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I think I finally have this kinda, maybe sorted out on building the AA semi PPSH.
AA will modify your lower receiver, bolt and trigger assembly and will sell you the additional semi parts to install in your completed receiver.
The regulated part of these guns is the center section of the upper receiver so on all parts sets that piece is missing. At the rear of the upper receiver is the catch that releases the upper assembly so it tilts down for disassembly of the gun. As explained below, an old piece of the rear part of the receiver may or may not be in your parts set...the catch will be, but the old receiver piece that it slides on may not be.
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Most PPSH-41 sets are now torch cut thru the trunion. On the PPSH-41 parts sets, many times the old rear receiver piece is still in the receiver catch, for example, the OOW PPSH-41 parts sets have it, but, again, they are torch cut thru the trunion.
The PPSH-48 parts sets sold by Nartron http://www.luminet.net/~nartron/prod11.html have the trunions intact, but the rear receiver piece is missing, but the catch itself is included.
To complete the receiver with the parts sets, you have a couple of choices: NOTE: The vendors/suppliers listed below are for reference only, I don't advocate one over another and other vendors that can supply these parts and pieces are welcome to add their names to the list so we have as many choices as possible.
1. If the trunion IS intact you can buy an 80% upper receiver from Prexis http://www.prexis.com/sten/51.htm and weld it onto the old trunion/barrel shroud which will require only one weld. According to James, you want the Prexis upper that DOES NOT have the integral semi rail because AA provides a piece to convert the upper to semi.
2. If the trunion IS intact and you want to do a little more welding and fitting and save some money you can buy a center receiver section and template from stenparts http://www.stenparts.com/Tubes/tubes.html and the rear receiver piece still intact in the rear latch from OOW http://www.ohioordnanceworks.com/parts/ppsh-41.htm and make two welds in lieu of one. With three separate pieces (rear upper, center upper, trunion/shroud) you'll have to take extra care to get everything lined up before you weld, whereas on the Prexis upper you are only aligning two pieces.
3. If your trunion IS NOT intact then you will need to buy an 80% full length upper and a trunion from someone like coldsteel http://coldsteelsolutionsincorporated.com/css,_inc_003.htm and do a fair amount of fitting and finishing. An alternative is to buy just a trunion from coldsteel and do a fancy job of rewelding the torch cut trunion housing and pivot hole.
I just ordered one of the Nartron PPSH-48 parts sets and the rear catch with old receiver piece inside from OOW...stenparts is on my way to work so I can get the center receiver section and template from him.
James at AA says the rest of the semi conversion parts to change the upper receiver to a semi upper are in the kit he's providing.
What I don't know about is the barrel length issue to get the barrel to a legal length of 16". My plan is to permanently weld a tube onto the existing barrel and lengthen it to at least 16" and then with an extra parts set, piece two ventilated barrel shrouds together to accommodate the longer barrel. I think Sten barrels are done this way to get them to legal length, but experts can correct me.
I just sent my parts to AA for modifying so I won't see the conversion parts back for a couple of weeks or so. By the time the parts return I should at least have the barrel shroud pieced together and my parts gathered up for the upper receiver completion.
A note of caution here, if I understand correctly, AA provides the pieces necessary to permanently install in the upper receiver to prevent installation of FA parts. If BATFE regulates the sequence of build on these guns like they do the 1919 then it probably is not a good idea to fabricate the upper receiver and weld it onto the old trunion/shroud without first installing the semi conversion pieces in the upper receiver and lengthening the barrel. Obviously, if we pre-fab the upper receiver with the ejection port and charging handle notches cut and weld it onto the old trunion/barrel shroud before installing the semi pieces or lengthening the barrel, it could be installed directly onto the parts set resulting in an illegal FA...bad ju ju. I haven't seen AA's BATFE letter, but hopefully that is explained in there...if not I would hope AA includes a written statement about the build sequence just as a CYA.
Again, I have not seen the AA conversion kit and I'm sure James will jump in here with any clarifications.
I'm looking forward to building this gun and will post pics when it's done. However, I will only post a pic of the finished weapon and not any detail photos of the build or of any AA conversion parts. I also have a five gallon bucket of sand all ready to test fire a few rounds when it's completed.
AA will modify your lower receiver, bolt and trigger assembly and will sell you the additional semi parts to install in your completed receiver.
The regulated part of these guns is the center section of the upper receiver so on all parts sets that piece is missing. At the rear of the upper receiver is the catch that releases the upper assembly so it tilts down for disassembly of the gun. As explained below, an old piece of the rear part of the receiver may or may not be in your parts set...the catch will be, but the old receiver piece that it slides on may not be.
Most PPSH-41 sets are now torch cut thru the trunion. On the PPSH-41 parts sets, many times the old rear receiver piece is still in the receiver catch, for example, the OOW PPSH-41 parts sets have it, but, again, they are torch cut thru the trunion.
The PPSH-48 parts sets sold by Nartron http://www.luminet.net/~nartron/prod11.html have the trunions intact, but the rear receiver piece is missing, but the catch itself is included.
To complete the receiver with the parts sets, you have a couple of choices: NOTE: The vendors/suppliers listed below are for reference only, I don't advocate one over another and other vendors that can supply these parts and pieces are welcome to add their names to the list so we have as many choices as possible.
1. If the trunion IS intact you can buy an 80% upper receiver from Prexis http://www.prexis.com/sten/51.htm and weld it onto the old trunion/barrel shroud which will require only one weld. According to James, you want the Prexis upper that DOES NOT have the integral semi rail because AA provides a piece to convert the upper to semi.
2. If the trunion IS intact and you want to do a little more welding and fitting and save some money you can buy a center receiver section and template from stenparts http://www.stenparts.com/Tubes/tubes.html and the rear receiver piece still intact in the rear latch from OOW http://www.ohioordnanceworks.com/parts/ppsh-41.htm and make two welds in lieu of one. With three separate pieces (rear upper, center upper, trunion/shroud) you'll have to take extra care to get everything lined up before you weld, whereas on the Prexis upper you are only aligning two pieces.
3. If your trunion IS NOT intact then you will need to buy an 80% full length upper and a trunion from someone like coldsteel http://coldsteelsolutionsincorporated.com/css,_inc_003.htm and do a fair amount of fitting and finishing. An alternative is to buy just a trunion from coldsteel and do a fancy job of rewelding the torch cut trunion housing and pivot hole.
I just ordered one of the Nartron PPSH-48 parts sets and the rear catch with old receiver piece inside from OOW...stenparts is on my way to work so I can get the center receiver section and template from him.
James at AA says the rest of the semi conversion parts to change the upper receiver to a semi upper are in the kit he's providing.
What I don't know about is the barrel length issue to get the barrel to a legal length of 16". My plan is to permanently weld a tube onto the existing barrel and lengthen it to at least 16" and then with an extra parts set, piece two ventilated barrel shrouds together to accommodate the longer barrel. I think Sten barrels are done this way to get them to legal length, but experts can correct me.
I just sent my parts to AA for modifying so I won't see the conversion parts back for a couple of weeks or so. By the time the parts return I should at least have the barrel shroud pieced together and my parts gathered up for the upper receiver completion.
A note of caution here, if I understand correctly, AA provides the pieces necessary to permanently install in the upper receiver to prevent installation of FA parts. If BATFE regulates the sequence of build on these guns like they do the 1919 then it probably is not a good idea to fabricate the upper receiver and weld it onto the old trunion/shroud without first installing the semi conversion pieces in the upper receiver and lengthening the barrel. Obviously, if we pre-fab the upper receiver with the ejection port and charging handle notches cut and weld it onto the old trunion/barrel shroud before installing the semi pieces or lengthening the barrel, it could be installed directly onto the parts set resulting in an illegal FA...bad ju ju. I haven't seen AA's BATFE letter, but hopefully that is explained in there...if not I would hope AA includes a written statement about the build sequence just as a CYA.
Again, I have not seen the AA conversion kit and I'm sure James will jump in here with any clarifications.
I'm looking forward to building this gun and will post pics when it's done. However, I will only post a pic of the finished weapon and not any detail photos of the build or of any AA conversion parts. I also have a five gallon bucket of sand all ready to test fire a few rounds when it's completed.
!
