Today, there are tons of options for people building or customizing AK-type rifles.
Conclusion
The Yugoslav M70 family of rifles is a very interesting part of history. Even though my rifle isn't 100% authentic, it was a fun rifle to build and shoot. It's now nine months and several hundred rounds later, and the rifle is holding up just fine. Not one screw has come loose and there hasn't been one failure to feed or eject. Regardless, I'll keep an eye on the screws going forward and recommend that to anyone else using this method.
The approach outlined in this article is just one method of assembly. Regardless of the method you choose, take the time to research how you will do your "build" and then take your time to do it right. The end result will be your own hybrid version of a M70B1 that you, your family and friends can enjoy.
