csspecs 1,987 Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 Well most of us here think saiga rifle or shotgun, the next thought is what kind of conversion and what parts we are going to buy. That is likely why the Saiga 100 was a flop of sorts. So I figure I'll give it a clean review without that bias. Maybe revive some interest in it. So, first impressions. Its longer than the rest of my auto loaders. It has the styling of the other saiga rifles, however there is little in the way of exposed metal on the receiver. Overall has more of a hunting rifle look. Top cover is made of that russian plastic we all know and love, with metal reinforcements at several locations. You can swap with plain metal AK top covers (Likely including the tx weapons one with the rail) Receiver is wrapped in plastic as well, note that its wrapped in plastic not made of plastic. Trigger guard is part of this assembly. Nothing of the plastic feels cheaply made, its not terribly flashy either. Hand guards have a nice feel, covered in checkering to get a decent grip even with gloves. They do tend to build up heat a little more than standard AK type. Trigger is a good step up from a normal Saiga .308, nice and clean and reasonably light. Appears to be in the same location as a conversion rifle or stock AKM. The trigger itself is shaped differently to reach the trigger guard better. There is also an internal nub on the trigger that engages with the safety bar. Safety is a simple push button type, which locks the trigger. The safety is basically a pin with several notches in it, so not much to wear out or break. Magazine is reverse lock up. The rear locks in first and you rock the front in. Factory is 3 rounds. We (myself and my brother) made a run of 10 round mags. Scope mount plate, is mounted higher on the receiver to allow the safety bar to pass through. So a ultra low profile scope mount will likely still sit well above the receiver cover, I'm looking into one of the Israeli made adjustable scope mounts. Or the TX weapons system rail top cover. Sights are a standard rear leaf, front sight is a longer sporting style without a hood. I noticed that it seems to be easier to line up with targets.. Could also be the length of pull of the stock keeps your eyes far enough from the rear, to make the notch appear smaller and more precises. Overall, a nice rifle worth a lot more then its valued. My brother shooting. The bolt is locked forward because he turned the safety on with the hammer down on an empty chamber. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbFaw_TkEpI Feel free to quote, copy or otherwise reuse. Same goes for my videos. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hellraiser 6 Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 Great review!!! I've been wanting one of these! How does the it compare in accuracy to the regular saiga .308? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
boris308 0 Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 (edited) Thank you for the review! I have one (as you know ; ) and haven't done much with it. This was my first Saiga and just never got around to working with it... Since, I have had no luck trying to sell or trade the mighty Saiga 100 in .308: I figured i would keep it and see what i can do with it You mentioned scope mounts? any specific models? Edited October 16, 2011 by vladimir308 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
csspecs 1,987 Posted October 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 Well even being a business member I can't post to non-vendor sites. But two that come to mind are the texas weapons systems top cover. Which seems to get decent reviews other than some mocking about having a smaller ejection port. Which is implied to be a potential jam location. The other is a side rail mount that has Iweapons on the side of it. Its height adjustable but I have never used one. You can find it on ebay under ak saiga scope mount. RAA also used to list a Saiga 100 side rail mount, which says to me that the factory likely made matching scope rails for these rifles.. But there is no link to say how to buy the blasted things or if they actually have them. Accuracy, I'd imagine that its comparable to the 21" saiga .308. However the Iron sites work better for me. Any difference in accuracy would likely be due to better fit with the rifle. I have a US hammer and piston for this one, because I do have a pair of 20 round mags for it. Other then mounting a scope I say its perfect as is! Its a .308 AK that is made to look almost totally PC, it has a nice trigger and handles decently. If I lived in CA I'd hunt one of these down for sure! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
boris308 0 Posted October 17, 2011 Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 any ideas for a fore end/hand guard mod? will other saiga (or after market) hand guards fit? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
csspecs 1,987 Posted October 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2011 Dinzag shows a lower hand guard retainer and replacement gas tube. To allow install of AK hand guards. But I rather like mine as is. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
boris308 0 Posted October 18, 2011 Report Share Posted October 18, 2011 i think it looks like a dolphin lol in the manual, they show two different .308 models ...one with the "hand guards" and the other with a "fore end" which looks similar to saiga .308 or shotgun models? i have neither so i can't tell if it would work i saw the dinzag listing. i also found the following: http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?/topic/59038-saiga-3006-tapco-converison/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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