Have you finished a cold steel?

[mattcdavis]

I'm just curious! How many people have completed their coldsteel reciever builds? I am at the end of my 8 week wait(Now its eight, not six to eight) and am still anxious to get my rear section. I have single shot test fired with my homemade rear.( looks really ugly though!) New steel SOON! I hope!

[bolex]

I finished mine last year with his first "generation" receiver. The second "generation" receivers looked roughter than the one I got. So there is one.

[xano]

finnished mine last year looks and shoots great but took a lot of work.

[mattcdavis]

Thanks for the feedback I hope mine shows up any day now!

[www.Prussia.us]

MattCDavis,

If you get the Cold Steel and stick with it, it would be really great if you could chronicle it here, there was a first generation one completed but as previously noted the rumors are the quality on the subsequent runs were not as great, (allegedly someone stole the dies or something).

There are so many horror stories on the Internet about Cold Steel, so that many guys have trepidation about even considering them. For the price, if one has the requisite skills and machinery, which it seem you have, it may be a great alternative from others of higher cost for an inexpensive build. However it does not sound like a receiver for the weekend warrior, but maybe it can be.

[mattcdavis]

Well I will be finnished with week nine on thursday. I reallize there is some shipping time included but I am
starting to get frustated (just a little). I reallize it says eight weeks on his web site (already too long) so
I knew what I was getting into when I started. Anyway I will try to borrow a digital camera from my friend
(all money tied up in SA53) and chronical my build here. I have already done the bolt mod the gripstick mod
prepped my mg 3 recouperator for the semi auto block. Prepped my buffer for the mg3 recoup(kit didn't come with recoup
had to buy new one,and bolts) Built and installed front receiver repair Bushing. I have every piece initial fitted and am
now just waiting for the rear section. I am going to go email Coldsteel now! Hope he doesn't get mad. If he treats me
right and his product is even reasonable I would be more than willing to give a good review or recommend. But it sounds
like there will be considerable work to do.

[www.Prussia.us]

Indeed lots of work awaits you, however it seems you really know what you are doing and are a perfect candidate to make it work. Two of my friends who bought the Cold Steel receivers threw in the towel, they had skills, but seemingly nothing like yourself.

Your personal industry and determination is impressive, may I ask what your training/vocation is?

[bolex]

While you are waiting get all the dimensional information you can find on the receiver. The "blueprint" from coldsteel is marginal. The common re-welds have all the features on them and it is just a matter of lining the pieces up properly (not to say that isn't a hard job). There are several diamensions that are not on the standard prints floating around. Also check to see if you have all the parts you need including the buffer cams. Get the rail rivets from bil. I made the other rivets I needed so you may need to find a source for them. This isn't an AK or Cetme. Two critical features are the cam (some call a trunnion) location and the alignment of the rails to the barrel. I used the cam window left on my barrel shroud for a starting point for all the lengths. Last note, be sure to add the FA bolt block in first followed by the grip window modifications before any other machining and/or welding.

[Bil]

Send me a PM with your address and I will send you the rail rivets.They are free,all I ask is you make a donation to the site.Any amount you see fit.Thanks. ---bil

[Jason222]

One thing about the 2nd generation of cold steel receivers is that there are no reference points on them to make it easier to cut to the right length. No scribe marks not even drilled hole. What Im going to try is to get one of the rails in (need to mark and drill the holes hopefully correctly) what Ive run into is that from all the prints I can find it says that the rivet holes are 1.065 from the bottom of the rear receiver. BUT when I slide in the rail on top of the recuperator and eyeball it it doesnt line up. the odd thing is it lines up 1.065 from the TOP of the receiver. Im looking for one good reference point so i can get all the others correct Any Ideas?

[Bil]

Jason-do you have any pics? It might make it easier to help if we can see what is [or isn't] there already.Thanks. ---bil

[mattcdavis]

to answer prussia's question I am a mild mannered maintenance supervisor for a seafood outfit in the northwest. But after hours a
transformation into a mild mannered home hobby machinest (about 10 yrs now) with a healthy appitite for firearms. I cant wait to get my
reciever rear section so I can try to help out, until I see the mountain it will be imposible to climb it. camming piece and rail alignment
are fairly critical on this build. I found out quit a bit from my mock up/test receiver (two peices of 2" channel welded together) I also
welded a semi auto mod into this to avoid any unwanted grief. my 53 kit had the camming section front stops intact and this leaves
half of the camming piece window as a guide as well. As per bolex I will be sure to make my semi mods before any other fitting, I plan on
using a double block for the auto bolt blocker, and my gripstick mod will make the gripstick slot way to long for a stock gripstick. I have two
seperate sets of plans from this site and have studied the heck out of them. I also bought the buffer cam kit from rtg, Wish I had just
built them myself, both the cams and the buffer catch pivot had to be fitted. Could have saved myself some dough! All in all I think this
will be easier than the fal castings I have built. Drilling the hole for the locking shoulder is not for the meek of heart. (read as one needed
an oversize locking shoulder) or finish drill/boring the barrel hole and tapping for 1" 16tpi. Back to belt feds! Can't Wait!!!!!!!!!!

[mattcdavis]

Oh also I wanted to thank everyone for the groundbreaking work they have done! I have incorporated many of the good
ideas I have found here! I hope to be able to contribute and make someone elses build easier. I hope jason222 figures out
his delima before I get my section, been a while but could be much longer however if not I hope that by having a recent (close to his) section or section 2.0. I can help.

[Bil]

I have one of the Ordnance Solutions rail alignment tools,the earlier style.It fits in the chamber and thr rails fit on blocks pinned to the tool.I don't know if it would help in your build,but if you think so,let me know and you can borrow it. ---bil

[mattcdavis]

Thank you very much I will keep that in mind! I will try to pm about the rivets however I may just use the pan head
alan screws I tap'd the rails for in the mockup. I like the Idea of having them easily removable and replaceable.
(mine are slightly worn) I use the same size on my AK trunions with red locktite and have put lots of ammo downrange
with no loosining at all. Copied my friends flat and rails, bent and bang! I really wish I had bought a cetme kit when they were cheap.

[www.Prussia.us]

MattCDavis,

For a hobbyist machinest, I would say you are doing very well FAL castings are brutal, in fact you are farther along than builders I know that are fulltime machninests.

The FALs are pretty nice. Talk about CETME kits--I often regret that I did not buy a G1 parts kit when Tapco was practically giving them away back in the old days with 922(r) compliant parts, I was too busy trying to watch my spending

Anyone want to chime in on the efficacy of using BRP’s nut and bolt on the ’42 trunnion instead of the standard rivet? Brian seems quit knowledgeable and believes in it, I am just curious if any guys here have used it?

I am not proficient at rivets and in about a month I will have to make the choice of what to do with the rails and trunnion. Matt if you make the screws work I may just go that way myself. Now we just need Cold Steel to keep their end of the bargain and deliver.

[bolex]

I am using a nut and bolt on my cam (trunnion) instead of a rivet. I cannot see a reason to rivet this except for the looks and I have thought of using a socket head bolt and radiusing the head a little bit. The loading doesn't appear to be bad in that direction and it is a S/A so the strange contortions that a F/A would see aren't present. The bolt length is more than enought to get a proper bolt preload in it. The loading is in tension so that is a good application for a threaded fastener.

[mattcdavis]

Just got an email from Coldsteel. Seems the batch my section is in should ship late next week, maybe yours is in that batch too Prussia. I completely agree with Bolex, I will be using a bolt and self locking nut on my camming piece.(as I already am) When I had the rails in my test section I was only able to fire about 8 rounds before my tack weld on the gripstick gave out. (it was small because I didn't want to butcher my mod'd gripstick before final build) But the rail bolts seamed to work fine. The ones I use have a fairly large (diameter)rounded head and will look ok but might require some fitting or smaller heads to clear the cocking handle ratchet plate. Man I need to get a camera then figure out how to post images!

[gdmoore28]

. Man I need to get a camera then figure out how to post images!

Please do! I think we are all interested in the approach you are taking, especially with the make-shift receiver section. A good idea!

It's quite simple to post pics here. Let's see it!

GeeDeeEmm

[Jason222]

Ok heres the pics of a CS 80% that I purchased off nutrusted as he received it. (Ty Sir Quite a few so be patient. The dark stuff on top is just some old liquid blue I used to scribe the cutout on top. I would expect these to get better as they go along. And I did drill one forward rail hole based on the prints I downloaded but until I get some more comcrete ones for the rear I'll either fill it or use it.