Why No 5.45 x 39 Saiga's?

[Oswald2001 0]

Why are there no 5.45 Saiga's?

 

There are plenty of 5.45 x 39 AK's around. It seems to me that the 5.45 x 39 Saiga is strangely lacking.

 

 

I noticed that VEPR's are imported in 5.45 x 39.

Edited January 8, 2007 by Oswald2001

[Koevoet 0]

When the Saiga came out it was sold in America and Western Europe as a hunting rifle.Even if it wasn't a hunting rifle at that time 5.45mm ammo availiabilty was limited.The Vepr is based on the RPK.The new Vepr's are no longer made in 5.45mm.Most of the countries that used 5.45mm have now joined NATO and have switched to 5.56.East Germany,Romania,Bulgaria and Poland belong to NATO now.Russia had many complaints of failures of 5.45mm in the war in Chechnya and have been switching back to 7.62x39.

 

I was thinking to convert a Saiga to 5.45mm but it looks like ammo is going to be in short supply once the surplus batches run dry.The Wolf 5.45mm ammo produces much more gas pressure than military ammo.It really slams the bolt carrier to the rear on the receiver.The military 5.45mm ammo works as it's suppose to work.

 

Another odd thing about the 5.45mm Vepr is the rifling twist rate.The Wolf ammo uses heavier than military ammo bullets.The Vepr rifling is slower than military 5.45mm rifles it won't stablize the heavier bullet and barely stablizes the military 5.45mm ammo.Very odd.I think maybe iit's a carry over from RPK-74 which have slower rifling than the AK-74.

[NJsux 0]

When the Saiga came out it was sold in America and Western Europe as a hunting rifle.Even if it wasn't a hunting rifle at that time 5.45mm ammo availiabilty was limited.The Vepr is based on the RPK.The new Vepr's are no longer made in 5.45mm.Most of the countries that used 5.45mm have now joined NATO and have switched to 5.56.East Germany,Romania,Bulgaria and Poland belong to NATO now.Russia had many complaints of failures of 5.45mm in the war in Chechnya and have been switching back to 7.62x39.

 

I was thinking to convert a Saiga to 5.45mm but it looks like ammo is going to be in short supply once the surplus batches run dry.The Wolf 5.45mm ammo produces much more gas pressure than military ammo.It really slams the bolt carrier to the rear on the receiver.The military 5.45mm ammo works as it's suppose to work.

 

Another odd thing about the 5.45mm Vepr is the rifling twist rate.The Wolf ammo uses heavier than military ammo bullets.The Vepr rifling is slower than military 5.45mm rifles it won't stablize the heavier bullet and barely stablizes the military 5.45mm ammo.Very odd.I think maybe iit's a carry over from RPK-74 which have slower rifling than the AK-74.

 

 

Now I know this isnt a saiga ? but you look as if you would be the perfect person to ask and this last reply seems really pertinent to my ? so here goes.....I have a wasr-2 (5.45) that I just fired at the range for the first time yesterday. I was only able to come up with what I can describe as a "shotgun pattern" at 50yds. Now I know it is not me due to the fact I shot my wasr-10 (7.62) right before this at 50 yds and got an average grouping of rounds in the black of the target. Now this totally suprised me as I thought that the 5.45 round would be a much more accurate round than the 7.62 since it is comparable to a 5.56. So i asked some friends and they said that maybe I had overoiled the gun and the excess oil was causing this "shotgun" pattern...I really didnt think that was it because I dont soak my guns in oil but i checked anyway and it doesnt seem to be overoiled at all....BUT!!!!!....I am using wolf 5.45 ammo....could the twist rate in the wasr-2 be comparable or at least different and i could be having the same stabilzation pattern problem as the VEPR? Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am really disappoineted with the accuracy of this rifle..everything else about it works excellent and I really enjoy shooting it....i put an aftermarket k-var stock on it and was goona add an ultimak front sight mount along with a red dot...but not if the accuracy sux this bad...ill just do up the 7.62....

PS..as far as my choice of WASRs for ak clones...its the only thing im allowed in Nazi Jersey otherwise I would have spent real $$ to get a russian ak........

[MD_Willington 11]

Many places require .25 or .30 caliber for hunting anyway.. no point in another .22...

 

Funny how you can hunt humans (war) with .22x and not a deer...

Edited January 8, 2007 by MD_Willington

[BattleRifleG3 16]

I'm working on something that would be in the spirit of a 5.45 Saiga but with a few advances over the Saiga as we know it.

[uzitiger 193]

I wouldn't expect much accuracy from the WASR rifles. The workmanship looks almost as bad as the Chinese Norinco AK copies. The military Romaks look a lot better than the WASRs.