[5.56/.223 vs 7.62x39 vs .308 for doomsday scenarios?]

Since it sounds like you're not really going to shoot at the range often, a 16" barreled Ar15 in 5.56mm with a .22 conversion kit may be the right choice for you. Realistically, it would be difficult to just pick up and do well with a 308 or even a lightweight 7.62 Soviet rifle without practice and dedication. Shooting well requires tremendous skill, which comes with practice, and the larger the caliber, the more practice is needed to master the round. If you can get out to the range at least once a month with the right mindset to practice, I'd believe you can do well with any rifle. If you are going to the range once a year, the ergonomics of the AR, and the lightweight caliber will give you the best chances to succeed with minimal amount of practice. Just an opinion of an average Joe. YMMV

[10 round mags in Commifornia]

The Saiga 12 is legal in Ca if:

 

1) one purchased and registered it as an assault weapon in Ca before 2000, or

 

2) one purchased a fixed mag version after the year 2000.

 

Notes for option 2: Having a folding stock in conjunction with a pistol grip is illegal. Having a Saiga that's imported by Kalashnikov Arms is illegal.

 

As for mags, any magazine that has a maximum capacity of 10 rounds or less is legal. Have you tried AGP arms? Their website says they have 9 million available. Don't know if that's a typo. Good luck!

 

By the way, the Commie, Kali, Peoples Republic thing is getting old.

[new gun reciever cover problem]

just took reciever cover off spent 1 hour trying to get it back on no luck any tricks to do this?

 

 

It's tricky, but after you get the hang of it, it'll be easy. Take the front of the cover and tuck it into the notch under the rear sight. Make sure it's centered. Then bring the back half of the cover right up to the dust cover release button. Make sure the hole in the dust cover is aligned with the button. Press the back of the dust cover down in one swift motion (doesn't have to be overly forceful).

[Saiga 12 Receiver Durability?]

Thanks for the reply, my762buzz.

 

50k rounds is more than I expected. It seems the Saiga 12 is still a relatively new platform, so we won't know how they'll hold up until many years down the line. The barrel appears very strong and doesn't have rifling to wear out, so I think the receiver is the weakest link. If the receiver breaks down the line, it'd seem straightforward to fit the parts to a new receiver (maybe there will be US made Saiga 12 receivers by then). Of course, all this is just speculation on my part. I don't think I'll ever have the chance to put that many rounds through my Saiga.

 

I wonder how similar the VEPR is to the Saiga. Even though it doesn't have the adjustable gas, it does have a thicker receiver. Also, I wonder how the gas ports on the VEPR are different from the Saiga's. Changing springs would be an interesting experiment. Perhaps a variable weight recoil spring could compensate for the fact that the extraction of the spent shell happens towards the very end of the cycle of bolt carrier travel in a relatively short action (designed for 7.63), thus reducing reliability when using buffers?

[Saiga 12 Receiver Durability?]

Does anyone have a Saiga that has a high round count? I'm curious about the durability of the receiver. Does the 12 gauge pose a significant increase in bolt carrier velocity over 7.62 x 39 even with the adjustable gas system? What's the worst that can happen? Thanks!

[saiga 12 rattle]

Short answer: It's perfectly normal.

 

Long answer: Yes, you are hearing the gas piston (puck) moving in the gas tube. The gas pressure from the barrel presses on the piston, which in turn pushes on the bolt carrier. In fact, if you don't hear the piston moving, either it's time to clean the gas tube, or something worse may have happened. Hearing that sound means the piston is free to move, which is an essential part of reliability in the Saiga 12.

 

Enjoy your new shotgun!

[Growing the Saiga 12 market]

Simple and works for me: take to the range often, people get curious but timid, I let them shoot it, they have tons of fun! Then I answer any questions they may have. It works every time.

[Non Tactical Saiga 12s?]

You have some very nice guns there, Cobra! Using the S308 wood was a fine idea, and you already had it around. It looks good and is comfortable to shoot, who can ask for more?

 

Btw, does anybody have any experience with the wood S12 handguards from rusmilitary.com?

[Non Tactical Saiga 12s?]

Does anyone have pictures/opinions of a non tactical Saiga build? I'm curious as to what the possibilities are. I'm tired of seeing all of the short barrels, rails, and such. Especially the collapsible Ar stocks on anything but an Ar...shudder. Anyone have perhaps a nice wooden furniture Saiga with a red dot on a simple and low profile mount?

[So when are Vepr 12's coming to the US?]

Since the Saiga 12 seems to constantly be some kind of mythical beast these days whats stopping the Vepr 12 from cming into the US market?

 

IIRC when veprs where cming in a few years back there were no problems getting that hardware in

 

Who do we bug to get the next brand of magazine fed 12g brought into the US?

 

They'd have to be configured for sporting purposes before they can be imported into the US. Since Izmesh owns Molot now, I don't see them converting the Vepr to a Saiga type configuration.

[Bolt Carrier Question]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I guess I outed myself as the FNG, huh

[Bolt Carrier Question]

Hi all,

 

I have a few questions about the bolt carrier. On my Saiga, the bolt carrier doesn't seem aligned with the gas tube. On the right of the bolt carrier around where the piston extension is staked, there are wear marks indicating that the bolt carrier rubs up against the gas tube when entering battery. When the bolt carrier is locked back, the "piston" part of the bolt carrier is noticeably misaligned to the right about 1/8". Is this typical of the Saigas? Will this adversely affect reliability? Is there a fix? Thanks for your time and replies.

[Cleaning the S-12 / Piston rod question]

FYI, the gas piston sort of looks like a hockey puck. You should leave that and its chamber dry. I would also leave the rod part of the bolt carrier dry, but I think you can get away with some light oil.