Saiga 12 conversion

[kungfupipe]

go to mississippiautoarms.com for your conversion parts, thats where i got mine. they will even have a conversion patrs list to help keep you 922 compliant. let me tell you that i am seriously mechanically retarded, but with the right parts and basic tools ( and a little help from youtube.com) i managed to do my saiga 12 myself. i gotta tell you it was pretty rewarding when i was finished, it has even made me want to buy another saiga 12 and mix it up a little bit. there are alot of options now that were not avaialable 1 or 2 years ago. also check out chaosusa.com good luck!

[emclean]

you can also get an ACE stock that will give you a pistol grip, with out modifying anything.
ACE LTD. USA

[kadetklapp]

Well you guys have all but convinced me. In looking at the weapon, it does appear pretty easy. My main concern is that I'll harm the firearm or it's finish.

I have a shiny new Dremel tool, but what exactly, will I need to get in terms of bits to do the job quickly and correctly?

Does black engine paint do a good job at rust protection and does it have to be reapplied constantly?

I'll do this sometime this summer.

[Truckerman79]

Bumping so kadetklapp can get an answer to the above questions. I'm very interested in this thread. Thanks Britton for pointing this thread out to me today.

[babolat69]

For the dremmel, you only need to get a couple of grinding wheels to grind off the heads of the rivets. I had also bought some cutting wheels thinking I would need to cut the square hole for the pistol grip but ended up getting the Tromix triger guard so no cutting was needed.

I applied the engine paint but have no long term experience with it so not sure on how long it will last. It ended up being a little more flat than the original finish but since its on the bottom it really isnt noticeable.

[sig1473]

As for parts for the Saiga, look into Dinzag. He has a lot of parts for Saigas. I have a converted Saiga in 7.62x39. It has the engine paint on it. It seems to hold up fine, but it kind of starting to flake on my gas tube. It is an milsurp tube, so that might be an issue. Definitely do it yourself. Once you get it done and see how easy it is you will want to do another one. It becomes an addiction

[Fastmover]

Not to hijack this thread, but I'm also a new proud owner of a Saiga 12. I'm looking at getting it 922 compliant to enjoy the larger mags/drums.
However I'm still not 100% convinced a full conversion is needed. From what I understand replacing the magazine counts for 3 parts. Thus one would only need to swap one more additional part to be compliant. If I just swapped the stock to the Tapco collapsible stock with pistol grip and used US made magazines I would be compliant right?

I took a look at the Saiga forum, but the normal consensus there is to go with a full conversion and I'm not sold on that atm. Granted I haven't shot the Saiga yet, so I can't tell if I'll hate the trigger set up.

Any opinions or suggestions on what I should do?

[shooter521]

Originally Posted by Fastmover

I'm looking at getting it 922 compliant to enjoy the larger mags/drums.

If your mags are US-made, that may be all the 922(r) compliance you need. Per ATF, a stock Saiga-12 with no muzzle device (plain barrel) only has 13 "countable" foreign parts, so you'd only have to swap in 3 US-made parts to be compliant, and a US-made magazine would give you that many (body, follower and floorplate). A stock Saiga-12 with a threaded muzzle would have 14 countable parts, so you'd need to swap in one US part in addition to the magazine to be compliant.

If I just swapped the stock to the Tapco collapsible stock with pistol grip and used US made magazines I would be compliant right?

Yes.

However I'm still not 100% convinced a full conversion is needed.

Any opinions or suggestions on what I should do?

IMO, the real benefit of the full conversion isn't as much about 922(r) compliance as it is about improving the ergonomics and handling of the weapon. Converting your Saiga to an AK pattern allows you to use AK trigger groups (including the TAPCO G2 and excellent RSA adjustable), as well as any AK stock out there (fixed, folder, AR type, etc). It also moves the pistol grip and trigger forward, which allows the shooter to square up better behind the gun and allows an easier reach to the forearm with the support hand. Plus, it allows you a better selection of better quality parts. TAPCO's stock/PG kit is OK for "quick and dirty" compliance, but their stuff doesn't have a real good reputation for holding up to serious/hard/long-term use.

Do the full conversion; you won't regret it. I shot my first S-12 in both configurations, and the difference is literally night and day. Based on that experience, my second S-12 went straight from the gunshop to the 'smith...

[Fastmover]

Yeah I have a threaded muzzle on mine, so I would have to change another part to be compliant. I guess I could swap the gas puck as a quick fix, but where's the fun in that? lol

As for a full conversion, are their any recommended smiths to do the work? I know there are kits for the DIYers out there, but I'd feel better having a gunsmith work on it.
Local is preferable as I'm not too keen on shipping a firearm to an unknown entity.

[shooter521]

Originally Posted by Fastmover

I guess I could swap the gas puck as a quick fix, but where's the fun in that?

Or you could add a US-made railed forearm (DPH/Chaos/Tapco/etc).

As for a full conversion, are their any recommended smiths to do the work? Local is preferable as I'm not too keen on shipping a firearm to an unknown entity.

Yes, but I'm not aware of any that are local. Will @ Red Jacket Firearms in Louisiana is widely regarded as "the man" when it comes to Saiga conversions (i.e. hardly an "unknown entity"), although pretty much any AK smith could do that kind of work with his eyes closed.

Your best bet may be to pick up one of the DIY kits and partner up with a fellow INGO'er who has been down that road before to help you out. It would be cheap, you'd get to meet a fellow forum member, and you'd have the pride of ownership knowing "I made this".