fitting Weiger mags to the Saiga 223

[jimdigriz 580]

This is a tutorial on how to fit East German Weiger steel magazines to the Saiga 223. Because of the wide variances in manufacturing, a particular rifle might need fitting at up to four contact points, or as few as one. (One person on here recently said they only had to grind the underside of the locking tab a bit). How much work is needed is up to you to determine, but hopefully the following will be helpful.

 

The first thing to do is to try and insert the magazine. If your rifle is like many of the Saiga 223s, it will not go all the way in:

 

There are two reasons the mag might not go in. It may be blocked in the back and thus need the interdiction tab removed, as in this pic:

(Compare the back of the magwell on your own rifle).

 

Removing the interdiction tab will not prevents Galil steels or Orlites from working, and is often needed to allow the Circle 10 mags to fit as well. (I haven't tried the other mag types).

 

Alternatively, you can grind on the back of the mag above the locking tab, at point B in the pic below. (This is a pic borrowed from the venerable cross-conn conversion site; I didn't grind here on my mags because I removed my interdiction tab a while back).

 

Another reason that the mag may not go all the way in is that the feedlips at the very front are a bit too tall and are pressing up against this - well, whatever it is - inside the receiver:

 

They just need grinding down about a millimeter or so on each side. Compare an unaltered mag with a finished one:

 

Go slow with the dremel grinding tool, and keep trying to insert the magazine after grinding down some. When the mag will go all the way in - even if the mag catch will not fully engage or does so super tight - then you can stop grinding on the feedlips. If you go too far, the mag will wobble; but you want it to lock up perfectly tight.

 

As a side note, the tutorial on fitting these mags at the cross-conn site has you cut WAY too much off the feedlips:

 

Your mag will wobble some if you remove this much material.

 

After getting the mag to go all the way in, you might choose to grind a bit more if the mag catch does not engage as normal, but at this point you should probably focus on grinding the bottom of the locking tab on the mag:

 

Don't take too much material off the bottom of the locking tab. Again, go slow. I took too much off my first Weiger because the mag catch would hang a bit at the end and not release the mag smoothly. I later found that I just needed to dull the sharp point on the bottom edge of the locking tab with one or two passes of the dremel grinding tool:

(Note that the grinding UNDER the mag tab was not needed, it's just that the top of the dremel strikes that area when grinding the bottom of the tab).

 

You know to stop when the mag locks in tight with no wobble and releases with no problem.

 

[canoecanoe 63]

Thanks for the great tutorial. I ordered some Weigers last night. I will be trying this out.

Edited May 23, 2011 by canoecanoe

[GregM1 241]

that looks to be a great tutorial. i just skimmed. i just got in from work, ill do reading tomorrow.

 

just to add about the wide tolerances in the mags, i only had to do the interdiction tab to make mine fit.

[jmckechnie 1]

Fantastic write up. Do you still need a bullet guide with these mags?

[jimdigriz 580]

Fantastic write up. Do you still need a bullet guide with these mags?

 

Yes.

[jimdigriz 580]

just to add about the wide tolerances in the mags, i only had to do the interdiction tab to make mine fit.

 

Lucky guy.

 

What year is your rifle?

[GregM1 241]

Lucky guy.

 

What year is your rifle?

 

i was tired last night, i forgot to mention mine are the Romanian Weiger Clones magazines.

The year is a 2006

 

 

Edited May 24, 2011 by GregM1

[wpflgun 3]

Thanks for the excellent info. I do not yet have any Weiger or Bulgy .223 mags, but have adapted a few Galil steel and TAPCO Galil mags.

 

I got to thinking and tried my 7.62x39 Romanian and Hungarian AK mags to see if they locked up properly, and they do very well. The mag catch locks up perfectly and there is very little movement in the unloaded mags. The front of the mag appears to be in the right position.

 

Are the Weigers and Bulgys external dimensions the same as the 7.62x39 AK mags, and can I assume they will likely fit unaltered?

[canoecanoe 63]

OK. I worked on three Weigers tonight. I followed Jim's directions. worked like a champ. No issues. I don't have my bullet guide yet, so I can't try them out. kudos to you Jim and thanks again.

[saiga545 47]

This is very useful - this should be pinned moderators!