bukowiec39 0 Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 Hi there Few years back I converted a S .223 and it cost me like 175.00 to do it. Today I purchased a set of parts needed for 5.45x39.5 and paid 350.00! Damn. Them prices went up. I had to sacrifice plum stock to black because the price difference was almost 50.00. Too bad. Really liked that color. I wonder when the ammo is going to go up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gregomega 929 Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 (edited) indeed. not only prices of parts but the cost of builds is going up too. Im all for people getting their money but its getting to the point where if you want something built, you better have money. Otherwise you'll be doing your own conversions and living with the stuff you really wish was/wasnt there: linkage holes, scratched out importer marks, no 100 series folding stock. That is unless you can do all that stuff yourself. but I cant so. but yeah, ever since SOG, imo, prices have been going through the roof. Edited January 6, 2012 by AZG Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DrThunder88 912 Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 (edited) I agree that prices are going up pretty much across the board, but what kind of stuff are you putting on that costs $350? Edited January 7, 2012 by DrThunder88 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
draftpick 5 Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 I agree that prices are going up pretty much across the board, but what kind of stuff are you putting on that costs $350? Yeah what parts are you using? I bought a new saiga 7.62x39 for $319 OTD. And put a hogue grip, grip nut, bullet guide, Tapco G2 W/BHO, Tapco retainer, tapco slant muzzle and the conversion parts so far are only $100. Thats all I have done so far. For another $100 I could get a surplus wood stock set, gas tube, bolt on hand guard retainer and have a complete wood authentic ak. And thats just over $500 total and $200 for parts. What are you using? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bukowiec39 0 Posted January 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 As soon as I get the parts I will list yhem for you. But just off top kvar stock 100.00 lower retention bracket 49.99 gas tube 39.99 (everybody is out of stock now) plus trigger group bolt hold open spring trigger guard bullet guide and few other parts mostly from css and kvar I found plum bayo for 90.00+15sh and sling for 15.99+5.00sh so nay get these two also. No muzzlebrake. Gunsmith said job cost: AK74 brake 300+brake price AR15 brake 120+brake price Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vulcan16 971 Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 As soon as I get the parts I will list yhem for you. But just off top kvar stock 100.00 lower retention bracket 49.99 gas tube 39.99 (everybody is out of stock now) plus trigger group bolt hold open spring trigger guard bullet guide and few other parts mostly from css and kvar I found plum bayo for 90.00+15sh and sling for 15.99+5.00sh so nay get these two also. No muzzlebrake. Gunsmith said job cost: AK74 brake 300+brake price AR15 brake 120+brake price Your gunsmith is screwing you on the muzzle brake. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mancat 2,368 Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 I gotta be honest. If you have a pay a gunsmith to do this work, converting a Saiga is probably not for you. Or at least you will not see the savings that is a very attractive point of these guns. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bukowiec39 0 Posted January 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Well. Gunsmith would be (maybe) doing the muzzle brake. I have no proper tools for it nor want to buy them just for one brake job. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jimdigriz 580 Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Well. Gunsmith would be (maybe) doing the muzzle brake. I have no proper tools for it nor want to buy them just for one brake job. It's definitely a good idea to have a gunsmith do it if you're not confident that you can do it well. Jetmech is correct about the prices. Labor for installation of a AK 74 front sight block should cost about $100-125. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DrThunder88 912 Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Confidence is one thing, but the economics of not doing it are another. Just from Dinzag's website, a die, TAT, and diestock cost $60 plus shipping. Even if I was only doing one rifle, and even if I didn't think there was any resale value in the tools, there is still a significant cost savings in threading the muzzle oneself. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mullet Man 2,114 Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 $100 for a KVAR stock is double what they actually go for! KVAR has a bargain section on their website where you can get slightly blemished stocks for $30 (i have 3 and its hardly noticeable), or new ones for $50. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DrThunder88 912 Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 He may mean the entire set: stock, handguards, and pistol grip. Sold as a single unit, that usually runs about $100. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dayofruin 425 Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 You can do bare bones basic conversion for <$100. Using a Dremel, hammer, and screwdriver. If you don't have these tools, buy them. You'll always have or find uses for them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bukowiec39 0 Posted January 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Hammer, dremel and screwdriver are the tools I got. No problem here. But with muzzle brake one just gotta do it right. And honestly, I got none experience with brakes. Never actually used one on any of my rifles. With my 5.45x39 I'm not even sure if I really need one since the muzzle rise and recoil are rather minimal. But to keep the nice looks of AK74, 2nd type of cool I'll look around. Maybe there is some other gunsmith who can do that for less. Thanks guys for the info. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dayofruin 425 Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 If you buy the threading tool and do it yourself, I'm sure you could sell it here and get most of your money back. I've also seen them on eBay a couple times where people bought it for one rifle then sold it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rjwillow 5 Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 My 223 Conversion totalled $466 including the rifle and one extra surefire mag. Then I added the CSS bullet guide and 4 more mags (Bulgy and Tapco Galils) and a US Gas Piston... Went up to $588 Decided to go with a traditional-ish Hogue HG a Polish Gas Tube and made my own retainer out of a Bulgy.... $679 Couldn't leave well enough alone and knocked off the FSB and GB and got Bulgy FSB, another retainer, GB ,74 brake and cleaning rod from MarkW1...that along with some other parts, accessories and such got me to $809 to have it the way I want it. Not all that bad really. But if I go to the total of all the parts, supplies and accessories that I bought and didn't like or messed up, I'm at $951. But I saved a bit because I did everything myself and now know what I like and what I don't. So I'm thinking my nexy 5.45 and 7.62s can stay $650-700 I can hardly wait... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KevininPa 8 Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 (edited) I probably shouldn't be one to add anything since I haven't converted yet, but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express......... Ok, jokes aside, I really haven't converted anything yet but I've been doing a lot of reading here lately. My interests have been kindled due to owning a 7.62X39 and a .410. Most of my reading is about fixing the .410, but I've been checking a lot of other things as well. It seems to me that if you're going to jump in with both feet and go for your ultimate build in one big swoop, then yes you are going to pay the big dollar. If you're willing to go a little at a time, over a period of time, then you'll still be paying the same amount, but at least you're not draining the coffers in one shot. My X39 has a wood sporter stock and I like it the way it is. Everything else I own has hunting style stocks , so it's just a good match-up for me. I consider it to be my "poor mans" Mini-30. Now the .410 is another animal for me completely. Having problems with it that I won't get into here, those are in the .410 section. My plan is to get this working, convert it, take the barrel down to 18.25 inches. Then decide if I want to keep it or not. Got it for the wife and she's not into it. Don't know if I want to keep buying expensive .410 ammo. Seriously, with the rise of all the new .410 firearms in recent years you'd think that the round would be more mainstream, thus cheaper. Anyway, I digress. I already have a Tapco T6 fusion stock, so I can take the PG off of that and continue to use the buttstock section. From there all I need is a pistol grip and conversion parts for about a hundred bucks. If I decide I like it then more money will be spent ( it would make a really neat SBS underfolder! ). Maybe without the FTE problems, the wife will take a shine to it, thus more invested. Or it will end up sold as a basic .410 conversion in which I'll make a profit. Anyway, my point is that there are kits out there sold by the business sponsors to get you there cheaply. Add the bells and whistles later. This will also make you think hard about what you really want. Alot of cool looking stuff in this forum gets you thinking that you want this ,and this, and that....etc. Then when you get it you think, "what the hell did I get this for?!". At 50, I've been down this road often. Being a construction worker in a crappy economy has taught me to spend on things that I'm sure will increase my fun factor or quality of life in a long-lasting way. Anyway, I'm done rambling. Sorry about the long post. I hope you enjoy whatever decisions you make. Thanks for listening.....er, reading. Edited January 12, 2012 by KevininPa 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lackgunCO 1 Posted January 14, 2012 Report Share Posted January 14, 2012 I ordered stock, fcg, pistol grip, and bullet guide for around $130 shipped. All the furniture parts and trigger stuff is US made for compliance. Plan on moding the trigger guard and handguards that came with. So total build cost with new rifle is right around $450. Can be done on the cheap if you don't do a full convert. Could have saved some more with home made bullet guide. Might change the handguards in the future but the stock one with vent holes will do for now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bukowiec39 0 Posted January 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2012 Since I'm in CT I either go 922r compliant or leave it as is. There is no choice here as we have parts of 94 ban in the law. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gasper44 3 Posted January 15, 2012 Report Share Posted January 15, 2012 I am going to keep an eye on this thread as it seems informative. I have a 7.62 coonverted Saiga by Classic already but would like to build my own wood version over the next season so I have my new age polymer one and classic wood version. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kosh 1 Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 If you buy the threading tool and do it yourself, I'm sure you could sell it here and get most of your money back. I've also seen them on eBay a couple times where people bought it for one rifle then sold it. An added bonus to getting the threading tool for yourself is that you can thread some other shotgun barrels for muzzle brakes. In my case, I was able to thread the barrel of a Mossberg bullpup and now I have the pleasure of looking for an appropriate MB. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mogunner 240 Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 I bought the Tapco T-6 conversion kit from Carolina Shooters for $157.05 shipped, with an upgrade to the MD Arms MOLOT PG and a round trunnion bullet guide. Intrafuse handguard off Amazon for $49.03. Three 30 round surplus mags from AIM for $43.79. Haven't picked up a MB yet or gas piston. Are there more parts I need or do I just need to buy more expensive stuff? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mullet Man 2,114 Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 You shouldnt need the gas piston to be compliant, using the CSS "kit". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mogunner 240 Posted March 15, 2012 Report Share Posted March 15, 2012 No, I wouldn't, it'd be just one more piece of "insurance" I guess, just in case everything isn't marked "Made in USA". Not that I'm concerned that an ATF agent will walk up to me and tell me to tear it down so that he can check... but stranger things have happened. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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