AK-47 Basic Disassembly/Assembly

 
A note before starting:

The semi-automatic AK series weapon used for this tutorial is a Romanian-made SAR-1 AKM. There are only a couple of aftermarket accessories on this firearm, mainly its folding butt stock and pistol grip wooden forend. For basic disassembly, these features make no difference at all. Most rifles imported from Romania have a particular shepherds (or crook) hook to retain the fire control group (trigger system). This tutorial covers the Romanian shepherds hook, but other versions will be added soon (I hope). All of that being said, none of it affects basic disassembly for the AK-series weapon.
Youtube video link
 

1. Properly clear your RIFLE

Place weapon on "safe", remove the magazine, place the weapon on "fire", pull or lock the slide to the rear, visually and physically inspect the chamber to ensure no round is inserted. Release the slide.
2. REMOVE BOLT & CARRIER

Locate the button on the rear of the top cover. Push it in while lifting the top cover up and out of the receiver.
Photo of rifle with the top cover removed.
Push the recoil spring forward off of the receiver and remove it from the bolt carrier.
Grasping the charging handle, pull the bolt carrier all the way to the rear and lift the carrier up and out of the receiver.
Flip the carrier upside down as shown in the photo on the right.
Push the bolt down (it should rotate) as shown on the photo to the right.
Rotate the bolt 1/2 turn counter-clockwise and push it forward out of the bolt carrier.
Photo of all components removed thus far.
3. REMOVE THE GAS TUBE*

 

Locate the upper hand guard (gas tube) locking mechanism on the right side of the rifle. Rotate the lever clockwise until it sits at 90 degrees as shown on the right.

 

*This step is optional, but makes cleaning the gas tube out much easier.
Lift the gas tube out of the receiver.
Alrighty, you can now properly clean your AK! (Not that it really needs cleaning on a regular basis, but....) Now onto reassembly!
1. ATTACH THE GAS TUBE TO THE RECEIVER

Place the front of the gas tube, as shown on right. Ensuring that the gas tube locking lever is in a 90 degree position, drop the rear of the gas tube back into its position. You may or may not have to wiggle the lever a bit for a good fit. After the gas tube is replaced, rotate the lever counter-clockwise until it catches into its divet.

If the lever will not rotate into position, try lifting the gas block slightly while rotating the lever.
2. REPLACE BOLT/BOLT CARRIER

Rotate the bolt back into the bolt carrier in a reverse of the process listed during disassembly.

Ensure the hammer is in a lowered position. If it is not, simply push it down until it locks into the trigger. You'll hear an audible "click" when it engages.

Ensuring the bolt is fully forward, replace the carrier back onto the rails and slide it forward. A little force may be needed to push the carrier forward
Push the recoil spring back into the bolt carrier. Push the spring forward a little to ensure that it will fit properly into the rear of the receiver.
3. REPLACE THE TOP COVER

This can be a tricky one when you do it for the first couple of times. Once you have it down it shouldn't be a problem.

Locate the rim just below the rear sight as shown in the photo on the right.
Place the front of the top cover into that notch. While keeping forward pressure on the top cover, press down on the rear. It should click right into place with the button on the end of the recoil spring sticking out of the top cover.
 

Alright, everything is put back together! To go to the detailed disassembly page click here