mancat 2,368 Posted April 3, 2013 Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 Strap it into a lead sled and pull the trigger with a string. No joke. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jerry52 893 Posted April 3, 2013 Report Share Posted April 3, 2013 Works for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thebuns1 4,323 Posted April 4, 2013 Report Share Posted April 4, 2013 Strap it into a lead sled and pull the trigger with a string. No joke. I would try this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Unknown Poster 5 Posted April 14, 2013 Report Share Posted April 14, 2013 You could check out the bolt for more cracks and if its ok you can have it TIG welded with stainless weld and have it remachined. My gutt feeling after shooting my first saiga when the second importer stopped importing them was to buy one for parts. Luckily i found the last saiga in 223 in my area the mags for $220 still nib. When i purchased all my saigas i got two mags with each saiga, plus i purchased more mags with them. I already had mags for it. I also purchased an extra saiga in 308win too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunman1 1,753 Posted April 14, 2013 Report Share Posted April 14, 2013 You might want to try Red Jacket http://www.redjacketfirearms.com/ to see if they can provide a replacement part. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jdub23 21 Posted April 14, 2013 Report Share Posted April 14, 2013 When I get a sketchy old Mosin Nagant or whatnot, I use an old tire. Just shove the butt into the tire "smaller tires are tighter" put a brick or two to keep the muzzle straight or down. Then string it up, stant back and pull. I live in the country "sometimes" and do it there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ShadowFire 220 Posted April 14, 2013 Report Share Posted April 14, 2013 You could check out the bolt for more cracks and if its ok you can have it TIG welded with stainless weld and have it remachined. My gutt feeling after shooting my first saiga when the second importer stopped importing them was to buy one for parts. Luckily i found the last saiga in 223 in my area the mags for $220 still nib. When i purchased all my saigas i got two mags with each saiga, plus i purchased more mags with them. I already had mags for it. I also purchased an extra saiga in 308win too. Check for microfractures too, they can become larger and more problematic later. I think we forget what the .223 is based on. (Galil) Try a Galil bolt and yes, have it headspaced. (I love my Galil.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GT Marathon 1 Posted April 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2013 good idea on the Galil..anybody got one for sale ....? been looking all over for a bolt ..still hoping the Importer will come throu on the replacement but ill gladly have one of those but I just cant seem to find one atm ..madness ,,ready to start "W-T-B" threads ...and no I haven't tried shooting it yet ..just thinking ill leave it in the box ..stay on the safe side Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mancat 2,368 Posted April 23, 2013 Report Share Posted April 23, 2013 Galil bolt is not compatible with the Saiga .223. Like most other .223 AK designs, the Galil uses an AKM-spec bolt. It won't fit into the Saiga carrier, and even if it did, it wouldn't lock up without lots of modification. The only two bolts I know of that you can possibly use, are a Saiga .223 bolt, or a 5.45x39 AK-74 bolt. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GT Marathon 1 Posted April 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2013 (edited) Curses...foiled again ....thanks again ..I did find this thou ...what do you folks think ?...any input ? http://aa-ok.com/ak-bolt-head-cpt-for-5-45-x-39-ak74-and-rpk-74.html I whould rather have one with a spring loaded firing pin but this might do for now ..might be a very long time before the Importer can replace it anyhow .. Edited April 23, 2013 by GT Marathon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jerry52 893 Posted April 23, 2013 Report Share Posted April 23, 2013 You will need to check the head space as Saigas has a different bolt face it may or may not be a go. . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mancat 2,368 Posted April 23, 2013 Report Share Posted April 23, 2013 (edited) ANY bolt needs to be checked for headspace even if it's the same caliber. You could luck out and get a bolt that headspaces OK (I have a 5.45 bolt that did, the other didn't), but it still needs to be checked at the very least. The "correct" method to headspace an AK initially is to change the barrel positioning within the trunnion, BUT an AK bolt can be headspaced to an already assembled rifle if the gunsmith knows what he's doing with an AK. The headspace of the bolt is modified by removing material from the rearward faces of the bolt locking lugs - if the headspace is on the tight side, this is ideal. If the bolt headspaces loosely, material has to be added to the bolt, then modified appropriately - we are talking thousandths of an inch between too tight and too loose. The reasons that a 5.45x39 AK-74 bolt will work in the Saiga .223 1. It has the correct bolt tail diameter & length 2. The locking lugs are set up for the "long lug" pattern of the Saiga trunnion 3. 5.56 and 5.45 case rims are so close, that the 5.45 bolt will successfully retain and eject the 5.56 casing You are correct - you DO lose the spring-loaded pin. This creates the potential for slamfires with very soft commercial primers. Military primers and most modern factory ammunition will be just fine without a sprung pin - there are many 5.56/.223 rifles that have a free-float pin, including the AR-15/M4/M16. It will cost less money & time overall to get the correct Saiga .223 bolt and have it checked for headspace by a gunsmith. Since you probably won't be lucky enough to get a 5.45 bolt that headspaces with 5.56 right off the bat, the work involved in headspacing a 5.45x39 bolt isn't worth it if you're approaching it as a temporary fix. Edited April 23, 2013 by mancat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GT Marathon 1 Posted April 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2013 Dam....was having some high hopes there for a bit ...well guess its back too waiting out Legion ..Ill be looking around some more for a proper Saiga .223 Bolt ...haven't searched too much lately they do seem pretty dam hard to replace ..bummer ..Thanks Again Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.