Looter 0 Posted April 14, 2008 Report Share Posted April 14, 2008 Hi guys, I have an opportunity to acquire a used Saiga-20. The owner states that it 'jams sometimes'. I do not know what kind of loads he's tried. I recall an internet rumor that said the Saiga 20s have the same recoil spring as the 12s, and this causes them to be jam-prone.. can someone confirm or deny this for me? I'm thinking of offering a S&W model ten revolver in trade, and possibly some cash, if the Saga is in good condition. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks, Kevin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IndyArms 10,186 Posted April 14, 2008 Report Share Posted April 14, 2008 Well, I cant say for sure as I dont know the condition... but NEW they are going for $350. Used, I would say try to get it for $200-$250. That would be a VERY good price if it is in GOOD CONDITION. As far as jamming, yeah, the S20's DO... but thats when they are new and need several hundred rounds through them to "break them in" There are some other things you can do too... but chances are it just needs to be shot a hell of a lot more than he has and thats the ONLY thing wrong with it... Just keep in mind your trade value, as I have listed above... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fobmagi 0 Posted April 18, 2008 Report Share Posted April 18, 2008 I second that, they tend to work out their problems with $100 in cheap ammo. prices are about right too... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Looter 0 Posted April 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 Well guys, The next time my friend with the S-20 is home from school, he said he would bring it along. I have about $160 in the revolver. It could be a good trade, but it does seem a little counter-intuitive to be trading off a revolver that is 100% reliable for a shotgun that, at this point, is not. The main reason I'm considering it is because my collection is made up of primarily Russian-designed pieces, and a Saiga shotgun would fit in well with everything else. Just shooting it until it's broken in sounds like an easy enough solution, but if that means dealing with a stoppage every other round it could mean a lot of frustration. What ammo did you guys use to break-in your Saiga-20s, and what do they eat reliably after have been broken in? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IndyArms 10,186 Posted April 19, 2008 Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 Mine shoots the cheapo wally world winchester or federal EVERY TIME now... after one season of trap league... that was the PERFECT solution as you only load ONE shell per firing at a time... that way a stovepipe or a FTE is PERFECT as it doesnt eject into the guy to your right... and you dont need rapid fire, so FTE's are perfect... by the end of the season, it ran everything without a hiccup... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
buckandaquarterquarterstaff 5 Posted April 19, 2008 Report Share Posted April 19, 2008 In my experience the S20 is a tempramental little beast. Try using a 1911 recoil spring to replace the stock spring, and you might have to work the gas ports. Before doing all that I'd try to find the right ammo for it. Chances are if you just shoot buck or slugs it won't be as tempramental as it would be with bird shot. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Looter 0 Posted April 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 In my experience the S20 is a tempramental little beast. Try using a 1911 recoil spring to replace the stock spring, and you might have to work the gas ports. Before doing all that I'd try to find the right ammo for it. Chances are if you just shoot buck or slugs it won't be as tempramental as it would be with bird shot. Do all of these come with 70mm and 76mm mags from the factory? What are my chances of getting one to run birdshot? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Looter 0 Posted May 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 BTT Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Juhosaphat 0 Posted May 1, 2008 Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 (edited) I run nothing but birdshot through mine with no problems. What I found is that Federal and most brands of birdshot for 20 gauge use a tall neck on their shells. I run Fiocchi brand shells through mine and they have a very short neck. Just like the federal bulk pack 12 gauge shells, but 20 gauge. When I first got mine, it jammed a lot using the bulk federal 20 gauge stuff. I ran some of the Fiocchi through it with the short neck and it cycled flawlessly. That was all with 7 1/2 shot by the way. In both the federal and the fiocchi. Plus up here, I get the Fiocchi stuff a little bit cheaper too which is a bit of a bonus besides flawless cycling So if you can get a good deal on a S20 from a gun shop or even from a friend, just look for the 2 3/4" mag (if it doesn't have one with it) and then look for short neck shells. I definitely recommend Fiocchi if you can find them. But if not, any short neck shell should cycle flawlessly in even 'right out of the box' S20's. Edited May 1, 2008 by Juhosaphat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Looter 0 Posted May 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 By 'neck' do you mean the brass? IE: 'low brass'? I'd really like to be able to buy ammo for this gun at wally world. Does the S-20 come with the 2 3/4" and 3" mags from the factory? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Juhosaphat 0 Posted May 1, 2008 Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 (edited) By 'neck' do you mean the brass? IE: 'low brass'? I'd really like to be able to buy ammo for this gun at wally world. Does the S-20 come with the 2 3/4" and 3" mags from the factory? I think they come with a 2 3/4" mag from the factory but I'm not too sure about that. And by neck, I mean the bottom brass part of the hull. The picture is a 12 gauge next to a 20 gauge, but it shows the difference between a tall 'neck' and a short 'neck'. I only call them necks because the shop I go to, that's what everybody calls it lol I don't know if that's the official term for it Edited May 1, 2008 by Juhosaphat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fobmagi 0 Posted May 1, 2008 Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 (edited) I do not know about the correctness of the term 'neck', but the technical term for the 'long neck' and 'short neck' shells are 'high brass' and 'low brass'. Compare Remington express long range (high brass) with Remington heavy dove (low brass). I shoot remington heavy dove for birdshot.... no cycling issues. Edited May 1, 2008 by Fob Magi Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.