BattleRifleG3
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Posts posted by BattleRifleG3
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Here is where I stand:
I have avoided discussions related to stockmaking on this forum because I was not able to function as a business member due to limited sales volume.
"Inactive" is the best term to describe my current stockmaking status. That is the result of the combination of professional and family commitments. I describe myself as "inactive" and not "closed" because nothing is in stone. Any number of changes could cause me to "re-activate". It was a gradual process to realize this, as custom orders took too long to complete and production sets were started and not finished.
I apologize for unreturned E-mails, but in this age it is simply not possible to catch and respond to everything. As infrequently as I check and as many E-mails as come in, I probably miss many, or lose track of the ones requiring a response.
In short, I'm very much alive and active away from the internet. And if I do not leave this internet promptly, my chances of remaining alive and well will decrease. -
Fear not the worst. My life is just completely consumed by the most important things.
G3 mag adapters were practical when the AWB was in effect. Now, an aftermarket mag makes the most sense, especially since there are many choices.
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The good news is that I'm still alive, haven't forgotten how to make stocks, still have my tools, and have a few stock sets to finish.
The bad news is that many demands are adding up to a point where I can't do everything I used to. To answer the question of whether I'm still "in the business", I'm definitely still "in the hobby", but the long term projection for "business" is under careful consideration.
If you're interested in something some day, E-mail me, I'll add you to a list, and let you know when anything's available, with no obligation, and no promise on if/when anything in particular will be ready. I can say that if I end up wrapping up, I have at least some things to complete and offer.
Basically at this point I plan to function as a regular member of the gun community with maybe something sometimes to offer for sale.
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I have experience with purpleheart and can echo the other comments about it being very hard to work. I would not have believed it in the same ballpark as ebony without actually forming a complete stock set out of it.
For something hard and tough, I prefer jatoba. A different color but a very nice one that forms a good surface finish.
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If everyone and his brother publishes his own "study", none of them will matter. But the fact that the NRA has responded directly indicates that prominent gun organizations have something to say.
The challenge is making the response compelling, ie such that people who read it can't refute it. That means keeping it specific and well documented.
If I found anything significant in the study it was that there are a lot of directions it could go from here.
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When I read the ATF shotgun study, my first and strongest thought was that we needed a well thought out, documented, broadly reviewed and endorsed, polite, and professional study that redirects some of the discussion, counteracts some of the points, and makes new points for consideration. Not something all inclusive, but something sporting organizations, lobbying groups, and government officials can easily review and say "I agree with this study", and not excluding any other actions or positions.
So I thought about how I would directly respond, and I'm sure I'm not alone. So my question is, are their any organizations or prominent individuals who are doing such a study that we can support through research, supporting documentation, technical analysis, review, or distribution for review and endorsement?
A single, refined, direct, and compelling response will probably help in ways that other methods don't, even though other methods should continue to be pursued (ie letters, sporting events, etc).
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I myself have had good experience with the Tapco G2 as well. I prefer the double hook version and just make a small extra cut in the receiver to mirror the other side. Minor detail but that's my cup of tea.
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If you could still find a Saiga 30-06, I'd say try one of them. But a Rem autoloader won't match the reliability of a Saiga. Doing the conversion will improve your ergonomics, whereas adding a p-grip to a Rem auto will do nothing. Ultimately everyone who likes the Rem autos admits they're a niche gun - for hunting only, semi-auto good for one mag only, lifespan in terms of bullets suited for hunting only.
That's not to say I would never consider getting one to play with, but play with it I would, to try to change some element of the equation.
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Correct, at best it would require major carving, but it may not have all the material you need.
My suggestion would be to do the trigger group conversion and then make a stock to match. The knob that goes into the hunter receiver is hard to mill and even harder to cut without machine tools, but if you didn't mind being slightly amateur you could just cut the stock to match the receiver profile and then make a separate knob to go into the receiver recess.
Do NOT try to put a thumbhole on a hunter without the FCG conversion - the trigger is very long and is pulled up as much as back. It needs a classic curved grip stock to be the slightest bit ergonomic.
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Food for thought:
a. What would you sell 100 mags for? What would you sell 50 mags for? If you have some thoughts there, share. Those few of us who love the Saiga 30-06 probably wouldn't rule out paying 1.5-2x the cost of a 308 mag in the same capacity.
b. Maybe think about approaching a distributor to see if they'd reconsider bringing in more 30-06 rifles if there were hi-cap mags. The S-308 had the same issue - people were shy of getting it because mags were scarce, and no one made spare (10rd) mags because the rifles were scarce. It took some time after the ban dropped for someone to make mags for S-308, but now that the snowball is rolling many of the usual mag makers have something for Saiga. Don't have the capacity to mass produce mags? Consider selling your tested, proven design with notes to a manufacturer who has the technology, or consider sourcing to a modern fab shop and still selling them yourself.
Sometimes a good product just needs baby steps to take off.
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The dichotomy on thumbholes tends to be something like this:
They were considered "sporting" enough that a given gun could be imported with a thumbhole but not a pistol grip, per the import ban, that acts as a moving target because something new is always being cut off from import while items already here are fine.
But under the expired 1994 AW ban, there was an opinion issued that a thumbhole stock counts as a pistol grip, and therefore takes up your one allowed feature (where applicable.)
So a MAK-90 could be imported under the '89 import ban (until banned by exec order) with a thumbhole stock and 100% imported parts. But that thumbhole stock is a pistol grip per the '94 ban, so you can't add anything else, no matter how many parts you replace with US made. You could go the US compliance route just to change to a regular p-grip, it's one-to-one.
Now that the federal AW ban is gone, anyone living in a free state can just watch their parts compliance and not worry, as long as their gun is semi-auto only and has a barrel length minimum 16" (18" for shotguns). However, if you live in a state that copied the expired federal ban, you have your state's own justice department to try to get answers from.
One rule of thumb WAS (pun intended) that if the thumb was below the top of the trigger, it was a pistol grip. A number of stock sets have been designed specifically with this criteria in mind, keeping the bottom of the thumb groove above the height of the trigger.
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These days I'm doing wood for Saigas either unconverted or rear end conversions only, and sending people who want AK front ends to Ironwood.
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I checked Rhineland's website, very interesting. They do just what I won't - thumbholes for non-converted Saigas. Their handguards are pretty well priced and featured - I wouldn't mind checking one of them out.
If you don't want to wait 50+ years for me, and it was your cup of tea, you might consider a handguard from Rhineland and grip and buttstock from Ironwood as a matching set for converted Saiga.
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BattleRifleG3 does still take care of business, but does not have the capacity to operate as a business member on the forum.
I sometimes take a while to get through the many E-mails, mainly because I try to respond to each inquiry. E-mail is still the best way to be in touch. Repeat E-mails are fine, they won't speed the response but may get through in case the first was lost, spam flagged, etc.
I hope to share on some projects that are fun for the community and completely non-business, but time for that is in short supply.
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A conversion basically falls in the realm of customization. Customization is an investment in your own enjoyment, or perhaps more of a gamble (as most investments are.) Back when there was less info on conversions and fewer people were comfortable doing it, it may have added some value, if you were already recognized as a knowledgeable person about the subject. And in the case of Tromix conversions, the fact that it is a recognized conversion and that they are limited in number adds some supply/demand economics.
The bigger picture - guns are a good investment to KEEP. They are only a good investment to buy and sell if you are good at the business or have a time machine. If most people knew what guns would go up in value in the future, they would buy more and then they wouldn't go up in value because there would have been more of them made to meet the investment demand.
On the other hand, buying guns as consumption spending and then selling them when you want to move on to something else is a better hobby than automobiles. You generally don't lose as much with time and use as you do with a car or truck. But you will still lose money changing your mind about what guns you want to own. If I had known everything I would have in my current collection years ago, I would be a little farther ahead financially. But for the education I got in the process, it wasn't a bad deal.
Back to conversion, only spend to convert if you have someone interested in the conversion and you know you'll add extra $$ to the price, or you'll at least do ok and it will help you win the sale. Or if you plan to keep the Saiga and want it converted.
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NY's copy of the '94 ban is the only current reason for a G3 mag conversion of S-308
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M14 mags are a better fit. FAL mags are NOT a good fit.
I chose G3 mags because they were cheap and with my system the mags could still work in a G3 after the mods. That was key to complying with the expired AW ban.
The expiration of the AW ban and the rise in Saiga prices (remember when they were all under $300?) ended the practicality of my conversion. It makes less sense to mod a $500 gun when you can now get $40 mags to fit a stock gun.
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You really need to put it forward where it belongs. it's not necessary to use a double hook trigger. If you do, it is a lot more difficult to get the adjustment just right so that there is even pressure on both sides of the hammer, or else one side is simply the sear let-off. If you do put in a double hook, the receiver needs another notch in it to accomodate the other "hook". This can be done rather easily with a Dremel.
I'm a fan of the double-hook notch mod. Not hard at all and I feel the trigger is smoother and straighter as a result.
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I love it! I've always thought a long barreled bullpup S-308 would be a good idea. My $0.02 would be to improvise a longer handguard, and possibly use a rail above the gas tube for a scope.
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Just found this thread and that stock looks great!
I think you made the right call on the grip angle and grip detachment. My favorite non-conversion grips are more vertical, and my favorite p-grips are more slanted, pretty much meeting in the middle. As far as attaching or detaching the grip, the attaching section needs to be thick or not there at all. Too thin and it's more likely to break. If you want the grip small and/or the web of your hand farther forward, detaching is best, that way the pieces can flex naturally.
I love the styling - a nice sleek look all over with still plenty of substance. I can see the different styles coming together into something unique but still connected to what came before it.
Now that I've buttered you up... mind if I use a cue or two?
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Been away for a while, but I'd love to see what this looks like.
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E-mail is best. Everything takes a while, stocks and E-mails.
Last summer my wife was beat up in a car wreck, which she thankfully recovered from but we needed some downtime.
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You're best off to buy a G3, or buy US made mags for your S-308. It's an expert's conversion and has many drawbacks. If you have lots of time on your hands and cheap Saigas, or a mag ban in your area, it may be worth it. At current prices, and if you have the income to save for a G3 or US mags, it's probably not.
Now if you want to do something creative, that's another story, go for it, but be safe - don't mod the trunion. Better to junk the gun than to junk your face.
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That's a multi hundred dollar stock for a $1k+ rifle. Not likely to see enough volume for the cheaper and more rare S308. Unlike wood, the tooling costs for plastic moulding would rule it out, whereas wood can be made as a one-off without expensive tools, just work.
Now if you got one of those stocks for M14 and found a way to modify it for S308, you'd be on to something.
Anyone got a response from BattleRifleG3
in Saiga Rifle Conversions
Posted · Edited by BattleRifleG3
I am still alive. I am not currently active in stock making. Whether or not to resume is something I continue to think about.