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The right way to fit your drum!


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I received my MD20 Drum today(thanks, you are the man!!) and I love it!!! It seems to be VERY well designed and manufactured. Not to mention it has to be one of the coolest looking accessories ever made for a firearm.

 

It wasn't as easy fitting it for me as it was in the video, but I don't think any two Siagas are made exactly alike, and having previously never done it, I was being VERY cautious. I was also using a small metal finger nail file, which couldn't have helped much. lol

 

I really only had to do the "A Fitting". After grinding on that thing for a couple of hours, just when I thought it was never going to work(I was beginning to wonder if my mag release was too long), I heard what seemed to be a magical click when I inserted the drum on what was probably the 75th attempt. It barely locked into place that first time. I replaced it a few times, and it started locking into place easily. For good measure, I went ahead and did a few passes on the "B Fitting" just to clean up the underside of the catch, even though I don't think I really needed to.

 

Even with my long trial and error, it was all very much worth it in the end. The drum fits beautifully, with absolutely no play at all in any direction. I filled it up and manually cycled all of the shells, and they fed perfectly. Next stop is the range. I've never more looked forward to turning my shoulder various shades of blue and purple. :)

 

Thanks MD for such an awesome magazine and an overall great product. Keep up the great work!!!! :up:

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  • 8 months later...
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First please watch the fitting video through this link:   After viewing the video you can view more detailed pics below of how to identify which fitting you need to preform, the fitting locatio

I got mine in yesterday JUST before I went to work....talk about a long day!! LOL Anyway, I finally got to read the instructions and watch the video, and started the filing. Mine happens to be one of

Just did some light filing, and it worked much better. Had to file the A setting quite a bit to get the gap/feed lips disappear, then the B filing was small and sweet......CLICK!!!

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I just received my MD-20 drum today and right out of the box it wouldn't fit.. the rear locking lug was hitting the "lip" in the rear of the receiver magwell and preventing it from locking in place.

 

After watching this excellent video, 5 minutes with a file, (fitting A), remedied this problem easily. No fitting B required, just a bit off the top edge and now it's lockin in place beatifully and easily. I haven't tried the drum yet, (I will tomorrow morning), but I have to say that the drum seems to be extremely well-made and I'm very impressed with the construction and how perfectly it now locks in place.

 

Thank you for this fantastic product, Mike!!! :super:

Edited by post-apocalyptic
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  • 5 months later...

I got my drum about a week ago. Got it filed down today. Tight fit. The only question I have is cycling. I have some dummy rounds. Put them into the drum to see if all was working correctly. First one entered chamber OK. When I tried to pull the bolt back to cycle the gun, it wouldn't come back. I tried this with a 5 round mag. no problem. Is there something else I may need to do the the drum or is this normal?

Edited by Greenego
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Last weekend I finally sat down and fitted my 3 new drums to my Saiga 12. I really took my time on the first one and after an hour of slow filing (Fitting A)I heard the satisfying click of the mag sitting home. Once i figure out how far i have to go, the other two were a snap to fit. Each taking approx. 7 minutes. No fitting B was required! :super:

 

Interestingly, I have a brand new unconverted Saiga 12 in the box and i tryed to see how close i was to fit the new SG. To my surprise the magwell of the new Saiga was so tight that i could bare get the nose of the mag catch into the recess in the receiver. Even then it was too tight with no hope of lock up. I then tried the 5 round mag that was still in the original wrapper and found out that it was also tight with the original Saiga mag and it had to be fitted to lock-in the magwell. The AGP's locked in the new Shot gun no problem. Its amazing how much variety is in the fit and finish of the Saiga guns. This must drive all the aftermarket parts suppliers batty!! :ded:

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  • 4 months later...

(NO FILING REQUIRED) for me..

 

I bought 2 drums this November that clipped in without any filing.. Now that being said I did have to play around with them but I think its something that could be done with every drum/gun. I noticed that when you try to clip them in that the front, top portion of the drum that slides into the gun is not sitting/sliding all the way forward. So try this because it worked for me.

 

Turn the gun upside down with the end of stock facing you and put the drum in, then if you push the drum forward/away with your "left" thumb while your left hand is holding the gun and then push the bottom of the drum down with your right hand and apply a good amount of pressure and it should clip in "tight". Now all that is required is that you repeat this process until the drum works itself in and your fitting issues are no more. I had both my drums clip in without any problems after minutes if not seconds of just clipping them in and out.

 

I would like someone else that is purchasing a drum to try this before filing and post if this works for you.

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just fitted mine, thanks for the extra pics/vids that were not in the manual, but I gotta say I ended up having to remove much more than a bit of "dust" worth of material, but I only need 1 saiga 12, and this one locks up tight now! can't wait to take it out to the range tomorrow.

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  • 3 months later...
  • 5 weeks later...

Got mine Friday and fitted it Friday night! Busted 20 out of 20 clays during saturdays Easter Trap fest at my brothers! The drum was the life of the party............next to the 50 bmg! :)

 

Great product!

 

Anyone make a speed loader for it yet?

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I read the instructions several times and then watched the video. While watching the video, I filed down the point "A", tried fitting, didn't work. Continued with the video and continued filing. Still wouldn't fit.

I then decided to get my other magazines and compare them to the drum fit. Although the instructions were perfect, there was an obvious difference between my drum and other mags. The back end needed major filing down. I did my best to file it down to make the back end look like my other mags. Voila! The drum slipped right in. I had to file down point "A" a lot more than the instructions said. But I also had to do that with my other magazines.

After a bit, the drum locked right in.

 

Follow the directions. Compare the drum to your other mags. Check to see BOTH ends look the same.

 

I can't wait for the weekend to go shoot!

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  • 5 months later...
  • 4 weeks later...

just got my two drums and they both wont fit at all. ya get the front beak started and go to rock it up in and the freakin sides are really tight on both. got two SGM 10rndrs that fit perfect. WHATS THE DEAL ???

 

Mine were a little tight in the same place but I just kinda wiggled them in and then inserted them several more times. Now it just locks into place nice and tightly!

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  • 3 months later...

I got mine in yesterday JUST before I went to work....talk about a long day!! LOL Anyway, I finally got to read the instructions and watch the video, and started the filing. Mine happens to be one of the ones to take both A and B modifications. After having it locking up perfectly (I thought), I hit the range, i.e., back yard. One round fired off and no more boom boom! I looked down, and noticed that the "perfect lockup" was not quite perfect enough. Back in the house for a little more filing on the B area and... perfection! Went back out and it did not come out this time!! Twenty rounds of number 7 1/2 shot ran through it great!

Now time to start the conversion...got everything in from Greg at CSS, gotta give a plug..he gets things to my door QUICKLY!!!

Boy, I'm sure glad I listened to my wife, who is the one that talked me into getting the drum. She said, "don'tcha think that would be cool to get one...looks wicked!! Ya gotta count your blessings when you have a wife like mine!! When I come back in from shooting, she wants to "sniff" the gun, loves the smell of burnt gunpowder! Am I lucky, or what!!!!

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  • 7 months later...

Not sure if I need the a or b, cause I can't even get the front catch to grab.

It seems as though the sides are too wide.

Would you recommend filing the sides down that only go in enough to clear the gun?

 

FYI..... I also have to SGM 10 rounders that fit perfect, so I didn't want to do any filing on the gun in that spot.

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Would you recommend filing the sides down that only go in enough to clear the gun?

 

I wouldn't use a file, I would use sandpaper, sand a little on both sides of the feed tower, check for fit and repeat until it fits in the mag well snuggly. after a few insertions it should fit in your SG like your stick mag.

Edited by Matthew Hopkins
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 5 years later...

Sorry for resurrecting this almost 10y/o thread. But I just got my 10rd drum. The case is B (latch not engaging). I have fixed it in 10 minutes too. But instead of shaving the bottom of the notch, which is obviously weakening the connection because the contact surface is reducing with that, I have shaved less than 0.5 mm on both sides of the drum's body lip (tower stop), which is the actual insertion depth limiter. I believe that's just the plastic extrusion defect.

 

My question is is it OK that the drum is wobbling side to side for about 6mm at the drum end level and rocking about 1 mm up/down at the front? (zero rocking at the rear where I have the tower stop filed).

Edited by halx
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