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Vepr12 43cm barrel vs Vepr12 52cm barrel


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Hello i very recently decided to acquire a Vepr 12, but i can't decide between the one with a 43cm barrel and the one with a 52cm barrel, i think the 43cm one looks better, but what i wanted to know is if the 9cm (3.5inchs) barrel length difference really makes a big impact in the accuracy of the Vepr 12.

Also if you could indicate me some internet sites that sell the Vepr 12 and export it to Portugal, i would really appreciate it.

 

Thanks.

 

43cm barrel = 16.9inchs

post-13249-1224515760_thumb.jpg

 

52cm barrel = 20.5inchs

post-13249-1224515779_thumb.jpg

Edited by nelson_teixeira
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Personally, I would go for the one with the shorter barrel. I have a Saiga 12 with a 19 in barrel and was able to get 2 - 2 1/2 in groups with slugs at 100 yds. I was amazed at the accuracy for that distance. If you need to hit beyond 100 yds, you should be using a rifle under optimal conditions.

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Whell definitely a short barrel shotgun looks more tactical, and I would buy this one mysef if I had the opportunity.Blaster's point is preety much right, tho.

 

Now about import in your country.First you have to know if someone imported the gun officialy.If it has you have to buy it from him.If not and you have the ability to request an import from a gunsmith, then since you know the factory and the model you can contact them and fix the details.

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We had a guy post here from Greece, as another EC country, maybe that would be you'r best bet to buy one. I would get the shorter barrel.

 

http://www.kopelakis.com are the dealers in Greece.

 

You need to check your local gun laws as sevral EU country's barrel lengths differ , think its 21" in Greece & Germany,24" in the Uk , 19" in some others !

Also note if you intend to compete in any practical ( ipsc ) shotgun matches you will not be able to take any gun into a country where their local law prohibits barrels that are to short .

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Can't anyone help me with this issue?? My decision betwen the 43cm barrel = 16.9inchs and the 52cm barrel = 20.5inchs depends on the accuracy difference, if not significant i will go for the 43cm (16.9inch) one.

 

Nelson, in general, shorter barrels have better accuracy potential due to increased stiffness, better harmonic dampening, etc. As range increases, however, this potential of shorter barrels over longer ones decreases, as the increased velocity gained from longer barrels means less bullet drop and wind drift over greater distances.

 

The variation in any two individual barrels is probably greater than the potential accuracy difference between the two barrel lengths referenced in your initial post. If your primary purpose for the firearm is recreational shooting and home defense, you should probably go for the better-looking shorter barrel. If you want to shoot at longer range, or plan on using the gun mostly for hunting, then the longer barrel would be a better choice.

 

Better yet, just buy two - and have the best of both worlds! :rolleyes:

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  • 1 month later...
what is the difference between the vepr and the saiga? It looks like the vepr is not as flexible when it comes to cartridge size. What does it do that the saiga 12 doesn't?

 

 

The Vepr 12 is supposed to be able to handle any 12 gauge ammo that the Saiga 12 can handle. As a practical matter there are not really any significant differences between the Saiga 12 and Vepr 12. Both are box magazine fed self-loading 12 gauge shotguns based on the Kalashnikov action, and both are made in Russia. The Saiga 12 is made at the Izhmash factory in Izhevsk, and the Vepr 12 is made at the Molot factory in Vyatskie Polyany.

 

As for the minor differences between them, for one the Vepr 12 was made from the very beginning with a magwell and a last round bolt hold open, which were features not incorporated into the Saiga 12 until its most recent version, the Saiga 12S Exp-01-30. The Vepr 12 also has a safety lever on both sides of its receiver (a regular AK style safety on the right side and thumb activated Galil-like safety lever on the left side), while the Saiga 12 just has the one usual AK safety lever on its right side. The Vepr 12 appears to use a proprietary folding stock design, while I believe all the folding stock Saiga 12 variants (the Saiga 12K, Saiga 12S, Saiga 12S Exp-01-30) use an AKS-74/AK-74M type folding stock mechanism (albeit with a modified front catch since the Saiga 12's front end doesn't have room for a standard AKS-74/AK-74M front catch).

 

Another difference according to Max Popenker's website..........

 

http://world.guns.ru/shotgun/sh33-e.htm

 

..........is that the Vepr 12 can use Saiga 12 magazines, but the Saiga 12 cannot use Vepr 12 magazines. Though Max's website doesn't say if this is just with respect to the 'rock and lock' type Saiga 12 magazines, or if it also applies to the newer 'magwell' type magazines that the Saiga 12S Exp-01-30 uses. I have also never heard anything on possible parts interchangeability between the two. As mentioned the folding stocks are different and almost certainly don't interchange. The fore-end of the Vepr 12 looks like it might interchange with the fore-end of the Saiga 12S Exp-01-30 version of the Saiga 12, and I would guess the pistol grips would interchange, but as for the internal parts, who knows.

 

One noticeable difference between the two is that the Vepr 12 has a automatically self-regulating gas system, rather than the two position manually adjustable gas system that the Saiga 12 uses, which is technically an advantage. But since the Saiga 12's gas setting is very quick and easy to change, I think the advantage of the Vepr 12's gas system is more technical than really significant.

 

For a while the Vepr 12 and Saiga 12 were competitors, back when the Molot factory was under separate ownership from Izhmash, but a year or two ago I think it was, Izhmash bought out Molot, so the Saiga 12 and Vepr 12 are now both products of the same corporation. This is why I don't think we will ever see Vepr 12s in the U.S., since Izhmash wouldn't gain anything by importing two versions of what is essentially the same thing, that would just end up competing against eachother.

Edited by Frogfoot
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most parts don't interchange.

 

and both are NOT based on the AK. the Saiga comes from the AK, the Vepr from the reinforced RPK (though arguably, that's from an AK as well). you can't swap furniture, gas pistons and so on. they don't fit.

 

and the reason for no Vepr 12 in the USA is because they'd have to engineer some dumbass hunting version to be able to import it (the standard is too evil for import) and doing so wouldn't be cost effective since they already offer a cheaper product.

 

that said, the Vepr 12 has better quality assurance and is overall regarded as the superior shotgun of the two in IPSC.

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