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.223 saiga feed with bulgarians and orlites


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Hey, Compadre!

 

What size steel bar stock did you use for your bullet guide? My .223 Saiga arrived yesterday, and it has the same flat-bottom cut in the trunnion as yours (everything else is looking 'good to go,' too! ;>). I don't want to re-invent the wheel: I can measure the width for the bar stock, but any advice on the thickness would be appreciated. (And I can measure the clearance between my trunion and the bolt, too - I just like to have input from folks that have been there before me... ;>)

 

Thanks again!

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You nailed it bro! I was just in the shop trying to make a steel Galil work. Normal bullet guides don't work,

but when you look at the step down in the trunnion, you can see that a different guide is in order.

I was just about to weld a tab on the front of the mag, but I was'nt seeing the right solution. I can't wait to get back at it. You rock! :super::super: The steel galils snap in with no mods, I'm pumped!!

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Thanks, Vjor! Great info with great photos!

 

Your welcome, just remember you may need some fitting to do

on your gun, take it nice and easy.

 

 

Do you think I should use primarily a 5 or 7 pound hammer for most of the work. I find the heavier generally works best! :bag:

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I've been looking at how the Orlite mags fit the Saiga mag well. The front locks up tight, but the rear of the mag has just a little vertical play. That got me to thinking - in the 'how-to' info on converting a Saiga, they suggest chopping off part of the stock trigger guard ( http://www.cross-conn.com/Saiga_Conversion/Step_5.htm ). What if you didn't chop it so short? Leave enough of the 'extra' metal on the trigger guard to reach all of the way to the rear edge of the mag well and I bet that would take all of the vertical play out of the rear of the Orlites.

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I've been looking at how the Orlite mags fit the Saiga mag well. The front locks up tight, but the rear of the mag has just a little vertical play. That got me to thinking - in the 'how-to' info on converting a Saiga, they suggest chopping off part of the stock trigger guard ( http://www.cross-conn.com/Saiga_Conversion/Step_5.htm ). What if you didn't chop it so short? Leave enough of the 'extra' metal on the trigger guard to reach all of the way to the rear edge of the mag well and I bet that would take all of the vertical play out of the rear of the Orlites.

 

That may work to sandwich the back of the mag lug between it

and the mag latch on the gun, but it will bring the mag down on the back,

other way is to silver solder a piece of metal on the back of the latch on rifle

and file it down, until the back lug fits tight and up against the receiver

and the metal solder to the back of the latch, in few the metal will hold the

back lug and push it up against the receiver of the gun.

 

That works if only orlites mags to be use, because you will need to

file any other back lug in any other mag to fit it.

 

By the way like I say before the mag still feeds like a charm

even if the mag has a little vertical play, even pull on it

to make it miss feed, and no luck on it, the damn

thing still feeds at list on my gun, what can I say.

 

No pics this time unless requested.

Edited by vjor
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Maybe it's the thickness of the bullet guide (thgough I can't see how), but In my tests, you need to sand the feeed lips till they are angled up and much thinner at the front, and THEN, you need to build up the bottom of the front mag lockup lug. Otherwise the mag will rock forward and backward and will not feed. I don't see what I am missing.

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Vjor: "That may work to sandwich the back of the mag lug between it

and the mag latch on the gun, but it will bring the mag down on the back,

other way is to silver solder a piece of metal on the back of the latch on rifle

and file it down, until the back lug fits tight and up against the receiver

and the metal solder to the back of the latch, in few the metal will hold the

back lug and push it up against the receiver of the gun."

 

^^^

 

Unless I pull up on the back of an Orlite mag, it stays down, right on top of the latch. I thought about going to a thinner selector stop plate, but then I realized that would raise the rear of the mag. I don't need to do that (the bolt picks up cartridges from the mag just fine), and I don't want to do that (it would 'angle' the front of the cartridges even lower, away from the chamber, if only by a hair). Like you said, it probably doesn't make any difference, since your Orlites feed when they're either 'up' or 'down' in back. I need to get a copy of your bullet guide installed, and see how that works first.

 

^^^

 

Vjor: "That works if only orlites mags to be use, because you will need to

file any other back lug in any other mag to fit it."

 

^^^

 

I don't have any Bulgy mags, but I've got a bunch of nice Orlites! Also, I just realized that if I go with the trigger guard 'extension' to sandwich the Orlite lug, I can always change my mind (if I get some Bulgy or Weiger mags, for instance) just by unscrewing the trigger guard, and shortening the front end.

 

Thanks for the input, Vjor - hope I can get the same results you're seeing!

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I got the trigger plate off (for some reason the spot weld was a complete & absolute SOB ;>), and the FCG removed. The trigger guard is re-installed, with the long end forward, trimmed to reach the rear edge of the mag well. FWIW, with a little thinning on the trigger guard 'extension,' Orlites lock in really, really nice! No more vertical wiggle at the rear!

 

I've got some steel bar stock now, and will try to replicate Vjor's bullet guide this weekend. Just playing around with some aluminum stock cut to approximately the same thickness & length as Vjor used, it looks like Vjor's 'patented Orlite & Bulgy bullet guide' pops the cartidge up high enough, and the Orlite mag lips keep the cartridge centered enough, to find the chamber, feeding from either side of the mag.

 

Sweet!

 

Thanks again, Vjor! Looking forward to getting this puppy up & running!

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I got the trigger plate off (for some reason the spot weld was a complete & absolute SOB ;>), and the FCG removed. The trigger guard is re-installed, with the long end forward, trimmed to reach the rear edge of the mag well. FWIW, with a little thinning on the trigger guard 'extension,' Orlites lock in really, really nice! No more vertical wiggle at the rear!

 

I've got some steel bar stock now, and will try to replicate Vjor's bullet guide this weekend. Just playing around with some aluminum stock cut to approximately the same thickness & length as Vjor used, it looks like Vjor's 'patented Orlite & Bulgy bullet guide' pops the cartidge up high enough, and the Orlite mag lips keep the cartridge centered enough, to find the chamber, feeding from either side of the mag.

 

Sweet!

 

Thanks again, Vjor! Looking forward to getting this puppy up & running!

 

:D LOL, bro if you keep on tanking me, makes me feel like I find

the cure for cancer or something, I did nothing, just make and ugly

bullet guide that I hope help some more people make these galil

mags work. :D

 

Good luck.

Edited by vjor
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Hey Vjor,

I shot 35 round orlites, and 50 round steel galils with the guide and did'nt have one problem. I did'nt make any mods to the steel,and just had to file the orlites in the front to fit. I'll post some pics. Thanks buddy.

It seems you could add material to the back of the orlites for a tighter fit but they cycle flawlessly,so I'm not

going to screw with it.

Well we just got back so its time for Jack & coke, and cleaning! :super:

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Hey Vjor,

I shot 35 round orlites, and 50 round steel galils with the guide and did'nt have one problem. I did'nt make any mods to the steel,and just had to file the orlites in the front to fit. I'll post some pics. Thanks buddy.

It seems you could add material to the back of the orlites for a tighter fit but they cycle flawlessly,so I'm not

going to screw with it.

Well we just got back so its time for Jack & coke, and cleaning! :super:

 

Cooool beans jelly bean, hey I see you like the 55 rounds galil :D

I did not touch the 35 rounds galil orlites, because the simple you keep things

the best they work, if you start to ad plastic, screws, metal etc to the mags

you asking for problems, simple things work reliable and reliable things

are simple, a full loaded mag will drop a little on the back, but not enough

to cause any malfunction on the feeding of the gun, well bro enjoy your

jack and coke and is nice to see you make the guide work for you.

 

Hey post some pics of your guide, you know to help more brothers

on the Saiga forum in any way, is always a good feeling when things

work for some one else.

Edited by vjor
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Has anyone ever tried to make a bullet guide with Acraglas or JB Weld? Seems like it would hold up, but there must be a reason that no one does it that way. A no-drill/no-tap solution if it worked, and you could shape it to provide just the contour you wanted. I haven't tried it, just curious as to whether others have and found it unworkable, or if nobody's tried it yet.

 

FraserMaine

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So I spent some time on the mill last night and managed to make a one piece guide(which you could probably do without a mill if you are ambitious). Feeds awesome with my clear bulgy waffles(which I got from Cobra 76 two). just thought I'd give you all another idea, and maybe get some input on the design. I had to use a 10-32 tap because the hole that was already in my trunnion was to big to tap with an 8-32(which is why the screw head is so big). but it all started out as a piece of 1/4 inch bar stock which I milled down using vjor's pattern as a guide. I guess a picture says a thousand words, so here they are. Sorry, my gun is friggen filthy :)

 

you can see at the right the notch I cut to slide underneath the chamber face, and to the left the notch on the bottom to clear the magazine.

DSC00654.JPG

 

here she is mounted up.

DSC00651.JPG

 

you might also notice that on the top around the screw is cut lower than the tip of the ramp. I did this to give clearance for the bolt to swing around and lock. before I clearanced it, the bolt would snag up on the ramp when it started to rotate to lock. She isn't beautiful or anything, but it works good. And once again, Thanks vjor for posting this stuff for all us flat cut trunnion folks.

Edited by angrydutchman
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I agree, that is really nice looking! You could sell those. I made one like Vjors and it works great, but thats

a quality looking piece.

 

Thanks. I hadn't even thought about making them to sell...but now that you mention it.. :)

 

I guess if there was enough interest in them, I might make a stab at it.

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