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SGL 21 or SLR 107


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Hi everyone, this is my first post and I'm looking for some guidance on which rifle to buy.

 

I'm looking into purchasing an AK style rifle due to thier reputation and price. For lack of a better word, it would be my SHTF gun. I was looking into the SGL 21 and the SLR 107

 

I was pretty much set on the SLR 21 until I came accross posts on other forums that say that alot of the parts are SAiGA only and things such as the bolt/ bolt carrier are not standard AK parts. This concerned me because I'd like to have a rifle that I will always be able to find plenty of replacement parts for and I would think that standard AK parts would be easier to find. As a result I looked to the SLR 107, but the price is higher and I didnt see one without the folding stock option; do the folders hold up well? I was also interested in putting wood furniture on it because I like the look, is this possible or will the reciever only accept folding stocks?

 

 

Thanks in advance for any info. Looks like you all have a great community here!

 

-Ace

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I was pretty much set on the SLR 21 until I came accross posts on other forums that say that alot of the parts are SAiGA only and things such as the bolt/ bolt carrier are not standard AK parts. This concerned me because I'd like to have a rifle that I will always be able to find plenty of replacement parts for and I would think that standard AK parts would be easier to find. As a result I looked to the SLR 107, but the price is higher and I didnt see one without the folding stock option; do the folders hold up well? I was also interested in putting wood furniture on it because I like the look, is this possible or will the reciever only accept folding stocks?

 

 

Thanks in advance for any info. Looks like you all have a great community here!

 

-Ace

 

The saiga 7.62x39 is essentially an AK74 but really a 100 series type which happens to be in the caliber 7.62x39.

The carrier should interchange with any russian or bulgarian 74 carrier. The bolt is a 74 type but is fit for 7.62x39.

Edit to add: Ok, I'm not completely sure about all the the SLR bolts

Spare saiga or SGL 7.62x39 bolts are being sold by kvar by currently but keep in mind you just can't swap bolts without headspacing. This would apply with any bolt swap if you dont want to risk excessive or insufficient headspace blowing up your rifle.

The good news is that Russian and Bulgarian bolts don't ever seem to break unlike certain Chinese ones that have been reported on forums with pictures.

If you managed to break a saiga bolt from normal use, please make a thread because it would be a rare event.

I been looking for such a thread for years and can't find one.

The saigas and SGL uses a 74 type firing pin and a 74 type extractor shaped for 7.62x39.

Kvar has these also for sale.

Edited by my762buzz
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To answer your question about furniture, wood is not really an option for the buttstock, but you could replace the pistol grip and handguards with wood. I have an SLR 107FR, and I've dressed it up with wood furniture and a borrowed steel triangle folder before - looks very, very nice in that configuration. Only thing better is a 107UR that has been SBRd, given the same treatment.

 

I am unfamiliar with the bolt and carrier interchangeability issues, but can attest to the vast majority of AK bolts being all but unbreakable. I have personally seen an Egyptian bolt/carrier combo that had been in a gun that had seen somewhere around 30k rounds, mostly in full auto. All the contact surfaces were highly polished. The bolt and carrier were finally retired because the bit of the carrier that trips the autosear had been worn down enough so that it would not reliably trip the autosear. The manufacturer dropped in a new bolt, carrier and FCG, and as far as I know, the gun is still running today. In a semi-auto rifle, the autosear is a non-issue.

 

The only AK rifle I've had relatively first-hand knowledge of breaking a bolt was a semi-auto rental AK at a local indoor range that had experienced all manner of abuse and an unknown, very high round count. It was a run-of-the-mill ban-style WASR-10, and as the story went from the guys at the range, it failed non-catastrophically - despite a lengthwise crack running most of the length of the bolt, the rifle still functioned. The crack was discovered when the rifle was cleaned.

 

When it comes to broken carriers, the only carrier damage I've seen on any AK-pattern rifle was right around the area where the piston is threaded in. I've seen this area bulged out, in what seemed to be the result of an overgassed rifle (can't recall if it was a Century or an IO build), with lots of little hairline cracks around the circumference of the bulge.

 

Personally, I managed to break the bolt carrier on my 8" S-12. This was probably due to overgassing, and to this day I'm not entirely certain. Did I have it on the correct setting for birdshot when firing a magnum load? I don't know, as to diagnose the problem the first thing I did was disassemble the shotgun, including removal of the gas plug...

 

When it comes down to it, if you buy a decent AK rifle, the chance of a catastrophic part failure is very low with a low round count, and low with a high round count (in my mind that's anything over 10k rounds). If you can afford to fire 10k rounds, you have the coin to keep spare parts, or a spare rifle or two, in reserve.

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I have read that SLR-107 has stamped receiver made of 1mm steel as oppose to 1.25mm on saigas. Is that a fact and are there any real disadvantages in this? I've read that rapid fire can cause metal fatigue in stamped receivers, especially those made of thinner steel. Any comments on that?

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I have read that SLR-107 has stamped receiver made of 1mm steel as oppose to 1.25mm on saigas. Is that a fact and are there any real disadvantages in this? I've read that rapid fire can cause metal fatigue in stamped receivers, especially those made of thinner steel. Any comments on that?

 

It really shouldn't cause a problem, unless the steel was not properly heat-treated. A buddy's IO build has a deformed frame that appears to be the result of the carrier battering the rear trunnion - the frame is deformed around the rivets on the right side of the receiver. This is built on a 1mm receiver. I was under the impression that Saiga rifles were also 1mm receivers, but could be incorrect. I believe VEPR rifles are built on RPK-style, 1.6mm stamped receivers. The vast majority of AKMs are built on 1mm receivers. This is not a problem.

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The saiga 7.62x39 is essentially an AK74 but really a 100 series type which happens to be in the caliber 7.62x39.

 

Just to clarify

 

AK74M = 5.45x39

AK100 series = AK74M in other calibers

 

AK101 = 5.56

AK103 = 7.62

 

So the 7.62 Saiga isn't a 100 series that happens to be 7.62x39, it IS a 100 series because's it a 74M pattern in 7.62

 

You're correct, you just need to tidy it up a bit.

 

 

 

Z

Edited by TX-Zen
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