Optics on a Saiga 12

[Agent Akin]

Okay, as part of my continuing tweaking process with my Saiga 12, I've decided that I'm going to want to get some sort of red dot optic for it.

This is probably a non-issue to folks who know their Com Block weapons, but as this is my first one, I don't quite know the answer... how do you mount optics of any kind on an AK? It likely can't go on that flimsy dust-cover, which is where I would have figured it'd go.

It's my understanding that the stuff on the left side of the receiver is for mounting optics... some kind of framework can latch on to it? Is that still used, or is it a legacy from the old days?

Any advice at all would be appreciated... both as for mounting options, and even what to use. I'm probably leaning towards some species of eotech, but it's completely negotiable at this point...

Thanks!

[peterabbits]

Get a chaos rail for it.

[Agent Akin]

Get a chaos rail for it.

Assuming Google has shown me what you're talking about (http://www.chaosus.com/cgi/commerce....ITAN_QUAD_RAIL), that looks like it'd work, but it appears to be a bit excessive. I don't know if I'm looking for a huge setup like that... also, that things costs as much as some of the sights I'm looking at!

Suppose it'd work, though...

[Sam .223]

i used a side mounted rail with a red dot on top, i ended up ditching it and useing the factory sights.

[peterabbits]

Yes that's the one. There are a few others out there, but chaos is top notch. If you have an older saiga they have the rail slide on the side to mount on of the Russian style optics mounts on them, if it's a new one, I believe they are no longer importing them with the slide rail on it.

[prc77]

another option

http://ultimak.com/