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Here is my SAIGA conversion. I have a half-dozen pre-ban hicap AK mags and a boat-load of Wolf ammo, so I went featureless. SAIGA purchased from 10%. Items from DINZAG include bullet guide, AK-74 muzzle brake, modified Tapco FCG, lower handguard retainer, gas tube, and NATO-length stock (Brian at Dinzag has some great products, more than fairly priced, and he follows up well). Also added rails and forward grip (non-pistol), which doubles as a flashlight holder should the need arise. From Belarus I got a BP-02 scope-mount, factory modified to center over the bore. From the Russian Federation I got a PK-23 red-dot scope. I figure I am exactly 922(r) compliant. Here are some pics:
My stock SAIGA:
Modified:
I have a CompM4 on my SIG556, and it's a helluva thing, but I dig the PK-23 for these reasons: the brightness of the 1.5 MOA dot is adjustable, then the dot can be turned off and on at that designated setting. The dot pulses rapidly, which I would presume helps in target-acquisition against a chaotic background. Also, it looks awesome on a Russian rifle.
After carefully filing down the mag-catch to accept AK mags, I was a little disturbed by the slight wobble of the attached mags (I remember my previous Bulgarian AK being a little tighter), so I dremeled a tiny metal shim from a side tension spring for window screens, which I then epoxied to the lip in the mag well where the front mag lip hooks on, just under the trunnion. Now my mags are rock-solid, and I haven't experienced any feed failures after several hundred rounds. Here is the shim I made, placed on a penny for reference:
I never fired the rifle until after the conversion, so I can't comment on the effectiveness of the FCG and brake, but the trigger-pull is smooth and the recoil seems more than acceptable. Using Winchester ammo, I put about 100 shots through with the iron sights before sighting in the scope, which required about a dozen rounds using a bipod. I then put another 100 rounds through, then unmounted and remounted the scope, and shot this group with the remounted scope while standing, which I consider plenty accurate for a battle-rifle:
This will probably be my SHTF weapon.
My stock SAIGA:
Modified:
I have a CompM4 on my SIG556, and it's a helluva thing, but I dig the PK-23 for these reasons: the brightness of the 1.5 MOA dot is adjustable, then the dot can be turned off and on at that designated setting. The dot pulses rapidly, which I would presume helps in target-acquisition against a chaotic background. Also, it looks awesome on a Russian rifle.
After carefully filing down the mag-catch to accept AK mags, I was a little disturbed by the slight wobble of the attached mags (I remember my previous Bulgarian AK being a little tighter), so I dremeled a tiny metal shim from a side tension spring for window screens, which I then epoxied to the lip in the mag well where the front mag lip hooks on, just under the trunnion. Now my mags are rock-solid, and I haven't experienced any feed failures after several hundred rounds. Here is the shim I made, placed on a penny for reference:
I never fired the rifle until after the conversion, so I can't comment on the effectiveness of the FCG and brake, but the trigger-pull is smooth and the recoil seems more than acceptable. Using Winchester ammo, I put about 100 shots through with the iron sights before sighting in the scope, which required about a dozen rounds using a bipod. I then put another 100 rounds through, then unmounted and remounted the scope, and shot this group with the remounted scope while standing, which I consider plenty accurate for a battle-rifle:
This will probably be my SHTF weapon.
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