Compatibility of 2 3/4" and 3" or 76mm in Saiga 12ga

[Timothy Moultrie 0]

Can the Saiga 12 handle both 2 3/4" ammo as well as 3" or 76mm?

 

If not please explain.

 

If so, do forum members recommend the 2 3/4" or 3" in terms of reliability.

 

~tm

[ChileRelleno 7,071]

It is chambered for both 2.75" & 3".

Best reliability is with any 2.75" or 3" full power load.

It is a combat shotgun, it wasn't designed to operate on low brass/recoil loads.

[timy 1,185]

Chile is correct but there are some who will do anything to make their 12s run the cheapest stuff available. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose, but generally the more powerful shells will run reliably with little or no work on the shotgun. Your call, Timmy. Oops, may I call you Timmy?

[unclejake 428]

Yes, you can spend the money on a reliability kit, polish the bolt and innards or have Pauly do it if you are not proficient in that area and make it run on low brass ammo. Mine will run anything I put in it and then some! My brother-in-Law has gotten VERY courious lately about S-12's (just when they are the hardest to find) and he wanted to know the worst running American ammo, so I told him that would be Winchester #8's. He said that he had two boxes of them that were 25 years old and he wanted to see my S-12 run THAT stuff. Me and Natasha were up to the challenge. Loaded up my mags and drum and we had at it. When I ran the first mag through, he said "HA, I told you it wouldn't run!" I just laughed and showed him the empty chamber. He couldn't believe you could shoot that many rounds that quick! LOL Needless to say, went through the 50 rounds without nary a problem. Of course I didn't want to tell him that those "old shells" were probably loaded a little hotter than the new stuff...don't know that for a fact, but..