Dullbert 0 Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 I wanted to finish up my conversion with black synthetic choate handguards. They really look bad ass, but the one person I could find on that posted something about them, shellshock, told me that they don't have a heat shield and are known for overheating. Can anyone validate this? If it does overheat, are there any other manufacturers that have the same style but with heat shields? Or is there a way to install a seperate heat shield underneath it to combat the heat? Any info would be appreciated! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darick 0 Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 yeah the choate akm handguards are just plastic.. i read that they may melt a little even on the ak's they were made to be on. i got one because they look great(and were cheap). i was planning to hollow mine out a bit more and use automotive heatshield material... but then again, i dunno if there's any concerns about doing that.. i'm sure there are other alternatives if you're into the traditional looking handguards.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dullbert 0 Posted October 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 yeah the choate akm handguards are just plastic.. i read that they may melt a little even on the ak's they were made to be on. i got one because they look great(and were cheap). i was planning to hollow mine out a bit more and use automotive heatshield material... but then again, i dunno if there's any concerns about doing that.. i'm sure there are other alternatives if you're into the traditional looking handguards.. What alternatives would that be? I wanna keep it black and evil, no wood, and this style is my favorite looking synthetic. What is this "heatshield material" you speak of? I wish there were other manufacturers that made the exact same style but a quality polymer version. Are there any? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darick 0 Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 The heatshield material? You can get those from most automotive shops.. basically it's a sheet with one aluminized(correct spelling?) side to face the heat source and protect the other side.. it's pretty thin and usually comes with or without adhesive on the non-aluminized side... I got the idea to use it when I was working on my bike.. Parts of my fairing closest to the exhaust or engine was lined with it... so I thought it might work to protect the handguard.. and my hand.. I was thinking about picking some up at a local auto parts store.. maybe the non-adhesive one.. unless someone else on this forum has tried this and had problems with it.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darick 0 Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 Yeah, I totally agree with you about the looks of the choate handguard! It is the nicest looking polymer one I've seen so far too.. Something like this: http://www.deicycle.com/Heat_Shield I'm sure I saw it cheaper somewhere, but you get the idea of what it is.. Not sure about how much more I'd have to hollow out the handguard.. I'm thinking close to a quarter inch.. don't want it too thin though.. that's my only concern about it so far.. maybe I can find thinner made material.. Hmm.. for me I doubt heat/melting will be a big issue since I don't plan to rapid fire it for long periods of time.. but it would be nice to know my handguard could handle it.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darick 0 Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 oh wait this is the rifle section.. OOPS! heh, maybe this might help you: http://www.k-var.com/shop/product.php?prod...at=0&page=2 sorry, wasn't paying attention to what forum I was in.. I just saw "choate handguard".. which I modified to fit on my saiga-12.. heh k, the solution for you may be easier than what I might have to do with my shotgun.. how are you going to put the handguard on? did you need to get a special lower handguard retainer too or will any work? just in case I decide to get a 7.62 saiga and convert it later.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
22_Shooter 1,560 Posted October 26, 2008 Report Share Posted October 26, 2008 (edited) I've been thinking about getting these too. If anyone is looking for a source to buy them, Ultimak has them. I'm not up on the going price, but $20 for the set seems like a good price to me. Choate upper handguards - $10 Choate lower handguard - $10 Edited October 26, 2008 by 22_Shooter Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darick 0 Posted October 26, 2008 Report Share Posted October 26, 2008 Midway USA is a bit cheaper: http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/...&t=11082005 $13.49 for both the upper and lower handguard. With the shipping and handling to Hawaii it was $20.00 total.. If you live on the mainland it should be cheaper without the special handling fee. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
22_Shooter 1,560 Posted October 26, 2008 Report Share Posted October 26, 2008 Midway USA is a bit cheaper:http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/...&t=11082005 $13.49 for both the upper and lower handguard. With the shipping and handling to Hawaii it was $20.00 total.. If you live on the mainland it should be cheaper without the special handling fee. Well damn! I'm liking that price much better . Thanks for the link, 808. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
scoutjoe 276 Posted October 26, 2008 Report Share Posted October 26, 2008 They do melt.....but then again if you bump a chi-com drum....I think we were asking for them to melt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KevininPa 8 Posted October 26, 2008 Report Share Posted October 26, 2008 I like the look of that handguard. What else is needed to mount it on a Saiga? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IndyArms 10,186 Posted October 26, 2008 Report Share Posted October 26, 2008 for 13.49 a set... buy three sets, and when one melts... swap it out... no biggie! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darick 0 Posted October 27, 2008 Report Share Posted October 27, 2008 About the handguard from Midway, it doesn't specifically say stamped or milled like ultimak website.. but I'm assuming it's stamped since it says it's for the MAK 90... and I *think* those only came in a stamped model.. I don't really know too much about AK's or their variants =( Too bad that midway sells it only as a set though.. since I only needed the bottom for my saiga 12.. I probably would have saved a few bucks just ordering the bottom from ultimak, but not sure if they ship usps like midway. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dullbert 0 Posted October 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2008 I was just visiting Hawaii, I could only find one gun store and it was in Kaneohe. Do a lot of people have Saigas there? I bet you could convert them and sell them for a grip of cash on Craigslist (if that's even legal). Here's the original thread discussing how you would put it on. http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?showto...rt=#entry238576 They say you'd have to get the bolt-on handguard retainer for........$92!!! I really love those hanguards though... Just have to wait until enough in the bank to afford that. How thick is this adhesive? I guess I'd have to order the hand guard first in order to see how much room I have to work with. Hopefully I wouldn't need to sand it down at all I think they're flimsy enough as it is being mere plastic. The main thing is it's gotta be able to be rugged that's what embodies the ak47 after all. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dullbert 0 Posted October 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2008 I like the look of that handguard. What else is needed to mount it on a Saiga? You can either buy a press-on lower handguard retainer ($52.00) or a bolt-on lower handguard retainer ($92). From what I hear you have to do a lot of work to get the press-on to fit properly and the bolt-on just screws into place and holds the handguard more securely then the press-on. Gun parts really aren't cheap at least in this tiny niche of the market. http://www.dinzagarms.com/saiga_762x39/saiga_762x39.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dullbert 0 Posted October 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2008 One of the people that rated the choate handguards said that they still have melted plastic on their barrel that they can't remove. If I had 10 AKs I wouldn't mind but this is my one and only gun the only thing standing between me and hordes of zombies, everything has to be perfect! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dullbert 0 Posted October 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2008 They do melt.....but then again if you bump a chi-com drum....I think we were asking for them to melt Zombies don't sit and wait for you to swap out your melted handguard. Not all of us have hundreds of rifles and missile launchers like you, some of us are...less endowed Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darick 0 Posted October 27, 2008 Report Share Posted October 27, 2008 ah people here have zombie apocalypse dreams too?? i like the slow and sluggish types as opposed to the agile trackstar ones.. lol.. oh man i really lucked out and found people like me here =p hehe anyway, i got in and paid for a bolt-on retainer for my saiga 12 from dinzag for $63+shipping the other week.. glad i didnt wait any longer!! hmm not sure if lots of people got saigas here but one dealer told me he brought in a few and they sold out fast.. i got mine from gilbertsguns.com and had a dealer do the transfer.. it was a bit cheaper going that route, paid just under $700 but still saved close to $50 if I had bought it from a gun store here.. when I went to register it, the guy at the police station told me I should have checked out ETAC.. I guess they would be a good source for saigas in Hawaii.. adhesive? for the heatsheild material? i was thinking of just using some epoxy.. didn't really want to go with the one that the back side peels off like a sticker.. still playing around with the idea.. but the material should be just under a quarter of an inch.. if it's anything like the one on my bike then it can be compressed a little.. but you want the handguard for your 7.62 rifle right? wouldnt that stainless steel heatshield from k-var work for you? probably just have to modify the choate handguard a little... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
22_Shooter 1,560 Posted October 27, 2008 Report Share Posted October 27, 2008 ah people here have zombie apocalypse dreams too?? i like the slow and sluggish types as opposed to the agile trackstar ones Me too. I never, ever, ever want to run into zombies like the ones in the beginning of "28 Weeks Later" . They were hauling ASS! I was thinking "Run faster you asshole!! Ruuuuuuunnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!!!" when they were chasing that guy. (Were the people in 28 Days Later/28 Weeks later technically zombies though? I mean, it was a virus, so I don't know.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shellshock1918 1 Posted October 27, 2008 Report Share Posted October 27, 2008 I like the look of that handguard. What else is needed to mount it on a Saiga? You can either buy a press-on lower handguard retainer ($52.00) or a bolt-on lower handguard retainer ($92). From what I hear you have to do a lot of work to get the press-on to fit properly and the bolt-on just screws into place and holds the handguard more securely then the press-on. Gun parts really aren't cheap at least in this tiny niche of the market. http://www.dinzagarms.com/saiga_762x39/saiga_762x39.html Press on lower retainers go on Gunbroker for about $12. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
scoutjoe 276 Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 for 13.49 a set... buy three sets, and when one melts... swap it out... no biggie! I'm actually looking at just getting a good KVAR set with the heatshield and being done with it...course I keep spending my money on other guns and ammo.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 ah people here have zombie apocalypse dreams too?? i like the slow and sluggish types as opposed to the agile trackstar ones Me too. I never, ever, ever want to run into zombies like the ones in the beginning of "28 Weeks Later" . They were hauling ASS! I was thinking "Run faster you asshole!! Ruuuuuuunnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!!!" when they were chasing that guy. (Were the people in 28 Days Later/28 Weeks later technically zombies though? I mean, it was a virus, so I don't know.) Rofl! I was thinking the same thing! Damn those were some spastic zombies! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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