dinzag 31 Posted October 1, 2006 Report Share Posted October 1, 2006 (edited) Hey guys, here's the 1st Saiga I bought that already had the PG conversion done. I snagged it from forum member Falcon73. Here's Before Pic: Here's After Pics: edited to add pics with new FBMG 308 mag: I removed the blonde furniture from my S-20 and moved it over to this gun. Came out pretty nice. This was a 22" with BHO. I cut the barrel back to 16 1/4" & duplicated the crowning on the factory barrel. Granted it doesn't have a cleaning rod or side-folder like some of the ones I've seen but it's mine! The furniture is all imported so I installed a U.S. piston, brake, and hand-made floorplate in the mag. That plus the 3 in the adjustable RSA FCG gives me 6 U.S. parts total. I also fabbed up a lower handguard retainer I made from an AKM retainer and a piece of pipe. I little TIG welding and fitting. I then notched the barrel for the locking pin. I can make more, $75 shipped Next I bored out the front sight block, and bored out the threads on a '74 style brake. The sight block is pinned on like original and the brake is set-screwed into divots I drilled in the barrel. Maybe not as desirable as threading it, as that would require pressing the barrel out & putting in the lathe to reduce the o.d.. This way is good enough for me for now. If you want your Sight Block bored, $20 shipped. AK-74 Style Brake Kit, $39 shipped. I have had pistonring8 bead blast all of my other carriers in the past, but I did have a couple specks of rust pop up on one of my Romy AKM carriers. I bought a can of Duplicolor Aluminum Ceramic Engine Enamel. This stuff matches the bead blasted look perfectly! I now have access to a nice blasting setup, which is good for other things, but I may stick with the Duplicolor for protection purposes. Now the gun is missing a 20 rounder! If anyone would be so kind as to send me one, I would be much appreciative! I'll take photos of all the cool things we do together, all the ammo we load, critters we blast, you know...Come on! It would be taken well care of... Anyway, Thanks for looking! Edited December 5, 2006 by dinzag Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BobAsh 582 Posted October 2, 2006 Report Share Posted October 2, 2006 Nice job my friend. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
O.S.O.K. 0 Posted October 2, 2006 Report Share Posted October 2, 2006 beautiful! I hate to point this out but you actually still have 11 imported parts... You made the most common mistake out there - counting the us parts (which doesn't really matter) - it's the imported parts that count and you have: barrel, receiver, trunion, bolt carrier, bolt, buttstock, pistol grip, handguards, mag body, follower, floorplate. Count em - 11. Just use the new FNMG 20 rounders with it and you'll have it whipped. Uncle Batfuck and his merry gang of jackbooted thugs won't know unless you give them some reason to come look at your stuff, but... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vjor 2 Posted October 2, 2006 Report Share Posted October 2, 2006 dinzag that is really nice brother, if you get and adapter 14 by 24 ream it out if you want to install a 24 mm ak74 brake just my 2 cents. any way really looks goooooooooood to the bone. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
doug01 3 Posted October 2, 2006 Report Share Posted October 2, 2006 Parts shmarts! That is awesome Dinzag! You got some skeels there bro. I didn't want to make light light of the part count thing and it was cool of O.S.O.K to point it out for you. It just makes no sense to me about where parts come from make it legal or not when it is in the same set up. Like put in a higher cap mag from us and it's legal but a lower round from Russia and your breaking the law. It's just stupid. But hey, lets back to Dinzags new blonde babe! Doug Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mr. fudd 0 Posted October 2, 2006 Report Share Posted October 2, 2006 beautiful! I hate to point this out but you actually still have 11 imported parts... You made the most common mistake out there - counting the us parts (which doesn't really matter) - it's the imported parts that count and you have: barrel, receiver, trunion, bolt carrier, bolt, buttstock, pistol grip, handguards, mag body, follower, floorplate. Count em - 11. Just use the new FNMG 20 rounders with it and you'll have it whipped. Uncle Batfuck and his merry gang of jackbooted thugs won't know unless you give them some reason to come look at your stuff, but... No, he's still compliant. He says he replaced the factory floorplate with one he made himself. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dinzag 31 Posted October 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2006 Thanks all! As mr fudd stated, I'm good on compliance parts guys. O.S.O.K. & Doug01, goes to show when I get too wordy eh? Thanks for pointing out anyhow - something to not take lightly. vjor, the O.D. of this meaty barrel is 17.65mm. The adapter you talk of would work perfectly, thanks! I hadn't thought of that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted October 2, 2006 Report Share Posted October 2, 2006 Ya done good again brother! I'll be doing the same mod to my FSB. Looking for a drag brake to make work too. Awesome, gotta love them blondes... Thanks for the duplicolor idea...looks good. I'm getting tired of having to keep the light rust off of mine too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dinzag 31 Posted October 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2006 Cobra, the Duplicolor is "Cast Aluminum", not machined or brushed. I am going to go over my existing blasted carriers with it. The Russian ones all have good quality steel, but better safe then sorry. FYI, I used the 5 1/2" long piece of barrel to chuck the FSB in the lathe. Hook me up with some hot sauce & I'll bore it out for you... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vulcan762 0 Posted October 2, 2006 Report Share Posted October 2, 2006 Guys, I really dont understand the need to discuss parts count in open forum. We are all aware of the common interpretation of the NOT Law. To date the number of people brought up on charges of a parts count violation is a whopping ZERO. You wanna know why? Cause they know its rediculous and virtually impossible to prove. If I mine and produce a piece of steel bar stock here in the U.S. then send it to China to be fabricated into a part is it of U.S. origin? If I take a part (receiver stub) that was machined in Italy, then chopped up and sent to the U.S. as scrap, then I weld it back together within compliance (no NFA) is it now a U.S. part? What if the steel for that receiver was originally mined and fabricated into steel bar stock here in the U.S. Is it foreign or domestic? The origin of manufacture is what they rely on and the "proof" they use for such compliance is a sticker stuck on the side of the item stating where it was made. Im not saying go out and do something you feel may cause potential problems. For example, If I were a firearms manufacturer and was under scrutiny from ATF I would be careful to walk the line in the event they came after me and where desperate for something to hang on me. Makes sense as a business man to err on the side of caution. But do you REALLY think that ATF is at the range with a spectrometer and a crew of scientists ready to TRY and determine the country of origin of your parts? Of course not. This subject has not gone away for ONE major reason. COMPANIES ARE MAKING MONEY FROM IT. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dinzag 31 Posted October 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2006 vulcan762, I totally agree with you. The reason I did state it was to eliminate the discussion in the first place. I've seen it before... Anyhoo, anyone want to loan out a new 20 rounder? No takers yet eh? Hmmm, we'll have to sweeten the pot I suppose... I'll swap a 308 HG retainer for a mag, or a brake and bore your sight block like I did above for a new mag when they arrive. Anyone? Anyone? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
doug01 3 Posted October 3, 2006 Report Share Posted October 3, 2006 PM sent Quote Link to post Share on other sites
O.S.O.K. 0 Posted October 6, 2006 Report Share Posted October 6, 2006 Oops, obviously I didn't see the floorplate comment. Yes, I know that it is all total BS but better safe than sorry when its so easy to do. The rifle sitll looks outstanding to me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Falcon73 0 Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 Bravo Dinzag, very well done. It's good to see her treated well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
98_1LE 0 Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 Very nice weapon! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dinzag 31 Posted October 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2006 Falcon73, thanks man! If you converted it, you did a great job on everything. I got the FCG shimmed proper. Thanks for the compliments too. Thanks 98_1LE! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
44rdv4rk 0 Posted October 14, 2006 Report Share Posted October 14, 2006 i think it looks damn good... cleaning rod, schmeaning rod. the only prob i see is one i see on almost all the .308 handguard conversions... the upper and lower hg's seem a tad too far apart... other than that, its fargin' perfect! (i know, i must seem like a dick to nitpick about the gap, especially since my conversion is FAR less well done than that, but hey, its a pet peeve.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
emr454 1 Posted October 21, 2006 Report Share Posted October 21, 2006 Hey Dinzag, what kind of handguards did you use on your conversion? I have a set of blonde Chi_Com handguards that I'm trying to retro-fit to my VEPR .308, and I can MAKE them fit, but I think the heat from the barrel when firing might be too much. Have you had any heat issues as far as the handguards go? Also, would you be able to make a lower handguard for sale, or do you need to make it on the rifle? Thanks. Eric Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dinzag 31 Posted October 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 Any standard AKM/AK-74 furniture will work. For the S-308, you need to remove material to clear the larger barrel o.d. - This blonde HG was a bulgarian I got from K-Var. It was on my S-20. Also, you will need to work out a solution for the lower HG retainer as there is no way a standard AKM HG retainer will fit on the barrel. The retainer I have was hand made... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Falcon73 0 Posted October 26, 2006 Report Share Posted October 26, 2006 Everything on her when you adopted her was my elbow grease. You definitely took her to the next level though. Well done! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tokageko 8 Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 Totally not relevant, but kinda funny story about muzzle brakes: You said yours is held on by set-screws because threading would require to much work (essentially) right? Well, when I got mine threaded.... My gunsmith build a special jig so that he could mount the entire rifle on the lathe. That's dedication. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dinzag 31 Posted October 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 Yes it's a bit tricky, but it can be done. Pressing out the barrel is the best way to go for most lathes. Usually the bigger the lathe, the thicker the headstock. The smaller the lathe, the smaller the through hole is. Damned either way! Glad it worked out for you! To fixture up the entire barrel & receiver between the chuck & tailstock is the best way to get at the entire barrel. That and a 4-jaw independant chuck. I've helped spin & thread a bunch of bolt-gun barrels recently and those are much easier for disassembly and reassembly. Most will go right through the lathe head no problem. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
docwade 3 Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 (edited) That is a freakin awesome build. I think I'm going to have to buy one of those 308's I've been eyeing at the gun show and try that conversion! I love this addiction! Have you considered a two-piece lower handguard retainer (split vertically) that could clamp onto the barrel? I like the replication of the orginal style retainer, but don't look forward to trying to pull the fsb and gas block. Edited December 7, 2006 by docwade Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dinzag 31 Posted December 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
E-TAC 47 Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 SWEEEEEET... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dinzag 31 Posted September 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2007 More porn for ya'll... I upgraded the front sight block with an indexing pin, and made some 30 round magazines. The mags are just tack welded together for the moment. I'll be testing them this Sunday at the forum shoot. Front Sight Block mod with indexing pin. Side view, I TIG welded in a 3/16" piece of steel to thicken the web then bored the hole for the pin & spring. Here's a pic of where I made the cuts for the FMBG mags. I took 3 - 20 rounders and made them into 2 - 30 rounders. They fit 30 rounds exactly and have about a 1/2 round extra space. They can be loaded on a closed bolt. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
badman400 3 Posted September 21, 2007 Report Share Posted September 21, 2007 (edited) Absolute art Dinzag. Take a bow man. Got any pics up of those 30 rounders? Edited September 21, 2007 by badman400 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dinzag 31 Posted September 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 Just this for now. Only tack welded. I will be testing them Sunday at the shoot & if alls good I will finish them up. They're sggrosso's. He supplied some AGP springs with them & I must say they work great. The extra length is an improvement big time. Whoever came up with that is a genius. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 That's f'kin SWEET! Man I knew I saved that 3rd 20 rdr for some reason! I'll definitely be making up some of those! Thanks again B Great job on the FSB too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
unclejake 428 Posted February 4, 2009 Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 After I ordered a Tapco collapsible to make my surefire 25's compliant, I talked to my Dad(he's been whittlin custom homemade stocks for 45 years), and he told me he had rounded up some beautiful cherry and wanted a crack at carvin out the butt and forestocks for me. I really wanted wood, but cherry is going to be SWEET!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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