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Info on my "rare" Saiga 12C?


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Seems like there isn't much info out there. I know it was LEO and sold during the AWB. Some have said its super rare and worth Big $$$, others have said nothing special and its worth nothing more than a basic Saiga. Assume they're trying to take advantage of me.
Any help on info/history/value appreciated.

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Yes, it's a rare build. Especially since it's all factory. People have cloned the 12C but there aren't many that have what you have. Before the 030/040's and Veper's were imported it was this build that people wet their panties over.

 

With that said the average person probably won't see the value so you may get looks if you go into your LGS and ask for a high price because you have a super rare gun. If you are looking to sell the place to go would be the collectors in the AK community. They lurk here and on other AK forums...

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Im not much of a collector type. Although its a very fun gun to shoot, I'd rather have several guns that I find more practical. I'd rather own a Bolt Action Rifle, different Shotgun, another handgun rather than have a Special Rare Type Weapon.
I got lucky and bought it from a LGS weeks after the AWB ended. Sold to the LGS by a retired LEO. Finally a gun that went up in value!!!!
Thanks for the info! Someone suggesting posting it on gunbroker with a super high price to see where the bidding lands after a long auction.
 

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That's an old fucker. Keep it. You wont regret it.

 

As far as appreciation. Almost every weapon you use and take care of will appreciate if you own it long enough.

 

Thanks for sharing. Kick ass shotgun.

 

If you do sell it, notice the forums and put it on gunbroker. Watch the vultures fight over it.

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There should be a rivet below the rear latch button.  Just look up any AK with the 100 series side folder and you'll see what I mean.  My best guess is that this was a one-off on the production line for the very small batch that were imported for LE Only and they (for whatever reason) didn't drill for the bottom rivet.  Doesn't really matter as it's very rare and very cool.

 

The biggest problem you're going to have with it is the average Saiga owner thinking it's pretty lame because it doesn't have a flaming-spiked-naked chick-flash suppressor mounted to it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

There should be a rivet below the rear latch button.  Just look up any AK with the 100 series side folder and you'll see what I mean.  My best guess is that this was a one-off on the production line for the very small batch that were imported for LE Only and they (for whatever reason) didn't drill for the bottom rivet.  Doesn't really matter as it's very rare and very cool.

I find it interesting that you pointed this out. My Saiga-M has a 100 series folder installed by Legion and it is also is missing the lower rivet. Upon further inspection I noticed the rear trunnion doesn't have the hole machined out. Apparently the factory is producing rear trunnions that take only two rivets on each side. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? You can see an example of my build here...

 

https://www.legionusa.com/russian-ak-47-saiga-izsl-mw-7.62-x-39-rifle.html

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  • 3 years later...

I would listen to Leland on stuff like this.

 

There is a very small but dedicated group of people who want the "official" version that some member of an armed force was seen with in a photo here or there, or the version named in a video game. Those guys want them marked 12-C, and will pay for it. Most of the ones I have seen in US just have poly fixed stocks, so that makes yours cooler.

 

I think the people looking for one would pay top dollar for what you have, but I also think it would be difficult to intersect with one of those people at the time they have money and you want to sell. Perhaps keeping your name with guys like Leland who are known for building this kind of thing and have an established customer base of that sort is your best bet.

 

Does yours have the interrupter bar that prevents it from firing while folded?

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Is Sierra Ordnance still doing work? A couple of years ago I did some rework on an AK100 that he attempted to do on a Draco Mini SBR. The trunnion was too far back, the rear latch holes were botched, the rear receiver cuts were botchedf, the stock would not latch at the front, the front latch hole was in the wrong spot, the holes looked like a 5 year old cut them, the rivet holes were not even in the correct locations in relation to each other, the short rivets in each side of the trunnion were pressed into the receiver diagonally, the gun couldn't even be assembled and safely fired, and he sent the abortion back to the customer in pieces. I couldn't believe anyone would do that, any of it, especially someone who is supposed to be known for AK100 conversions. It was a registered SBR and he left it a total hacvk job! In what realm is that acceptable behavior for an alleged professional? I would be furious if someone hacked up my SBR and sent it back like that. IIRC, he didn't even give the guy his money back. That would have been the absolute least he could do. I felt so bad for the customer that I fixed it and didn't charge him for it. I had to pull the trunnion, add material to the receiver in a bunch of areas (not easy on a 1mm thick receiver), do an insane amount of weld blending, and put the trunnion where it is actually supposed to be so the cover can actually be installed. I wasn't impressed, at all, on every level from the work to the customer service. It was indeed ridiculous. I could post plenty of pics of all of this, but I have to get to work. Maybe later I'll show some before and after. Now that I am a business member and he is not, I can let the cat out of the bag. I've kept my mouth shut about a lot of hacked up stuff I have redone from other shops that should have known what they were doing. Sometimes people just get in over their head and are too proud to admit it and decline the work. I make mistakes sometimes, but I fix them properly regardless of how much time or money is lost in doing so. Reputation is everything in this business.

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