Posted: 9/29/2008 7:45:38 PM EDT
Well, the barrel WILL be 20" no matter which one I go with. That is about 3.5" shorter than the RPK and the Tabuk standard barrel and 4" longer than the AK-103 barrel. It will end up being about the same length as an M16 no matter which route I choose. |
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If you are set on the 20" bbl then I say go with the RPK furniture. I happen to like RPK furniture and it will work on the saiga without too much fussing. The lower handguard retainer will be a bit tricky. The Tabuk/Yugo furniture won't work. So whatever you would do there would have to be custom. |
Well, the guy who is doing the conversion used Polish Tantal bakelite furniture on his, but he used some kind of acid to give it a worn, almost wood look to it. The one he showed me was a very sharp looking rifle. |
I didn't make a deal for a .308, I made a deal for a 7.62x39. I want this rifle because I want something that I can still get cheaper ammo for. 7.62x39 is still plentiful and relatively cheap. .308 is hard to find. |
I didn't make a trade for a 16" 7.62x39. I made a trade for a 20" 7.62x39. As for the ammo, even the GOOD 7.62x39 is only about $9/box at Academy and still plentiful. |
Yep. Most folks with 20" VEPRs in 7.62 x 39 report LESS accuracy than the carbine-length version - supposedly due to "barrel whip". Just about all the common 7.26 x 39 ammo is pretty much optimized for a relatively short barrel. |
You can get Lapua for $9 a box?  Cutting the barrel to 16 and reattaching the fsb is child's play. I'd do that. |