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Sheik: Some .223 conversion questions


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Sheik:

 

Thanks for all your helpful info on the Saiga 12. It helped a lot. I am now thinking of getting a Saiga .223. Some questions:

 

1) can I use the converted bakalite mags or Weigers that I use on my SAR 3s?

 

2) Is the gas piston that same as standard AKs so I can swap it out with a US piston along with the other parts for the pg conversion?

 

3) Is the gas tube length also standard so I can use the standard forend furniture?

 

4) Is the barrel notched for the standard lower forend grip latch? I know I will have to get one past the gas block.

 

Thanks much.

Edited by inparidel
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Weigers work great in the Saiga, but you will have to install a feed ramp, most likely. Noah Zark over on the AK forum on AR15.com has detailed instructions with pics. I have heard of people sanding the feed lips on bakelite mags that are normally for 5.45x39, but I don't have any experience doing that. Heck, the Weigers were too cheap.

 

The US gas pistons should work well. I didn't use one, though. I believe that the Saiga gas piston is blind pinned. I'll take mine down tonite and make sure. I made up some floor plates for the Weigers. They don't look exactly right, but they work fine.

 

The barrel is not notched, and the only guy I know that put a military handguard on a Saiga, cut the ferrule and welded it back together on the right side of the gas block. If I was going to convert a bunch to militar config, I would invest in a press and press the gas block off (after removing the pins, of course). I believe that is what AK-103 does.

 

I put a traditional PG on it, kept the factory forend, and bought a US-made euro spec buttstock (the short one) from K-Var on it. It fits my younger daughter perfectly. Consequently, she has laid claim to it and refers to it as "my AK". For the 7.62x39 conversion, I plan to use the non-folding Krink-style skeleton stock made by FSE and sold by RPB, and the M249-style PG, also from RPB (I will pick these items up on Thursday).

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Hey Sheik! Are you in the Atl area & do I know you? I'm Cleetus on RPB's catalog & also picking up on Thursday.

 

 

I didn't mean to hijack the thread.

 

 

Back to the issue, Don at Gator Guns, formerly at Kalashnikov USA told me that that the new .223's have a feed ramp & work fine with Bulgy waffles.

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  • 4 months later...

The Weigers work great in the Saiga, but they must be modified and then won't work in your SAR-3 anymore. If that's what you were asking.

 

I have cut the hand gaurd retainers in half before and the welded them back together around the barrel. Then you have to cut a notch in the barrel for the lock to work. It works but you must weld it. I've seen people try to use shortcuts like JB Weld and they just come back apart after a while.

 

Shiek know what he's talking about, I was just afraid you were asking if you could use the Weigers in both the Saiga and SAR-3 and I don't think it will work because of the modifications needed for the Saiga.

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  • 4 weeks later...
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