Saiga cleaning rod idea

[maat 1]

Hi everybody. This is my first post here, so I figured I'd make myself useful right off the bat.

 

I just got a new Saiga in 5.45 and was getting all set to convert it when I thought to myself "damn, this is a handy little carbine just the way it is...". The only huge drawback for me was that there's nowhere to put the ridiculously long cleaning rod that came with it and no AK-style hole in the buttstock in which to stow the cleaning kit. So I innovated a little.

 

First I unscrewed the butt plate and noticed there's a ton of space in there. Next, I grabbed a can of "Great Stuff" insulating foam from the hardware store, and proceeded to fill up the cavity in the stock (gotta do a little at a time, wait a few hours, do more, wait a few hours, top it off, wait a few hours). When it was fully topped off and cured, I took a serrated knife (a "ginsu" knife, to be precise) and cut the overflow off the top, making the hardened foam sit flush with the but of the stock.

 

Next, I grabbed a surplus buttstock cleaning kit from an AR-15, took the individual pieces of cleaning rod and poked them down into the foam, making seperate little holes for each piece (so they don't rattle or make noise). The same went for the jag/patch puller. Everything was going great until it came to the brush. The brush wanted to get hung up on the foam and not come out.

 

The solution for stowing the brush came in the form of a ballpoint pen housing, which I cut to length for the brush, and pressed that down into the foam, and proceeded to drop the brush in. Works like a charm.

 

Well, I had plenty of space left over to work with, so I bored a little hole for a tube of solvent, and another rectangular hole for a .22 boresnake.

 

I'm completely satisfied with this. I figure if I'm out in the field with this gun and it needs a cleaning, I will most certainly have my multi-tool with me, and the 2 screws holding the buttplate on don't take 30 seconds to remove/replace...this setup is perfect and literally cost me nothing, and surplus AR15 cleaning kits are, what, 14 bucks? I'm pleased and I haven't even shot the gun yet.

 

I left the toothbrush out of the buttstock because this isn't an AR. It's an AK. It don't need no stinking toothbrush.

 

OK. That is all. I hope someone might be able to make use of this and that I don't look stupid because everybody's already thought of this!

[ae13291 3]

great post, seems like a good idea, im pretty sure you are never really going to need a cleaning kit handy like that since the AK wont really jam or stop functioning because of dirt.

[thehopping1 105]

Good job, and nice first post. However, when you decide to convert you wont be able to use your butt stock any more. And I would recomend converting like most others around here.

[storm1 2]

show some pics dude!

[corbin 621]

Welcome to the Forum.

 

 

Interesting idea, though I'd want a way to get to the stuff without needing to remove screws to get the buttplate off. The standard trapdoor style would only give you a 1" hole to deal with too.

 

I'm considering getting a triangle skeleton style stock for my 223 Saiga. Might make some sort of pouch that can fit in the hollow space inside the stock. Not sure yet.

 

 

 

Corbin