What Made You Decide/How Did You Come By Your Saiga 12('s)?

[Pointer 21]

AWB expired and I found out that I could buy a S12 for $225 and convert it. The thought of a AK based action in a 12ga was too much temptation to resist.

 

Yep,i saw those CDNN ads for $229 so i bought one on impulse,havent lost interest since.I remember they had camo stocked S12's even cheaper for like $209.00 towards the end.When i found out about conversions i ended up with a .223/308/7.62x 39 at the old prices,ive since added another S12 that i paid over double the price of the EAA gun.

Edited July 23, 2009 by Pointer

[ChileRelleno 7,071]

I don't remember where/when I first heard of the Saiga 12, but I knew of it all the same.

 

One day I headed over to a favorite local gun store to pick up a XD9 and they had S12s/S410s on the wall.

I went home with my new pistol, and at next payday, a new shottie

Searched around here to get my bearings on and ask a few conversion/922r related questions.

 

I'm addicted.

Edited July 23, 2009 by ChileRelleno

[MagicMan 0]

Wanted a semi-auto to go w/my pump guns. I originally wnated a Remington 1100 Tactical, but I can't have pistol grip on a semi-auto in NJ. so I ended up w/a Saiga 12 & put the skeleton stock on.

[TabulaRasa 1]

Where else can you get a semi-automatic shotgun that accepts 20rd drum magazines and can be customized in more ways than you can afford?

[Bvamp 604]

I have a distinct memory of "jesus, they make an AK in 12 gauge? really? I NEED ONE" back around 9/11 when arming myself after the bullshit that happened. It was cheap then. I havent looked back. As far as I am concerned, my grandfather's allies from ww2 provided this to me.

 

the saiga-12 is the one firearm I ever had, that hands=down, took over duties of my protection. meaning its 110%. i tossed wins, rems, and mossys for it. Only the s-12 remains now, years later.....the only thing that would replace it, is ANOTHER one.

 

and you can take that to the bank, guys/gals.....

 

my preferred config, is with an unconverted wood stock, and a 5 round mag. the rest is just icing on the cake

 

I actually am a northern country boy, and have had a firearm in hand since i was very young (we prepare for things like civil wars and world wars).the heavy recoil of shotguns, gives me preference to this setup......Ive never looked back.....

[fxhart 14]

I was at my local gun store and the dealer told me to check it out. I said 'Oh these are those shotguns I've been hearing about'. So I bought it. I then started Googling around and I found this site and saw all the neat conversions that I COULD NOT DO. Damn AWB. So I bought a .223 (7.62x39's being illegal) and converted that. I was hooked. I have two .223's, a .308 and an S-12. Now that I live in a free state my S-12 has been converted and I'm looking real hard at a 7.62x39.

 

ETA: Oh yeah the 20ga is looking good too!

Edited July 23, 2009 by Tacticool

[rastamanila 313]

rastamanila

 

Interesting you bring up trucks. I have 7 autos currently. No not rich just handy as I buy them cheap and fix them up to 95% perfect myself.

Have a 1984 Dodge ram PU mild street racer, 1979 F100 PU I just finished up, a 1979 Mercury Cougar that is near perfect, a 1991 Mercury Capri Turbo convertable near perfect, 1996 Suzuki X-90 55k miles is all, 1995 Bronco 98% no rust, 2005 Impala, and a 1981 Suzuke GN400 Motorcycle. I have a hard time driving them every year. But like the freedom of being able to drive a different auto evey day.

Lots of fun..

I too am debt-free

Roger

Hiya Roger!

 

I love american trucks too but sadly the are not practical at all where I live. Our roads in Manila are perpetually choked with traffic so idling with an American truck or SUV is big bucks. Also remember that parts for American cars here are far more expensive than their Japanese counterparts. There's also no-one to service them other than Ford and Chevy and I've heard horror/terrible sob stories about Fords here. I personally think the F-150 is piece of junk. Ford here is being run by a bunch of MORONS..if they wanted to make money they should import the Mustang into this Country...DUH? There are hundreds still running from the late 60's and early 70's. They're a badge of coolness here. There's a following. I'm attracted to the Chevy Silveradoes but I'm very saddened that I see very few four-door ones here. I got an American uncle in MA who had a really nice Dodge '94(the guy was an American Airlines pilot so I'm sure he updated). I wish we had Dodges here. I have two Toyota Hi-Lux...a '97 and an '08. Toyota along with Isuzu are the AK's of pick up trucks here with Nissan a distant third and Mitsubishi and Mazda way off. I'm also curious about Toyota Tundras and wonder whether they'd do well here. For some reason American cars here have trouble thriving in our extreme humidity and overheating is a common problem. Serious electrical problems abound as well. I've heard a lot of "the car is totally dead..." stories. How they'll deal with our urban flooding also remains to be seen. That said the Ford Everest and Ranger seem to be doing fairly well here. I haven't heard of any Chevy Silverado horror stories.

 

I'd love to drive a Mercury Cougar. Is it true Mercury is no more? Why don't they just sell it instead of killing it? That Impala '05 must be kick ass. We have a few 70's and 80's of those running around here.

 

I'm probably gonna get a Honda XR 200 to try things out as I've never owned a motorcyle. Worse comes to worse it can be sold quickly because they are as durable and as widely used as Toyota and Isuzu trucks.

 

I often fantasize about having a red Triumph Rocket III Classic (this is my lifelong goal right now)

 

The Moto Guzzi California Special Vintage is Bike #2.

 

and I'm hopelessly in love with the Indian Chief Vintage (I got nothing against Harleys other than that there are too many posers and overly proud bufoons here that own them).

 

and I kinda wish something could be done about Vincent...maybe if I really hit it big I'll get a Norton Commando too.

 

-A toast to you Roger when I grab a beer later after work with my Thirstday Club!

 

-rastamanila

[Ronswin 26]

Rasta,

 

Kamusta, I was getting into competition shooting years ago and thought the only shotgun to use would be a Remington 1100 with several hundred dollars of modification. While saving up for the ultimate Remington 1100, I noticed at a local gun dealer some huge AK-47 like shotguns and I had to ask about them. They were the CDNN markdown Saiga-12's for less than $300. I thought even if it's just a curiosity piece I would have an autoloading shotgun for half of an 1100 and it's built by the Kalashnikov factory. I bought one from the dealer right there and was sold. That was 2002 and after years of use with the Saiga-12, I have yet to want that Remington 1100 race-shotgun again.

 

Paalam,

 

p.s.- have a San Miguel for me!

Edited July 23, 2009 by Ronswin

[x_man586 7]

I own 18 firearms. My favorite 3 were an AR-15, Romanian Ak, and a v21 Saiga .308. When I learned that there was an AK chambered for 12ga. I had to have one.

[Nayra 0]

I started my gun collection about 3 years ago when I started my Law Enforcement training. I started off with a springfield XD45 and a WWII Japanese t-99 rifle that I found in my grandfathers crawlspace. Today I have quite a bit more firepower. I was talking to a fellow LEO and he showed me pictures of his Serbu super-shorty and his Saiga s-12. I looked into both for my first boom stick. The serbu would take a 5 dollar tax stamp and tons of work, however I was able to go on gunbroker and find a stock s-12 for a reasonable price! So I went with the s-12 and as of today it was converted to a pistol grip by myself, It is my new home defense weapon.

[TO THE FLOOR IN A 63 121]

In the late 80's my best friend was a gunsmith and I had an FFL. I bought, sold and shot a lot of guns...including a couple SPAS-12's and a LAWS 12. Fast forward 20 years... 2 wives and a kid later, a friend comes to town last month. One of the things he was here for was to pawn a thompson tommy gun....brand new in the case with all the extras. He had bought it on a credit card his wife didn't know about and he owed too much. He knew he was going to get hosed at the pawn shop so I suggested he take it to the gun shop I go to but he was determined to get cash for it right away. He tells me he paid 15 but wants 8. So we are driving to the pawn shop and I suggest I call my wife to see if I can buy it....he likes the idea as he would perfer to give it to a friend then give it to a pawn shop. But on the phone I learn that the wife opened a box adressed to me because she thought it contained checks and it was my Lasermax for my Sig P-220...so I'm in shit as it is...but she says yes we can help him out and buy it. So I did...then I'm talking to the guy in the gun shop the next day and he knows someone who is looking for a thomposn and to make it short sold it for a profit...That profit was the base cash for a new gun... So somewhere in here I am talking to another shooting friend in Colorado and he mentions the Saiga 12...of which he has two...and directs me to this forum and helps me shop for one which I pick up and shoot in the morning.

[vitamink 90]

I was working in the garage and a friend needed to use a tool and asked me for some help converting his gun. I thought he was an idiot for cutting into a perfectly functional (yet cheap and ugly) shotgun. I remember thinking, "this is it? i've had BB guns that are more complicated." As i looked at the gun i couldn't be less impressed with the spray paint looking finish or that goofy spiral trigger spring that looked like someone stuffed a mouse trap into the receiver. Then he started cutting and sparks were flying. I told him he'd end up ruining his ugly cheap shotgun while i pointed and laughed at him. He continued to grind and cut ignoring my disdain for his methods or his gun. He then took some oven paint and sprayed the bare metal black. I looked in horror as he explained, "it's an AK...who gives a sh!t?" The gun took shape and the ugly duckling was starting to look like a swan. He took it out shooting and i couldn't be more impressed. Then he showed me this site and the various configurations. It was at that point i had to have one. I purchased one from the local gun shop and haven't looked back. Now i have my own swan that people at the range are in awe over. It's a good feeling.

[sidewinderl 43]

Actually first came across the S12 playing the Desert Combat mod for Battlefield 1942. The thought that it might be available in the US never crossed my mind. Went to the local pawn shop to look at the usual evil gun assortment that I couldn't afford, and I did a double take when I noticed the box-fed 12 gauge that I instantly recognized as an S12. Couldn't believe the $600 pricetag (figured the best shotgun in the world would be way more than that), so I went home and started looking up stuff on the internet...found this site and discovered it really was only $600 (too bad I didn't find out about them when they were under 300!). Went back and swiped it. First gun I ever bought too (since I only like evil expensive ones, gun collecting hasn't been too high up on my list).

 

Can't wait to take it to turkey shoots and see the reactions, especially when I whip out the MD20...

[scarbrough68289 76]

I went into my friends gunshop and was talking about buying my first gun. Figured I needed a shotgun, a pistol and a rifle. I was going to buy a Mossburg pump when he showed me the Saiga, I kinda blew it off and didn't really pay much attention to it. I couldn't even remember the name of it. One night I got online and searched for AK/shotgun until I eventually found this site and got to see the conversions. I watched some videos on youtube and was hooked. Next thing you know I own a Saiga I bought for $550 and and put over twice that into Converting it, parts, and refinishing it in Duracoat.

[VWBeamer 1]

My story is short and simple.

The wife and I saw a documentary on TV about the AA12. We were so intrigued that we began to look up anything we could find on the AA12 via the internet....not a lot at the time......but, I did find the S12 on Youtube. A Kalishnakov 12 gauge?? Once I discovered that I could own one, it's all I could think about until I got it.

 

I'd still like to have an AA12.

 

Same here, seen the AA-12 and was talking about it to a friend. he told me about the saiga. Went and bought one right away.

[cruncherblock 6]

I wanted one.

[lbsrdi 1,078]

I was looking for a semi shotgun and stumbled across the S12. No one in my area sold them so it was a hard search. I love ak's so it was a no brainer. I found another and Im getting it next week. Im in love!!

[Twinsen 86]

It was in a videogame in the late 90's that I played.

[damyankee 0]

i have been wanting to get a shot gun for a while for home protection but didnt know what to get. then i saw the show green berets vs. red berets. that was it when the saiga out shot the mossberg enough said. whats nice is my wife and son are able to shoot it makes it even better.

[uzitiger 193]

I remember seeing them at gun shows and Dunham's used to carry the Saigas in 7.62x39, .223, .410 and 20 gauge. The .308 Saiga was selling for $249 and the S-12 sold for $350 at the time at fun shows I wasn't able to get them because I was between jobs. I later did get a Saiga rifle in 7.62x39 and found out about this forum which showed sheikyerbooty's conversion guide which I printed and studied for a couple years before I got the courage to convert it. I built a Yugo AK before that and that gave me the better understanding of what to do. I kept shooting Saiga magazines and added a feed ramp later so now I can use both Saiga and AK mags in it. The Dremel tool came in handy to grind away the ramp interferences with the bolt. I also had to grind away the Century disconnector tail to eliminate the painful trigger slap

 

I got the S-12 after RAA started importing them and shot it before getting parts to convert it which I did not waste time in doing. This time I saved up for it and had it on lay away. My experience in building and converting came in handy because I had to modify the hammer to fit in the receiver and to resemble the factory hammer. I got a Tapco folding stock and SAW pistol grip at a good price because they were in desert sand color which I added to the S-12 as compliance parts.

 

I had to fit the aftermarket magazines to the S-12, the five rounders from Taiwan, the AGP and the Pro Mag. The AGP had to be hand cycled with an empty steel case to smooth out the rough spots to get it to work properly. The Taiwanese ones worked well as did the Pro Mag ten rounder. The Tapco FCG snagged a few times after shooting and the trigger had to be returned to the shooting position manually but now the snagging went away with repeated trigger cycling.

 

I regret not getting a Saiga in .223 which I would have made a Galil look alike rifle as I did with the 7.62x39 rifle which has an aperture sight.

[Motopilot1 37]

my first experience with the s12. this was about 4 years ago I was looking in my gun safe and realized that i didnt have a semi auto shotgun i had mossbergs and a remington i even had a stevens bolt action shot gun but no semi auto. so i started looking through shotgun news and found these semi auto shotguns for 275$ i thought what the hell. so i got ahold of my ffl and asked him if he knew anything about them. by the picture i couldnt tell much about them all i knew was it was a semi auto. so my ffl places the order about 2 weeks later he calls me "its here". so i get there and its still sealed he hadnt opened it. we open the box and fold back the paper, holy shit its an ak in 12 guage. so he loads up a mag of 00 buck and hands it to me, i want to see this thing shoot steped into the range and let her fly oh my god this thing is bad ass. the look on his face was great, im sure mine was pricelsee as well. i took it home and got online and did a little research i found tromix right off the bad and realized the potential. then i found this forum and did a little research and i was hooked

[Jpanzer 1,265]

Pretty simple really. I ran across the S12 while perusing this web site: Modern Firearms

Started reading on the S12, but still was sitting on the fence. Then Tom Cole at Cadiz Gun Works started offering the "Nobama special" on converted S12's just to get them in more folks hands before the nuts in DC clamp down. For the price you simply couldn't beat it.

 

I live in an older neighborhood, and some of the old home owners are passing on, and the houses go commercial or rental, so a few seedy types hang about these days. Wanted a real asskicker for home defence.

 

Got on the list, got mine, and haven't looked back since. I'm hooked, even looking into them doing a 7.62 conversion for me as well....

[misternt 3]

Actually first came across the S12 playing the Desert Combat mod for Battlefield 1942.

 

 

Same here. I remember thinking how much better it was than the 870 while playing. Looked it up on youtube and thought it was the coolest shotgun. I also never thought you could buy it in the US. Saw it in a gun shop one day and said I'll buy that. After a couple seconds "oh wait can I look at it first"?

[scoutjoe 276]

Went to one of my local shops and I picked up a used 7.62x39 with a bunch of goodies for $225, shot it a bit and was having fun with it. Being a shotgun guy though I was a USAS fanboy because pistol and rifle platforms are autoloading...why not your shotgun too? Went back up to the shop about 6 months later, saw a Saiga-12 for $299 and its been downhill ever since...

[SOPMOD 254]

I saw it at a gunshow where the original distributor was selling them for around $200 and a buddy dared me to buy it and then upon closer inspection I realized that it was an Ishmash and a product of the Russian Military Industrial Complex and that it might actually work as advertised and I ended up blowing through a thousand rounds of SB 00 Buck without a hitch and then set about converting it to pistol grip and had my wife use her police credentials to get me a couple of Russian 8rd mags for $40ea.

 

I sold both of my Benellis a short while later and never looked back

[RABIDFOX50 6]

I always wanted a USAS-12 but never got around to obtaining one before they were banned. Ever since, I've been wanting to get a mag fed semi auto shotty. A friend of mine walked into the office one day (2007) with a S12 and I fell in love with it. I was able to get one in Feb. of this year. That about sums it up.

[krusader 1]

I picked up my Saiga 12 after seeing one in my local gun store, then I went online and watched the you tube video, and thought wow impressive fire power, and of course I found this forum and read all that I could and knew that the Saiga was a winner. At first I had some fte problems but after some use it smoothed out just like everyone assured me it would.

[Steve in Allentown, PA 5]

The reason I got the Saiga 12 gauge was because I needed one to go with Mike Davidson's (MD Arms) 20 round drum mag.

Edited July 26, 2009 by Steve in Allentown PA

[DogMan 2,343]

Last year I was on a mission to replace my Mossberg pump with the very best semi-auto shotgun in the world. I was pretty much set on getting a Benneli when somehow I run across the words "12 gauge semi-auto Saiga". My first thought was "A What?" I just started investigating, ran across this website, and the rest is history. Now when someone says "Benneli", I say "A What?"

[Reverendfranz 160]

I was looking at guns at a local pawnshop with a buddy, we were looking for deals on military style weapons, when he pointed out a big long .308 with a wood stock on the wall, and said, hey, that thing looks like an AK. I asked to get a closer look, and couldn't figure out why anyone would have a montecarlo stock on an AK, but was none the less impressed that it was in fact an AK in .308, which blew my little mind at the time. I went home and searched the internet for the name on the side of the receiver, and looked for a better price on one, as my only .308 at the time was an HK91 clone and i wasn't really happy with it. after some looking i figured out they were a bit hard to find and there weren't any full capacity magazines available, so i scrapped that idea, but while i was looking i came across a link at the bottom of a page that said "Saiga Shotguns" and was amazed when i clicked on it to find that there shotguns built on an AK action, and that they were being imported to the US (which also amazed me) I immediately scrapped my idea of saving for a SPAS, and set about looking for one, found this forum, and bought one from Tony.