DONE!! Introducing my newly converted Saiga

[minter66 0]

Whew, wow what a weekend. Hurricane IKE decided to greet us here in the Dallas Ft. Worth metroplex softly, but it was still enough to put the Classic Car Swap Meet at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington out of business (and I was making a killing!)

 

So after driving by Cheaper Than Dirt in Ft. Worth and getting everything I need for my conversion I head up to my dad's place to put up the Mustang and use his bench top drill and his bench top grinder. By the way, the bench top grinder made mince-meat of those rivets. If you know someone with a giant spinning wheel that grinds, that is the way to take out the old sporter plate (or whatever it's called)

 

Boy did I had problems from the get-go. Thanks to vjor for letting me know about the gastube thing, most people have screws, I have to remove the gas tube and then the handguard...I must have looked at it for an hour before begging for help. From there disassembly went great. It was all the freaking cutting that had me more nervous than on my wedding night! All I had was a dremel at my house, and I used it to cut the new PG hole, cut the second hook off my Tapco trigger and then I had to dremel holes into my new stock to get it to fit...plus my picatinny rail on the front HG...

 

One big shout out of thanks to quikz, this guy was awesome. Very patient in answering all my noob questions about where he got all his parts and such, thanks quikz!

 

Anyways enough blabbering, without further delay:

 

My saiga when I bought it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Saiga now:

 

[SpyderMan2k4 1]

Awesome, and congratulations! Looks like a job well done. I actually just finished my conversion today (just waiting for Brownell's to get me a stock with all the parts!) Definitely looks good though? What do you plan on for the next conversion?

[22_Shooter 1,560]

Looks good!

 

How ya likes the new trigger? Feels a LOT better than factory junk, eh?

[minter66 0]

Looks good!

 

How ya likes the new trigger? Feels a LOT better than factory junk, eh?

 

 

It feels like butter!

[minter66 0]

Awesome, and congratulations! Looks like a job well done. I actually just finished my conversion today (just waiting for Brownell's to get me a stock with all the parts!) Definitely looks good though? What do you plan on for the next conversion?

 

Thank you very much. Post up your conversion I am curious to see what it looks like!

 

My next conversion (if I can find it) will be a 16" .223 AKS-101 (I think that is what it is called) look-alike.

 

But I am going to hold off. This thing was a pain to do, and while I am glad I did it, I need to acquire the correct tools before I do another one.

[neoxyooj 0]

VERY COOL SAIGA! is it in 5.56 or 7.62.39?

[minter66 0]

VERY COOL SAIGA! is it in 5.56 or 7.62.39?

 

 

7.62x39

 

I am looking for a .223 or 5.56 for my next conversion...maybe a .308???!!!

[Bayoupiper 738]

Nice job!

 

Hey I've got that same flooring!

[quikz 1]

Hey Congrats!!

 

Nice job and a fun project wasn't it...

 

Since you have a pic rail attachment point on your fwd handguard, you could add all sorts of helpful things now too, tho I wouldn't over do it. I still sometimes swap my quad rail back to the original front handguard to dull down the "assault" rifle 'look'.

 

You still may want to paint the lower portion of the receiver where you took the cover off too.

 

Very enjoyable project and rather addicting.

 

Glad you folks made it out of Ike ok...One of my jobs ALMOST called us down there to TX, for armed protective work. But was cancelled.

[SpyderMan2k4 1]

Awesome, and congratulations! Looks like a job well done. I actually just finished my conversion today (just waiting for Brownell's to get me a stock with all the parts!) Definitely looks good though? What do you plan on for the next conversion?

 

Thank you very much. Post up your conversion I am curious to see what it looks like!

 

My next conversion (if I can find it) will be a 16" .223 AKS-101 (I think that is what it is called) look-alike.

 

But I am going to hold off. This thing was a pain to do, and while I am glad I did it, I need to acquire the correct tools before I do another one.

 

 

I posted pictures in the picture thread (I believe it is still currently the last page). I had a bit of extra cash to burn as well as a birthday request, so I was able to get a good few tools that definitely made the job a lot easier (I want to get into gunsmithing, so it wasn't too painful buying a number of tools knowing I'll get a lot of use out of them).

 

It was still tricky to do, but now that I've done one, I'd love to do another as well. I can't stop thinkin of the idea of a saiga 12, but the .223s would be pretty neat as well. One nice thing is with the internet, it certainly makes finding things a lot easier.

[Azrial 1,091]

Very clean job!

[minter66 0]

Okay, had a couple of PM's asking about what I bought and such, so here is a list:

 

Here are the following parts that I used. I bought all my parts from Cheaper Than Dirt because it is located in Ft. Worth, TX and I live close by (Dont have to wait for shipping or anything)

 

First, the easy stuff:

 

Magazine clamps (check the legality if you can own them)

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/AKS008-36.html

 

Master molder magazines:

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/MAG035-36.html

 

Collapsible folding stock

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/AKS025-1.html

 

SAW pistol grip (feels great)

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/AKS031-1.html

 

Side mount (for scope or optics)

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/AKS006-1.html

 

Picatinny rails for front hand guard (2 of them, I only needed 1)

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ARR054-7.html

 

More complex parts:

Tapco G2 Double hook trigger

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/AKS024-1.html

 

With a little cutting, I cut off that second hook and trimmed a little on the forward part of the trigger and now it feels like butter.

 

AK-47 / Saiga Pistol Grip bolt and nut:

http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_i...products_id=522

 

This is the only part I had to order online, and I hate to order parts online, I just don't trust online merchants. But it got here within 3 days and it worked great. If you get the SAW grip, it comes with a short bolt and all you will need is the special nut that comes from Copes to put in the receiver.

Edited September 18, 2008 by minter66

[SpyderMan2k4 1]

Okay, had a couple of PM's asking about what I bought and such, so here is a list:

 

Here are the following parts that I used. I bought all my parts from Cheaper Than Dirt because it is located in Ft. Worth, TX and I live close by (Dont have to wait for shipping or anything)

 

First, the easy stuff:

 

Magazine clamps (check the legality if you can own them)

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/AKS008-36.html

 

Master molder magazines:

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/MAG035-36.html

 

Collapsible folding stock

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/AKS025-1.html

 

SAW pistol grip (feels great)

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/AKS031-1.html

 

Side mount (for scope or optics)

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/AKS006-1.html

 

Picatinny rails for front hand guard (2 of them, I only needed 1)

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ARR054-7.html

 

More complex parts:

Tapco G2 Double hook trigger

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/AKS024-1.html

 

With a little cutting, I cut off that second hook and trimmed a little on the forward part of the trigger and now it feels like butter.

 

AK-47 / Saiga Pistol Grip bolt and nut:

http://www.copesdistributing.net/product_i...products_id=522

 

This is the only part I had to order online, and I hate to order parts online, I just don't trust online merchants. But it got here within 3 days and it worked great. If you get the SAW grip, it comes with a short bolt and all you will need is the special nut that comes from Copes to put in the receiver.

 

 

 

hmmm... any bullet guide?

[JohnnyFats 0]

Man, that is exactly what I am wanting to do; of course I have to get one first. Would you be interested in doing it again? What part of DFW are you in? I'm down south of Fort Worth in Burleson. Oh yeah, a friend and I are actually going to head down to Cheaper Than Dirt this weekend.

Edited September 19, 2008 by JohnnyFats

[Fixer 0]

Awesome gun man. I just bought my Saiga 7.62 at CTD last week. I live in Keller about 6 miles north of their store. We should all go shoot sometime....

[JohnnyFats 0]

Awesome gun man. I just bought my Saiga 7.62 at CTD last week. I live in Keller about 6 miles north of their store. We should all go shoot sometime....

 

How much are the 7.64 and 308's at CTD?

[Taro 0]

Did you use a bullet guide or are the mags good to go whitOUT it ?

[skullmonkey 0]

Whew, wow what a weekend. Hurricane IKE decided to greet us here in the Dallas Ft. Worth metroplex softly, but it was still enough to put the Classic Car Swap Meet at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington out of business (and I was making a killing!)

 

So after driving by Cheaper Than Dirt in Ft. Worth and getting everything I need for my conversion I head up to my dad's place to put up the Mustang and use his bench top drill and his bench top grinder. By the way, the bench top grinder made mince-meat of those rivets. If you know someone with a giant spinning wheel that grinds, that is the way to take out the old sporter plate (or whatever it's called)

 

Boy did I had problems from the get-go. Thanks to vjor for letting me know about the gastube thing, most people have screws, I have to remove the gas tube and then the handguard...I must have looked at it for an hour before begging for help. From there disassembly went great. It was all the freaking cutting that had me more nervous than on my wedding night! All I had was a dremel at my house, and I used it to cut the new PG hole, cut the second hook off my Tapco trigger and then I had to dremel holes into my new stock to get it to fit...plus my picatinny rail on the front HG...

 

One big shout out of thanks to quikz, this guy was awesome. Very patient in answering all my noob questions about where he got all his parts and such, thanks quikz!

 

Anyways enough blabbering, without further delay:

 

My saiga when I bought it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Saiga now:

 

nice rifle man. i got a 7.62x39 20in ripped apart in the basement just waitin on parts ill post pics when its done

[Taro 0]

So what about those mags ? bullet guide or not ?

[Fixer 0]

Awesome gun man. I just bought my Saiga 7.62 at CTD last week. I live in Keller about 6 miles north of their store. We should all go shoot sometime....

 

How much are the 7.64 and 308's at CTD?

 

7.62 was $349.00 (400ish out the door) They are a little pricey but you can't beat their staff. I would have got one at the gun show this weekend but I'll be out of town

As for the .308, I think it was about the same, a few bucks more...