Weird Saiga .223

[vjor 2]

Edited August 31, 2006 by vjor

[macbeau 902]

I have noticed that regular (7.62x39) AK mags and drums lock up nicely in my (.223) Galil. It seems the Israelis kept the external dimensions of the AK mag and just changed to feed lips to suit 5.56 rounds. Sounds like your mag well might have the same thing going on. You might try stock Galil mags too to see if they function - could mean 35 and 50 rounds might work as well.

Edited August 31, 2006 by macbeau

[vjor 2]

I have noticed that regular (7.62x39) AK mags and drums lock up nicely in my (.223) Galil. It seems the Israelis kept the external dimensions of the AK mag and just changed to feed lips to suit 5.56 rounds. Sounds like your mag well might have the same thing going on. You might try stock Galil mags too to see if they function - could mean 35 and 50 rounds might work as well.

 

Yup, I have 4 orlite 35 round mag on the way, see what happens

when they arrive.

[inparidel 4]

Please see my other thread that I started re: the 35 rd orlites. I can't see ANY CONCEIVABLE WAY POSSIBLE that these puppies can possibly work in a SAIGA .223. PLease make me wrong, someone. . .PLEASE!

[topmaul 42]

I bought 6 Orlites and fit them into Fullchoke's S-223 it feeds dummy rounds fine, we need to get to the range to try it for sure, but I can tell you it feeds dummy rounds just fine out of the orlites. I was skeptical until I tried it. I can tell you they will not work in my Wasr 3, but the East German mags work in both the S-223 and the Wasr 3.

[inparidel 4]

I bought 6 Orlites and fit them into Fullchoke's S-223 it feeds dummy rounds fine, we need to get to the range to try it for sure, but I can tell you it feeds dummy rounds just fine out of the orlites. I was skeptical until I tried it. I can tell you they will not work in my Wasr 3, but the East German mags work in both the S-223 and the Wasr 3.

 

I knew that about the Was 3 and the E.German Wiegers (the best), but HOW do the Israeli Orlites work? What mods??

 

Thanks.

 

.

[topmaul 42]

I bought 6 Orlites and fit them into Fullchoke's S-223 it feeds dummy rounds fine, we need to get to the range to try it for sure, but I can tell you it feeds dummy rounds just fine out of the orlites. I was skeptical until I tried it. I can tell you they will not work in my Wasr 3, but the East German mags work in both the S-223 and the Wasr 3.

 

I knew that about the Was 3 and the E.German Wiegers (the best), but HOW do the Israeli Orlites work? What mods??

 

Thanks.

 

.

 

The Orlites fit too low and miss the feed ramp all together. I might be able to grind the feed ramp some and make it work I just really don't see any need to do it. I have 6 Wiegers, and 6 Orlites, the both will work in the Saiga, but only the Wiegers will work in the Wasr 3

[vjor 2]

[Cobra 76 two 2,677]

I like the Bulgies best. They fit real nice and tight if you don't take off more than necessary to lock in. They wear in and work as good as the factory mags.

[vjor 2]

[inparidel 4]

OK. . .here it is: Well, regarding the best mags, my modded black polyamide bulgy 5.45 x39s are great, BUT in terms of super reliable .223 mags: The Weiger does me proud EVERY time, basically because I returned the SAIGA .223 front trunion to the original spec dimensions (those PITA lower nube haver been shaved back to speck.

 

BUT. . the maim problem (NEW problem) is making the Israeli Orlites (good AND cheap) work. I have spent about an hour today dissecting the problem. I can now say, with a degree of certainty, that IF you get about three or four SMALL, eyeglass-type screws, but with POINTS, and not flat-point, that if you screw them just under the forward catch-lug of the MAG on an angle (so you can get in to the "meat" of the lug), then you will have the forward lift necessary to make sure that the bolt snaches a new round every time.

 

At first, I thought that I might have to mod both the froward and rear lock-up lugs/tabs, but I now see that the rear is FINE IF. . .you keep the front of the mag high enough. I thought I might melt up the mag plastic to lower the bottom edge of the mag's front lug, BUT, I then figured that if I could screw 3 or 4 tiny scrwes into the bottom of the front lug, then I could file them to the exact aditional thickness that I nees, mag for mag.

 

I believe this will work. I will let you know. If you guys have any other methods of thhickening the front mag lock-up lug/tab, PLEASE share!

[IndyArms 10,186]

Inparidel, how about JB weld or similar???

 

Maybe some of that "fiberglass repair kit" stuff you can get at walmart? It stinks to high heavens before it cures... but it is VERY Sandable and dries quickly... Hell, I patched the holes in the bed of my pickup over the wheelwells with that stuff, I am talking 5" by 12" GAPS!!! I never had a leak or had it break loose... you would only need to saturate a few folds of the cloth about the size of your fingernail... place in position, leet it cure (15 minutes), then sand and file... Shouldnt be a problem to stick a small amount under the front lug...

 

That too might be a very quick, solid option... I know it would stick to a roughed up polymer magazine like anything! It sticks to clean steel very nice!

 

[inparidel 4]

I am a BIG fan of epoxy resin and putty. I couldn't do an AK conversion (Romy, S-12 or S-.223) without it somewhere or another. But the problem is that the polyamide that AK newer mags are generally made of is not the best surface for J&B or other epoxies to remain stuck to. It doesn't like the slickness of the animal. I build up the followeres of my bakelite (metal followers) and my polyamide (plastic followers) mags with Home Depot epoxy putty with rtotal sucess, but the magh bodies are pretty bond resistant, even when roughed up. But I was thinking about dremmel-cutting a small section of a hacksaw blade and extending the bottom of the front lock-up lug/tab.

 

I also got a pencil and wrapped some 100 grit sandpaper around it to sand the feed lips so they are angled upward. That worked well. The bullet tips show no marring from contact with the Bulgy feed ramp. Oh, I also dremmeled an additional feed ramp onto the bottom of the chamber opening a long time ago. Oddly, I have some Orlites that will function fairly reliably after the lip mod, and holding the mag with the front max upward in the front (I haven't done the screw thing yet). That's why I think it will work. The rounds seem to strip OK most of the time, so I believe the buildup of the front mag lug should work.

 

Thanks. Keep the ideas coming! We will lick the Orlite problem yet!

Edited September 3, 2006 by inparidel

[vjor 2]

[inparidel 4]

Vjor:

 

The problem is that the bullet tips smack into the standard Russian or Bulgy .223 bullet guide, UNLESS the Galil Orlite mag is as high as it can be in the front, as well as the back (to avoid failure to strip a new round). The bottom of he front lock-up lug needs to be built up, even more than the rear lock-up tab for rounds to be fed REASONABLY reliably.

Edited September 4, 2006 by inparidel

[vjor 2]

[vjor 2]

[vjor 2]