Shooterman

Wasn't sure where to post this (searched with no luck, too), so since my Saiga is a .223, I figured this was as good as place as any. Anyhoo, my .223 flings brass 15 ft. or more (not exaggerating), so unless I can get to the range early enough to get the last lane on the right, shooting my Saiga is a pain for my fellow shooters. I literally had brass hit a guy in the ear 5 lanes down, and he was not happy. So, does anyone catch their brass, and if so, how? I've looked at the products online, but none look like they'd work for this rifle. Any help is much appreciated. TIA!

Never mind. Found it buried deep in my C: drive.

Hello all- It seems to me that some months ago some kind soul posted a link to a PDF version of the Saiga conversion found at Cross Conn. I searched here as best I could with no luck. Does anyone know where this document might be found? TIA.

Hmmm, thought so. Thanks for confirming my suspicions. I'll lean on the sucker til it 'complies.'

Hello all- I'm mid way through my .223 conversion (that is to say, everything is off and out of the receiver), and while the TG and plate removal were not that difficult, my trigger guard's rear hole won't line up with the hole in front of the PG nut hole. Following the Cross-Conn instructions, I cut the end the TG (the 'extra hole') off and am inserting the other end under the mag release shroud, but the rear hole in the TG is a good 1/4-3/8 off from lining up. Should I have to bend the guard to get these holes lined up? Just checking before I proceed. BTW, sorry for no pics, but those of

R & R Arms has the 16" .223s in stock for $307 + shipping. I got mine from them, and they are a good outfit to do bus. with. You'll need to have your FFL fax his license and you have to fax them proof of age (copy of you DL or ID) before they ship. Linky

My pleasure. Glad you snagged one! For you others who are lusting, see my latest post in the "Need 16" .223s?" thread.

R & R Arms has them back in stock, both .223 and 7.62. Price has gone up; snooze and you lose.

R & R Arms has them in stock again (Linky), and yes, they are now $30-40 more than last month, but that's the falling dollar and good ol' supply and demand at work. When these are gone, you can almost bet the next batch will be more expensive.

Check! Thanks. Cabelas has that set on special now, but I might see if K-Var will pricematch it. EDIT: They did, and the set is already on its way!

Can anyone tell me if this set from K-Var will fit my Saiga .223? I know it's for a stamped receiver, but I just want to be sure before I order. TIA! K-Var Stock Set

No problems today, and the rifle shot fine. Someone at the range said the apparent cratering might just be from a new firing pin. I'll bring the load down a few tenths and see how they look Now I just have to rig up that door trim on the receiver cover to keep the brass from getting dinged up. Then, onto optics. I hear there is a good peep sight available to replace the rear sight, but I'm pretty sure a side mount and red dot are in the future.

Well, it turned out to be the OAL. I had them initially set at 2.250", and once I made up the dummy to 2.210", it popped right out. Live and learn. Now I am beginning to wonder if the condition of the primers of those first 50 rounds (cratered and nearly pancaked) was a result of a too-long OAL. I am off to the range to try out the shorter load. Will report back.

I have a feeling your second thought is the one to run down. The brass was once-fired, FL sized and trimmed LC '06, so I don't think the brass itself is the culprit. Again, all fired rounds extracted find, which could indicate that the OAL is the factor that kept the unfired round from ejecting; some minor gouging on the rim and case mouths dinged in ejection. Tonight I will experiment with some shorter dummies and post any useful results here. Thanks!

Ammo was handloaded 55gr. FMJ with an OAL of 2.250" in LC brass; the charging handle worked fine, all fired rounds ejected. Spend cases had the Saiga dent on them, and some light gouge marks on the rim. Now that you mention it, I'm guessing the extractor was not grabbing the round; othewise, it would extract it, right? Any reason it would not, if operated manually? Think I'll make up a couple of dummy rounds and see what I can see.

Took my Saiga .223 out for it's first shoot (fun!) but was surprised when I could not eject a round that had already chambered. It was a bit annoying, but cease fire had been called, and I could not make the gun safe so other shooters could go downrange. The range master came over to help, but try as we might, we could not get the round out. I've not owned a semi-auto gun that wouldn't clear the chamber by cycling the action. Is this normal for the AK, or am I just making a rookie mistake? TIA.

That's what I did. I still haven't really decided what I want to do when it comes to mags. I like the idea of just buying some Bulgarian waffle mags and just sticking them in but that requires mods to the gun itself that I'm not comfortable doing. Right now I use a Surefire mag and it's worked great. My concern is if a new AW Ban goes into effect (which realistically I don't see happening), it'll put an end to the Surefire's and jack the prices up of the existing Bulgies. Why would a new ban make the Surefires illegal? Capacity?

I was under the impression that a 'basic conversion' included a bullet guide. Up until a few months ago, you couldn't get these fancy mags with their Saiga compatibilty. To the OP: your mags should work fine after a conversion. If you find their front lips impact the new feed ramp (if you install one), all you need to do is shave it down so that it fits. Thanks for the replies. Perhaps the way to go is PG, buttstock, FCG and Surefire mags. Then, add the bullet guide if the mags don't get 'er done.

Did a search here but could not find an answer, sooooo... My .223 Saiga is not (yet) converted, and I'd like to get one of the 10rd. Surefire mags for it so I will have a spare and for the BHO feature these mags offer (and that they are U.S. made, so the 922r issue is addressed). My question is, if I do convert, will these mags still work with the rifle? My understanding is, using these mags, no bullet guide is needed, as the mags are ramped for this. I just don't want to drop $30 on a mag that will become a doorstop if I decide later to convert. Thanks for any info you all can lend!

DD's Ranch in NY has 'em, in both 16 & 21.5" barrels. Get it while you can: DD's Ranch

Interesting. It never occurred to me to me that you could put a PG on without relocating the FCG. Like others, I am tempted to go the conventional route of conversion, but this guy's idea may be worthy of considering. Can anyone think of a reason not to use the method in the video?

Here's a link to a ton of gun law info for California shooters: Calgunlaws

Yet more useful info for my (and other's) upcoming conversion. This place is a veritable gold mine of such. Thanks guys!!

When I posted that, they had 30 in stock (and I ordered mine). Next day, 28. The day after that-0. My guess is the balance was bought up by a vendor who saw prices going up. Sorry.... I have a an account request with them to email me when this gun is back in stock. Nothing as yet.

922r doesn't apply as soon as you change just anything on the rifle. You can change some things, without worrying about 922r. A pistol grip, any mag that holds more than 10 rounds (and I'm not sure if a muzzle device requires 922r compliance or not, check out the 922r section), will make you need to gain compliance. You have the # of parts right, but still a little wrong. You need to have 10 or less foreign parts in the rifle to be 922r compliant, after adding said parts (PG or hi-cap mag). By adding a US made FCG, you get 3 parts, add a US made stock, you get 1 part. That's 4 US m