Meet The Century Arms Centurion Model 39 Sporter

May I be so bold as to offer a simple, easily-understoodby-anyone definition of an assault rifle? With your permission, then: An assault rifle is a military or law enforcement shoulder weapon with a rifl ed barrel and capable of fully automatic fi re. Period. The U. S. M14, M16 and the AK47 fall within that classifi cation along with a multitude of other selective fi re weapons. No sporting rifle can or does.

If anyone you know counts themselves as card carrying members of the "animal rights" crowd they won’t buy what you’ve just read. They view those amongst us who know venison makes for afine steak as nothing more than guncrazed, cold blooded murderers of mankind’s four-legged friends. Forget the fact that no one hunts with a fully automatic long gun. Forget the fact that a growing number of deer have grown delicious consuming the expensive landscaping installed by said crowd to enhance their expensive homesteads.

Most significantly, forget the fact that, for the most part, the homesteads have been erected on undeveloped land previously providing a primary food source for Bambi’s father and his ever-loving herd of doe. No wonder the displaced critters are forced to substitute shrubbery for more succulent vittles. It’s either eat shrubs or starve. As Forrest Gump taught me, that’s all I have to say about that.

Abandoning the stamped metal receivers of most imported AK47s, its receiver is machined from a solid block of 4140 Ordnance steel. The rifle has been introduced to mark the 50th anniversary of Century International. A Brief AK History Many historians consider the German WWII Sturmgewehr 44 (St G 44) as the pioneer of all assault rifles. In designing his response to the St G, though he later denied doing so, Mikhail Kalashnikov borrowed from the dual locking lugs and unlocking raceway of the M1 Garand, John M.

Browning’s safety set-up for the Remington Model 8 rifle and the gas system architecture of the Sturmgewehr 44. During early production numerous problems arose in welding the guide and ejection rails to the rifle’s stamped, sheet metal receiver. Rejections ran high. A barrel block, or trunion, was added and rivets were substituted for the welding. The rivets soon presented another problem. They worked loose along with the union between barrel and receiver. Accuracy suffered greatly.

Nevertheless, manufacturing continued with a heavier, machined receiver replacing the stamping. True, this cost more but the Soviets lucked out when they discovered tool already on hand and procedures previously employed in making Moisin-Nagant rifles were readily adaptable to the AK. The stamped receiver showed up again in 1959 as the AKM. With it came lower production costs, much higher production numbers and soaring distribution despite the loosening of rivets continuing.

The rifle known best in Western countries presently as the AK-47, or simply "Kalashnikov," is an AKM. A Chinese produced variant, the AK 56,

As this is written it is not available in the usual anti-gun states (New Jersey, California, Massachusetts, Connecticut) or where ever else prohibited by ignorantly enacted laws. runs a close second to the AKM in other parts of the world. There is little challenge to offer to Mr. Kalashnikov’s brainchild being considered as the most widely used and successful military firearm of the Twentieth Century. Total production numbers are estimated at 75 million, not counting the tens of millions of variants also produced.

Enter the Centurion 39 This new semi automatic variant of the ubiquitous AK design maintains all its fore bearer’s physical features. Its magazine is the familiar, forwardcurved thirty rounder. It is chambered for the 7.62 x 39mm cartridge and has the overly large, right hand safety lever that doubles as a cover. The obvious similarity pretty much ends there. Most AKs sold in this country are usually assembled from parts and kits manufactured abroad. Not so in this case. The Centurion is completely made in the USA.

Its receiver is machined from a solid block of 4140 steel. Tighter tolerances than those of the original AK are held. Some design changes have been made and I think for the better as far as American shooters are concerned. The machined receiver, while heavier and costlier than the stamping, makes for a studier, longer lasting interface with the barrel to maintain accuracy over a period of time rivets cannot equal. Other design departures include the sights of the Model 39.

On other AK variants, windage is adjusted by moving the front sight with a special tool similar to adjusting drift-adjustable pistol sights. The Centurion’s rear sight allows windage changes by loosening a set screw and moving the sight blade right or left. Elevation can be altered two ways: A slider on the rear sight calibrated for different distances or by rotation of the front sight post.

As with most Kalashnikovs, a full rotation (360 degrees) of the front sight post yields about seven minutes of angle in elevation change. Field Stripping I’ve already mentioned the tighter tolerances of the Centurion. With a just-out-of-the-box rifle, you may have to encourage the initial movement of apart or sub-assembly. A nylon drift is recommended. The magazine must be removed, the chamber checked and protective eye wear worn. Rotate the safety lever (43) down to the FIRE position.

Hold the rifle securely across your lap or resting on your bench. Hold on to the forward neck of the butt stock with one hand. Press the dust cover retainer button (55) forward and into the hole in the dust cover (60) with your thumb. Raise the rear of the dust cover first and lift it free. Let go of the neck of the stock and move that hand to just forward of the magazine release lever (40) to grip the bottom of the receiver (1).

With your free hand press in on the back of the dust cover retainer button until its rear surface separates from the groove in the back end of the receiver. Lift up on the dust cover retainer button and remove the recoil spring assembly (58 & 59) from the receiver. To free the bolt carrier (47) and bolt (48) you have to hold on to the forward portion of the receiver with one hand and the cocking handle with the other. Pull the carrier and bolt as far to the rear as possible.

When the back end of the carrier contacts the rearmost plate of the receiver release the cocking handle. This enables the carrier to move upwards and off its receiver rails. Lift the carrier and bolt from the receiver as a unit. The carrier and bolt can be separated by holding the assembly in one hand with the bolt head upwards. Rotate the bolt head to the right and move it to the rear until the bolt exits the channel in the bolt carrier. This lets you to move the bolt forward and out of its guide hole.

Hold on to the bottom forward portion of the receiver with one hand tightly. Rotate the gas tube lock arm (30) up until the fl at face of the gas tube lock (29) is vertical to your free hand. Lift the gas tube end (14) out of its groove in the rear sight base (3) and remove the gas tube (15) from the gas block (13). In case you hadn’t noticed, the front hand guard (17) has been emancipated during this phase of take down. Detailed Disassembly Starting with the bolt, drift its retainer pin (51) out.

The firing pin (50) is removed to the rear but the

In fi nal reassembly its’ locking arm, (B), must seat audibly in the detent located on the right side of the rear sight base. Bretainer has to be out of the way before the extractor pin (52) is drifted out. Once it has been the extractor (38) and its spring (49) can fly from the bolt face. Better keep them under control. Look closer at the firing pin. It’s kind of sloped in front and has a "step" opposite the slope. In reassembly, the step has to align with the pin retainer hole to allow free passage of the pin.

Another bevel, or slope, shows up on the extractor pin and must be similarly positioned. Now let’s look at the receiver. Two identical pins (37) retain the hammer (38) and trigger (35). A combination hammer/trigger spring, not shown on the schematic, can be seen on the left interior side of the receiver. Its rear coils enclose the axle of the safety lever and its front end fits in a slot on the upper side of the hammer pin. The other end fits in a slot on the underside of the trigger pin.

You have to use a small tool such as a jeweler’s screwdriver to maneuver the spring out of its slot on the hammer pin. Do the same with the spring and underside slot of trigger pin. Both pins drift right to left. Withdraw the safety lever far enough to free it from the spring coils, rotate the lever to ninety degrees and remove it from the receiver. A The hammer wears a spring, too (39). Its coils fit over studs on each side of the hammer and the two legs extend back to rest on the trigger.

Once both pins #37 are out, move the trigger forward enough to go past the legs of the hammer spring, control the hammer along with its spring and lift both from the receiver. You may have to nudge the hammer to the rear to get it past the inside receiver rails. The trigger, disconnector (48) and spring remove upward as a unit but study how they’ve been put together before setting it aside. If anything is wrong with that hammer spring and it calls for a replacement, carefully spread the coils off the hammer lugs.

When installing anew spring you’ll have to spread them again in order attach it. The larger coils visible belong to another spring that engages studs on both sides of the hammer. A Reassembly Tips Starting with the gas tube and upper handguard, hold the rifle in one hand grasping the forward half of the receiver. Your other hand has to install the front end of the gas tube on the gas block.

Be certain the fl at face of the gas tube lock is vertical, align the end of the tube with its groove in the rear sight base and rotate it down until it’s fully seated. Lock the assembly in by rotating the lock arm down until it audibly clicks into the detent on the base. With that accomplished, let’s look at the bolt and bolt carrier. Hold the carrier upside down in one hand with the gas piston facing away from you. The bolt is held in the other hand, bolt head facing away and guide lug facing upward.

Insert the bolt shaft into its guide hole in the carrier. Bring the bolt all the way to the rear and then bring the guide lug into alignment with the channel in the carrier. Rotate the bolt to the left. Once the lug has entered the channel keep rotating until the bolt has moved forward as far as possible. A

Centurion 39 (Speci cations subject to change without notice) 1 Receiver 2 Barrel 3 Rear Sight Base 4 Rear Sight Leaf 5 Rear Sight Windage Slider. 6 Rear Sight Screw 7 Rear Sight Elevator 8 Rear Sight plunger 9 Rear Sight Leaf spring 10 Lower Handguard 11 Lower Handguard Retainer 12 Lower Handguard Locking Lever 13 Gas Block 14 Gas Tube End 15 Gas Tube 16 Front Gas Tube Flange 17 Upper Handguard 18 Front Sight Housing 19 Butt Stock 20 Lower Tang 21 Butt Plate 22 Sling Swivel Base 23 Sling Swivel Clamp 24 Sling Swivel Ring 25 Front Sight Post 26 Compensator 27 Compensator Detent Spring 28 Compensator Detent Pin 29 Gas Tube Lock 30 Gas Tube Lock Arm 31 Grip Retainer 32 Grip Screw 33 Pistol Grip 34 Trigger Guard 35 Trigger 36 Trigger Sleeve 37 Hammer/Trigger Pin 38 Hammer 39 Hammer Spring 40 Magazine Release Lever 41 Trigger Guard Pin 42 Safety Catch 43 Safety Lever 44 Outside Safety Washer 45 Inside Safety Washer 46 Disconnector 47 Bolt Carrier 48 Bolt 49 Extractor Spring 50 Firing Pin 51 Firing Pin Retaining Pin 52 Extractor Pin 53 Extractor 54 Gas Piston 55 Dust Cover Retainer Button 56 Rear Spring Guide 57 Front Spring Guide 58 Recoil Spring Retainer 59 Recoil Spring 60 Dust Cover 61 Feed Ramp 62 Feed Ramp Rivet 63 Magazine Catch Spring 64 Magazine 65 Grip Retainer Rivet 66 Front Trigger Guard Rivet 67 Rear Trigger Guard Rivet 68 Front Sight Pin 69 Gas Block Pin 70 Rear Sight Base Pin 71 Receiver/Barrel Pin 72 Safety Stop 73 Sling Swivel Screw 74 Rear Sight Plunger Spring 75 Disconnector Spring 76 Butt Plate Screw 77 Upper Tang Screw 78 Lower Tang Screw

The barrel is equipped with a V-shaped compensator, designed by Century, and windage-adjustable rear sight. The buttstock is one inch longer than military style stocks and the upper and lower handguards have four Picatinny rails which can be used for accessories. The barrel is 16.5" with a 1:10 twist. Overall length is 37.25" at 8.2 pounds. NOTE: The hammer must be cocked and fully engaged under the sear before installing the bolt carrier. Double check on that last Note.

Hold the rifleon your lap, one hand hanging on to the front end of the receiver. With the opposite hand thumb holding the bolt forward, introduce the gas piston into the gas tube at about a 30 degree angle. Align the rear face of the carrier with the inside back plate face of the receiver. With the heel of the hand holding the carrier depress the carrier against pressure from the hammer spring to align the carrier guide grooves with the receiver rails. Move the carrier fully forward into position.

With the recoil spring assembly maintain, or resume, your previous hold on the receiver. The other hand will get busy inserting the spring retainer into its bolt carrier channel and will keep busy moving the dust cover retainer button forward to position its guide lugs in front of the grooves in the receiver’s rear plate. Align the lugs with the grooves and let up on the button. It should move back and lock into the receiver. If it fails to do this, things were misaligned. Try again.

Now to the receiver or dust cover. Flip the rear sight elevator up and out of your way. Insert the front edge of the cover into the groove at the rear of the sight base. Push forward and down on the back end of the cover with the heel of a hand until the cover retainer button pops back out its cut-out to lock the cover down. You’re not going to encounter rivets with a Centurion. With some other AK-47s you will. I’ve got a tip for you.

Unless your skills equal or surpass those of Rosie The Riveter made famous during World War Two, have a serious conversation with your customer. Getting the job done is very likely to require tooling you don’t have and chew up the time you could spend more profitably attending to the needs of customers whose guns have no rivets. Consider this: Have you ever removed rivets from, replaced them in and had to refinish a receiver—inside and out—that had them retaining its retaining pins? I don’t think you have.

And no, POP rivets aren’t going to make the job any easier. AG American Gunsmithing Association