BUSHFAN
09-07-2000, 11:54 PM
I have a Saiga conversion that was done by D.G.S. in Florida, this rifle is in pretty bad shape. It is a Saiga hunting carbine in 7.62x39 that has been converted into an AK-103 configuration http://club.guns.ru/eng/ak100/ak103.htm
using US polymer furniture with an AK-74 sight base and muzzle brake. The hardest part of this conversion is relocating the trigger and installing the pistol grip and this is where most of the problems are (in the lower receiver area). Well the problems with this rifle are clear and numerous after detail stripping I've found:
-the bottom of the receiver was not refinished, they used some kind of cheap paint, I removed it while using brake cleaner to degrease the receiver which had a heavy amount of oil everywhere, this paint was also used to cover up the areas on the barrel around the gas block and muzzle brake and under the handguards revealing several areas where the factory finish was taken off.
-the aft part of the trigger guard was brazed onto the bottom of the receiver and the front of the trigger guard was brazed onto the aft part of the mag release housing and these welds were done very poorly, a lot off weld slag was left and it was installed crooked.....while attempting to straighten the trigger guard I broke both welds, luckily the welds were so poor they broke cleanly in both places.
-there are two holes in aft part of the receiver that had apparently been for the old trigger and hammer pins, the were left, rather than fill these holes and grind smooth they installed rivets, poor fitting ones.
-the muzzle brake was brazed to the sight base but this was a poor weld with a deep dimple in the middle and slag running down the sides of the sight base.
-the forward cleaning rod support was brazed onto the bottom of the gas block, but the welder nearly burned through one side of the cleaning rod support leaving a very small portion attached to the gas block, this needs to be built back up then ground smooth.
I like the Idea of having a Russian receiver built into this configuration, but if anyone decides to purchase one of these rifles realize you're buying an 80% complete project.
Now can anyone recommend a gunsmith to fix all of these problems, Thanks.
[This message has been edited by BUSHFAN (edited 09-07-2000).]
using US polymer furniture with an AK-74 sight base and muzzle brake. The hardest part of this conversion is relocating the trigger and installing the pistol grip and this is where most of the problems are (in the lower receiver area). Well the problems with this rifle are clear and numerous after detail stripping I've found:
-the bottom of the receiver was not refinished, they used some kind of cheap paint, I removed it while using brake cleaner to degrease the receiver which had a heavy amount of oil everywhere, this paint was also used to cover up the areas on the barrel around the gas block and muzzle brake and under the handguards revealing several areas where the factory finish was taken off.
-the aft part of the trigger guard was brazed onto the bottom of the receiver and the front of the trigger guard was brazed onto the aft part of the mag release housing and these welds were done very poorly, a lot off weld slag was left and it was installed crooked.....while attempting to straighten the trigger guard I broke both welds, luckily the welds were so poor they broke cleanly in both places.
-there are two holes in aft part of the receiver that had apparently been for the old trigger and hammer pins, the were left, rather than fill these holes and grind smooth they installed rivets, poor fitting ones.
-the muzzle brake was brazed to the sight base but this was a poor weld with a deep dimple in the middle and slag running down the sides of the sight base.
-the forward cleaning rod support was brazed onto the bottom of the gas block, but the welder nearly burned through one side of the cleaning rod support leaving a very small portion attached to the gas block, this needs to be built back up then ground smooth.
I like the Idea of having a Russian receiver built into this configuration, but if anyone decides to purchase one of these rifles realize you're buying an 80% complete project.
Now can anyone recommend a gunsmith to fix all of these problems, Thanks.
[This message has been edited by BUSHFAN (edited 09-07-2000).]