DavePAL84
02-19-2007, 08:05 PM
So I picked up a Saiga last thurs (2/15), did the basic conversion that evening and Friday (moved the trigger group, fabbed and installed a bullet guide) and test-fired it Friday afternoon. Here's a pic of the fabricated bullet guide (fashioned from a 1" outer diameter gas pipe):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/DavePAL84/ak/bulletguide.jpg
The front end still didn't look right so I began looking for a solution. Of course, I could press off my front sight and gas block, which is a PITA, so I began looking for other options.
Most regular AKM gas tubes will fit .223 and 7.62x39 Saiga's, so I just used an extra that I had--fit with no problems.
Dinzag from Saiga-12.com sells a two-piece adaptor that allows you to put regular lower handguards on your Saiga, which is great, but they also cost $75 a pop--way more than I wanted to spend.
So I took a spare handguard collar (left over from a pistol build), cut the top off with an angle grinder then widened the whole deal with a dremel tool so it would fit on a Saiga. Then I cut down the sides of the extension with a bench grinder. I found a little piece (from a FAL I think) that was threaded on one end to a metric #4 screw. I put the whole shabang on the rifle and it worked great--util the threads on the little FAL collar stripped (there's less than 1 full turn on it) so I backed it up with a nut.
Here are pics from three angles:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/DavePAL84/ak/mod3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/DavePAL84/ak/mod2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/DavePAL84/ak/mod1.jpg
Anywho, the finishes don't match but since I'm going to Gunkote the whole thing so it won't matter for long. The screw will also be trimmed down a bit but honestly it's hard to tell.
Here is the end result:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/DavePAL84/ak/saiga1.jpg
Anywho, I hope this can save some of you guys some $$ to put towards magazines and ammo.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/DavePAL84/ak/bulletguide.jpg
The front end still didn't look right so I began looking for a solution. Of course, I could press off my front sight and gas block, which is a PITA, so I began looking for other options.
Most regular AKM gas tubes will fit .223 and 7.62x39 Saiga's, so I just used an extra that I had--fit with no problems.
Dinzag from Saiga-12.com sells a two-piece adaptor that allows you to put regular lower handguards on your Saiga, which is great, but they also cost $75 a pop--way more than I wanted to spend.
So I took a spare handguard collar (left over from a pistol build), cut the top off with an angle grinder then widened the whole deal with a dremel tool so it would fit on a Saiga. Then I cut down the sides of the extension with a bench grinder. I found a little piece (from a FAL I think) that was threaded on one end to a metric #4 screw. I put the whole shabang on the rifle and it worked great--util the threads on the little FAL collar stripped (there's less than 1 full turn on it) so I backed it up with a nut.
Here are pics from three angles:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/DavePAL84/ak/mod3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/DavePAL84/ak/mod2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/DavePAL84/ak/mod1.jpg
Anywho, the finishes don't match but since I'm going to Gunkote the whole thing so it won't matter for long. The screw will also be trimmed down a bit but honestly it's hard to tell.
Here is the end result:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/DavePAL84/ak/saiga1.jpg
Anywho, I hope this can save some of you guys some $$ to put towards magazines and ammo.