Hey guys,

Brand new here. I shoot a bit, but mostly handgun and a little .22 and shotgun. (I love my S&W model 60. It's just fun to shoot.) I'm not interested in shooting at 8oo yards or MOA or any of that stuff. I go to the range and shoot at paper if I have them or usually empty plastic jugs. I'm a hack, but I have fun.

Anyways, I'm thinking of buying a Saiga. I like the rifle stock. I've read a lot of good stuff about the reliability and ruggedness of the platform. I prob wouldn't do a conversion. And sorry, but that's kind of what I like about it is that it doesn't look like an "evahl black machine gun." I live in Mass so I'm also limited by law.

I don't own a centerfire so one of the reasons I like the Saiga is that it seems like a "general purpose" rifle if ever there was one.

I'm not sure whether I should go for the .308 or the 7.62. I like the .308 round more, but the ammo is about twice as much as the 7.62. I do like the wood on the 308 too.

I like the 16" barrel more then the 20".

I guess I'm mostly concerned by the cost of the ammo. If money wasn't an object then I think I'd get the 308.

Any advice?

What should I be looking for when buying one at the gun shop, anything to avoid or be wary of - triggers, magazine feed, sights, etc?

Thanks in advance for any advice or caveats.

Hello and welcome to the forum.

I got the .308 almost two years ago because I really had a hankering for a .308 semi-auto rifle. Ammo prices weren't as bad then as they are now but I'd been warned that they would only go up.

Presently, I don't shoot the .308 as much as I'd like to because of the ammo cost. However I have convinced myself that everything will work out because if and when we get done these two wars we have going on, then the market is going to be flooded with ammo. So in theory, I should be in good shape and I just need to be patient.

But until that happens, the price of both rifles is only going to go up. So if you can swing it, buy both, keep the .308 in the safe, and shoot the hell out of the 7.62x39. Also if you can get your hands on the S-12, do so. You won't regret it - other than the fact that you will most likely want more.

The first thing you want to check out on the rifle is the front sight. Make sure it isn't canted to the left or the right. If and when you do purchase your rifle, do a thorough function check at the range. RAA seems to have a good reputation of addressing any manufacturing issues (and there might be some). Do this before you make any mods to the weapon.

Speaking of mods, you can still mod the weapon and keep it in sporting configuration. There is at least one member here who makes wooden furniture to go on stock weapons (BattleRifleG3) and Dinzag (of Dinzag Arms) offers drop-in replacement trigger groups for non-converted Saiga's.

Hope that helps and again, welcome to the forum!

Welcome to the forum. If you are not worried about shooting long distances, I would go with the 7.62x39. Great round, and cheaper than the .308

Either way, you will have a nice rifle.

And I agree with GunnyR, grab a S12 if you can, more fun than a person should be allowed to have.

+1 on the 7.62. Although you might want to consider if there is a possibility of using it to hunt in the future. I know that I would kick myself if I got a 7.62 and in a few years got to go on a hunt where the 308 would have been perfect. Bottom line is that you should enjoy the heck out of either one.

Hello, shevablack
Not trying to split hairs, but they're both 7.62 mm. One's .39, the other's .51.
I would go with the .308 (7.62 x .51) for versatility and range, the 7.62 x .39 for economy of plinking and low recoil.
Or, go with the best of both worlds, get the .308 and reload!

guido2 in Houston

Thanks everyone for the good info.