xander40 0 Posted February 8, 2014 Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 I bought my Saiga about a month ago and as of right now I have the UTG quad rail up front, Magpul vertical foregrip, Tapco pistol grip and adjustable stock, elusive wildlife green light (can't remember the model), bushnell trs-35 red dot and I bought a top cover picatinny rail which is horrible, I can't get it to stay stable and it sits too high in my opinion. I was thinking of returning the top cover and getting the UTG side mount with quick release lever. My questions are is muzzle break worth the money, if so which one? Also is there a recommended new trigger set up with lower poundage compared to stock? And what options are there as far as longer barrels and what is the gas piston I see a lot of other people with. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spacehog 2,218 Posted February 8, 2014 Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 First of all welcome to the forum and on the purchase of your new Saiga. You posed a lot of questions in your first post, so I recommend that you read up on the forum, as many of your questions have been discussed in length, and you will get some good insight. I will attempt to answer a couple of your questions: Trigger upgrade: you will see references to "converting" or "restoring" your saiga. This refers to replacing and moving your trigger (fire control group) forward to its original intended position with AK format weapons. For the purpose of importation into the US, the trigger group is moved back and a traditional polymer rifle stock is installed (I.e no pistol grip). Because the trigger is moved rearwards, a linkage is used to make it properly operate the hammer. Although not bad, this hurts the pull and feel of the trigger. I recommend fully converting your rifle back to standard configuration if you really want to improve the trigger (as well as improve overall ergonomics and balance) of your firearm. Many here have converted using the Tapco G2 trigger group, although there are other manufacturers available. The G2 on my Saiga is 2.5 lbs straight out of the box with no further modifications required (your mileage may vary). There are several posts and tutorials on converting here on the forum. There are also several forum vendors that sell everything you would need to do the conversion yourself: Carolina Shooters Supply, and Mississippi Auto Arms to name a couple. Longer Barrel: Saiga rifles are imported with various length barrels. You have a 16.5". Unless you have a press, replacing the barrel with a longer one is not an easy quick change. (It is not an AR). It can be done, but will require some effort and expense. Optics mount: the only top cover rail mounts that are worth their weight in salt is the Texas Weapons Systems Dogleg mount, and the Chaos rail. I can't vouch for the Chaos on the AK as I do not own one, but Cameron's other products like the Titan XL for the Saiga 12 are top notch. I have no reason to believe the AK would be any different. The TWS Dogleg, which I do have, is an excellent product, is sturdy and holds zero well. The side mounts work well too. The UTG you are looking at, is probably at the bottom as far as quality compared to other side mounts out there, but the one I have has always been snug and held zero so if you have a tight budget, it will work fine. In my opinion, an AK does not need a muzzle device, unless it is full auto. I just do not think that there is much recoil to begin with. However, they look good, compliment the rifle, and many do actually work in reducing recoil. Again there are numerous threads on "What is the best muzzle break" etc. Just read up and you will have your Saiga up and running the way you dreamed of in no time. Good luck. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mancat 2,368 Posted February 8, 2014 Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 (edited) The UTG side mount with clamp lever is actually rated well, but avoid the version that uses hex screws. IMO I would at least want a flash hider on the rifle, but 7.62x39 doesn't flash that much. Recoil isn't very severe. You could probably do without. Trigger conversion is essential. Installing a bullet guide is a no-brainer. Don't waste any more money on SGM saiga mags when you could be using surplus mags. Edited February 8, 2014 by mancat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thebuns1 4,323 Posted February 8, 2014 Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 A basic pistol grip/trigger conversion will work wonders in the trigger area, and is essential IMO to get the most out of your rifle. Like said, a bullet guide will open up your mag options a great deal. You'll also open up a lot more options for stocks. Brakes are loud, and only benefit you if you do a lot of rapid fire drills, or mag dumps. Other than than, put a good flash hider on it. Theres a lot of good side mounts to be had, assuming you have the coin, or dont mind parting with it. Get a side mount with a QD lever and dont look back. Look into the Alpha mount or the new mount from Kvar. These two sit very low and shouldnt place your optic up too high. Others will place it about average height, still not as high as its sitting now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sim_Player 1,939 Posted February 9, 2014 Report Share Posted February 9, 2014 (edited) Integrally-mounted dust cover optics are notorious for not holding zero (I learned that the hard way). You could just move the optic to the forward handguard. Lots of good suggestions in the previous posts. I have a UTG side-mount rail. It's rock solid and not too high. Edited February 9, 2014 by Sim_Player Quote Link to post Share on other sites
xander40 0 Posted February 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2014 I appreciate the help guys. I am going to be doing some more research but really needed those questions answered as I'm trying to get my gun set up for some hogs next Monday. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bert7.62x39 10 Posted February 14, 2014 Report Share Posted February 14, 2014 Yeah, I'd second just mounting the optic forward since you already have the quad rail, might as well utilize the top rail of it. As others have said, converting the rifle by moving the trigger group forward and then installing a bullet guide to accept standard AK mags is a huge, huge benefit. Check this page: http://www.carolinashooterssupply.com/category_s/1864.htm As for muzzle brakes, if you're going to use one, I personally am happy with the basic, cheap slant brake. It doesn't do much for recoil or flash but it does eliminate muzzle rise (AK muzzles want to jump up and to the right, the slant brake keeps the muzzle level and just pushes it backward into your shoulder slightly). It helps me keep follow-up shots on target which might be a benefit to you if you're chasing moving hogs with your muzzle. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bubba Zanetti 3 Posted March 22, 2014 Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 How about a surplus SKS sling? I had one on my Saiga when it wore the Tapco stock... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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