thepenguinknight

I have a Saiga 332 which I have restored to AK configuration. The FSB was a 74 style from the factory, but I noticed that the cross pin which retains the muzzle device detent and spring is only being held in by the detent spring pressure. In other words, one end of the pin is peened over, and the other end isnt, meaning I can push the pin out from one side using my fingers and very little pressure. The rifle has seen a couple hundred rounds without it falling out, but I would hate to lose it. Is it supposed to be loose like this, or is it supposed to be secured? If so, how should I secur

Let me know if the first deal falls through; I'd be interested, for sure.

I am accustomed to taking only about ten rounds to the deer woods anyhow, but my deer guns thus far have not had ammunition so conveniently housed; if the mag detaches, I like to have more than one. I frankly I don't need more than the 5rd mag that came with the Saiga, but I like to have the spares nonetheless. I'll hopefully get a couple mags soon. Thanks for the input, all.

Would cutting down a follower have any adverse effect on mag function? I know the followers can be pretty long, but would chopping them make them bind up on the spring, tilt inside the mag body, or cause other issues?

Where do I go to get 10-rd mags of some level of quality? Were they ever produced in a metal version, like the 30-rd steel mags from Europe? I see several SGM 10rd mags for Saigas, but I've got a bullet guide and would prefer a standard AK mag, if possible. The Tapco 10rd mags are a last resort, but having played with some, I was not impressed. I have a 5rd mag that came with the rifle, which I modified to work with the bullet guide, but here in MO we have a 10 rd limit for hunting purposes, and I would like to have a spare mag for the woods. By no means necessary, but I would like to have

Gotcha. Good information, and pretty much answers my questions. Here in MO, we are restricted to using "expanding-type bullets" for our deer hunting escapades. While I'm fairly convinced the 154gr SP will do just fine (at least till I pick up reloading for the caliber), I like to know what all my options are. Thanks, all.

Thanks for all the replies. After thinking about it, I guess the real question I needed to ask would be the following: Are the Herter's/Wolf/Tulammo/whatever hollow-point bullets (122-124gr) designed to expand? OTM (open tip match) bullets in various calibers have a similar nose-cavity to the herter's/etc 7.62s, but are not designed to expand at all-- rather, they act very similarly to FMJ rounds, but with the advantage of greater long-range accuracy. Are The cheap ones from Cabelas/walmart of similar design, or is the HP cavity intended to be used as an expansion aid? I read up a

Are the HP bullets loaded in the herters or tulammo suitable for deer hunting? Different HP bullets are designed for different things, so i thought I'd ask the experts... Thank in advance.

Well, she's all done. I realized that the only camera I currently have is in my phone, and while it's not a bad camera, it doesn't always do great on things like this, so I didn't take near as many pics as I was originally planning. But I'll post the major steps and fill in with text. The rifle from the factory: The IZ-332 came with the front end mostly done up like a modern AK, though the handguard lacks a heat shield and the FSB lacks a bayonet lug-- that part made me sad, but I had decided that a bayonet wasn't much use anyway, so those traded for the 24x1 FSB and standard h

Thank you for the prompt response! I'm glad to know it's not just me who has the sleeve a bit tight. I also have a bullet guide from CSS which I will be installing somewhere during this process. Gotta have my standard-cap mags! I'll post pics when I get it done. Thanks again.

Haven't gotten to the actual conversion yet, but I may have encountered a small problem: I was playing with the Tapco G2 trigger parts from CSS, and the little axis pin sleeve is too tight. I can slip it in there with some effort, but it doesn't allow the disconnector to rotate easily-- that is, the disconnector will rotate, but only with a fair bit of pressure and it will not return to it's normal position under the power of it's own little spring. Is this normal? Is some fitting required? Did I just get a bad one?

I finally got the rifle, and while I had originally planned to leave it in factory configuration for a while, the wimpy 5rd mag that they sent with it has ruined my taste for the neutered AK. So I ordered from CSS the parts I didn't already have, and they arrived today . I've got a lot of homework from college for the next week or two, but I may be able to get away for a couple hours sometime soon and I figure this'll be itching on the back of my mind. When I do get to start it, are there any burning tips that y'all'd have for me? Especially anything not covered in the CSS videos would be

Do those handguards have heatshields in them, similar to the KVARs?

Is there a specific oil that works best as a cutting oil, or will any oil do? Standard weight machine oil? Wd40?