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Posted: 3/15/2010 1:40:09 PM EDT
| Why not just get an AK47??? Just curious what the benifit of getting a saiga is. |
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A while ago they were a nice deal because they were cheaper than WASR's but were factory built in Russia at Izhmash and had none of the problems that WASRs were famous for. Nice thing about them was that for about a hundred bucks you could get the parts to legally convert them back to AKM pattern rifles...so you'd end up with a true Russian built AK for a few bucks more than a crappy old Romanian kit gun of dubious quality.
These days the market has turned slightly away from the Saiga sporters because their prices are often over $400 now compared to $250 about 3-5 years ago. When you hit the $400 range and then add another $100-150 for parts you are squarly in the range of many AKM rifles that are already converted. At that price you also end up being pretty close to the SGL21 series, which is basically an AK103 and has everything already done. So you can have a $400 unconverted Saiga (which I think is a fair deal still), a $550ish converted Saiga missing all the front end work like proper HG's, FSB and brake for example, or a $700 SGL21 where you get an AK103 out of the box. So in short, Saiga's are interesting because they are actual Russian hardware and can be restored to a nice facsimile of a modern Russian AK. If you like to tinker they are fun project rifles too. Z |
| Go to a shop and cycle a SAIGA and a WASR. That is what originally sold me. Next was the fact that i wanted a certain stock and brake on my AK. I priced everything and it was going to be cheaper for me to convert a SAIGA to my exact needs than buy a WASR and do the same. Lastly, Centerfire has 7.62x39's for $299. That sealed the deal for me. I fired mine for the first time this weekend and could not be happier. Plus as stated earlier, it was a really fun project and i now know my rifle inside and out. |
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Quoted:
A while ago they were a nice deal because they were cheaper than WASR's but were factory built in Russia at Izhmash and had none of the problems that WASRs were famous for. Nice thing about them was that for about a hundred bucks you could get the parts to legally convert them back to AKM pattern rifles...so you'd end up with a true Russian built AK for a few bucks more than a crappy old Romanian kit gun of dubious quality. These days the market has turned slightly away from the Saiga sporters because their prices are often over $400 now compared to $250 about 3-5 years ago. When you hit the $400 range and then add another $100-150 for parts you are squarly in the range of many AKM rifles that are already converted. At that price you also end up being pretty close to the SGL21 series, which is basically an AK103 and has everything already done. So you can have a $400 unconverted Saiga (which I think is a fair deal still), a $550ish converted Saiga missing all the front end work like proper HG's, FSB and brake for example, or a $700 SGL21 where you get an AK103 out of the box. So in short, Saiga's are interesting because they are actual Russian hardware and can be restored to a nice facsimile of a modern Russian AK. If you like to tinker they are fun project rifles too. Z Seen any .308/762 NATO conversions for sale at reasonable prices? |
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Quoted:
$450 for an unconverted SAIGA at classicarms. Don't recall seeing any cheaper. When did the price go up that high? That isn't what they cost 2-3 weeks ago when I got some from Classic. THE BEST RIFLE VALUE IN THE COUNTRY. ALL ARE SEMI-AUTO, 16.5" BBL. THESE ARE GREAT. BRAND NEW IN THE BOX WITH ALL ACCESSORIES.ALL OF THESE RIFLES UTILIZE THE FAMOUS AK-47 TYPE ACTION AND DESIGN, BUT IN A MORE TRADITIONAL SPORTING OR HUNTING STYLE RIFLE CONFIGURATION. THE ULTIMATE IN ACCURATE, RELIABLE FIREPOWER.
YOUR CHOICE OF CALIBERS.......7.62X39, - .223 - OR, - 5.45X39 ARE AVAILABLE ALL AT THE SAME GREAT PRICE........ $339.95 |
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Quoted:
Why not just get an AK47??? Just curious what the benifit of getting a saiga is. 'Cause I can't get a 12-gauge AK off the shelf 
Used to be that you could get a screaming deal on a 7.62 Saiga, and even with the price of conversion parts, it was still considerably cheaper than an AK. Now, as prices have gone up, it's often a wash. I still enjoy the challenge of a build, however. I'd much rather have my sweat and blood and craftsmanship in a gun than the ease of buying it off the shelf. There's nothing quite as satisfying as the first mag down the tube with a gun that you've personally had a hand in creating. |
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Quoted: Quoted: $450 for an unconverted SAIGA at classicarms. Don't recall seeing any cheaper. When did the price go up that high? That isn't what they cost 2-3 weeks ago when I got some from Classic. THE BEST RIFLE VALUE IN THE COUNTRY. ALL ARE SEMI-AUTO, 16.5" BBL. THESE ARE GREAT. BRAND NEW IN THE BOX WITH ALL ACCESSORIES.ALL OF THESE RIFLES UTILIZE THE FAMOUS AK-47 TYPE ACTION AND DESIGN, BUT IN A MORE TRADITIONAL SPORTING OR HUNTING STYLE RIFLE CONFIGURATION. THE ULTIMATE IN ACCURATE, RELIABLE FIREPOWER. YOUR CHOICE OF CALIBERS.......7.62X39, - .223 - OR, - 5.45X39 ARE AVAILABLE ALL AT THE SAME GREAT PRICE........ $339.95 Pretty sure they are talking about a .308 Saiga.  |
| I bought a Saiga 308 as my first gun. The process of researching the conversion process, actually stripping it down and dremeling/drilling it apart, and then reforging it with new parts of my own choosing was a very educational and fun experience. It is like building a car from the ground up instead of buying one new in a parking lot. If you don't have the time to do the work it is fine to buy one, but building one yourself is much more rewarding. I trust that Saiga more than any other gun I own now. It is a solid beast, and I know it like the back of my hand. |
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I've been eyeballing the 308's for my next build, but they seem to catch a prettier penny than say a 7.62x39 saiga does. To answer your original question as to why do it, Zen really nailed it. For me, it comes down to personal satisfaction of something that I have done. so went from this, mine had a 20" barrel:  to this:  Now I'm really proud of this rifle, as anyone around here can attest to ( I post a lot of pictures of her). I get huge satisfaction out of having done this project mostly by myself (I had a gunsmith cut and crown the barrel, and do the machine work on the receiver). That's what a Saiga conversion is all about to me. |
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ok so i orderded all my parts for the pg conversion on my 7.62 saiga and i was wondering what metal refinishing product there are out there besides just good ole' high temp paint. i found this stuff called moly resin is it any good?
dip mein honey and throw me to the lesbians |
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