My new Saiga came home!

[bullsi1911 2]

 

My new Saiga is finally home, and starting to find it's place in the gun safe. Nothing special with this one yet- just a standard 19" 12Ga Saiga.....

 

 

Oh, except this part:

 

Yep. My Out the door price was under $600.

 

Now the shopping and converting begins. First thing: Conversion kit!

[lunker 7]

Congrats. Nice find.

[TIMTIMTIM 57]

GRATS! nice price too! I had to go get my money back on one yesterday(school is coming up and I got all excited seeing one uner $700). Same thing was $650 @ my local gun shop.

 

 

[bullsi1911 2]

Thanks guys. I plan on getting it to the range in the next few days just to check function before starting to swap out parts. I'll pull the gas valve tonight and see if I have any ports or not.

 

I'll start assembling parts and stuff for the conversion over the next few days. Going to go with (probably) the:

CSS Conversion Kit #3: http://store.carolinashooterssupply.com/servlet/-strse-441/SAIGA-12-CONVERSION-KIT/Detail (Coyote with Ergo Upgrade)

Tromix bolt on Charging handle: http://store.carolinashooterssupply.com/servlet/-strse-266/Tromix-Saiga-Ak47-extended/Detail

CSS Vented Forearm: http://store.carolinashooterssupply.com/servlet/-strse-616/SAIGA-12-AR-FOREARM/Detail (Probably spray it with Alumahyde coyote brown)

Quick Release side rail scope mount: http://store.carolinashooterssupply.com/servlet/-strse-147/AK47-SIDE-LOW-PROFILE/Detail

and Primary Arms Micro Green Dot: http://www.primaryarms.com/product.sc?productId=1005&categoryId=419

 

(I have the same mount and a Burris Fastfire on my WASR AK- keep main operating controls and interfaces the same between the two)

 

Suggestions or warnings?

 

Oh, and Magazines. I need at least one drum and a bunch of mags... And a few 2 rounders for dove hunting

[jmzzl 146]

In my experiences, I always revert my guns to black lol. Something in my genes.

 

As far as suggestions about your conversion:

 

I, personally, hate the Tapco folding stock. They make awesome products, but I just cant stand the way it feels. I shot one on a buddies WASR, and I used to have one on a Tippmann when I used to play paintball. I have the Tapco Solid stock, with a collapsible stock in reserve, and I couldn't be more happy. I bought one of those UTG $10 recoil pads from CSS, and you can literally shoot Federal bulk pack, low brass birdshot all day. I love the SAW grip, and I have the modified Tapco G2 as well. Same one that comes in the CSS conversion kits. The Tromix trigger guard is top notch too.

 

I have the same bolt-on charging handle, and it works great. I love the way it feels. Only thing is, it adds a small amount of weight to the bolt carrier, and could possibly affect cycling if you have gas issues.

 

That forearm looks great. I went with a slightly cheaper option in the Tapco Intrafuse, because I wanted to mount a flashlight. I'm starting to look like a Tapco spokesman or something lol. I just really like their products, and price range. You can always bolt on a picatinny rail on the bottom of the aluminum CSS forearm.

 

I too wanted a red dot on my S12, and I even bought that same mount. In the end, I hated having an optic on my S12. Its okay for some people, but a red dot on a shotty just isn't for me. I had that same PA red dot on my wish list for a while lol.

 

Here's some stuff I'd get if I had to do my conversion over again. (Price is not an issue)

 

http://store.carolinashooterssupply.com/servlet/-strse-807/Saiga-12-Conversion-Kit/Detail Tromix stock is definitely worth the extra cash. No question.

http://store.carolinashooterssupply.com/servlet/-strse-649/KVAR-SAIGA-12-HAND/Detail Or a Chaos Rail. I like my guns lightweight though.

http://store.carolinashooterssupply.com/servlet/-strse-967/Saiga-12-low-brass/Detail Definitely consider that. Before conversion, I could cycle Federal low brass on gas setting 1 with no issues whatsoever. After conversion, I couldn't cycle any until I got that.

or

http://www.mdarms.com/ Look at their Booster Puck and Gas Plug. Again that's if you're having cycling issues. Also check out the MD20 drum. Best drum on the market.

http://www.keepshooting.com/saiga-12-gauge-5rd-magazine.html 4 or 5 of those. Cheap Tiawanese factory mag copies. Aren't as solid as the factory mag, but very very very much worth the money.

 

 

 

If I were you, I'd run a Federal 100 round value pack or two through it before conversion. Also, thats the exact model S12 I wanted, and good find. Conversion will be easy, you know where to go for help. Try chat first, some of us are usually in there. Good luck! (Probably not needed.)

 

[bullsi1911 2]

Thanks for the input. Good point on the Tapco stock- I have not felt/ used one before. I just really like FOLDING stocks over collapsible ones. Plus, I really think that CAR stocks on non-AR pattern guns are... well, strange.

 

I'll check the Tromix stock.

 

Good news, though! I just pulled my gas plug, and I can clearly see THREE ports! I was so worried I was going to get a Vodka special. Granted, I could still have issues, but at least I don't have THAT one.

[bullsi1911 2]

Finally had a few hours to shake down the S-12.

 

I had to shoot indoors due to:

a) the rain

b ) it is an hour drive to the nearest outdoor range

 

So, since it's indoor, and the targets get close at long range... they don't let shotguns shoot anything other than slugs. Since I needed to function test and make sure it worked at all, I had to run a sizable amount of slugs through it.

 

 

Fifteen Rounds of slugs.

 

 

You ever get that feeling, "This is going to hurt..."?

 

I was expecting to have a MASSIVE flinch in short order.

 

So I pump off the first 5 rounds with the target at 25 yards.

Hey, that was not too bad! Recoil was surprisingly mild. Then I look at the target. No hits.

 

I fire the next mag aiming high on the target, and get a hit near the bottom of the target. I get two hits to the left bottom, touching. I walk two more hits aiming way off the paper.

 

So I crank on the adjustable bead.... the wrong way, and the damn thing comes off. I am sitting there in the booth and trying to reassemble the damn thing. It needs 3 hands to do so. So I finally get it back together (with the adjusting wheel upside down to disable the click stops), crank it all the way down, and fire a mag aiming at the center of the target and get 4 hits nicely clustered about a foot low

After screwing with the sight like that and seeing how cheesy it is... This thing is getting a Red Dot. SOON.

 

Well, it works. Not one failure. Now comes the conversion!

Edited May 3, 2011 by bullsi1911

[yooper14.5 84]

id like to work a xs big dot tritium sight into mine. ive got one on my 870 and i like it. might try to set up 3 of them, 2 in back, one in front center. but at 60$ a piece ill be saving a while.

 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2011 by yooper14.5

[bullsi1911 2]

 

I, personally, hate the Tapco folding stock. They make awesome products, but I just cant stand the way it feels.

 

I should have listened to you!

 

I fired several magazines of buck and slugs from my newly converted S-12, and that Tapco stock puts a beating on the shoulder.

 

I am 90% done with the build. All that is left is the Chaos extended quadrail, mounting the optic, and a little bit of Alumahyde to carry the "coyote tan" across the gun.