Is Conversion worth while in Cali?

[JT1911 0]

I'll be picking up my saiga .223 on Tuesday and I'm very happy withe purchase. Seems like a great plinking gun for a great price.

 

My question is if doing the conversion( pistol grip, new stock, and trigger group) is worth the loss of a detachable mag( Here in Cali, if you want to have a pistol grip/flash hider/ forward grip/etc, you need to install a magazine lock, such as a radlock in this case, to make the magazine non-detachable by hand). I don't think the radlock is horrible; it is definitely something I can deal with if I have to but the few people that I bounced the idea off thought the conversion wasn't worth the loss of the detachable clip. But from what I heard, the shootability of the gun goes way up with the conversion.

 

So better to get the info from those who have done the conversion or decided not to. Some does the benefit of the conversion out weigh the pain of doing it and the loss of a detachable mag?

 

Thanks all

[GregM1 241]

if you were to convert to the other, how hard is it to reload if you are in a hurry. i would personally prefer to have faster reload time over the ergonomics. have you used any other cali legal aks with pistol grip? if you liked them, that should answer your question.

[JulianH 4]

How about the best of both worlds?

 

http://www.ultimak.com/CHOS-B.htm

 

This allows full conversion, but it still CA legal with detachable 10rd mags.

 

Choate Dragunov style AK Thumbhole Stock shown installed with UltiMAK system. Buttstock mounts through rear tang with supplied screw. Also attaches to pistol grip nut under receiver with supplied screw and washer. Very Solid. Since this is a "thumbhole stock", the act of installing it on your AK cannot possibly turn you into a criminal. It is not the feared and malevolent "pistol grip stock" and therefore does not posses any known supernatural or evil powers, nor is it known to the state of California to cause birth defects in rats.

[goingpro 2]

im in cali too and i got my saiga-12 converted and i just bought a 7.62. im going to have the 7.62 converted as well......you can also go featureless with a monsterman grip. but how hard is it to put a bullet in a hole and take the magazine out. check this out too.....theres a tool you can wear like a bracelet for your radlock....here is the link for the combo radlock+ bracelet toolhttp://www.riflegear.com/p-268-raddlock-ak...k-with-key.aspx

Edited May 18, 2009 by GoingPro

[saigafan12345 21]

How about the best of both worlds?

 

http://www.ultimak.com/CHOS-B.htm

 

This allows full conversion, but it still CA legal with detachable 10rd mags.

 

Choate Dragunov style AK Thumbhole Stock shown installed with UltiMAK system. Buttstock mounts through rear tang with supplied screw. Also attaches to pistol grip nut under receiver with supplied screw and washer. Very Solid. Since this is a "thumbhole stock", the act of installing it on your AK cannot possibly turn you into a criminal. It is not the feared and malevolent "pistol grip stock" and therefore does not posses any known supernatural or evil powers, nor is it known to the state of California to cause birth defects in rats.

 

 

A "Thumbhole Stock" is an evil feature in Cali, same as a pistol grip.

 

Anyways, I'd rather have an unconverted rifle with a detachable mag anyday.

[GregM1 241]

well that does look easy to use. have you read other users reviews about them. if they are quick, the conversion may be worth it.

[mstranglr 9]

Monsterman grip with pre-ban hi-caps is the way to go. That is what you see at all of the training schools in Cali. Most instructors do not allow Bullet Buttons in their classes anyway. Mag locks suck, and should only be installed on "safe Queens".

[nine-seven 0]

I have a Raddlock on my evil-feature-laden People's Republic of Kalifornia rifle, and in all honesty... it sucks ass. I can imagine if I was in a SHTF situation with my hands shaking like leaves, changing a mag would be very difficult.

 

I'd say it all boils down to what you want out of the rifle. I for one don't really believe i'm ever going to be using this rifle to shoot BG's in the street, and enjoy the ergos and the looks of the PG and other 'evil' features... That being said, I keep my stock mag catch in the PG handle compartment, and have practiced switching them out many times, and can do it in less than a minute (I'm obviously gambling that if the S ever did H the F, I'd see it coming and have time to switch it out...)

 

At the range and in practice, it's more an inconvenience than anything else. If you're looking for the all-out battle rifle, I'd say don't convert and leave the Monte Carlo on it, or convert and go with a MonsterMan. If you're diggin' the evil features, just go with a lock. It's really not that big of a deal. My .02...

 

Also, check this one out

 

http://www.adxtactical.com/store/pc/viewPr...p;idproduct=559

 

I think you can use a bullet or other similar tool to release it. My biggest complaint about the Raddlock is that the pin on the 'tool' is really small, as is the hole in the Raddlock that you insert it in to, so it really takes some fine motor skill coordination when you're trying to use it... which is the first thing to go when you're shitting your pants...

 

Damn, kalifornia law just SUCKS!!! I gotta get the hell out of this state.

[JT1911 0]

Thank you for all the replies.

 

In all honesty, I really see this gun as a plinking at the range gun and not for fighting of the communistic taliban zombies( though we should all be ready).

So I really am leaning towards doing the conversion and to be honest, desert dog - you know I respect your opinion, I really don't like the MM grip. But having said that, the radlock is a bit awkward.

 

Hey nine-seven what is the difference between that ak lock and the radlock? I know there are other mag locks for Aks out there. Is radlock the worst of the bunch or no? Thanks again. picking it up tomorrow.

[nine-seven 0]

JT-

 

From what I understand, the JJPERL lock is a piece that actually fits over the stock magazine catch, with a hole in the bottom of the attachment such that you can stick a bullet or something up in there and activate the release, but you can't actually get your finger up to do it, hence the 'tool' requirement and meeting Kali law. If you do a search for 'jjperl ak lock' or something like that, there's a thread on another forum that explains a lot about it with pics. JJPERL is one of the members, and he makes these. It's a cool idea... I've never actually seen one in person, though.

 

The Raddlock actually replaces the stock catch mechanism. Essentially it functions like the stock catch w/o the portion that you activate w/ your thumb. It's flush on bottom with a little hole (approx. 3/32") in which you insert the little tool provided (the wristband thingy in the earlier post), and use that as a lever to operate the release. It works OK. Like I said in my previous post, my main complaint is the small fringgin' hole. The JJPERL lock looks easier to use in that the hole on the bottom is comparitively large and would require less dexterity to operate (especially under stress).

 

But the bottom line is that they both inhibit the function of a fast change. I've noticed that when practicing, it's very difficult to actually grab the little dangling tool, get it positioned properly in my hand, and then fumble for the hole - versus just snatching the mag out in one swipe like it's meant to be.

 

I wouldn't say the Raddlock's bad, just a different design. All things equal, I'd probably try JJ's lock next time. If you're curious about the Raddlock still, I'd be happy to send you some pics that would help you understand it better.

 

It's definitely a Catch-22. F'n Kalifornia...

 

Good luck-

Edited May 19, 2009 by nine-seven

[goingpro 2]

ask some members from calguns.net to post some pics and reviews of different AK mag locks....

[lugee 0]

I didn't know AK mag locks work on Saiga's. I talked to a few people who told me its difficult to do it without trimming down the mag release.