Filing gas block pin after front end conversion?

[bert7.62x39 10]

I just finished my Saiga 7.62x39 front end conversion from the factory handguard to a traditional AK upper/lower handguard and gas tube.

 

My question is... now that the gas block is exposed, there is a pin that sticks out about 1/8" or so on either side of the barrel toward the back of the gas block.

 

There's no harm in filing this pin down flush (or close to flush) to the gas block, right? I'm fairly sure that I can but I figured I'd ask anyway. The pin looks slightly bent downward on both sides, I just want to make sure filing it so it isn't sticking out so much isn't going to compromise anything.

 

 

[Sdustin 578]

It will just make it where you cant put the old handguard on.

[Bigtwin 219]

It will just make it where you cant put the old handguard on.

This makes the most sense. If you have no need for the pins any longer I say remove the excess material!

[canoecanoe 63]

Knock the pin out and save it. It is a 3mm pin of longer length than a standard 3mm pin and can come in handy. The pin being gone will not be noticeable.

Edited October 6, 2013 by canoecanoe

[StingyGunner 0]

Mind sharing how you went about the front end conversion/what your method of lower handguard retention was?

[bert7.62x39 10]

I used an East German gas tube with Russian polymer upper and lower handguard w/ heat shield.

 

I had to file a very slight amount off of the front of the tube to get it to fit and file the angle of the upper rear of it to better match the factory Saiga tube for the lever to lock in to place. I took that leaf/retaining spring off of the factory gas tube and put it on the East German one... even though the East German tube already had a tight fit.

 

For the lower bracket, I just used the Carolina Shooter's Supply bolt on bracket with the set screw and some Loctite. I highly doubt it will move but I'm curious about it adversely affecting accuracy (1 more thing clamping on the barrel) ? Can anyone give any input on this by the way?

The metal on the East German tube was a different shade than the finish of the rifle so I used some high temp paint to get it to match.

 

I still haven't done the FCG conversion yet but that's next on the list. I was spending some time shooting it and deciding what kind of buttstock / pg I wanted first. i'm just going to go with a Kvar polymer buttstock, Warsaw length, and a traditional AK pistol grip (Carolina Shooter's Supply has a conversion kit for that).

 

Here's a cell phone picture of the front end. The photo quality isn't great and this was taken before I painted the gas tube to match the color. You'll see it still looks a little dull.

 

Edited October 3, 2013 by bert7.62x39

[StingyGunner 0]

Very cool. Thanks. I am in the process of deciding how I want to do my front end...I am skeptical of those bolt on retainers ability to stay put without filing a groove in the barrel for the set screw (or for other brackets, the cross bolt). That being said, I don't know if I want to have to do that. Keep us posted on that lower bracket after shooting!

[BigChongus 765]

Too bad the Saiga-AK pin-on retainers seem to be a thing of the past. I managed to grab 2 before they seemingly disappeared and they have been awesome.

[canoecanoe 63]

I believe that Saiga AK has a new batch in the works

[BigChongus 765]

If that's the case, I'll buy a few more just to have on hand. 

[Fishbed77 3]

 

I still haven't done the FCG conversion yet but that's next on the list. I was spending some time shooting it and deciding what kind of buttstock / pg I wanted first. i'm just going to go with a Kvar polymer buttstock, Warsaw length, and a traditional AK pistol grip (Carolina Shooter's Supply has a conversion kit for that).

 

Bert, I thought I might give you a general idea of what your Saiga will look like when you're done with it.  This is my 7.62x39mm IZ-132 that I converted.  I used a CSS kit with the KVar Warsaw length stock.  It's an excellent stock that you'll like a lot.  I also went with the KVar US handguards (so I could use a foreign muzzle brake) and used the CSS screw-on handguard retainer.  I drilled a small dimple in the barrel for the retainer's set screw - it's not going anywhere.  The gas tube is Izhmash - the color matches perfectly and no fitting was necessary.  I left the pin for the Saiga handguard in place.  Since it's so small and unobtrusive, I saw no need to remove it.

 

My build diverges slightly from yours in that I threaded the barrel and added an AK-351 muzzle brake from KVar (some of the Bulgarian Arsenal rifles come with these).  I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested.  It's not too much larger and heavier than a slant brake, but I find it works much better.  It's well-finished and chrome-lined, and at $21 is pretty inexpensive.  It's no 74-style brake, but much shorter and lighter, so I find this an acceptable trade-off.  I also recently installed a Magpul MOE AK grip.  I had a US Palm grip previously, but it never grew on me.  I'm finding the Magpul grip to be excellent so far.  It seems almost as if were made with Saigas in mind.  The polymer matches the Kvar furniture very well, it covers up a lot of the underside of the receiver where the paint needs to be touched up, it misses the rear hole if you want to add another screw to the stock to fill that hole, and it is even notched slightly to accommodate the Saiga bolt hold-open.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 10, 2013 by Fishbed77

[bert7.62x39 10]

Looks good. I'll be ordering the conversion kit from CSS that comes with the K-Var Warsaw length stock and the traditional AK pistol grip very soon.

 

I'd have preferred to buy a Russian gas tube but it seems most AK gas tubes in general are out of stock online right now. That East German one fits fine now and I got the finish to match since I took that photo though.

[Fishbed77 3]

Funny thing is that I would have been happy with any gas tube, but when I was looking, the only one I could find anywhere was the Izhmash one from MidwayUSA.

[bert7.62x39 10]

Fishbed, or anyone that uses or has used the CSS lower handguard retaining bracket that bolts on to the barrel:

 

...does this negatively affect accuracy on Saiga 7.62's or not?

 

I can only seem to find mixed opinions online about bolting or clamping things to AK barrels affecting accuracy with no real concrete answers... I doubt I'll find concrete answers until I go and shoot more but I'll take more opinions for now.