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rubicon923

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About rubicon923

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  1. Based on the few 7.62 rounds I extracted using a 5.45 extractor, I think the 5.45 extractor should work with 7.62 rounds, but as 762 points out, if there were a problem there is always the option of possibly reshaping the 5.45 extractor. BTW, I just read Gabe Suarez's article in the new AK magazine. He states that in 5 years of AK training sessions shooting an estimated total of 2 million rounds, his AKs did not break a part. Again, this matches statements from others with a lot of AK experience.
  2. I think this has been discussed in the past. The 5.45 firing pin is a little different than the 7.62 firing pin. My concern was that the smaller diameter tip might puncture a 7.62 primer. I installed a 5.45 firing pin and 5.45 extractor in a Saiga bolt. I fired a few "primer only" cases and didn't get a punctured primer. 762's experience firing quite a few rounds suggests it may not be a problem. The 5.45 extractor would extract dummy rounds from the chamber, although the cartridge rims were a little chewed up due to the tighter curvature of the 5.45 extractor. BTW, a typical 7.62 ex
  3. This the same conclusion I have come to. I have lifetime supplies of spare parts for all of my main guns and feel a bit nervous about not having the same for my Saiga's as many of you do. However, apparently bolt part failures are almost unknown in AKs. Mark Graham (the "gunplumber") reported that in all the thousands of AKs that have passed through his hands over the years, he has seen exactly ONE extractor failure. The extractor is normally a weak point in semi-auto rifles. And in a lot of cases, these are rifles made from mixed, non-matching, old surplus parts. Saiga's are moder
  4. What I was thinking about is the fact that the AK-74 has a tighter arc (smaller radius) than the 7.62 x 39 extractor. In other words, the 7.62 x 39 extractor has the same arc as the recess in the 7.62 x 39 cartridge case. On the other hand, the AK-74 extractor has a different arc to match the 5.45 x 39 cartridge case. I think this causes the tips of the AK-74 extractor to dig into the 7.62 x 39 case while the middle of the AK-74 extractor would not be as snug against the 7.62 x 39 case. I believe this is the cause of the "chewed up" cartridge rims that I mentioned earlier when I manually f
  5. Dear President Chavez, Like many of my fellow Americans, I was deeply touched several years ago by your generous offer to provide heating oil at a discounted price to low income Americans. Many of us admire the wonderful worker's paradise that you have created in Venezuela. We long for the day when we can wear old clothes, ride bicycles, and stand in line for food. I am writing to inform you of a desperate need in our country that you may not be aware of. Many of our citizens need spare parts for their Saiga "hunting rifles". Probably many of them plan to use their Saiga hunting ri
  6. I compared the saiga factory firing pin with a surplus ak74 firing pin. I couldn't see any real difference. I inserted the surplus ak74 (5.45)firing pin in my saiga 7.62x39 bolt and it fit perfect. I examined the pin protruding into the breach face and it worked flawlessly. I left the surplus pin in my bolt and and hammered the retaining pin, and it fit fine. I am going to live fire my saiga with the replacement firing pin when I get a chance next week. I doubt that it will pierce a primer even with a smaller frontal contact surface, but I will check the primers from the fired cases
  7. Went through this myself a few months with a 7.62 x 39 Saiga. I'll try to remember what I did. First of all, at that time I was unable to find a source for Saiga bolts or bolt parts (extractors, springs, firing pins). My focus was on bolt parts because I think bolt parts are more likely to break than the bolt itself. As I recall, a standard 7.62 x 39 AK firing pin wouldn't fit in a Saiga bolt at all. A 5.45 x 39 does fit in the Saiga bolt, but the tip is smaller, which makes sense for the smaller 5.45 primer. Saiga extractors are type 2 extractors (looks like a claw). The stand
  8. I own both Yugo AKs and Saigas (both stock and converted). I think the price of an already converted Saiga (like the Arsenal SGL-20) is currently about $200 more than a Yugo. The big advantage of the Saiga is that it's a new rifle. Most of the Yugo's are built from kits of used parts with non-matching numbers. As others have stated, the build quality of the Yugo's does vary from rifle to rifle. The Saigas are a more consistent product. Some think the Russian origin of the Saiga is an advantage, although Yugoslavia also builds high quality AKs. I don't know that there is a real dif
  9. Thanks guys for the helpful advice. Since you're so knowledgeable, maybe I can ask a couple more questions. My plan is to install the bullet guide, shoot some rounds to make sure everything works, and then loctite the bullet guide screw with red loctite. Is the loctite a good idea? Should I torque the bullet guide screw to a certain value or just tighten it down? Thanks again,
  10. Been thinking about installing a Dinzag bullet guide in my 7.62 x 39 Saiga, but I had a couple of questions: 1. Is a drill press necessary to drill the hole (to be tapped for the screw) in the receiver or can it be done with a hand drill? 2. What should I use to hold the receiver steady and in the correct position? I was thinking about making a simple holder out of wood. I don't want to buy a machinist vise for a one time use and holding it steady with my left hand while I drill with my right hand sounds a little iffy. Thanks,
  11. I bought some from CDNN a couple weeks ago for $20 each. New in the brown wrapper.
  12. You done good. I bought the identical used rifle a week ago for $325 which I consider a good price. I didn't have to think much before buying it. The cheapest new versions I've seen have been from Gilbert's Guns for $440, $480 once I add in shipping and transfer fee at my FFL. My rifle has the "Scottsburg" marking on it too, but had a 2006 receiver just like my other Saiga's. My rifle was obviously used, but didn't seem to have a lot of rounds through it. Shot it last week for the first time and it shot well. The dimpled receivers are relatively rare and all my Saiga's have the sc
  13. Good reply - thanks! I was thinking specifically of what you discussed - the extractor, bolt, etc. Since they are different - where would one get replacements / spares (besides another saiga)? The Saiga 7.62 x 39 bolt uses a "claw" type extractor. Other 7.62 x 39 AKs use a "cylinder" type extractor which will not fit in a Saiga bolt. The only AK claw extractors I've seen are the 5.45 extractors. The 5.45 claw extractor will install in the Saiga bolt, but of course the curvature (radius) of the 5.45 is a little different than the curvature of the stock Saiga 7.62 x 39 claw extrac
  14. I've given this question some thought. The weak point of semi-auto rifles in general is the extractor. Without going into the details, the Saiga 7.62 x 39 extractor is different than the available AK extractors. Similar story with the firing pins. Because of all the conversions, it's relatively easy to find stock furniture, FCG, and gas tubes, but not bolt or bolt carrier parts. Also, there are very few factory spare parts available. Mark Graham (the "gunplumber") says that among the thousands of AKs that have passed through his hands over the years, he has seen exactly ONE fa
  15. I have a Saiga 7.62 x 39 rifle that I want to store. It would be easier to store if I remove the stock first. However, I know the stock is held on by metal screws screwed into the plastic buttstock. My question is "Will removing the stock slightly enlarge the holes in the buttstock so that when I reinstall the stock, the stock won't be quite as tight as it was"? Has anyone removed and reinstalled a plastic buttstock multiple times? Thanks,
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