Furniture choices

[veritas_vincit 4]

Hey Saiganauts (Saiganuts?),

 

I was just replying to another thread, about wood folding stocks, when I realized I was rambling enough that I may as well post my own thread to organize and share my many thoughts. I haven't focused too much on these projects lately, and haven't been following the threads lately, but I'm getting motivated to put some attention to them, including catching up on forums and videos and making this post.

 

 

I'm trying to decide what stocks to put on my various Saigas and AKs. I have a Bulgarian underfolder, two Hungarians that came with butthole stocks, and .223, .308 and 12 gauge Saigas. I do like solid (not necessarily wire, but for me skeletons are okay for many guns), side folding stocks. My .223 has a MSA AR mag adapter. I've collected a few conversion parts (triggers) for all of them but need to decide on the stocks for all. I'd like to have some variety, to include some original and simple AK style furniture, some higher-tech looking folding skeleton stocks, and maybe some other stuff, like a Dragunov-similar thumbhole for the .308. I somewhat want to avoid the super-tacked out look/weight type of thing (quad-rails, etc), although I do like the TWS integral railed cover and Ultimaks (although my current thinking is that I probably wouldn't run both if I could help it, and lean a bit toward the TWS dogleg railed cover between the two).

 

I can't think of the source right now, but I have a link on another pc for a thumbhole stock for a converted/restored .308, so that it will be sort of a Dragunov style which I think I may go with for that one. For the S12 (which I don't mind being a little "tacted out"), I'm thinking more of a tangless folding metal stock of some sort, most likely milled (vs. tube, but maybe tube), and for the .223 since it takes AR mags with the MSA adapter I was thinking of an AR telestock, but I haven't decided between the VLTOR tube or maybe removing the tang and putting a hinge like the ACE one specifically for AR stocks.

 

I don't want to remove the tangs from all my Saiga/AKs (I'd like to have some that are original with bayo lugs and traditional furniture, etc, and if I've got a fixed stock I lean more toward keeping the tang since if I cut it off for a milled stock I'd just put a hinge), but of all of them since I've already modified the .223 for the MSA adapter I suppose it makes sense to pick that one to also hack the tang off.

 

Also, I was thinking the JT Engineering trigger guard with AR grip mount (intended for the S12) might be a good match for the .223 with AR mag adapter, and I suppose I shouldn't shy away from drilling new holes in that receiver in general, but especially on the .223 that's already been modified now (however, regarding some of the conversion trigger guards, I was thinking that I think I'd probably rather have the pistol grips bolted on with a regular grip nut than to the aftermarket trigger guard, held on by three or so rather smallish bolts. I think it's probably stronger if I ever had to really put some force on the pistol grip [say, if I were fighting over control of my rifle in some ugly scenario, or if the rifle were dropped and the grip area was stepped on sideways, not that I have plans to or expect to be in those situations]). This particular thought occurred after watching a "response to" video on the Tube regarding the drawbacks to the unusual "Israeli mag change," which mentioned the fighting over control of your rifle scenario. Within reason, I want my rifles to be on the robust side.

 

The other AK furniture styles I want to have in my collection are a standard black polymer setup, a blonde beech wood setup a la M7 Classic AMD, and black laminate one.

 

Here's what I might go with:

 

Hungarian SA-85M - Ironwood Designs blonde beechwood

"" SA2000M - K-VAR polymer

Saiga .223 - VLTOR modstock tube with CTR, or ACE AR hinge with CTR

"" .308 - wood thumbhole

"" 12 - ACE style hinge with DPH/ACE/Tromix/etc metal stock

 

I'm most firm on the SA-85M and .308 choices, the rest I'm more flexible on.

 

Actually, that list doesn't end up with anything with a black laminate set. So maybe I won't have one, or maybe the SA2000M (converted to double stack) could have that instead of the black polymer. While I wouldn't have a traditional black polymer version, there will be two all-black ones. What shouldn't be an option is getting another AK. I don't have any plans for that, but I like to try to think a few steps ahead when making choices if possible.

 

Also, assuming the MSA mag adapter proves personally reliable to me, I am somewhat inclined to tailor the .223 to be the main WROL/SHTF tool, due to domestic ammo/mag availability and rifle size. I do have a .308 and .223 ARs and a FAL, so that choice is subject to change and to input.

 

I don't really have a specific point with this post, but let me know your thoughts on these stock choices.

 

I may link to some pictures of examples I like. For example I saw a post here in a picture thread of a very clean .223 that had the original front handguard relieved to rather closely accommodate an Ultimak. It had a K-VAR style ("lightening" cuts, maybe that's AK-74 style) black polymer stock and I really appreciated the simplicity, which I think would be detracted from by too-gimmicky of a stock, although to me the VLTOR modstock tube with CTR or similar stock might be pretty nice...

[veritas_vincit 4]

Here's the rear stock I was thinking of going with for the .308:

 

http://troupsystems.com/akparts.htm

 

 

Maybe with this front handguard, or the stock or an Ironwood stock style front handguard:

 

http://troupsystems.com/saiga.htm

[veritas_vincit 4]

For the .223 I'd like to incorporate some of these elements.

 

I like what 6500rpm did to merge the Ultimak with the Saiga front handguard:

 

http://forum.saiga-1...post__p__222285

 

 

Sgt Raven's pre-Fuglystick setup with the AR mag adapter is similar to how I imagine my .223 could look with the Magpul stock.

 

http://forum.saiga-1...post__p__701090

 

[Scott Kenny 144]

Here's the rear stock I was thinking of going with for the .308:

 

http://troupsystems.com/akparts.htm

 

 

That's the buttstock I put on my PSL, it's pretty nice. Very long length-of-pull, though, so if you don't wear a 48 suitcoat you may need to take the screw inserts in the very back out and cut it down a little, then re-drill and re-install the inserts for the buttpad.

 

It also comes utterly unfinished, so you need to spend some time with sandpaper and your wood finish of choice.

[veritas_vincit 4]

Happy New Year!

 

Okay, I have a little more clarity in what I might do, at least for one of them. Since I already have the butthole stock from the SA-85M, I tried it on the .308 to see how it would look and I must say I think it looks pretty decent, especially for the price since I already had it. It's at least much better than the original sporterized Saiga setup, and the color isn't terribly off between it and the original handguard. I will be looking into refinishing them to match each other better.

 

I started on the conversion and ordered an RSA VEPR trigger. I'm going to reuse the original trigger guard. I've pretty much decided that I'll leave the .308 like that, with the possible future mods of moving the front sight back and threading the barrel, and adding a TWS railed cover.

 

Let me know if the pic doesn't show. I am new to uploading and posting pictures.

 

Edited January 1, 2012 by veritas_vincit