Why does my Saiga 7.62x39 have such a kick?

[orangeusa]

This thing kicks like an old-school 12 guage shotgun. I bought it bought brand new, and has maybe 300 rounds or so down the pipe. Nothing wrong with the gun. I'v had others shoot it - none were really Saiga/AK guys, but most mentioned that it does have some authority.

So, man up? or am I missing something here? But I love this thing. Looking for a suggestion on reducing the recoil just a bit so I could shoot it more (less fatigue). Would a different stock or recoil pad help? And I don't know of a way to add a barrel recoil buffer without a BB. Are they effective?


I'm sure RedJacket could make it worse............. and louder.............. for $2k


But I thought I'd get some expert advice here..


BTW - at the range I get an aweseome fireball about the size of a football (with all types of ammo - none are corrosive, but I have 4-5 different types).

.

[evidens83]

Are you shouldering it properly? What ammo grain were you shooting?

[chicoredneck]

It's possible your guns gas port is too big and therefore over gassed, although unlikely. If that is the case your gun will beat it's self up and wear out sooner than it would have otherwise.

[orangeusa]

I hold the thing tight and put my support hand as far forward and slightly cupped around the front grip (to improve accuracy).

Good point on the ammo, most is 123 gr, but I bought some Sellier and Bellot (exact spelling on package), CZ and I cant' tell the grain on it.. NP 39.51 (?)

It's possible the Sellier and Bellot ammo is hotter... don't know.

[zfields]

S and B is a little hotter, not much though. I hate to be the guy to say it, But man up.

Is it "kicking" back, or is it muzzle rise? I take it its unconverted also, correct?

[orangeusa]

It's possible your guns gas port is too big and therefore over gassed, although unlikely. If that is the case your gun will beat it's self up and wear out sooner than it would have otherwise.

Man - wouldn't that be hard to measure? I could take off the gas tube and see if I can even see the port..

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[orangeusa]

S and B is a little hotter, not much though. I hate to be the guy to say it, But man up.

Is it "kicking" back, or is it muzzle rise? I take it its unconverted also, correct?

Minimal muzzle rise - just good old thump. Not convereted - stock (I actually like the look and no BB).

But... I can't figure out how my buddies .308 AR has a much less kick.

I can live with this.. No bruises or anything like that.

.

[chicoredneck]

If you only notice the recoil with one type of ammo then that is most likely the cause. You mentioned that your friends thought that it had stout recoil and that you have used different brands of ammo with it. The fire ball is simply un-burned powder escaping the bore. That is common with shorter barrels.

7.62x39 recoil is generally considered to be quite mild regardless of brand or bullet weight of ammo used.

[cannon]

I have to ask what you are used to shooting?

A Saiga kicks more than an AR but a lot less than an M1 or M14. It may just be what you are used to shooting.

[zfields]

Minimal muzzle rise - just good old thump. Not convereted - stock (I actually like the look and no BB).

But... I can't figure out how my buddies .308 AR has a much less kick.

I can live with this.. No bruises or anything like that.

.

I know before I converted, it was awkwardly short, that made it uncomfortable to me.

[chicoredneck]

The weight of a rifle can effect felt recoil as well. Your buddies ar10 may be very heavy while your saga is light. You would have to compare them. Regardless, unless your buddies ar10 is substantially heavier than your saiga it should recoil more.

I am going to go with overgassed rifle unless the ar10 you compared it to was very heavy.

[zfields]

The weight of a rifle can effect felt recoil as well. Your buddies ar10 may be very heavy while your saga is light. You would have to compare them. Regardless, unless your buddies ar10 is substantially heavier than your saiga it should recoil more.

I am going to go with overgassed rifle unless the ar10 you compared it to was very heavy.

OP you have another AK available you can compare it to?

[orangeusa]

KICK wrt others:
I'd compare it to the Mosin 7.62x54 kick. Granted, I've only shot the mosin 10 rounds or so (a nice guy at the range let me use his), but it's like that. Both have a pretty small stock.

I shot an M1 Garand (.30-06) at the range - 5-10 rounds and it had a stock with a lot more area. Slower thump, not a quick kick like this.

AR SETUP:
My friend's AR has a gas tube and a 'recoil buffer' if that makes any difference.
It didn't seem that much heavier..

I dunno, this stuff is so subjective and without a bunch of guns next to each other is kinda hard to debug.

WILL TRY:
I'll compare the S&B vs. others at the range.
And try different shooting positions, but was taught to hold them tight...
And see if I can find a dude w/ an AK - should be easy at a CALGUNS shoot (OnTarget in Laguna Niguel)

QUESTION:
How can I check/measure the gas port? (I'm pretty handy, so this doesn't seem to scary).


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[rojocorsa]

Aren't AK ports supposed to be overgassed from the git-go? I mean, given its design parameters (serious reliability and such) it would make sense.

[ElvenSoul]

This might work for you

http://www.shop.dezarms.com/product.sc?productId=29