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Newbie with a barrel question.


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Hello everyone, first off, I would like to say that this site is an excellent info source. Everyone seems to be really helpful, and I'm glad to be a part of this forum.

 

I have a question about my S-308, I skimmed over the pages of this forum but didn't really see the topic I was looking for right off. I hope that I'm not posting a redundant post.

 

I am interested in possibly rebarreling my Saiga, the chamber dimensions and tolerances are a little sloppy, and I would like to have a little longer barrel with a tighter chamber. I know alot of guys will say that it isn't worth the money, and that if I want better semi-auto accuracy I should just invest the money in a FNAR, or AR-10, M1A, etc. But I really like the Kalashnikov platform and am trying to develop some new ways to make the Saiga 308 compete with the upper price range rifles.

 

The S-308 that I own is one of my favorite rifles, and I think it has major potential to hold it's own with the AR's and M1A's. I am willing to try and spend as much as it takes to make a prototype that could possibly be modified cheaper in the future. If anyone knows of a company or a single person who would be interested in making a new barrel, or has made barrels like this in the past, please let me know. I would greatly appreciate it.

 

What I hope to accomplish is to find a way to bring the Saiga 308 into the competition rifle arena, where it could be modified fairly easily and also be affordable, reliable, and practical.

 

These are the specs I am looking for on this particular barrel:

-24" same dia. and profile as the factory barrel.

-Chrome-Moly

-Threaded 14-1 LH threads.

-1:10 ROT

-Chambered for M118LR Special Ball ammo.

 

Everything else I can do myself.

Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated as well.

Thanks to everyone for your time and I am looking forward to hearing from you.

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Hey everyone, I was just wanting to say a couple of things about my post. I was not knocking the Saiga 308 when I said that the chamber dimensions were "sloppy", I mean that from a match rifle stand point. The S-308 is an excellent rifle. As far as a battle rifle, I think that the S-308 is one of the best I've ever seen. I really like this rifle, ever since I bought it, I just wanted to see how much I could squeeze out of one.

 

It may not be possible, but I would enjoy trying anyway. I got the idea from a PTR-91 that I helped a friend convert over to an MSG-90 style rifle. We had to install a trunnion extension, and all types of stuff, and it was really expensive, mostly because the cost of the parts. The new PSG-1 barrel we installed was a grand by itself.

 

After it was complete I really loved the rifle, and we achieved pretty good results. We got .95" - 1.3" groups, but I don't think it was worth the oney on that one. My friend just happened to be an HK freako, the same way I'm an AK freako, but I think that the same could be achieved with the Saiga-308 platform. Much cheaper, and maybe even more accurate. I have been looking into designing some internal rails to strengthen the receiver and help with flexing. I am also trying to design a way to mount the handguard without excess barrel pressure, which will help free float the barrel,"well except for the gas block" I was thinking of an extension that is directly in front of the receiver,"like a trunnion extension" that the handguard mounts on to.

 

Thanks again for your time, and I hope that everyone has a great day.

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This is exactly what I'm looking to do, except I want to stay with the original barrel profile,"O.D." so I can use factory gas blocks. If anyone on the forum has the equipment to manufacture a quality barrel, please let me know if you can make this type of barrel for me. I will buy the reamers, and all the tooling needed to complete the project.

 

http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?showtopic=31241

 

I would like to enter a Saiga into the Service Rifle competitions, and also give an option to those who want better accuracy out of their S-308's. If I can find someone to do one of these, I will purchase the reamers and tooling, etc., and I will copy down all of the measurements and set-ups to do it again, and hopefully reasonably priced. Thanks again.

Edited by kalashnikovian
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After some research, I am going to try some lighter bullets. I have read that the S-308 has a twist rate of around 1:12 +/-, I have been shooting my M118LR loads in it with 175gr. bullets. I bet I could get better accuracy out of a 147-150gr. VLD or something like that. I'll work up some loads on my Match brass and see what I find out.

 

I've been getting 2.75" - 3.25" groups with the M118LR. I don't see how it could hurt to use lighter bullets with that slower twist. I guess I'm used to the faster twist on the M1A's. I'll post some info. on the project when I'm done. Thanks.

Nh

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After some research, I am going to try some lighter bullets. I have read that the S-308 has a twist rate of around 1:12 +/-, I have been shooting my M118LR loads in it with 175gr. bullets. I bet I could get better accuracy out of a 147-150gr. VLD or something like that. I'll work up some loads on my Match brass and see what I find out.

 

I've been getting 2.75" - 3.25" groups with the M118LR. I don't see how it could hurt to use lighter bullets with that slower twist. I guess I'm used to the faster twist on the M1A's. I'll post some info. on the project when I'm done. Thanks.

Nh

 

The barrel pin can be removed, and the barrel pressed back slightly, and a over-sized pin installed. However this is a chrome lined barrel and would be a bear to ream the chamber. If the setback was small enough it would allow original chamber to work. Just make sure it closes on a GO gage (SAMMI) and shoot only US made ammo. Cheap steel ammo and milsurp would no longer be good to shoot. Tight chambering is OK in a turnbolt, but a NO-NO in semi's.

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I had thought about that, but like you said the chrome lined bore will be hard to ream, and I don't know what effect it would have on the throat, where the newly reamed chamber meets the old chrome lining. If I do decide to have a new barrel made for it I will use the same reamer that SA uses on their M1A match chambers. Because as you mentioned, a tight chamber won't work in a semi, with a bolt rifle is one thing, but it would be bad to have an out of battery incident because of the case not going into the tight chamber. Which is one of the problems I've been thinking of. Thanks very much for the input and you're interest. Have a good one.

Nh

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Someone here had Red Jacket make them a Saiga in 6.5 Grendel, the barrel was made by PacNor. You could probably send your barrel dimensions off to PacNor and have them custom contour a barrel for you with whatever specs you like. You might even be able to go with a larger diameter barrel, by using a Yugo M70 or RPK gas block, handguards, etc.

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Someone here had Red Jacket make them a Saiga in 6.5 Grendel, the barrel was made by PacNor. You could probably send your barrel dimensions off to PacNor and have them custom contour a barrel for you with whatever specs you like. You might even be able to go with a larger diameter barrel, by using a Yugo M70 or RPK gas block, handguards, etc.

 

Awesome, thanks very much. I'll give them a shout and see what they say.

 

Nh

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