SAIGA RIFLE MAGS

[bentwrench]

A friend of mine is buying a saiga 7.62x39 this weekend,we looked at a couple at the V.F.gunshow.the one seller there said these new ones can use any AK mags with out any mods.this is news to me i thought saigas needed a mod to use ak mags.anybody here have one that came ready for high cap mags?
bw

[nfafan]

BS.

The Saigas require mags designed to allow for their missing bullet guide - - the "ramp" under the breech/chamber - which is "built into" a Saiga mag design.

You have to mod the mag catch and add the bullet guide to use standard AK mags.

Else, stick to factory mags, or US-made Surefire mags as they have an extra thick front area that serves as a built-in bullet guide. (Supposedly the US-made ProMags are junk, but I only have factory and Surefire so I have no idea of this trueism or not.)

FWIW, I compared one of the new Tapco poly AK mags I snagged from AIM Surplus to the Surefire; and aside from the geometry of the mag catch - they look the same to me, IE: built-in bullet-guide.

I'm thinking a bit of tweaking to the mag catch-lip and the Tapco's will work, but have not tested this theory.
Also because I'm in no rush; as the factory-configuration rifle-feelish Saiga has kind of grown on me - sort of what the SKS could have grown up to be. Sort of an SKS race gun.

[mojo]

The only reason that this would happen is if the dealer modified the rifle.

[97grnrs]

i have one, i made my bullet guide and filed the tab catch on the high cap mags.. it works good now.. took some tweaking but works good. search saiga bullet guide on google.

[Willie D]

Do the mod. It's not tough and then you can use surplus mags which are cheaper and light years more durable than any US made mag. Filing the mag catch once is easier than modding every mag and you can still use the factory 10 rounder.

You just may want to do the full conversion. I don't think anyone has ever gotten in trouble for it, but using high caps in an "unmodified" Saiga runs afoul of the ATF's 922r ruling because you technically have assembled a rifle that wouldn't fit import criteria. The full conversion replaces enough parts that the rifle magically ceases to be considered "foreign made" (stupid, I know).


For everyone out there, here's a decent video on a Saiga conversion although they left out the bullet guide and filing the mag catch:
http://www.vimeo.com/2787027

[scoutjoe]

Mag differences in the picture below, the one on the left is an AK mag modded to work in a Saiga, the right is a standard AK mag.