Folding Stock

[PVT Pablo 25]

Hey fellow members, So I was wondering, will any of the folding stocks work with a sight rail mounted on the side? I was looking at my saiga today and it seems that if I tried putting a folding stock on it would run into that mount.

 

Thanks.

 

Oh and heres some gun porn for you all.

[sudaevpps43 31]

Hey fellow members, So I was wondering, will any of the folding stocks work with a sight rail mounted on the side?

 

I am aware of two folding stock types, and both will work with the side-rail in place, though only one will work if you also have an optic mounted to the side-rail. The most common side-folder stock type installed on Saiga-12s, which is the one where the tang is cut off and a side-folding mechanism is installed in the back of the receiver (either by welding in a back plate with mounting holes for the hinge mechanism, or by installing one of those new bolt-in hinge mount assemblies) are designed so there is space between the stock and the left side of the receiver when the stock is folded, so not only can it fold around the side-rail but also around any optics that may be mounted on the side-rail. You can sort of see the space between the folded stock and the left-side of the receiver in this picture:

 

Saiga 12 forum gallery picture 094

 

By the way the hinge can also be mounted on the right side of the receiver so instead of folding to the left the stock folds to the right, such as is seen in these pictures:

 

Saiga 12 w/ACE Folding Stock

 

Saiga 12 Folded

 

The other folding stock type is the AK-74M/AK-100 series type folding stock, which was designed to hug the left side of the receiver when folded and can fold around the side-rail but cannot fold when an optic is mounted to the side rail. This type of folding stock installation is quite rare here in the U.S. since finding the parts is somewhat difficult and it is much more labor intensive to install, because the rear trunnion has to be de-riveted and removed, the receiver modified to accept a Russian or Bulgarian type side-folding rear trunnion (which then must be riveted in place), and the front part of the receiver modified to accept the installation of the retaining catch. A few members on this forum have installed this type of stock, and you can see what this setup looks like in this picture:

 

12C back

 

(in that picture you can see how the AK-74M/AK-100 series stock has a rectangular cutout in its left side so it can fit around the side-rail when it is in the folded position)

Edited October 27, 2009 by Frogfoot

[PVT Pablo 25]

Hey thanks, that was an excellent reply. So looking at the Ace Folding stock, can the gun be fired folded, or does the charging handle run into the butt?

[sudaevpps43 31]

Hey thanks, that was an excellent reply. So looking at the Ace Folding stock, can the gun be fired folded, or does the charging handle run into the butt?

 

Yes a Saiga 12 with an Ace folding stock (or any other folding stock for that matter) can be fired when the stock is folded. There is no possibility of the charging handle hitting the stock with a left-side folding arrangement of course, and as for the right-side folding setup, while I have never myself seen one in person, from what I understand the hinge is mounted at a slight angle so when the stock is folded it is actually just below the line of travel of the charging handle, so the charging handle can still reciprocate freely during firing (or when charging the weapon) without hitting the folded stock.

Edited October 27, 2009 by Frogfoot

[dlcjr1973 24]

Hey thanks, that was an excellent reply. So looking at the Ace Folding stock, can the gun be fired folded, or does the charging handle run into the butt?

 

PVT Pablo,

 

I mounted my folding mechanism upside down (or right-side up depending on how you look at it) which allows me to fold my Ace modular stock to the left. It fires just fine in the folded position, and of course the charging handle is not an issue. Personally, I've found that I only fold my stock for transport, but it's nice to know I can fire it that way if necessary.

 

Regards,

 

Sapper

 

 

[shades_of_grey 1,092]

I'm not sure about other folding stocks/mechanisms, but I use an ACE internal block, ACE push-button hinge, and ACE Ultra Lite stock. The hinge can be mounted to either fold to the left or the right, equally well. Interference from the reciprocating charging handle is not an issue, because it provides slots rather than simple holes to bolt the stock to, so the stock can be mounted at a range of different heights in relation to the receiver. The particular stock I use works especially well in this role, (as compared to a Tromix or ACE skeleton stock).

[cynical 8]

Whether or not a right-side folder will interfere with the charging handle depends entirely on how you install it. I wanted the upper tube of the stock in line with the bore to reduce muzzle rise as much as possible, so I probably mounted mine higher than others may have. I'm not interested in firing it with the stock folded, so it wasn't a concern with me. With the stock that high, it will NOT clear the charging handle. In fact, the stock will not rest flat against the receiver as the 1" buttpad hits the charging handle. With the 1/2" pad, it might fold flat, but no matter what I could not fire with the stock folded unless I mounted it lower or set it to fold to the left.