Saiga 12 Cycling Questions!

[pacrimguru]

i just got a Saiga 12 and went and shot it for the first time this past week and it isn't cycling right.

i'm totally new to the Saiga 12 so i was wondering what i can do to adjust it. i know that the front of the gas block there's an adjustment knob marked 1 and 2. do i play around with that? if so, do i turn it clockwise, counter-clockwise? help!!!

i was shooting:
1) Estate Game & Target Load 2-3/4", 8 Shot, 1oz. - shot fine but didn't cycle at all
2) Winchester Super-X 2-3/4", 00 Buck Shot - shot fine and kicked the shell out enough for it to stove pipe

[professorhard]

You probably got a Saiga 12 with the gas port holes that are too small/too few or are covered by the gas block. There was a whole batch of them like that. You should send it into Cadiz gun works they do all the warranty work on them and they will get it working correctly. The gas plug setting 1 is for slugs/buckshot and setting 2 is for birdshot. Screw it all the way in (clockwise) then back out to the setting you want.

[psssniper]

S-12's have some issues with the gas ports and you may have one of those "vodka specials" CGW is the factory service in the USA and the repairs are covered under warranty. Read this from Tromix for some good info. Some people are using the King Armory gas puck and the "gas fixer" adjuster with good results

[duraglock]

Pac funny you posted this just I just got done test firing mine. First thing I was told to do was remove the front gas plug and look to see if I have 3 gas holes. I looked and I did. The are located in on large hole. I set the rifle to the 2 setting
Next bought the cheapest ammo I could get INDEPENDENCE 2 3/4 7.5 SHOT 1200fps AND 8.0 SHOT. At first it would not cycle the shot gun and I had to pull the bolt back and remove the stuck shells. Did this for 50 rounds and also shot some heavy game loads which worked ever time and ejected. Went back to the 7.5 shot and it started to eject them fine. I was told the saigas need to be brkoe in and it seems true.

[professorhard]

They do work better once broken in, but there is no reason for it to fail to cycle when shooting full power buckshot, on either setting. It needs to get sent to Cadiz for gas port work.

[BVamp]

Although the guns do require some high powered shells to get broken in properly to run with light loads ( 1 1/8 oz ), you should not have cycling issues with winchester 00 buckshot out of the box. They should be kicking out (on gas setting one) about ten feet.

make sure that you hvae the gas setting on #2, and try some 1 1/8oz loads down it. Run a couple more bucks down it on gas setting 1, and if it dont work still, its almost definately a gas issues.

If you have done this and it wont eject, give the office a call 10-6 EST monday-friday, and ask Vicki for a warranty request letter via email, and she will get you sorted out.

740 942 3175

[supermario]

They do work better once broken in, but there is no reason for it to fail to cycle when shooting full power buckshot, on either setting. It needs to get sent to Cadiz for gas port work.

+1, mine wouldnt cycle slugs, let alone 71/2birdshot. I sent it to Cadiz, now it shoots everything..Pretty quick turnaround time too. Cadiz will take care you..

[supermario]

Pac funny you posted this just I just got done test firing mine. First thing I was told to do was remove the front gas plug and look to see if I have 3 gas holes. I looked and I did. The are located in on large hole. I set the rifle to the 2 setting
Next bought the cheapest ammo I could get INDEPENDENCE 2 3/4 7.5 SHOT 1200fps AND 8.0 SHOT. At first it would not cycle the shot gun and I had to pull the bolt back and remove the stuck shells. Did this for 50 rounds and also shot some heavy game loads which worked ever time and ejected. Went back to the 7.5 shot and it started to eject them fine. I was told the saigas need to be brkoe in and it seems true.

That doesnt neccessarily mean it's ok. Mine had the 3 gas holes BUT
the holes were not drilled all the way through equally. Therefore i had cycling issues. All is good now. After getting it back from Cadiz, i broke it in with some slugs and then started mixing 7 1/2 into the mix. I had a few fte with the 7 1/2, but after about 75rnds of 7 1/2 loads on gas setting one, it started to feed them 100%. By the time i left the range and after about 100rnds of birshot, the Saiga is now cycling all loads on setting 1 100%.

[SJgunguy24]

Do what Bvamp said, try it on your own first and if it still won't cycle. Call up CGW.

[duraglock]

I inserted a rod to make sure the holes went all the way into the barrel but your right im not sure if the are the same size. Also you can see were the holes are in the barrel. Fired a 3 gun match on sunday and only had 1 fail to feed where the shell 2 3/4 shell got stuck on the top feed ramp and 3 where the shell did not go into full battery. After that I did 3 mag dumps to test function and it ran flawless.

[evollep3]

mines have 4 holes but however its been acting up lately

[1988]

i just got a Saiga 12 and went and shot it for the first time this past week and it isn't cycling right.

i'm totally new to the Saiga 12 so i was wondering what i can do to adjust it. i know that the front of the gas block there's an adjustment knob marked 1 and 2. do i play around with that? if so, do i turn it clockwise, counter-clockwise? help!!!

i was shooting:
1) Estate Game & Target Load 2-3/4", 8 Shot, 1oz. - shot fine but didn't cycle at all
2) Winchester Super-X 2-3/4", 00 Buck Shot - shot fine and kicked the shell out enough for it to stove pipe

You can follow the recommended instructions to check the gas system.

I had the same situation with my newly converted S12. I polished all friction points between the bolt and rails/FCG. I also removed all the bumps on the hammer whichever in contact with the bolt.

After the mod, my S12 is the smoothest of all of my AKs, and 100% reliable with all bucks and slugs. If you want to shoot birdshots reliably, you might want to look into the Gunfixer gas plug. I have no problem shooting birdshots with "3" setting on the Gunfixer.

[blackberg]

I polished mines as well,
also cleaned up the holes on mine, only 2 where showing even though it had 4, now, 3rd time out with it since, I can shoot birdshot on the 1 setting on now.
-bb

You can follow the recommended instructions to check the gas system.

I had the same situation with my newly converted S12. I polished all friction points between the bolt and rails/FCG. I also removed all the bumps on the hammer whichever in contact with the bolt.

After the mod, my S12 is the smoothest of all of my AKs, and 100% reliable with all bucks and slugs. If you want to shoot birdshots reliably, you might want to look into the Gunfixer gas plug. I have no problem shooting birdshots with "3" setting on the Gunfixer.