Going to drink the Saiga "Restoration" Kool-Aid! - AGAIN!!!!!!

[imarangemaster]

Well, I have had my current Saiga 7.62x39 IZ132 for 4 or 5 months now. I have been running it Semi-Stock California "Featureless" with the modified handguard and Modified Tapco G2. I love the Saiga, and it (mine) is very accurate.



10 shots, rapid fire from a casual rest at 25 meters:



However, it is just TOO long to be handy. At the moment, I am switching to the AK platform for my "Go To" weapons platform, and I want it to be a lot handier than the stock Saiga is! I'll put up with the

Rooting around in my parts, I have everything I need to "Restore it" to intended pistol grip condition (including a Munkieboi Kydex grip paddle and a standard AKM gas tube), except the standard stock set. In fact, rooting through my parts, I discovered six trigger plates left over from my 7 prior Saigas that I already restored since about 2006 or 2007! Yep, I like restoring Saigas!

I thought about tricking it out with the new "Tacti-Cool" Magpul furniture, but for now, I'll just toss a set of used $49 Bulgarian furniture on it and call it good. If it gets beat up, I don't care. Also, It will look much cooler with my pre-2000 Tula Bakelite mags! That's why God made Rustoleum semi-gloss black! It should look like the last one I restored: This will be my eigth restoration, BTW!

First one I did:



Then this:



Second one: 7.62x39


Third one



fourth one:


fifth one:



sixth one:



Seventh one:



The one I am starting work on will be my eigth one, I guess! LOL

Information

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[Sentryduty]

So with the Saiga, I notice they moved the trigger mech more towards the rear of the action, obviously for what I would call "sporting purpose" importation. How much actual work is it to relocate everything back in the original position?

Idle curiosity as I can't own this platform in Canada, but am interested to see what they've changed in the designed.

[imarangemaster]

They use a standard AK fire control group with the trigger cut off the bottom of the sear/disconnector block, then add a trigger and lever arrangement to the rear. I remove the trigger plate with trigger guard then use a standard FCG and move the trigger guard forward.

[imarangemaster]

I now have the triggerguard mounted. Essentially its a Russian AK103 barreled receiver now, LOL! I thought of putting a 24mm FSB on it, but I really like the short, compact TriDelta brake I put on after I cut back the shroud and threaded the barrel.

Waiting on Bulgarian wood stock set and and handguard retainer. Everything else is ready to go.

My 922R parts (so I can run it featureless with my Munkieboi grip and my mags left over from my 1990 RAW Poly-tech AK I had until 2000)

Tapco G2 single hook FCG- 3 US parts
Weapon Tech BHO and Tapco Followers - 1 part (a Tula Bakelite 30 with a Weapons Tech BHO folower is pretty neat!)
Tapco pistol grip (under the grip wrap) - 1 part
Custom Muzzle Brakes "Tactical Tri-Delta Comp" - 1 part.

That makes my count good, but if I need one more, I have a Tapco stainless gas piston, also.

[imarangemaster]

Everything ready to go: Probably do the assembly tomorrow morning.

[WarPig1976]

Aww man, your gonna use a shepherd's hook. Those things are diabolical, they will drive a man insane!!!
Why not a retainer plate?

[Vincent]

Nice collection you’re getting there.

Are you threading the barrels?

[imarangemaster]

Yep, I already cut back the shroud, and threaded it 14x1mm L. I have a Custom Muzzle Brakes Tactical Tri-Delta brake, indexed with a crush washer.

---------- Post added at 08:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:35 AM ----------

Aww man, your gonna use a shepherd's hook. Those things are diabolical, they will drive a man insane!!!
Why not a retainer plate?

Yep! I may pick up "E" clips today if I tire of fiddling with it.

[cipherk98]

Very nice group of rifles. I came real close to drinking the Saiga Koolaid on an Arsenal imported Saiga/Izhmash AK47 yesterday... $800 + tax with a scope mount and Tapco trigger. Looked to have an AKM parts kit installed. I keep waffling back and forth on it because I'm a bit short of funds but let a MAC90 go by me for $450 and an SA85M for not much more so I'm hesitant to let another go by. Was well used but that's not a minus in an AK IMO.

[imarangemaster]

Very nice group of rifles. I came real close to drinking the Saiga Koolaid on an Arsenal imported Saiga/Izhmash AK47 yesterday... $800 + tax with a scope mount and Tapco trigger. Looked to have an AKM parts kit installed. I keep waffling back and forth on it because I'm a bit short of funds but let a MAC90 go by me for $450 and an SA85M for not much more so I'm hesitant to let another go by. Was well used but that's not a minus in an AK IMO.

.

My first AK was a Chinese Poly Tech Type56 with a folding bayonet. I got it in the mid-1980s for about $350, registered it under the Roberti-Roos 1989 Assault Rifle law in California, and sold it around 2000 or so when I went out on disability. It still hurts that I gave that one up. I kept all my mags, though, as I knew I would want another AK, and they passed a law grandfathering pre-2000 high caps in California.

I love ARs, and have been shooting the platform since 1974, and buying and building them since the early 80s. Both the AR and AKs have their virtues, but I think if I had to have just one, and live in the woods, it would be an AK!