kman0066 0 Posted September 28, 2004 Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 Sorry no pictures right now, but as soon as I figure out my new camera phone I'll put them up here. I used the black AK equipment from KVAR and the single hook FCG from Tapco. I decided against using a sheppards hook since I didn't have one, oops. I couldn't find a metal chicago pin so I used a nylon one(will replace exventually). Things I found out during the ordeal. 1.) The gun needs to be refinshed/blued. I was pretty careful, but still there are nicks everywhere. 2.)They weren't kidding when they said you'll need some good drill bits. I HAD a set of titanium bits but they are now broke or dulled. This reciever and welds are tough. What ended up working for me was using the remaining portion of broken drill bits. For some reason it cut right through. 3.)Using the standard AK PG threaded block, it will intefer with the forward pin if you retain the old spring method rather than the sheppards hook. 4.)The front of the existing trigger hole had to be grinded less than a mm to allow the TAPCO trigger to fully function. 5.)The TAPCO hammer had to be ground in certain spot, you'll see where once you get one and hold it next to the old hammer. 6.)Don't grind off the rearmost pin. It doesn't hurt anything where it is. Just grind off the trigger from the pin. If you'll be using a flatter attaching device for the PG than the standard AK one, then you can also leave the forward pin in place. 7.)Man this gun looks mean now, it does feel short though. I want to get a rubber pad for the back now. It feels more natural holding it in the shooting position though. DO IT. It's not as hard as it sounds. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
edgo 0 Posted September 29, 2004 Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 Does the Saiga 12 have the original military trigger cutout under the bottom plate? Ed Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kman0066 0 Posted September 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 Yes, mine did. I had to grind a smidgen off one spot to allow the trigger to fully move, but it was less than a mm that I ground off. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
houtexgunner 0 Posted September 29, 2004 Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 Congrads! I have mine but was encouraged to take it to the range before mods to make sure everything worked as it is suppsed to for warranty purposes. Conversion should be easy, I am going to rivet my Modified ak trigger guard to try to match the real deal. I sure wish someone would/could make a matching finish to the saiga/IZH finish that is actually made for ak's. (no more baked on engine paint!!!) I sure want to cover/match the original finish. Anyway, if you get a chance to post pics, Id love to see them. It is cool to see how everyone has their own taste and the different ways people go about their conversion to get what they want. (kind of like harleys and my personal favorite JEEPS) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Salmonaxe 0 Posted September 29, 2004 Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 So, kman0066, about how long did it take you to complete the project? Did you paint it as well? Since you kept the rear pin, you had to cut a notch in your buttstock, right? houtexgunner, what is the black engine paint that is usually used? (color/manufacturer) I just hit the bare metal on mine with some random flat black paint I had laying around, but it's wearing off a bit. So I might want to strip that stuff off and try something else. The original paint seems super tough to me. You said something about baking....? Would you heat the gun in the oven, paint it, then heat it again? I've heard of people doing that for refinishing mags. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mickporno 0 Posted September 29, 2004 Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 i've been working on mine little by little....here's where i am right now... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kmoore 3 Posted September 29, 2004 Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 Hey, where's your front bead ...... lololololol Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mickporno 0 Posted September 29, 2004 Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 adam G knocked it off at DOM the other nite.....i'm exploring other ideas anyway... sam tells me you're getting a C like his....watcha gonna do with your 12 you have now.....we should talk....i like doing the conversion myself.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
houtexgunner 0 Posted September 29, 2004 Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 salmonaxe, the bake on stuff is some stuff you get at walmart---duplicolor 1200 degree header paint with ceramic. (strip, spray it on, bake it for 2 hours @ 350degrees) I used it to redo an sar-2----and I dont recommend it. Heavy duty solvents like "gunscrubber" in a can will make the finish bubble up and flake off (yes, it looked awesome before and I was very pissed after) I highly recommend stuff that is made for guns and not spray paint. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kman0066 0 Posted September 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2004 I haven't found the reciever to get to hot, so I just used the flat black, brush on grill paint from Wal-mart. I did cut a notch in the but stock, that took all of 5 seconds to do. The project took me all night but I could have saved time by knowing a couple of things. One, you need really sharp drill bits, I mean really sharp. Or just a small dremel bit to act as a drill. Two, The forward pin of the back two has to come out. I tried working around it but that just delayed the project over an hour and in the end I had to cut it anyways. Really, if the holes could have been cut faster, I could have finished this thing in less than 2 hours. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mrapathy2000 0 Posted October 1, 2004 Report Share Posted October 1, 2004 how does the car stock with slip on pad work with the saiga12? would think the recoil would beat the stock up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mickporno 0 Posted October 1, 2004 Report Share Posted October 1, 2004 how does the car stock with slip on pad work with the saiga12? would think the recoil would beat the stock up. actually the stock holds up very nicely....however the recoil is considerably punishing if you use hi-power loads....i was raised not to be a pussy however so i am going to just accept the punishment and go with it...maybe a thicker rubber recoil pad would be in order in the future but i'm not going to hurt myself looking for one... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
red_cedar 28 Posted October 1, 2004 Report Share Posted October 1, 2004 Would upgrading the spring and buffer help with the recoil? I am putting a similar type stock on mine but mine is made by TDI. Also Im presuming that power loads you mean magnum loads and not 00buck? It helps to know what to expect with the stock. Thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mickporno 0 Posted October 1, 2004 Report Share Posted October 1, 2004 with an AR stock on a saiga you don't use the AR buffer and spring...the tube is empty.....and what i meant was if i shoot buckshot, slugs or high brass shells like maybe remington express #5's for example....the recoil is pretty substantial....the stock doesn't absorb recoil well and the pad i have on there is very thin....add to the equation that i sawed 4 3/8" off of the barrel and you've got a cocktail for some ass kicking recoil....but if you're a real man you should be able to withstand it...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kman0066 0 Posted October 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2004 Here is the picture as promised. I used the TAPCO trigger and the synthetic stock and grip from K-var. Low quality pic because it came from a camera phone but you get the idea. I'm still learning how to use the phone. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DHunter 1 Posted October 1, 2004 Report Share Posted October 1, 2004 Looks good. Does it feel more natural to shoot now that it's in the right configuration? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kman0066 0 Posted October 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2004 It feels more natural to hold, but I won't know about shooting it with the PG until Quail season opens next weekend. Bye bye Quail, hello dinner. Anyways, it feels better. The old stock stretched my arms uncomfortably even with me being 6'4". The new stock feels just barely short but I'm going to add one of those 1" rubber pads so that should straighten that out. The PG adds much better control of the gun too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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