[In Search of CSSPECS Mag Pouches]

I've searched the forum here and ebay and amazon and not finding anything available I like for mag pouches that will hold the csspecs 8-round mags. I'm not excited about the tacos because they don't enclose the mags--would prefer more protection from ambient dirt, and I question a mag holder that is only half as long as the mag. And they are expensive. I liked the molle c-mag pouches that cheaperthandirt used to carry, but they all seem to have been discontinued and nobody has them any more. I have some actual beta pouches, but don't care for the alice clip mount, i want molle for less wiggle and more secure attachment. And the lid closure on the beta pouches is funky--easy to open quick, but not so easy to re-close quickly one-handed if you don't want your remaining mags to fall out.

 

Am I being too picky, or is there a better option out there? Or does someone out there still have some of the CTD molle pouches?

[Potentially getting a Saiga 12 (converted)]

Not really. When you can dump a 20-round magazine in 10-15 seconds, it doesn't take all that long to hit 1500 rounds.

[Eotech Is Accepting Returns And Giving Refunds? ...]

I'm keeping mine for now. I have it mounted on a S-12, where a couple MOA POI shift is going to be lost in the ~100MOA spread of the shot pattern. The circle-dot reticle is nice for shotgun; dot for slugs, circle for buckshot.

 

But I wouldn't put one on a rifle any more, unless it was conclusively proved by a 3rd party the issues had been fixed.

[Eotech Accepting Returns And Giving #Refunds$? ...]

Yes it is:
http://www.eotechinc.com/return-authorization-request-form

 

They can shift POI by up to 4 MOA when the ambient temp drops below 32F or goes above 120F. And when they return to "normal" temp (72F) they can be up to 2 MOA off the original zero.

 

This is obviously unacceptable on a rifle. But I wouldn't worry about it on a shotgun. The rule of thumb is that a shot pattern expands one inch per yard, which is about 100 MOA. A 2-4 MOA shift isn't going to be detectable when shooting buckshot. It may be detectable when shooting slugs if you have a really accurate barrel and ammo combination, but that's unlikely.

 

I have an Eotech on my Saiga, and plan on leaving it there. Even flawed, it's far more accurate than a bead or any open sights, and the circle around the dot is a nice indication of the pattern size.

 

But I wouldn't buy one for any rifle; I've been getting the Meprolight Tru-dot RDS sights instead. Bigger FOV than an Eotech, better battery life than an Aimpoint, as rugged as either, and cheaper than both.

[MD Arms Double Stack Mag Patent]

Maybe the patent could be licensed to csspecs??? Their single-stack mags are excellent.

[Feed issues, geind down feed ramp?]

I wouldn't recommend "grinding down" the bottom inner rear corner of the barrel, but if 3" shells are snagging there, it would be a good idea to lightly sand/polish that corner until it is smooth and burr-free, and you can hand-cycle 3" shells without getting any scratches, gouges, or other marks on the sides of the shell case. But don't get stupid and start removing metal from the actual chamber.

[Potentially getting a Saiga 12 (converted)]

If it will run Wal-Mart bulk pack shells reliably, you're probably good to go. Just carefully inspect the gun for any indications of WECSOG.

 

But if it won't, you'll probably need to do some work on it.

[saiga 12 4 port hole size question]

Optimal port size depends on the gun. It's a combination of spring strength, gas puck and plug geometry, action friction, etc. Mine would only run high brass stuff with 4x .094" ports with stock springs and the CSS or stock gas pucks, even after polishing and profiling the hammer, bolt, and carrier.

 

Obviously, the first thing you need to do is deburring, polishing, profiling, and break-in of the action and magazines. In addition to the hammer, bolt, and carrier, the bottom portion of the barrel that extends BEHIND THE CHAMBER can often use some deburring and rounding of the inner rear corner. If that area has a burr, 3" shells in particular will shave plastic off, snag, and jam while trying to feed.

 

(Hint: Lubricating the mating surfaces of the trigger, hammer, bolt carrier, and bolt with Remington 40-X Bore Cleaner will greatly speed up the break-in process. It contains a mildly abrasive polishing agent that does wonders on gritty triggers and actions in fairly short order. Just make sure you remove all traces of it when break-in is complete.)

 

Once all that is done, and you can hand-cycle 3" shells through the action smoothly without leaving any visible marks on the casings, then you can focus on the gas ports.

 

There's a scientific method you can use to determine the correct port size for your gun. Remove the dust cover from the action, and get a video camera. The higher the frame rate it will shoot, the better. Put a piece of masking tape on the side of the receiver, and use a sharpie or similar marker to mark 1/4" intervals from the back of the bolt carrier to the trunnion, so when you pull the bolt back you can see how far it has moved. Put the gun in a rest, and with the camera rolling, and with the gas block wide open (setting 2 with stock, 5 with MD Arms, 6 with CSS.DPH plugs), fire 10-20 rounds of your weakest ammo (wally world bulk pack, etc.). Review the video, and note how far back the bolt carrier traveled each shot. Calculate the average carrier travel distance.

 

The maximum carrier travel on a Saiga is just a hair over 5 1/4". Divide the maximum travel distance by the average travel distance, then increase by 10% to ensure reliability when the gun is dirty or not being held firmlywithout beating the crap out of it when it is not. In my case, the average travel distance was about 4 1/4", and my ports were .094" at the time.

 

5.25 / 4.25 = 1.24

1.24 * 1.1 = 1.36

 

1.36 is the factor by which the area (NOT THE DIAMETER) of the holes needs to be increased.

 

My holes were .094", so...

 

sqrt(.094 ^ 2 * 1.36) = .1095, which works out to either 7/64 (.1094") or #35 (.110).

 

(Note: multiplying and dividing by 2 and π when converting diameter to area and back cancel out, so I simplified the formula.)

 

When drilling out the ports, it's best to drill in 3 steps to minimize the burrs around the ports.Whatever size hole you need, start 2 drill sizes smaller, and work your way up a size at a time. Burrs around the gas ports will massively increase plastic and lead fouling in the gas mechanism.

 

This method can be applied to any undergassed gas-operated gun; the only difference is the maximum carrier travel distance is different between different gun types. Catching malfunctions on video is often very helpful when troubleshooting them.