Jim Fuller is fool that loves the smell of his own farts. Fuller and Krebs both are riding the boutique market hard. Krebs has done a lot for builders though, Fuller is more an opportunist. I’m glad you aren’t diving in for a smell of his farts too! He did release a video showing his “dehorning” process, it’s the same shit most AK guys do to clean up their builds. Military factories (like Arsenal, Zastava, Cugir) don’t do it because they primarily build rifles for soldiers, the civilian market is secondary. The stuff those guys (boutique builders) do can be done by most folks with the tools and the time to learn. There’s no magic involved... I’m going to just answer your question and stop rambling about Fuller, sorry.
There are some nice kits coming from WBP Poland. It is new production and it looks promising. There are still some Tula kits floating around, but you’d be paying more for the history than function. The Romanian and Yugo stuff is always available. Arms of America, Atlantic Firearms, Apex, AK builder, and what-a-country are all pretty good for sourcing kits. A lot of it depends on what tickles your fancy. Sidefolders seem like all the rage now, along with FSB/gasblock combos. Beryl kits will allow for a more modernized Kalash build off the jump. I’ll attempt to include a link...
https://www.atlanticfirearms.com/co...e-ak47-diy-sbr-ready-kit-detail.html?Itemid=0
And...
https://www.atlanticfirearms.com/co...-mid-length-ak47-diy-kit-detail.html?Itemid=0
Something to consider with receivers... Nodak Spud sources from Morrissey. Many will claim the NDS receivers are built to a higher standard than what Morrissey puts out for themselves, but that is simply speculation. It has been confirmed factually that they do source from them. As far as building tools, anything you don’t already have in you garage check Toth Tool to compensate. You could build in your kitchen using only toth tools and AK builder tools if you wanted to get creative! The rivet smasher made from a bolt cutter (by changing out the jaws) is pure genius.
*Also, I don’t want to scare anyone away from quality factory rifles. It just hurts my old heart knowing an Arsenal will run you half again what a good AR will. It feels like the
entirety of the AK market has turned into a
boutique market. It’s not a great time to dive into Kalash types. But the rifles built by factories that produce for warriors the world over should serve most folks well enough. I’d hate to think I discouraged anyone from falling in love with Kalashnikovs. I caught the bug hard some years back and felt like I missed the golden age, I just couldn’t imagine trying to dive in now in the current market
.