Saiga 12 Saga

[AFobia]

Ok, Maybe you can give me some ideas....

I have an IZ-109. took it out fired it (federal target loads, 2 3/4 low brass)
Stovepiped 3 times then shot two 10 round drums with no problem... took it home cleaned it, now it stovepiped every round.

I checked the gas ports I have three unobstructed ports.

So I had the parts on order for the "not converted-conversion" so while I was "not converting" it....I Polished the puck, the bolt / bolt carrier
Result no change.
I can fire High Brass all freaking day no problem....

I then purchased the Tac-47 auto-plug
Result: After tuning it through its entire range, wont eject far enough to stovepipe. ( Severely undergassed
I can fire High Brass all freaking day no problem....

After reading the Turning the vodka special report / guide, I decided to tig weld the gas port on the side of the gas block,
Result: No Change
I can still fire High Brass all freaking day no problem....

option: revert to stock furniture and parts save for the port gas block and
start over.

option: Swap front spring for 1911 4-6 lbs spring (Low brass only not ideal)


Last Ditch Effort:
I rip it apart and check the diameter of the ports.... Im concerned that this could prove difficult and not to mention irritating to remove the gas block without a press and if I go this far I might as well do the actual conversion.... with no guarantees.

Shelve it as a highbrass gauge and go back to shooting the benelli M4 for fun.

Any other ideas? Solutions I havent mentioned or know about?

[peterabbits]

just because it wasn't said (for clarification purposes) - you did change the gas setting from 1 to 2 on the OEM gas regulator, correct?

[PANTyRAiD]

Did you shoot at least 300 rounds of high brass to break it in?

Did you try the MD Arms Booster puck?

Did you try getting a professional carrier and bolt polish/re-profile job (look up Pauly from the saiga-12 forums, he does an amazing job for 100 bucks, also he sends you a free tool to confirm your ports are all full size and unobstructed)?

After those two options, if you are STILL having problems, Id say it is worth it to break it down and drill an extra gas port.


BTW...It is the most ultimate and evil sin to use the FAKE conversion kit...It looks like crap, you will be mocked and laughed at, and you will be dubbed a "confirmed" n00b, which in my opinion would be merited.

If I were you I would reject that package of frakenstein parts, look for build parties in your area, and make yourself a real Saiga....

[PANTyRAiD]

just because it wasn't said (for clarification purposes) - you did change the gas setting from 1 to 2 on the OEM gas regulator, correct?

He said he bought and correctly adjusted the Auto plug...

[AFobia]

@ Peterabbits: yes.... the original plug was set for low brass
@ PantyRaid: yes same time I bought the Autoplug I putrchased the MD Arms Booster puck.
Ill take up the reprofile under advisement.
As far as the evil sin .....whatever! doesnt matter what the back half looks like.... either way....standing in front of it when its aimed at you is No Bueno!
You dont like it, dont look. But to chastise others and tell them whats right and wrong to do to their guns kind of makes you a fanatic... and IMO Fanatics are insecure noobs who latch onto someone elses idea as right and demand that any deviation is faulty. Once you cross that line.... you might as well sell all your guns, give your money to the homeless, and slap a big OBAMA sticker to your A%% because youll believe just about anyones B.S.

But outside of that good advise.. Thanks
Next?

[SJgunguy24]

Sounds like your gun has too much drag in the action. I know you said you polished everything but that isn't all that needs to be done.
There is material that should be removed from the bolt, carrier, and hammer. Along with polishing the rails that should get your gun going with the cheap stuff. IMO you should drill as the last ditch effort, plugging the blow by hole will do nothing other then make your gun dirty. That's there to get the carbon and other nasties out.

Get over to the Saiga 12 forum and anything that Tony Rumore says should be treated as gospel.

[psssniper]

I had kind of the same situation. Mine only had two ports so I drilled a third and opened up the others by one numbered drill size. I also did the "grind and polish" bolt mods myself. Runs great on anything now.

[chaseface]

Yes head over to the Siaga12.com forums for good info and yes the fake conversion is a fail on every level. Good luck.

[PANTyRAiD]

As far as the evil sin .....whatever! doesnt matter what the back half looks like.... either way....standing in front of it when its aimed at you is No Bueno!
You dont like it, dont look. But to chastise others and tell them whats right and wrong to do to their guns kind of makes you a fanatic... and IMO Fanatics are insecure noobs who latch onto someone elses idea as right and demand that any deviation is faulty. Once you cross that line.... you might as well sell all your guns, give your money to the homeless, and slap a big OBAMA sticker to your A%% because youll believe just about anyones B.S.

Yes head over to the Siaga12.com forums for good info and yes the fake conversion is a fail on every level. Good luck.

If you do go to the Saiga-12 forums, dont mention your fail conversion! They will eat you alive!!! (not joking)

BTW: fail conversion is not only a fail on cosmetics, but functionality of the firearm as well...

[chaseface]

+1. The firearm was originally designed with the trigger group in the forward position and the pistol grip in place. They neutered the design to make it importable, and in the process added extra linkage in the fire control group. This extra linkage results in a sub-par trigger pull, instead of the clean crisp pull that it was intended to have. Adding the pistol grip is only cosmetic in the fake-conversion form. However doing the true conversion returns the gun to its intended form, and increases the reliability and function of the firearm. Edit: I don't know where you heard welding the blow hole would increase the reliability of the shotgun but that is the last thing I would do. If anything do the polish jobs, work over the gas system correctly, and last resort would be the low recoil spring (not a 1911 spring, seriously WTF??) that I believe CSS sells http://store.carolinashooterssupply....w-brass/Detail.

[AFobia]

SJ, Panty, PSS, Chase, Thanks for the advise and direction!
Ive been to the Saiga forums when I first went through this but I will revisit.

[ivsamhell]

the gas block is no problem to remove. I did it with a couple hammers and punches in the kitchen.
Though I had three ports, opened them up, clearanced the block, shaped and polished the bolt/carrier and hammer and it still doesn't cycle light loads.

Good luck.

[chaseface]

Damn you guys are having some bad luck. Mine straight out of the box cycled even most bulk pack on setting #1 with a few failures so I put it on #2 for the low brass and no more failures what so ever. Sorry, I know my comment doesn't solve your guys problems but I just want anyone who reads this to not think all Saigas are that big of a pain. I did however break in my gun with 60 or 70 1oz slugs and a bunch of 3" magnum 00Buck that kicked like a mule.