Just received first Saiga only two gas ports

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I bought a Classic Arms S-12 in October, and it was already converted. It also has just two gas ports. I bought the gun with an MD Arms adjustment screw and the gun will only properly cycle on slugs and buckshot in the full open position. All of this points to inadequate gas getting to the gas tube, right? In that case I need another hole… is there anyone that specializes in drilling new ports? I don’t have the tools for that kind of job.

 

I’ll be getting a Pauly’s Glass Bolt and Ice Rack, not sure if he does that kind of work too.

[macaholic 5]

You TORE the gun apart before firing it?

 

You DO know you porked your warranty, killed any baseline information and......well, most folks wouldn't have done that.

 

I mean, WTF?

 

This is what happens to brand new Saiga 12s around here....

 

 

Warranty schmarranty..... I have never owned one that ran good out of the box (out of 6) and I have never sent one back for warranty work, but they do end up running great. I've never had any good luck sending things out and have learned that I am better off on my own. Shit ends up looking nicer anyways. YMMV

What type of paint is that on the receiver? I was thinking about making my light gray as well when I do the conversion.

Rustoleum Professional Series High Performance enamel (Semi-gloss black). Apply a few light coats while holding the nozzle about 20-24" away and do them 45 minutes apart. It looks really close to factory when done, but looks slightly shinier. I haven't tried the flat black yet. I have a feeling that it will be too flat. this is good paint and it is pretty tough if the receiver is properly prepped and cleaned.

 

Here is a good pic of that same weapon beside a bone-stock brand new S12. It is all in the technique.... keep the can far away and do multiple thin coats.

 

 

 

 

Ok so I got a chance to fire with low brass ammo. I mentioned in a previous post that I did not fire previously to that point with low brass ammo. However I had ran about 50 rds of buck shot through it at that particular point. The gas ports are definitely bigger than .078 of an inch. I ran anotther 30 rds of buckshot and slugs through it before firing any low brass. Playing kick the can with a 5 gallon bucket and buckshot is alot of fun I might add. I tired a stock setup with puck and plug no cycling of low brass. I purchased a low brass reliability kit from CSS and with the puck and the md V plug it would cycle the low brass ammo once I backed the plug 10 clicks from bottom out postion.. At 5 clicks no cycling. It ran 80 rounds of 1 1/8 oz federal 7 1/2 shot through like a champ no fte at 10 out. My only concern is that this may damage the theards on the gas block over time. I inspected the threads on the plug and block and everything looks fine so far. When you guys are adding a 3rd gas port hole are you drilling at an angle or drilling straight down.

They are angled.

That Rustoleum looks good. I've been using a flat black laquer spray from Ace hardware that looks so close to the original that you can't tell the difference. I believe these guns are finished at the factory with nothing more than some form of sprayed laquer or enamel and set to air dry. The reason I believe this, is because if the finishes were catalized or baked on, they would not desolve under Laquer thinner, MEK, Acitone ect. As for the gas ports. Who knows? A friend of mine just SBS'd a three port at 080 to 16" and he did not even tuoch the gas ports. That's right, he now has a 16" barrel with three factory gas ports at 080 and the gun runs every brand of low brass bird shot on the number 2 setting. WTF ?

Edited November 26, 2011 by macaholic

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As an update to mine... I am sending it in to Cadiz to have the gas ports opened up. I tried the MD Arms plug, the low brass puck, and the low brass recoil spring. It would barely cycle target loads (about 40% of the time) and even 1oz slugs required that I use the + setting on the MD plug. $125 and they will fix it up.