mrwiggles2004 15 Posted April 14, 2015 Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 In my quest to shave as much weight as possible off of my Saiga .223 I have come to the conclusion that the factory handguard is lightest inclusive system at the moment. That doesn't change the fact that they have a look that only a mother could love... So having a few laying around I went ahead and hacked and stippled one to see if I could make it any better. I think the results turned out pretty decent. One thing I did that I have not seen anyone attempt is to stipple some parts for a better purchase. despite being a bit cliche' this particular application seems to work well. What are your thoughts? Anybody else have any good modifications for the factory handguard??? PS: I'm right at 7 pounds with the current setup, and the magpul rail section weighs almost an ounce. The VG probably weights a little more. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YOT 3,743 Posted April 14, 2015 Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 Definitely not a fan of stipling factory parts. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mrwiggles2004 15 Posted April 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 My wife says it looks like barnacles, LOL. I agree. I definitely wouldn't stipple a Glock frame or anything, but I have a pile of these handguards so what the hell. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spacehog 2,218 Posted April 15, 2015 Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 Not a fan of stippling either, but I commend you on your originality and desiring to mod the factory HG to something that works for you. That is something this forum has lost IMHO. As far as weight and looks go, I think you have already done as much to factory HG as can be done without shortening it more. IMO I think the HG would actually look better if it was all stippled over just the portion of the back. Either way, nice job and welcome to the forum. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mrwiggles2004 15 Posted April 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 Not a fan of stippling either, but I commend you on your originality and desiring to mod the factory HG to something that works for you. That is something this forum has lost IMHO. As far as weight and looks go, I think you have already done as much to factory HG as can be done without shortening it more. IMO I think the HG would actually look better if it was all stippled over just the portion of the back. Either way, nice job and welcome to the forum. Thanks for the feedback. I may stipple the whole thing in some fashion, or like you said just do the whole back. All in all I think the vents, and cutting the front square to the gas block made the most positive visual difference. I think your right on the weight aspect. I am not going to get anymore off of the HG without compromising rigidity. Next step is cutting the barrel, pinning FH to 16" and pushing the FSB back. The goal is 6.5lbs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philrab 57 Posted April 15, 2015 Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 (edited) I'm heading some of the same direction you are on my x39. Have a 6" and 2" section of rail coming, a Magpul AFG2 will go on, and for the time being I'll have the option to hot swap my Surefire X200 from my 1911 to my AK till I get a Streamlight or similar with some decent output and range. I agree on the stippling, either the whole thing or none. And personally I would've done it with a smaller appliance so it's more sandpaper and less pebbly in texture. That said, I agree on outfitting the factory handguard. It's a good, lightweight piece. I just needs some work to suit to the user's needs. I'm definitely stealing your idea and moving my buttplate sling point to the handguard since I have a single point sling adapter on now, and my sling can swap between single and dual point if I have a sling attach point on the foreend. Edited April 15, 2015 by philrab Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mrwiggles2004 15 Posted April 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 I'm heading some of the same direction you are on my x39. Have a 6" and 2" section of rail coming, a Magpul AFG2 will go on, and for the time being I'll have the option to hot swap my Surefire X200 from my 1911 to my AK till I get a Streamlight or similar with some decent output and range. I agree on the stippling, either the whole thing or none. And personally I would've done it with a smaller appliance so it's more sandpaper and less pebbly in texture. That said, I agree on outfitting the factory handguard. It's a good, lightweight piece. I just needs some work to suit to the user's needs. I'm definitely stealing your idea and moving my buttplate sling point to the handguard since I have a single point sling adapter on now, and my sling can swap between single and dual point if I have a sling attach point on the foreend. Good job on the cutouts! Good advice going on here. With my next attempt I will indeed use a smaller solder tip to achieve a more uniform and sandpaper like texture. To be honest this is the first time I have stippled anything, and all I had was an old worn out tip that I didn't mind getting plastic all over. Good learning experience either way. In the picture I don't have my flashlight mounted, but it is usually sporting a streamlight polytac in 1" rings on the forward rail. I thought about swapping one of the direct mount M lok scout mounts for my light to save some weight. Bolt it right where the rail section was and eliminate the rail and separate ring setup. I really like having that sling attachment there and it's about as light as it gets! I actually added another one to the buttstock where it meets the receiver for my single point. Works great! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vance665 225 Posted April 15, 2015 Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 Looks good to me. I plan on attaching some kind of hand stop on mine and getting a 5"x7" piece of Talon grip tape to add texture. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philrab 57 Posted April 16, 2015 Report Share Posted April 16, 2015 I'm heading some of the same direction you are on my x39. Have a 6" and 2" section of rail coming, a Magpul AFG2 will go on, and for the time being I'll have the option to hot swap my Surefire X200 from my 1911 to my AK till I get a Streamlight or similar with some decent output and range. I agree on the stippling, either the whole thing or none. And personally I would've done it with a smaller appliance so it's more sandpaper and less pebbly in texture. That said, I agree on outfitting the factory handguard. It's a good, lightweight piece. I just needs some work to suit to the user's needs. I'm definitely stealing your idea and moving my buttplate sling point to the handguard since I have a single point sling adapter on now, and my sling can swap between single and dual point if I have a sling attach point on the foreend. Good job on the cutouts! Good advice going on here. With my next attempt I will indeed use a smaller solder tip to achieve a more uniform and sandpaper like texture. To be honest this is the first time I have stippled anything, and all I had was an old worn out tip that I didn't mind getting plastic all over. Good learning experience either way. In the picture I don't have my flashlight mounted, but it is usually sporting a streamlight polytac in 1" rings on the forward rail. I thought about swapping one of the direct mount M lok scout mounts for my light to save some weight. Bolt it right where the rail section was and eliminate the rail and separate ring setup. I really like having that sling attachment there and it's about as light as it gets! I actually added another one to the buttstock where it meets the receiver for my single point. Works great! I went this route for the single point sling mount. Took some work to make it play nice with the CSS billet trigger guard, but should drop right onto a convention PG but and trigger guard. Beefy. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00KFR6SL8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mrwiggles2004 15 Posted April 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2015 Looks good to me. I plan on attaching some kind of hand stop on mine and getting a 5"x7" piece of Talon grip tape to add texture. Thanks! I've got grip tape on my 1911's and i like the way it feels. Didn't think about that for this, but that probably wouldn't be a bad idea. I'm heading some of the same direction you are on my x39. Have a 6" and 2" section of rail coming, a Magpul AFG2 will go on, and for the time being I'll have the option to hot swap my Surefire X200 from my 1911 to my AK till I get a Streamlight or similar with some decent output and range. I agree on the stippling, either the whole thing or none. And personally I would've done it with a smaller appliance so it's more sandpaper and less pebbly in texture. That said, I agree on outfitting the factory handguard. It's a good, lightweight piece. I just needs some work to suit to the user's needs. I'm definitely stealing your idea and moving my buttplate sling point to the handguard since I have a single point sling adapter on now, and my sling can swap between single and dual point if I have a sling attach point on the foreend. Good job on the cutouts! Good advice going on here. With my next attempt I will indeed use a smaller solder tip to achieve a more uniform and sandpaper like texture. To be honest this is the first time I have stippled anything, and all I had was an old worn out tip that I didn't mind getting plastic all over. Good learning experience either way. In the picture I don't have my flashlight mounted, but it is usually sporting a streamlight polytac in 1" rings on the forward rail. I thought about swapping one of the direct mount M lok scout mounts for my light to save some weight. Bolt it right where the rail section was and eliminate the rail and separate ring setup. I really like having that sling attachment there and it's about as light as it gets! I actually added another one to the buttstock where it meets the receiver for my single point. Works great! I went this route for the single point sling mount. Took some work to make it play nice with the CSS billet trigger guard, but should drop right onto a convention PG but and trigger guard. Beefy. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00KFR6SL8 Interesting. I have the same trigger guard. I like it so far, haven't had any issues with it coming loose or anything. What stock is that, and have you put it on the scale by any chance? Is the buttplate polymer or some sort of metal? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philrab 57 Posted April 16, 2015 Report Share Posted April 16, 2015 Looks good to me. I plan on attaching some kind of hand stop on mine and getting a 5"x7" piece of Talon grip tape to add texture. Thanks! I've got grip tape on my 1911's and i like the way it feels. Didn't think about that for this, but that probably wouldn't be a bad idea. I'm heading some of the same direction you are on my x39. Have a 6" and 2" section of rail coming, a Magpul AFG2 will go on, and for the time being I'll have the option to hot swap my Surefire X200 from my 1911 to my AK till I get a Streamlight or similar with some decent output and range. I agree on the stippling, either the whole thing or none. And personally I would've done it with a smaller appliance so it's more sandpaper and less pebbly in texture. That said, I agree on outfitting the factory handguard. It's a good, lightweight piece. I just needs some work to suit to the user's needs. I'm definitely stealing your idea and moving my buttplate sling point to the handguard since I have a single point sling adapter on now, and my sling can swap between single and dual point if I have a sling attach point on the foreend. Good job on the cutouts! Good advice going on here. With my next attempt I will indeed use a smaller solder tip to achieve a more uniform and sandpaper like texture. To be honest this is the first time I have stippled anything, and all I had was an old worn out tip that I didn't mind getting plastic all over. Good learning experience either way. In the picture I don't have my flashlight mounted, but it is usually sporting a streamlight polytac in 1" rings on the forward rail. I thought about swapping one of the direct mount M lok scout mounts for my light to save some weight. Bolt it right where the rail section was and eliminate the rail and separate ring setup. I really like having that sling attachment there and it's about as light as it gets! I actually added another one to the buttstock where it meets the receiver for my single point. Works great! I went this route for the single point sling mount. Took some work to make it play nice with the CSS billet trigger guard, but should drop right onto a convention PG but and trigger guard. Beefy. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00KFR6SL8 Interesting. I have the same trigger guard. I like it so far, haven't had any issues with it coming loose or anything. What stock is that, and have you put it on the scale by any chance? Is the buttplate polymer or some sort of metal? Phoenix Technology fixed stock. All polymer, including the buttplate, with about a 1/4" recoil pad on it. The buttplate does open up for storage, mine stores a cleaning kit and piece of teeshirt to rip off for the cleaning jag. I didn't put mine on a scale, but it is exceptionally lightweight. They only come in black from what I've seen, I painted all my furniture myself. Love the CSS trigger guard. Some prefer the traditional one, and some do NOT like the CSS guard since it's aluminum, but it is beefy. I had to clearance the single point mount quite a bit and affix it to the receiver with a screw (right through the factory screw hole on the bottom of the Saiga receiver) then bolt the pistol grip back on. Very sturdy, just took some custom work. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philrab 57 Posted April 16, 2015 Report Share Posted April 16, 2015 (edited) In this picture, you can see the single point mount and just barely see the screw peaking out from under the pistol grip. Not visible when in use. The original mount just clamps around the PG bushing/nut and is secured by tension from the PG. I had to open up the whole front of the hole for the PG nut to wrap around the back of the CSS trigger guard, hence the screw to keep it back backing off under hard use. Edited April 16, 2015 by philrab 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mrwiggles2004 15 Posted April 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2015 In this picture, you can see the single point mount and just barely see the screw peaking out from under the pistol grip. Not visible when in use. The original mount just clamps around the PG bushing/nut and is secured by tension from the PG. I had to open up the whole front of the hole for the PG nut to wrap around the back of the CSS trigger guard, hence the screw to keep it back backing off under hard use. Looks nice! What sling are you using BTW? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philrab 57 Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 In this picture, you can see the single point mount and just barely see the screw peaking out from under the pistol grip. Not visible when in use. The original mount just clamps around the PG bushing/nut and is secured by tension from the PG. I had to open up the whole front of the hole for the PG nut to wrap around the back of the CSS trigger guard, hence the screw to keep it back backing off under hard use. Looks nice! What sling are you using BTW? Ultimate Arms Gear multi point. Can convert between single point and a two point. 6" and 2" rails added, Magpul AFG2 installed, robbed the Surefire off my 1911 till I get a Streamlight for this rifle. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RedRhino 75 Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 I do like how you squared the front. Maybe I'll do the same. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mrwiggles2004 15 Posted April 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 In this picture, you can see the single point mount and just barely see the screw peaking out from under the pistol grip. Not visible when in use. The original mount just clamps around the PG bushing/nut and is secured by tension from the PG. I had to open up the whole front of the hole for the PG nut to wrap around the back of the CSS trigger guard, hence the screw to keep it back backing off under hard use. Looks nice! What sling are you using BTW? Ultimate Arms Gear multi point. Can convert between single point and a two point. 6" and 2" rails added, Magpul AFG2 installed, robbed the Surefire off my 1911 till I get a Streamlight for this rifle. I like it. The AFG breaks up the weird curve of the HG nicely. Random question, but do you happen to know how much your phoenix tech stock weighs? I do like how you squared the front. Maybe I'll do the same. Thanks! It's an easy mod, and there is a big chunk of metal right there so you even shave a hair of weight. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philrab 57 Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 (edited) In this picture, you can see the single point mount and just barely see the screw peaking out from under the pistol grip. Not visible when in use. The original mount just clamps around the PG bushing/nut and is secured by tension from the PG. I had to open up the whole front of the hole for the PG nut to wrap around the back of the CSS trigger guard, hence the screw to keep it back backing off under hard use. Looks nice! What sling are you using BTW? Ultimate Arms Gear multi point. Can convert between single point and a two point. 6" and 2" rails added, Magpul AFG2 installed, robbed the Surefire off my 1911 till I get a Streamlight for this rifle. I like it. The AFG breaks up the weird curve of the HG nicely. Random question, but do you happen to know how much your phoenix tech stock weighs? I do like how you squared the front. Maybe I'll do the same. Thanks! It's an easy mod, and there is a big chunk of metal right there so you even shave a hair of weight. No idea the weight. Purely subjective, no more than the factory Saiga buttstock. It is all hollow composite. Edited April 20, 2015 by philrab 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
imarangemaster 315 Posted November 15, 2015 Report Share Posted November 15, 2015 My handguard mod... Uses a regular gas tube and top handguard, and has an aluminum liner I fabricated. I think I am going to add two or three cooling holes forward of the inset for the top handguard/gas tube. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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