Saiga Conversion

[RiverCity.45]

I used a Youtube viseo to guide me, though I don't still have the link handy.

[Snap E Tom]

http://vimeo.com/2787027

Great help. Thanks!

[grad_Student]

I'm about to start the conversion on my .223 Saiga as soon as I procure all the parts needed.

http://store.carolinashooterssupply.com ... Links/Page" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; --> he does a great job of showing you how it's done.

[Snap E Tom]

This thread inspired me to take the plunge and convert a 7.62x39. I asked 74novaman for help, and he was kind enough to drive down a couple of weeks ago to make sure I was doing things right.

Before




Opened up and ready to rip out the guts!


New trigger guard in place


Magazine catch, pre-dremeling


Goofed up bullet guide


Done! Just need to seal her up


Finished!









Bolt Hold Open release, installed later



Things I learned:

1) There is pretty much nothing to fear when you put in a new stock and move the fire control group. You cannot render your gun inoperable because the insides are so incredibly simple. At worst, you'll discover that you purchased a wrong part. If you do screw it up catastrophically, you probably shouldn't be around guns in the first place (mild apologies to those who have, and I'm sure there have been some).

2) Related, the steel on the gun is so tough, you have to really press the Dremel against the receiver for like 3 minutes before you do any serious harm. A nick here and there isn't going to do anything to the gun.

3) You can, however, easily screw the gun up beyond hope when you install the bullet guide. And we almost did (see Goofed up Bullet Guide). It was getting late and I got sloppy with the centering of the tap. Thankfully it wasn't that bad and shaving the inside of the bullet guide saved it. Go slow.

4) Cordless Dremels are worthless for this project. Get a corded one.

5) A good vice with a heavy base is essential. Drill presses are highly recommended even though you're really going to use it three times - two for the receiver and one for the bullet guide.

6) The standard instructions out there don't tell you that you lose the bold hold open release when you convert. However, there's good instructions out there that teaches you how to put it back in. I put my on about a week later. I recommend you also wait and put it on separately because you'll get a sense of pride and accomplishment when you finish the conversion. Revel in it because when you put on the BHO, you'l feel nothing but frustration, annoyance, and finally a sense of relief when you finish.

I've fired 120 rounds through it so far without any problems. Next thing I'll tackle is a new handguard (the thing gets *hot*!) and barrel threading.

[kevin]

awsome

[CEOofEVIL]

Things I learned:

1) There is pretty much nothing to fear when you put in a new stock and move the fire control group. You cannot render your gun inoperable because the insides are so incredibly simple. At worst, you'll discover that you purchased a wrong part. If you do screw it up catastrophically, you probably shouldn't be around guns in the first place (mild apologies to those who have, and I'm sure there have been some).

2) Related, the steel on the gun is so tough, you have to really press the Dremel against the receiver for like 3 minutes before you do any serious harm. A nick here and there isn't going to do anything to the gun.

3) You can, however, easily screw the gun up beyond hope when you install the bullet guide. And we almost did (see Goofed up Bullet Guide). It was getting late and I got sloppy with the centering of the tap. Thankfully it wasn't that bad and shaving the inside of the bullet guide saved it. Go slow.

4) Cordless Dremels are worthless for this project. Get a corded one.

5) A good vice with a heavy base is essential. Drill presses are highly recommended even though you're really going to use it three times - two for the receiver and one for the bullet guide.

6) The standard instructions out there don't tell you that you lose the bold hold open release when you convert. However, there's good instructions out there that teaches you how to put it back in. I put my on about a week later. I recommend you also wait and put it on separately because you'll get a sense of pride and accomplishment when you finish the conversion. Revel in it because when you put on the BHO, you'l feel nothing but frustration, annoyance, and finally a sense of relief when you finish.

I've fired 120 rounds through it so far without any problems. Next thing I'll tackle is a new handguard (the thing gets *hot*!) and barrel threading.

All excellent points! I also would encourage folks to try and do the conversion themselves, as it really is not that hard. I've converted both a Saiga 12 (IZ109) and a Saiga .223 (IZ114), and the hardest part on each conversion for me were removing those dang steel rivets from the Trigger Guard. I managed to get mine out the easiest by using a heavy cut off disk in a dremel, and slotting the rivet down the middle of the head. Then I used a punch to knock the rest of it out (this part is soooo much easier if you have it in a vice!). Installing the the BHO (Bolt Hold Open, not our president! ) is a close second, even using the 'smart' methods many folks have posted online. Still though, this is a very easy operation to do, and you learn a whole lot about your gun while you are doing the work.

So: Vice is very helpful, as is the drill press for installing the Bullet guide.

And oh man, Tom, you aren't joking about how hot that handguard gets. I can't rapid fire a magazine in my .223 without it really really heating up, and then it takes too long to cool back down. I suppose it's just because it's a sporterized Handguard. That's a shame though, because I otherwise really appreciate the function and aesthetics of the stock HG (Maybe I'll try venting it one of these days, to see if that helps).

Don't be afraid of the Saiga folks, it really is a versatile, beefy and easy to run platform for a very affordable price. Take the plunge and try a conversion, you'll do fine

[Dave2]

Aside from going to a pistol grip, what are y'all converting?

3) You can, however, easily screw the gun up beyond hope when you install the bullet guide. And we almost did (see Goofed up Bullet Guide). It was getting late and I got sloppy with the centering of the tap. Thankfully it wasn't that bad and shaving the inside of the bullet guide saved it. Go slow.

I looked at the picture... which part is the bullet guide? Is that like a feed ramp?

[74novaman]

Snap, you did good work, thanks for the write up to encourage others to try this.

Aside from going to a pistol grip, what are y'all converting?

3) You can, however, easily screw the gun up beyond hope when you install the bullet guide. And we almost did (see Goofed up Bullet Guide). It was getting late and I got sloppy with the centering of the tap. Thankfully it wasn't that bad and shaving the inside of the bullet guide saved it. Go slow.

I looked at the picture... which part is the bullet guide? Is that like a feed ramp?

In its imported form, the whole trigger group is set back in the gun frame. So if you want to restore it to its original design, you need to strip out the old trigger, put in new trigger parts and a pistol grip. Others replace hand guards as well, though that is not a necessity.

Yes, the bullet guide is essentially a feed ramp. Without the guide, trying to chamber a round from a 30 round magazine results in the bullet jamming up against the breech face. The bullet guide "bumps" the round up into the chamber, if you will.

[CEOofEVIL]

Aside from going to a pistol grip, what are y'all converting?

3) You can, however, easily screw the gun up beyond hope when you install the bullet guide. And we almost did (see Goofed up Bullet Guide). It was getting late and I got sloppy with the centering of the tap. Thankfully it wasn't that bad and shaving the inside of the bullet guide saved it. Go slow.

I looked at the picture... which part is the bullet guide? Is that like a feed ramp?

As Novaman mentioned, when the gun is imported it's in what the Factory setup as a "sporterized" configuration. I totally understand the confusion you might be getting a little, as the word 'conversion' can seem a bit out of place and almot hint at something illegal if you over think it. It simply is moving the Fire Control Group to the original intended position for AK's and adding a Buttstock and Pistol Grip. Some folks have even taken to calling it a "restoration" instead of a conversion, as the definition of the word seems almost better suited to the process. Alas, I suppose it just doesn't have that 'zing' that 'conversion' does, as most folks just stick with the latter phrase.

Which actually reminds me of something that I don't think has been mentioned concerning Saiga's and conversions in this thread thus far: Do not forget about 922r compliance. When doing the conversion/restoration work you will inevitably need to swap out some of the factory foreign parts for US Made parts - you need to make sure you are using the correct count of US vs Foreign Made Parts in your gun, otherwise you will not be compliant. It's pretty easy to understand if you have someone explain it to you well, and, honestly, I doubt I can do a better job than has been done before. Check out the following link for 922r Compliance as it applies to the Saiga line:

http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?/to ... nd-rifles/

[XinTX]

Decent little write up on the conversion here as well. This is on a .223 version but he does have info on the 7.62 as well.

http://www.cross-conn.com/Saiga_Conversion/

[Dave2]

Thanks, CEOofEVIL and XinTX. Both of those links were informative.

[TX0303]

I am saving funds now to convert my Saiga 12.

[sublevel]

Converting my Saiga 12 was the best decision ever... most people have no clue its a shotgun!
It wiill dump a drum with out issue or thinking twice as fast as you can pull the trigger



Chilling with some of its "friends"

its 922r also

[uthornsfan]

Thats my converted 308...

Millett DMS-1 ordered 9-18 cant wait to get it.. I shot pretty good groups at 100yards today with the stock irons.

[RECIT]

Thats my converted 308...

Millett DMS-1 ordered 9-18 cant wait to get it.. I shot pretty good groups at 100yards today with the stock irons.

How good of a group is pretty good?