Bengland
Need opinions with my Maadi ARM.
Attachments
when I bought mine, NIB at a gunshow back in 94, the first first thing I did after coming home with it was to look through the SHOTGUN NEWS and bought a Soviet laminated stock set that came with a pistol grip from GLOBAL .
when it came in I was a happy camper it was brand new still wrapped in the factory packing paper, it went on "like butter"
then I threw away the MADDI stock.............the next thing I did was to cut the spot welds on the muzzle protector bought a slant compensator and screwed it on.
then I had it refinish.......the finish on yours looks 1,000 times better then what mine was, it looked like Ali took a rattle spray paint can and spray painted it during a sand storm
after doing all that, she looks like she's suppose to
![Image]()
when it came in I was a happy camper it was brand new still wrapped in the factory packing paper, it went on "like butter"
then I threw away the MADDI stock.............the next thing I did was to cut the spot welds on the muzzle protector bought a slant compensator and screwed it on.then I had it refinish.......the finish on yours looks 1,000 times better then what mine was, it looked like Ali took a rattle spray paint can and spray painted it during a sand storm
after doing all that, she looks like she's suppose to
Some Egyptian accessories., unique color., 3 cell canvas ammo pouch and somewhat rough finish work.
The magazines have distinctive oval-ish deep spot welds on the rear latch area., and haphazard painted finish.
The white plastic oil bottle is unique.
The bayonets were with brown or blue/black handle panels as were the pistol grips in both colors.
![3841073]( "3841073")
![3841074]( "3841074")
![3841075]( "3841075")
![3841076]( "3841076")
![3841077]( "3841077")
![3841078]( "3841078")
![3841079]( "3841079")
![3841080]( "3841080")
The magazines have distinctive oval-ish deep spot welds on the rear latch area., and haphazard painted finish.
The white plastic oil bottle is unique.
The bayonets were with brown or blue/black handle panels as were the pistol grips in both colors.
I used a Romanian buttstock on mine because I couldn't find an Egyptian. They are hard to find anymore. The crutch folders are easier to find than the wood but are expensive.
Before:
![3841243]( "3841243")
After:
![3841244]( "3841244")
![3841246]( "3841246")
The threads looked perfect under the tac welded cap.
![3841245]( "3841245")
Before:
After:
The threads looked perfect under the tac welded cap.
while we are speaking of MAADIs............a couple years after buying my ARM I came across a MAADI RPM with folding bipod at a gun show. believe it was the same show I bought my ARM
at the time there were no RPK parts kit, the closest RPK around were the Chinese NHM 90. but they were pricy and I didn't want to spend that kind of money for one........so when I saw this RPM thought to myself, "self I can make that into a faux RPK", and the price was right for me to do that
so off to the SHOTGUN NEWS I went and found a Soviet RPK stock set, again it was brand spanking new.
the stock and upper handguards went on with no problem............the lower handhand gun didn't. I had to tweak it, by shaving off the wood where the handguard retainer went on, RPKs have a larger handguard retainer then the AKM, but a half hour or so got it to fit a AKM retainer
I didn't need to refinish the metal on this one, it looked pretty decent
and of course I just had to buy a 75 round soviet for it with the drum cover for it
![Image]()
at the time there were no RPK parts kit, the closest RPK around were the Chinese NHM 90. but they were pricy and I didn't want to spend that kind of money for one........so when I saw this RPM thought to myself, "self I can make that into a faux RPK", and the price was right for me to do that
so off to the SHOTGUN NEWS I went and found a Soviet RPK stock set, again it was brand spanking new.
the stock and upper handguards went on with no problem............the lower handhand gun didn't. I had to tweak it, by shaving off the wood where the handguard retainer went on, RPKs have a larger handguard retainer then the AKM, but a half hour or so got it to fit a AKM retainer
I didn't need to refinish the metal on this one, it looked pretty decent
and of course I just had to buy a 75 round soviet for it with the drum cover for it
can't really tell from those pictures
easy way to tell, is there a pin that sticks out of the front of the front sight, that you can press in and when you let go it pops out?
easy way to tell, is there a pin that sticks out of the front of the front sight, that you can press in and when you let go it pops out?
I debanned one of these about 6 years ago. Fairly easy to do with cautious Dremel work. Mine was threades underneath and the retaining pin and spring present.
At the time the buttstock was made of unobtainium, so also used a laminate Romanian one, and a black Maddi pistol grip. I think I still have the wierd green sling somewhere. The demill om the bayonet lug was so bad, I could still attach a bayonet. Sold it last year for a thousand bux to a kid that wanted a 'real' AK versus a kit build.I has just gottem a NIB Hungarian SA2000 and converted it to double stack.
You will like the Maddi, fun rifles, not pretty, but work first time, every time.
At the time the buttstock was made of unobtainium, so also used a laminate Romanian one, and a black Maddi pistol grip. I think I still have the wierd green sling somewhere. The demill om the bayonet lug was so bad, I could still attach a bayonet. Sold it last year for a thousand bux to a kid that wanted a 'real' AK versus a kit build.I has just gottem a NIB Hungarian SA2000 and converted it to double stack.
You will like the Maddi, fun rifles, not pretty, but work first time, every time.
My Maadi made the same restoration trip as SfcRet's did.
Unfortunately, when I removed the muzzle nut, the factory reverse threads had been ground off. CNC Warrior has a good selection of slant brakes of different internal diameters and right/left hand thread options, if your Baby suffered "thread removal".
I used a laminated Romanian to replace the thumbhole stock.
Bayonet lug shoulders were ground down but I didn't attempt to restore them.
Best of luck with your restoration efforts.
Unfortunately, when I removed the muzzle nut, the factory reverse threads had been ground off. CNC Warrior has a good selection of slant brakes of different internal diameters and right/left hand thread options, if your Baby suffered "thread removal".
I used a laminated Romanian to replace the thumbhole stock.
Bayonet lug shoulders were ground down but I didn't attempt to restore them.
Best of luck with your restoration efforts.
Maadi restoration parts have gotten more expensive.
But Egyptian bayonets, gas blocks with lugs intact, magazines, pouches, magazines and furniture do show up.
Even the Maadi crutch style folding stock.
Refinishing a Maadi with a rattle can paint that duplicates the non durable and somewhat less than perfect finish., is a pretty simple home project.
Much easier than bluing or a durable and more refined finish found on most combloc AK's.
Likewise the Maadi furniture is rougher in fit and finish than most other AKM types.
The Maadi is a good example of an AKM.
The story of it being closest to Russian is kind of a legend that was true 40 yeas ago when the only other US imports were Chinese and Hungarian and a few Yugoslavian AK's that have more differences from the Russian AKM pattern.
The Maadi production on Russian equipment is not much different than the euro combloc countries that also received USSR aid and tooling and parts for production.
The Egyptian manufacturing was more crude as their history of firearm production was not on par with the centuries old euro countries such as Poland, Yugoslavia, Hungary and Romania.
An Egyptian Maadi is a good and functional example of the AKM design that originated in the USSR in 1959. And spread widely to other countries in the 60's 70's and later.
But Egyptian bayonets, gas blocks with lugs intact, magazines, pouches, magazines and furniture do show up.
Even the Maadi crutch style folding stock.
Refinishing a Maadi with a rattle can paint that duplicates the non durable and somewhat less than perfect finish., is a pretty simple home project.
Much easier than bluing or a durable and more refined finish found on most combloc AK's.
Likewise the Maadi furniture is rougher in fit and finish than most other AKM types.
The Maadi is a good example of an AKM.
The story of it being closest to Russian is kind of a legend that was true 40 yeas ago when the only other US imports were Chinese and Hungarian and a few Yugoslavian AK's that have more differences from the Russian AKM pattern.
The Maadi production on Russian equipment is not much different than the euro combloc countries that also received USSR aid and tooling and parts for production.
The Egyptian manufacturing was more crude as their history of firearm production was not on par with the centuries old euro countries such as Poland, Yugoslavia, Hungary and Romania.
An Egyptian Maadi is a good and functional example of the AKM design that originated in the USSR in 1959. And spread widely to other countries in the 60's 70's and later.
forgot to add, I also had to buy a spring for the muzzle retainer pin, I think the pin was still in the front sight, but it's been 27 years, maybe I had to also buy the pin as well.
Bengland do you see the retainer pin in your front sight?
Bengland do you see the retainer pin in your front sight?
Egyptian parts and kits came into the USA at various times.
After the ban period imports of the assembled Maadi AK's.
In the past 10 years a couple of groups of imports made it to the USA.
They were from the Yugoslavian/Balkans War., imported to the USA from Serbia.
Copes, Coles and Arms of America and others offered them.
Entire parts kits with no barrel were a mix of non matching or matching serial numbers.
Laminate stocks or the crutch folders.
Some had Egyptian marked rear sight blocks and sight ladders.
$169-$199 for the kits and then the prices climbed as ARM and RML and other Maadi owners bought the parts to de- ban their rifles.
Pouches, bayonets and mags were available at reasonable prices.
But as with many parts and kits the prices climbed and the supply dwindled.
An example of a Imported Maadi kit.
Disassembled in Serbia and shipped in a clear heavy plastic bag with a Serbian language list of the parts contents.
A few of the parts from the kit shown are the crutch folder, trunion markings, rear sight block markings and sight ladder markings.
![3841173]( "3841173")
![3841174]( "3841174")
![3841175]( "3841175")
After the ban period imports of the assembled Maadi AK's.
In the past 10 years a couple of groups of imports made it to the USA.
They were from the Yugoslavian/Balkans War., imported to the USA from Serbia.
Copes, Coles and Arms of America and others offered them.
Entire parts kits with no barrel were a mix of non matching or matching serial numbers.
Laminate stocks or the crutch folders.
Some had Egyptian marked rear sight blocks and sight ladders.
$169-$199 for the kits and then the prices climbed as ARM and RML and other Maadi owners bought the parts to de- ban their rifles.
Pouches, bayonets and mags were available at reasonable prices.
But as with many parts and kits the prices climbed and the supply dwindled.
An example of a Imported Maadi kit.
Disassembled in Serbia and shipped in a clear heavy plastic bag with a Serbian language list of the parts contents.
A few of the parts from the kit shown are the crutch folder, trunion markings, rear sight block markings and sight ladder markings.
yeah you have the pin in there..........all you need to do is buy a detent spring..... they come with the pin, which you wont need, but if I recall no one sold them with just a spring, they came as a set
PLUNGER PIN AND SPRING FOR AK-47 (desertfoxsales.com)
then all you need to do to install it is punch out the front pin on the front sight, turn the gun upside down shake the gun the pin should fall out...........I'll tell you mine didn't so I put a tiny drill bit in my drill, drilled into front of the pin then when it went it in quite a bit, I stopped drilling and just pulled the drill bit out and the pin followed ...........then put the spring in followed by the detent pin then push the pin in where the notch will line up so the front sight pin can go through it, and hammer it in
PLUNGER PIN AND SPRING FOR AK-47 (desertfoxsales.com)
then all you need to do to install it is punch out the front pin on the front sight, turn the gun upside down shake the gun the pin should fall out...........I'll tell you mine didn't so I put a tiny drill bit in my drill, drilled into front of the pin then when it went it in quite a bit, I stopped drilling and just pulled the drill bit out and the pin followed ...........then put the spring in followed by the detent pin then push the pin in where the notch will line up so the front sight pin can go through it, and hammer it in
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