Saiga 5.45x39 Rifle Mod Thread

[SKS Ray]

Hey guys i have an important question about painting the unpainted parts of the receiver.

I saw that people were using grill paint. i have some 1,200 degree black paint, but it came out really flat colored compared to the rest of the gun. the gun looks like it has some gloss on it, and the underside where i painted looks like black chalk. what are you guys doing to bring the touch up paint to life?

I used Krylon Grill paint on one of mine. The trick is to use 2" wide tape and roll the edges outward along line where the side of the receiver meets the bottom so it leaves a soft overspray edge when you spray the underside.

If you want really long lasting results, use an etching primer, then apply the black. Standard black aerosol paints are meant to adhere to mare metal unless they're properly treated first either by rough sanding or an etching primer.

 

[SKS Ray]

All I want to do on my saiga is add a pistol grip,change the stock and use the original mags it came with do I need to buy special trigger group?

No. There are quite a few non conversion stock sets out there that you can use. CSS has a decent selection: http://store.carolinashooterssupply.com/servlet/-strse-STOCKS-dsh-SAIGA-FACTORY-SETUP/Categories

Those are stocks and accessories for Saigas that do not have the fire control group moved forward.

 

[josh2600]

Great trick!

After messing with it, the threads became such a mess (due to the angle, trying to meet them up through the grip ect.) I just drilled out the hole and used a long bolt and put a washer and nut on the end of it. There was already a pre-existing hole in the receiver right at that spot so it worked out well, as hurting the receiver was my only concern, I can always get another trigger guard. Thanks for the tips though guys.

 

[millcity]

I'm filling out a FA-10 but I dont know the surface finish. Does anyone know?

Thanks

 

[dnepro-mike]

My dealer put down "black" but from what i heard this is not as important as correct serial or FID number.

 

[dnepro-mike]

No. There are quite a few non conversion stock sets out there that you can use. CSS has a decent selection: http://store.carolinashooterssupply.com/servlet/-strse-STOCKS-dsh-SAIGA-FACTORY-SETUP/Categories

Those are stocks and accessories for Saigas that do not have the fire control group moved forward.

does *any* modification from 'sporting' config requires 922r compliance?
at least that was my understanding of the law.

 

[flintoid]

does *any* modification from 'sporting' config requires 922r compliance?
at least that was my understanding of the law.

yes, it does.

 

[dnepro-mike]

Hey guys i have an important question about painting the unpainted parts of the receiver.

I saw that people were using grill paint. i have some 1,200 degree black paint, but it came out really flat colored compared to the rest of the gun. the gun looks like it has some gloss on it, and the underside where i painted looks like black chalk. what are you guys doing to bring the touch up paint to life?

I tried messing with the paint and wasn't happy at all. Tried two kinds and neither lasted. Although I did not prep with sanding or etching before hand, I give you that.
So I invested into some hot bluing equipment and now will re-blue all of my WW2 rifles and all 4 of my Saigas.

Did a trial run of bluing this Sunday and check out the results, I'm very happy.
If you ever decide to give your rifle 'historically correct' finish give me a ring, i can strip old finish and hot blue. Now i just need to start recouping on my investment or my wife is going to shoot me with my own freshly blued Saiga
BEFORE

and AFTER

 

[turbo38gn]

I tried messing with the paint and wasn't happy at all. Tried two kinds and neither lasted. Although I did not prep with sanding or etching before hand, I give you that.
So I invested into some hot bluing equipment and now will re-blue all of my WW2 rifles and all 4 of my Saigas.

Did a trial run of bluing this Sunday and check out the results, I'm very happy.
If you ever decide to give your rifle 'historically correct' finish give me a ring, i can strip old finish and hot blue. Now i just need to start recouping on my investment or my wife is going to shoot me with my own freshly blued Saiga
BEFORE

and AFTER

Wow.. is that like the $2500 bluing kit from Brownells... looks great...

 

[millcity]

Do I check large capacity when filling out the FA-10?

 

[dnepro-mike]

Do I check large capacity when filling out the FA-10?

My dealler when did the transfer checked Hi-cap box.
I asked: "why, rifle comes with 5rnd mag?"
he said: "it's not about the mag that rifle comes with but about rifle's ability to accept hi-cap"

 

[dnepro-mike]

Wow.. is that like the $2500 bluing kit from Brownells... looks great...

Nah, I've been 'collecting' equipment for a while, buying only when price is right. Finally got it all in.

 

[millcity]

My dealler when did the transfer checked Hi-cap box.
I asked: "why, rifle comes with 5rnd mag?"
he said: "it's not about the mag that rifle comes with but about rifle's ability to accept hi-cap"

I just called MFL(NH) which is where I bought it from and the person who answered the phone said its not considered large capacity because its ma compliant and comes with a 5rd mag. One of these two people don't know what they are talking about. Should I check it or no?

 

[dnepro-mike]

I just called MFL(NH) which is where I bought it from and the person who answered the phone said its not considered large capacity because its ma compliant and comes with a 5rd mag. One of these two people don't know what they are talking about. Should I check it or no?

IMHO if you gonna use standard AK mags then check it. I would.

i think MA dealer would know better but on other hand he would have more to loose.
in any case it only matters if your FID does not allow you to have hi-caps.

I didn't realize ma resident can buy a firearm across state line and then just bring it back into the state. I was under impression that you can't.

 

[SteelShooter]

I just called MFL(NH) which is where I bought it from and the person who answered the phone said its not considered large capacity because its ma compliant and comes with a 5rd mag. One of these two people don't know what they are talking about. Should I check it or no?

I've never filled one out either and am struggling through too.

 

[millcity]

IMHO if you gonna use standard AK mags then check it. I would.

i think MA dealer would know better but on other hand he would have more to loose.
in any case it only matters if your FID does not allow you to have hi-caps.

I didn't realize ma resident can buy a firearm across state line and then just bring it back into the state. I was under impression that you can't.

Yea its legal but only for rifles, for pistols you will need to transfer to a ffl. this is the second rifle i bought from NH and I think I checked large capacity on my mp15-22(oops).

 

[dnepro-mike]

Yea its legal but only for rifles, for pistols you will need to transfer to a ffl. this is the second rifle i bought from NH and I think I checked large capacity on my mp15-22(oops).

good to know.

 

[josh2600]

I checked large capacity on mine.

 

[SKS Ray]

The rifle usually comes with a 10 round magazine. AFAIK there are no 5 round mags for it, but there are new production high cap magazines made for Saiga rifles so I'd say its high cap.

 

[Dench]

how the f*** does this trigger assembly fit in this stupid rifle?

the friggen axis pins i have now seem way to short to be able to hold the trigger in. I just blew 45 minutes and 2 different SC videos on the stupid bolt hold open that doesnt even belong on an AK. I cant get anything to stay in the gun, and the videos arent helping me to much.

 

[SKS Ray]

how the f*** does this trigger assembly fit in this stupid rifle?

the friggen axis pins i have now seem way to short to be able to hold the trigger in. I just blew 45 minutes and 2 different SC videos on the stupid bolt hold open that doesnt even belong on an AK. I cant get anything to stay in the gun, and the videos arent helping me to much.

Patience grasshopper.

http://www.tapco.com/pdfs/instructions/G2 Instructions.pdf

FWIW you don't have to install the bolt hold open. Myself I find they just get in the way and you can always put it in later if you want.

 

[Dench]

did my saiga come with a retaining plate? I dont have one here with me at all...


and are the retaining or access pins always really short? I cant get it to fit in both holes even when there is nothing in side of the rifle.

 

[josh2600]

did my saiga come with a retaining plate? I dont have one here with me at all...


and are the retaining or access pins always really short? I cant get it to fit in both holes even when there is nothing in side of the rifle.

Your FCG kit should have came with one. There isn't one stock, I'm assuming because the original FCG was held in with those rivets you had to drill out. As far as the access pins, are you sure you're not accidentally trying to use the ones that you drilled out??? I only say that cause I didn't have any problem with the pins at all.

 

[SKS Ray]

did my saiga come with a retaining plate? I dont have one here with me at all...


and are the retaining or access pins always really short? I cant get it to fit in both holes even when there is nothing in side of the rifle.

The Saiga uses a wire that can't be reused unless you know some good bending techiniques the Saiga 12 forum masters use. I've used everything from the Tapco plate, Krebs plate, and Tromix wire. The Krebs power custom retainer works great and is really easy to install.

You should be able to push your retaining pins in from the left side of the receiver and have them just barely stick out on the right side.

 

[ChevyGuy91]

I bought the cheaper kit, and I didn't get a retainer plate, I got a retainer spring I guess you would call it. It is a piece of wire shaped kind of like a check mark about 2 inches long.

ETA

Tromix wire.

That's what it is called.

 

[SKS Ray]

Did you try following Greg from CSS's video?

[video]http://youtu.be/Yek8AfLlu-s[/video]

 

[Dench]

Thanks for the input. Ill be giving this another go tonight.

 

[josh2600]

Is anyone that decided to re use the bolt hold open having issues with it? When I originally put the FCG together it was giving me such a problem putting it in that I just left it out. (biggest problem was the lack of small enough needle nose pliers to really get in there.)

Last night I decided to give it a try again and managed to get it in successfully. I've watched a couple videos, I know it's in right. The spring is where it should be, there's tension on the BHO lever when you push on it but it doesn't hold the bolt open when I pull the bolt back with an empty mag in. whats the deal with this?

Now that I think about it: I did shoot the gun once before I modified it and I'm pretty sure I had to re rack the bolt after changing mags, I don't remember it staying open. (at the time I wasn't even aware it had such a feature, so no flags went up)

 

[ChevyGuy91]

I took mine out, I don't think AK's were designed to have that feature anyways.

 

[dnepro-mike]

Is anyone that decided to re use the bolt hold open having issues with it? When I originally put the FCG together it was giving me such a problem putting it in that I just left it out. (biggest problem was the lack of small enough needle nose pliers to really get in there.)

Last night I decided to give it a try again and managed to get it in successfully. I've watched a couple videos, I know it's in right. The spring is where it should be, there's tension on the BHO lever when you push on it but it doesn't hold the bolt open when I pull the bolt back with an empty mag in. whats the deal with this?

Now that I think about it: I did shoot the gun once before I modified it and I'm pretty sure I had to re rack the bolt after changing mags, I don't remember it staying open. (at the time I wasn't even aware it had such a feature, so no flags went up)

I took mine out, I don't think AK's were designed to have that feature anyways.

Correct. It's not like BHO on AR or SKS.
it's manually operated by user for ranges that require to display an empty chamber
AK mags nor the rifle itself are designed to function with BHO. It's more of a aftermarket last minute 'Micky mouse' job.
I personally would have been happy with SKS style BHO but back in the day it would mean added complexity and Soviet command just wouldn't see enough benefit to justify it.
All prior weapons that were accepted for service did have a normally functioning BHO, it was a conscious decision on their part to eliminate it in favor of simplicity and ahead of all RELIABILITY