Historically
authentic recreations of
the AK family of rifles
Ted
Marshall
Marshall Arms in
Tucson, AZ
Master Craftsman, Historian,
AK Manufacturer
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Ted
Marshall's reputation as the premier AK builder
and AK gunsmith proceed him in collectors circles.
When you meet Ted for the first time, you notice
he's a polite and quiet person, until the subject
of AK47s comes around. at that point you would
do best to get a pen to take some notes, because
you're about to learn something.
If
you have shot the AK47 you know it's unique design
creates it's own 'feel' when it shoots. If
you've become "hooked" on the AK47 like
I have, watch out. Some of us go beyond the mere
pleasure of shooting the AK47 and delve into the
never ending quest to collect the accurate parts
to eventually build the ultimate historical recreation
of our favorite version of the AK47
When
you get to that point you are paying more for an
upper handguard than most people pay for whole
rifles. You're traveling 2 days out of your way
to visit a shop in a town that you heard might
have the magazine pouch you need to hold the mags
for that rifle. When you reach this point you look
to just one person to build the rifle, Ted Marshall
Living
in Tucson where Ted Marshall creates his rifles,
I've had the opportunity to meet and talk with
Ted at gun shows for years now. And as fellow "AK
Nuts " when
we talk the subject undoubtedly gets around to
AK47s, parts, new builds and techniques.
Ted Marshall visits Izhevsk, Russia for
the 85th Kalashnikov Jubilee!
November 10th, 2004
Ted's
love of the AK47 rifle goes beyond buying
one off the shelf, past building a working
rile from a parts kit, to include doing historical
research, visiting the countries and factories
where the AK47s were built, through to building
his own tools to recreate every aspect of those
original firearms.
Ted
has met with M. Kalashnikov a number
of times, few people, let alone AK47 manufacturers
can claim that honor. Ted's through knowledge
of his rifle has impressed Kalashnikov who
is happy to know his rifle is now being appreciated
in the United States by a devoted following
of collectors.
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Photo by Y.
Harrington
Happy Birthday Mikhail
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Chinese transferable AK to
Russian AKSU conversion
(5.45X39mm cal) |
All of Ted's
rifles are built within the laws of the US,
AZ and the state of the customer. The
Federal
Firearms laws
pertaining to the number of US made parts
is one of the most challenging aspects of
building an authentic recreation. Ted is
a master of modifying the legal US made parts
into exact replicas of the real thing.
Anyone
could build a quality military rifle if
there were no federal laws, we'd just buy
the rifles whole. The real art is getting
the US parts for the AK47 to look like the
originals they are copied from to the highest
detail.
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Marshall Arms Project Overview:
1957 Izhmash Type III AK-47 (Ekie)
This was a four year project, a friend
and I got our receivers at the same time,
then we sent them to Ted Marshall, next
they went back to the Firing Line for assembly.
Had some custom machining done on mine |
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The
rifles is a 1957 (educated guess) Izhmash
Type III AK-47 kit on a threaded Firing
Line receiver. Rifle was originally purchased
by Bulgaria prior to the Bulgarians producing
their own. These differ from others Izhmash
rifles in the bayonet serial number engraving
is different, and they typically had
Bulgarian wood on them. Bulgaria sold
their rifles as surplus and FAC ended
up with a large number of them as kits.
In the mix were a few Russians. I know
of three that turned up, this one that "MO" found
at a gun show, and two others that pinetop
got from FAC direct (pure luck). |
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Ted Marshall did the engraving, the riveting
of the pistol grip screw block do dad and
the trigger guard, swapped the feed ramp
out for a Russian one, and installed the
side swivel. The Firing Line then timed
and headspaced the barrel, and cut the
receiver so that the bolt carrier stopped
on the correct side (right). The receiver
was blued by Anderson Gun, Springfield,
MO. Guards and grip were new replacements
from Tantal, buttstock was a beater that
Z-recto refinished to match. |
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Marshall Arms Project Overview:
1957 Izhmash Type III AK-47 (Mike F)
Here's
the Type 3 clone that's the fraternal
twin of Ekie's. As he said, they followed
basically the same pathway to completion.
Engraving by Ted Marshall, assembly
and cutting the receiver so that the
carrier made contact on the right side
by the Firing Line. I had it blued
by Checkmate Custom in Florida at the
recommendation of Troy Sellars (In
Range).
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My "parts
kit" really wasn't a kit at all.
I managed to pick up the new condition
barrel assembly before any of the complete
Russian parts kits hit our shores.
I pieced together the rest of the parts with the help of several
friends. The stock set has its original Russian finish intact. |
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Since mine
happened to get completed first, Tantal put
up a project page about it on his website.
Maybe Ekie & I can get the two rifles
together someday for a family portrait!
Link to Tantal's
project page:
-KALASHNIKOV
PROJECTS PAGE 21-
BLUE STEEL: RECREATING A LEGEND |
Marshall Arms Project Overview:
Romanian AKS-74
(Photos by J. Ancona)
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Marshall Arms Project Overview:
LEO Post Sample - Exact Replica
of an AK-105
(Photos by J. Ancona)
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Marshall Arms Project Overview:
AKS-74 w/ Plum Furniture
AKS-74 w/ Plum Furniture
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Marshall Arms Project Overview:
Transferable Chinese AK47 under
folder
Converted to a Soviet 5.45 AKS-74U SBR (short barre
led rifle)
From
this Transferable Chinese AK47 under
folder
Converted
to a Soviet 5.45 AKS-74U SBU
(short barre
led rifle)
Marshall Arms AKS-74U SBR (short barre
led rifle)
(Photos
by J. Ancona)
Marshall Arms AKS-74U SBR (short barre
led rifle)
Marshall Arms AKS-74U SBR (short barre
led rifle)
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Marshall Arms Project Overview:
AKS-74U SBR (short barre
led rifle) from a
Maadi
From
This Imported Maadi 7.62 x 39
Converted to a Soviet
5.45 AKS-74U SBR (short barre
led
rifle)
Marshall Arms AKS-74U SBR (short barre
led rifle)
Marshall Arms AKS-74U SBR (short barre
led rifle)
Marshall Arms AKS-74U SBR (short barre
led rifle)
Marshall Arms AKS-74U SBR (short barre
led rifle)
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