[Finished my Saiga conversion]

asu174, it looks AWESOME! Can't wait to hear how it shoots! AKATTACK

[Trigger guard question]

1st Ranger, you must have read my mind! I've had the exact same question. I looked at the trigger quard sets at K-VAR and their website says that the AK-74 guards are "sold-out". On the original Saiga shotguns, the front part of trigger guard is cut off and is attached with only 2 rivets instead of the usual 4 on the front of the guard. I think that the front part of the guard, the part that is cut-off and discarded is the only place that the AKM and AK-74 guards are different, so therefore, an AKM guard would be OK to use. I'm thinking that the AK-74 and AKM trigger guards are slightly dimensionally different so that even when they are mounted on dimensionally duplicate receivers, the differences in the trigger guards are so that only corresponding magazines will fit in each rifle. I'm going to do some checking and see if I can confirm this. Maybe someone else knows and will chime in here. AKATTACK

[Saiga 12 Registration?]

beerslurpy, I feel your pain of the desire for that Pancor Jackhammer! I'd take a H&K/Olin CAWS Candidate or even a Neostead. I totally agree with you about the ability of them to designate certain shotguns to be DD at their own will, it sucks! What part of "shall not be infringed" do they not understand. AKATTACK

[Saiga 12 Registration?]

Here's a link to the BATFE website in which the rulings of the USAS 12 and Streetsweeper/Striker-12 to be destructive devices are described. Scrool down to page 24, it starts at the bottom of the page(26 U.S.C. 5845 f 2). Click here for BATFE rulings on destructive devices. I'm not sure how the Saigas would be classified after the Assault Weapon Ban expires, makes me really wonder. It really doesn't sound good. As for the Remingtons and Mossbergs being classified as destructive devices, they don't have detachable magazines AND pistol grips, so that leaves them out of being classified as destructive devices. This will be interesting to see how it will turn out. AKATTACK

[OK let me see if I got this]

drooling idiot, I think BattleRifle is correct in his post. It is not a requirement to simply replace any 5 parts on the firearm, but the way the law is written it is a requirement that the firearm not to consist of more than 10 imported parts(for a Kalashnikov type weapon). This is why the Saiga rifles still only need 5 parts to be replaced, they enter the U.S. without a pistol grip too. So, actually, you are replacing only 4 parts to bring the imported parts count down to 10, and the 5th(pistol grip) is actually an "addition" and is U.S. made, therefore, it doesn't raise the imported parts count back up over 10. Does this make sense? I believe this to be correct, but we'll see eventually. AKATTACK

[OK let me see if I got this]

JBONE, I think that once the ban lifts, hopefully!, we'll see more U.S. made parts offered for the Shotguns. But until then, there's been no market for the parts to be made as it is illegal to convert the guns to a pistol grip for now. Let's keep our fingers crossed and start letting the folks that make the parts: Tapco, Red Star Arms, etc. know that we are gonna be looking for and willing to spend our hard-earned money on U.S. made parts so that we can have the correct folding stocks on the Saigas!! Otherwise it'll be like BattleRifleG3 stated, you'll have to use either a U.S. made folder or a U.S. made fixed buttstock. AKATTACK

[WTK:Converting a Saiga 20 ga. to a pistol grip]

Jeff, if I remember correctly, Chris at AK USA had told a member of AK-47.net that he would be doing conversions. It might be a little costly, but I hear that he does EXCELLENT work. Here's a link to his website: AK-USA.

Here's another tutorial website for handling the conversion, if you are inclined to attempt it yourself: Saiga Conversion. Converting a shotgun would require a little variation of the conversion done to a rifle.

The other laws that Bvamp is refering to are laws that certain liberal states have passed on the state level to extend the AWB. AKATTACK

[WTK:Converting a Saiga 20 ga. to a pistol grip]

Jeff, at this time, it is an illegal modification to add a pistol grip to a detachable magazine shotgun. This is due to Section 922v which will expire Sept. 13. After Sept. 13, you will be able to add folding stocks, flash suppressors, bayonet lugs, etc. to "domestically produced" firearms. The Section 922r law will not sunset and that bans the addition of the same features on any foreign made firearms, but due to a "loophole" in the law, you must add a number of parts to remove the gun from being considered foreign made. Once this requirement is met, then the desired features can be added to the firearm. Usually, on AK rifles, these parts are the trigger, hammer, and disconnector; stock, forearms, pistol grip; and followers and floorplates; or gas piston or other parts. Since it is still illegal to add a pistol grip to a detachable mag shotgun, there has been no market for American made parts for the shotguns, but I'm willing to bet that after Sept., we'll see some domestically produced parts so that we can convert the guns to their original configuration, with the folding stock. With the current parts offered on the market, you could move the trigger back to its original location, using an American made hammer, trigger, and disconnector, use an American made pistol grip and buttstock, whether it be a fixed or folder and meet the requirements that will be necessary AFTER Sept. 13. But hopefully we'll see at least one more part offered, such as a gas piston, so that we can add the original Russian folding stock and keep that profile like it should be. Did I miss anything guys? All this can be a little confusing, we are talking about the U.S. government's (Bill Clinton's) logic here! Hope this helps-AKATTACK

[Interested in Saiga 12, need some info.....]

Silverfox, thanks for the fast reply! I have purchased products from K-Var before and had an idea about ordering a trigger guard and selector stop from them and cutting them down to fit. I have been visiting here for some time and have exhaustively read these forums and really love all the info that I have gathered! Just decided to go ahead and register the other day. I'm a BIG fan of the AK, so I figured I might as well get an AK scatter blaster. THANKS again for the info! AKATTACK

[Interested in Saiga 12, need some info.....]

Hey guys, it's all yours and Jack Lewis' fault, but I'm gonna have to buy myself a Saiga 12! By the way, the reference to Jack Lewis is because he had a review of the 19" barrel 12 ga. model in the sixth edition of "Assault Weapons". It got a favorable review from him, needless to say. I need a little info on the 19" screw choke model. From what I can tell, the barrel is threaded on the outside, is this correct? Has anyone considered using an open choke as a donor to make a muzzle brake? When the ban sunsets (hopefully, thank-God!), I was considering a pistol-grip conversion. I noticed the differences in the trigger guards on the 12C and the Sporter. On the Saiga shotguns, the trigger guard and selector stop are assembled separate from the mag catch. So I'm assuming that everyone converting and re-using the trigger-guard that came on their shotgun is going to fabricate or adopt a selector stop. If this seems unclear, I'll try to explain further. Thanks for any info you guys can give me! I really like the Saigas and hopefully will have one soon!!! AKATTACK