new member and new saiga owner with questions allready

[jake666 0]

just bought my first saiga 12 been wanting one for years with all the new pressure about another ban coming i said to hell with it and went and bought one . before there untouchable price wise. im trying to decide to convert or not ? how much dose the full convert shorten the whole package ? with the colapsable stock pushed all the way in . and whats the length diffrance with the tapco stock with the stock trigger location to stock . im long armed and the stock lenght fits me well . just dont like the hand postion . ak's with stock stocks allways feel short to me i really like the full conversions but id hat to do the work and dislike the feel of it . iv been reading on these for years just want some opinions from owners who have had both . thanks

[gunfun 3,931]

Welcome. You will not regret the decision. You will regret how many shotgun shells you will be cleaning up off the ground all the time.

 

You want to do a pistol grip restoration type conversion. For real. The cost is similar to doing a hokey t-6 type conversion, but you get a better trigger pull, better balance, a gun that feels lighter because of where the weight is, your controls come into reach, instead of requiring a shift in hold or breaking firing grip.

 

What I tell people is this. Remember VHS? It wasn't bad or anything. That is a standard saiga. Then there was VHS recorded on short play for higher resolution. That is a saiganov stock or T6. Still good and better than most other shotguns by a landslide. Then DVD came out and you probably thought it was nice but no big deal. It's not that much better and VHS was fine. Then after you get used to DVD VHS looks terrible. That's how most of us feel about half converted saigas. You are short-changing your self to take that route. Doing a full restoration is super easy. Most people seem to do it between 30 minutes and 3 hours their first time. You will probably have the most trouble getting the BHO and trigger pins all lined up the first time, but you only have to do that once. The actual drilling or grinding of rivets is very simple. You will be surprised.

 

Collapsable stocks vary, but most of them are 8-9" at the shortest if I remember rightly

 

For reference, a warsaw length stock is 9.5" from the back of the receiver. Nato length is 10.5"

 

If you want long, I have two suggestions if you go for a fixed stock:

1) get over your preconceptions and learn to like a compact stock. Long feels right because that's what you have been using. Use short for a while, and long will start to feel ungainly. Count down to disagreeing post in 5-4-3-2-...

 

2) even if you do want longer, get Nato length by putting a 1" pad onto a warsaw length stock. Now it looks proportional and feels way better and won't slip off of your shoulder or chest when firing or changing mags...

 

Here is a thread with 2 ways I did that. Other people have made nice stocks too.

[jake666 0]

yeah i wouldnt consider the trigger pull bad but i wouldnt consider it good either lol. yeah shells are goin quick good thing its cold here and i only want to spend a few mns out side lol i had to set up my reloading stuff again havent used that in years got to relearn that setup again . but yeah i like the original trigger group compared to the lever setup that it has now and the last ak i tore down its a pain to install the trigger goup with big finggers lol .im just haveing the .jezz i just bought this do i really want to take a grinder to it feeling lol

[Nephilim7 107]

The answer is YES. Yes, you want to take a grinder to it! Don't go overboard, but dive right in. (Those phrases are at odds...LOL). I was afraid too. Get your parts and convert it. Then only change one thing at a time. You'll be glad you did.

[Cparent22 0]

I have a Saiga 12 and have converted the trigger location already with no problem. The issue I have is that I need to find the spring that holds the lock up and locks the bolt open. Somehow I bent it putting it back in and during sustained use it works it way from behind the locking mech. to the front and the lock then can be pushed all the way into the frome of the weapon. I have seen the modified locking mechs. but they have all been sold out, so if there is another place other than carolina to get on that information would be helpful too.

[Nephilim7 107]

CSS has the spring if you need to order one. Just look at the pictures of the modified BHO (bolt hold open) and make yours match. I haven't done it (don't use one), but it's easy to do with a Dremel. Try it! I personally took the BHO out and notched my safety lever to hold back the charging handle, so the safety and BHO are the same lever operated at once and together. Makes sense to me...

 

Search the forum. If you don't know how to search the forum, search the forum.

[jake666 0]

Thanks for the input been a week of intensive searching for mags lol luckily if gotten a few so thats taken care of. For now. I think my wife is sick of me textn her from work to call or check shock at places lol . O well she will get over it lol. I also got my side rail mount today .funny the looks I get from the wife as I sit here messing with it again lol this site has already proved extremely helpfull and I wouldn't have found a few of the mags I got with out u guys postings thanks