Vais01

It does eject further to the rear but thats no problem as of yet since the brass still goes forward due to the design of the rifle. Also since I will be building a deflector to make sure all empty brass is ejected away from the shooter being pelted with brass will not be a problem.

It happens. I have fitted magazines for pistols and several other rifles in the past so I have learned from my mistakes especially the $50.00 one. My back pocket still hurts because of that.

Ok did a hand feed and eject test and found that the modified top cover allows the cases to eject more to the rear than the factory top cover. It looks like the empty cases will clear most of the top cover before coming into contact with the top cover. Will post pictures of the empty cases after my shoot test on my Christmas vacation.

The pressure on the steel cased stuff is lower due to the use of steel instead of brass. Since the cases are steel, the case walls can be thinner to allow the cases to conform to the chamber when firing. At the same time the greater area in the cases with the same standard powder charge will equal lower pressure. Lower pressure also means less wear and tear since the parts are not slammed back and forward nearly as hard. As for magazines the Bulgarian circle 10's and the East German Weigers are both top notch when you use a good bullet guide. I have fed my Saiga full metal jackets, holl

I have over 600 since my restoration most of it has been mixed brass, steel, XM193 and home grown. No issues except when absolute out of spec ammo is used (over charged or too long of OAL).

Guys sorry but I can not get the photo to rotate. Here is the factory cover mounted... and the custom modified stage 1 top cover mounted.

Original top cover. Custom modified top cover stage 1. Comparison photo.

The spring on the 101 is stiffer if I remember correctly. Also remember that these rifles are mass manufactured in the same plant but in two separate assembly lines within the plant. The overall hardware barrels, bolts, carriers, hammer springs, sear springs and pistons are the same but there are some things that are not. All for importing reasons. Again if I remember correctly the 101 and 102 both have a stiffer spring made specifically for 5.56x45. The Saiga's are stamped .223 but are chambered to fire the 5.56x45 the reason again is for importing. I will try to get in contact with Wol

Differences between 5.56x45 and .223. Ammo: The only major differences is the pressure in the case. Firearm: Barrel chambering is different. Usually a longer throat and leade. Two common chamberings one specific to the 5.56x45 the other is a .223 Wylde. Now commercial 5.56x45 may not achieve the +62,000psi of pressure. Commercial 5.56 is usually set for a lower pressure for safety. If I remember correctly Federal states 55,000psi for XM193. It is possible to achieve 5.56x45 velocities at .223 pressures thanks to some good powders. Saiga will eat a

.

Well guys its not easily done. Even if you wedge the dust cover and have a very tight fit it will still move. If you put a saiga or any AK based rifle in a slow motion camera you will see it flexes quite a bit. It would be worse if you added the weight of optics and a mount to the thin dust cover. The dust cover will shift after each shot that's why even the dust cover on the newest military variants are designed very similar to the TWS dust cover. The military variant on the latest generation AK based platforms use a rail secured on a pivot pin at the front trunion below the factory sights. I

The factory fire control group becomes a thing of the past. The factory fire control group is actuated by mechanical linkage. The AK setup completely eliminates the linkage so no the factory trigger is a throw out. Plus where the normal trigger would be has been milled and is hidden by the lump on the block off plate on the unrestored Saiga. There is a kit to add a pistol grip and stock on the factory setup but the cost is high. It's less expensive just to do the restoration. There are better fire control groups that can be installed if you do the restoration. All you need to be legal is 5

If you are close to NC, I have Golden Tiger by the 1k=$205 renegadebuck I have plenty of ammo in my small stock pile and I am in Texas. My rifle seems to do very well with Previ Partizan 55gr SP ammo. I am very impressed with the results plus it cleans very easy. Thanks for the offer though. If you ever stop near the Houston area drop me a PM. The reason I replied is I bought for a group buy and not many picked up what they wanted, so I ended up with about 60k extra. Shipping will kill you though! Yes it would hazmat shipping for loaded ammo is about $50. I am happy with t

Yes I do but I load for velocity when I do that accuracy at 50yds is 3" at best. My loads average over 2900fps and the hottest load I have is over 3000fps with a 55gr bullet and that is out of a 16" barrel. Load data varies with each gun so I won't post any data. I will be trying to find some accurate loads within the next few months.

Yes they will work flawlessly I have 2 that remain loaded at all times and they are built tough. You will need to file the front shelfs down near the bullet guide and file some of the interdiction tab away for a solid fit. After that they are gonna be some of your favorite mags.

Your not the only one that likes the factory configuration. The only thing was the length of pull was too short for me. If it was 3/4" longer the factory setup would be nice. Even better now that I know that an aftermarket FCG could be modified to work in a factory rifle. I think I may buy a second .223 Saiga and leave it with the factory setup and alter an aftermarket FCG. Then make my own bullet guide and use Bulgarian mags.

Reloading primarily is not for cost effectiveness. It's mainly for higher quality and consistency. You don't need to reload .223 if you find something inexpensive that works. For me Prvi Partizan 55gr SP works wonders so reloding is more for consistency rather than cost. Also you can create loads that are much hotter and create much more velocity with reloding. I have a load in 7.62x39 that is very hot and can be even hotter safely. Current load is over 2390fps and I have the ability to get 2400+ gpa from my mini 30 with no failures. Just my .02 on reloding.

A stronger main spring would fix the issue or a modded dust cover. The dust cover design has been made and I just need to use a grinder to remove the material faster. The next part I have to install a new case deflector made out of duron or some type of hard rubber. I have a way to cut and form it to whatever shape I'd like. I will do my best to post pictures of the modified version and the standard version with some instructions on how to do the mod after it has been perfected.

Well that just depends on how deep the dent is. On mine they are very deep. Almost .200" and the affect the case capacity by 4gr of powder. That is way too much for such a small case and will raise pressures to in safe levels. As for XM 855's made by Olin they are too dangerous for use in my rifle this weekend I shot some with very dangerous and scary results. The pressure was so high on some that the bolt locked open with several failure to feeds. One of the bullets jammed itself in the magazine and pushed the bullet against the steel reinforcement and pushed the bullet back about 1/4" the B

Yes it will to an extent I borrowed a guys dust cover off of his 74 and it still dents the cases enough to reduce the case capacity. Plus they do not fit as tight as the factory style dust cover so modding is a must. Not quite with the Lee reloding dies they are not difficult to remove. I have already removed a few primers from various brass to see how difficult it would be.

Interesting discovery today. It seems that the dent does not happen consistently. The first 10 shots were just kissed by the top cover but as the shooting went on the dent got worse. I have the custom top cover design done now time to start working on it. Let yall in on the little project as I am working on it.

If you are close to NC, I have Golden Tiger by the 1k=$205 renegadebuck I have plenty of ammo in my small stock pile and I am in Texas. My rifle seems to do very well with Previ Partizan 55gr SP ammo. I am very impressed with the results plus it cleans very easy. Thanks for the offer though. If you ever stop near the Houston area drop me a PM.

The Saigas are very very accurate especially with good optics and the K-Var side mount. If you find the ammo it likes you will out shoot some AR type rifles. A SAIGA is the cream of the crop in the AK world and a thousand times better than a VEPER in my book. Mine stays magazine loaded in my house and will remain my go to rifle from home defense and hunting, to pissing the AR guys off at the range.

Well for 55gr in steel try WOLF PERFORMANCE AMMO the new stuff though and Barnaul. Both are very good quality. For brass try some Previ Partizan it is Serbian made and is very high quality. The other option for brass is some of the Federal American Eagle which is some good ammo as well. Be experimental and try lots of different stuff some ammos will flat out shock you with their performance. For me XM193 is ok but not amazing. Lots of flame and inconsistent powder charges. XM855 by WCC(Winchester) is absolute crap IN MY RIFLE. Shot it today and it locked the bolt back after it shot flam

I may be able to increase the spring tension by keeping the spring compressed about 1/2" that could be done under the bolt carrier or near the recoil buffer. Could be something to try. Does anyone know what the spring rate for the .223 Saiga? pounds of pressure for 1 inch of compression will work.