Saiga 12 article in Shotgun News

[sudaevpps43 31]

In case anyone was interested, in this week's issue (February 16th, 2009 Vol. 63 Issue 5) of Shotgun News there is an article on the Saiga 12, specifically a Saiga 12 converted by Marc Krebs over at Krebs Custom. This particular conversion looks like it was built on an earlier import Saiga 12, as it doesn't appear to have the manual bolt-hold open of more recently imported Saiga 12s (it doesn't have threading on the end of its barrel either, but the article stated that Krebs had cut the barrel down a little during the conversion, so if there was threading it could have been removed then). The writer (David Fortier) must like painful recoil though, because apparently he fired the shotgun without any recoil pad on the installed standard size AK buttstock (which I know from personal experience is no fun even with low base shells). Overall the article doesn't really have any information in it that most Saiga 12 fans don't already know, but it is a nice read, and as a Saiga 12 fan I am always glad to see the Saiga 12 getting more exposure. One interesting thing was this statement by the writer in a paragraph about a third of the way through the article:

 

"What I wanted was exactly what the Russians cannot export to us, a military type Saiga 12. Luckily, being an AK based design, it is not too difficult legally to convert a Saiga 12 into something more socially oriented. Currently there are a number of good gunsmiths doing excellent work in this regard. Tony Rumore of Tromix, for example, is one I would highly recommend."

 

It seems Tony's work has become so well known that he even gets mentioned when a gunwriter is reviewing a Saiga 12 converted by another gunsmith. No wonder Tony's waitlists these days are measured in years (of course I have heard nothing but good things about Marc Krebs' work as well). Anyway, its a nice read so anyone who likes to collect all things Saiga 12 should be sure to pick up a copy this week while this edition is still on the shelves.

Edited February 9, 2009 by Frogfoot

[David Mark 2,452]

Thanks for the heads up on the article.

You mentioned a recoil pad for a standard AK stock.

I am setting my s12 up with that stock and have been looking for an add on recoil pad.

Do you have a recommendation?

Thanks.

[corbin 621]

You beat me to the punch. LOL

 

I picked up my copy last night and was going to post something about it today. It's a pretty good article I suppose. Gives a decent overview and a good history.

 

Corbin

[GENFOX 0]

I have a Krebs Saiga-12 and I love it. It has a threaded barrel,Krebs proprietary ghost ring sights and the bolt hold open selector lever. I just wish I could find a bayonet lug for it.

[sudaevpps43 31]

Thanks for the heads up on the article.

You mentioned a recoil pad for a standard AK stock.

I am setting my s12 up with that stock and have been looking for an add on recoil pad.

Do you have a recommendation?

Thanks.

 

I just went with the simplest option, which was the recoil pad the Russians originally came up with to use on AKs fitted with the under barrel GP-25 and GP-30 grenade launchers (you can see a picture on Max Popenker's website at http://world.guns.ru/grenade/gl05-e.htm ). An interesting feature of this pad is that it can be used on any type of standard AK stock, be it a solid fixed type, an underfolder, a triangular-side folder, or a solid side-folder (it won't work on the various incarnations of thumbhole stocks or the solid fixed Yugoslavian stocks, and I don't believe it can be used on an RPK type stock either, though it should work on a Yugoslavian underfolder just fine since that stock was copied from the Russian underfolder). For regular solid fixed AK stocks or solid side-folding AK stocks this recoil pad just slips on.

 

There are probably numerous places you can get these recoil pads from, but the ones I know of offhand are FSE USA ( http://www.fseusa.com , just go to the 'Recoil Pads' section) and Kalinka Optics ( http://www.kalinkaoptics.com , just go to the 'Other' section under 'Accessories'). There is also FSU Connections Ltd (AKA rusmilitary http://www.rusmilitary.com/html/c-deact_furniture.htm ) in the UK, if somehow all the US suppliers are out of the pad when you go to order one. Incidentally I have made on-line purchases with all three of these companies in the past with no problems, and would recommend any of them.

Edited February 10, 2009 by Frogfoot

[David Mark 2,452]

Thanks for the heads up on the article.

You mentioned a recoil pad for a standard AK stock.

I am setting my s12 up with that stock and have been looking for an add on recoil pad.

Do you have a recommendation?

Thanks.

 

I just went with the simplest option, which was the recoil pad the Russians originally came up with to use on AKs fitted with the under barrel GP-25 and GP-30 grenade launchers (you can see a picture on Max Popenker's website at http://world.guns.ru/grenade/gl05-e.htm ). An interesting feature of this pad is that it can be used on any type of standard AK stock, be it a solid fixed type, an underfolder, a triangular-side folder, or a solid side-folder (it won't work on the various incarnations of thumbhole stocks or the solid fixed Yugoslavian stocks, and I don't believe it can be used on an RPK type stock either, though it should work on a Yugoslavian underfolder just fine since that stock was copied from the Russian underfolder). For regular solid fixed AK stocks or solid side-folding AK stocks this recoil pad just slips on.

 

There are probably numerous places you can get these recoil pads from, but the ones I know of offhand are FSE USA ( http://www.fseusa.com , just go to the 'Recoil Pads' section) and Kalinka Optics ( http://www.kalinkaoptics.com , just go to the 'Other' section under 'Accessories'). There is also FSU Connections Ltd (AKA rusmilitary http://www.rusmilitary.com/html/c-deact_furniture.htm ) in the UK, if somehow all the US suppliers are out of the pad when you go to order one. Incidentally I have made on-line purchases with all three of these companies in the past with no problems, and would recommend any of them.

 

Thanks for the info Frogfoot. I ordered one from FSE USA.

I really appreciate the help.