Got myself a new Saiga 12

[BISHOP]

At my brothers original cost. $515.
NIB unfired.

I haven't shot it yet but I have bought a 12rd drum for it (it came with a 10rd mag).

I have found out a problem with some ammo I have and the interface with the drum.
I have 2 3/4" 12ga buckshot made by Seller and Bellot (the clear ones) but these things are physically LONGER than some 3" steel shot I have!!!!
The drum holds ONLY 2 3/4" shells and nothing larger.
They do fit in the mag though.


BISHOP

[Twinsen]

The S&B isn't 2-3/4", it's 2-3/4" magnum AND it's roll crimped. So that puts the OAL a bit longer than some 3" star crimp and shorter than most 3" roll crimp.

Roll crimp loads can be made with a stick and a shell. It's cheap old tech. Raises the OAL and requires more labor.

[loki*hunter]

At my brothers original cost. $515.
NIB unfired.

I haven't shot it yet but I have bought a 12rd drum for it (it came with a 10rd mag).

I have found out a problem with some ammo I have and the interface with the drum.
I have 2 3/4" 12ga buckshot made by Seller and Bellot (the clear ones) but these things are physically LONGER than some 3" steel shot I have!!!!
The drum holds ONLY 2 3/4" shells and nothing larger.
They do fit in the mag though.


BISHOP

I have a heavily modified R&R Open SAIGA and have now put over 2000 rounds through it.... there is a bit of a learning curve with Saigas but once you get them running they are good until they die.... oh yeah they die after about 5-6k rounds because the stamped sheet metal receivers stress and loose tolerance.... here are a few lessons I have learned:

Ammo: Saigas dont like thin walled shot shell hulls...they can cause FTFs.... use thick walled hulls like AAs or other high quality hulls and you will save yourself a lot of heartache. They also dont like lite loads (on any gas setting). Depending on your gas system set up (how big your gas ports are and how may ports are actually there as they vary between lots and guns due to mass manufacturing problems) your Saiga will like and dislike different loads... find one that works and stick with it.... change chokes if you need to to meet specific pattern requirements. Dont assume you gun will shoot the cheap Wally World stuff and dont assume it is broken if you have not tried a bunch of different ammo.... buy a box or two of every type you can get your hands on and see what works best for you.


Chokes (if applicable with your model): If your gun has chokes you will probably find that they are one size off when you pattern the gun.... gun for gun the chokes seem to pattern one size bigger for some reason...


Mags: make sure you use good mags and keep them clean.... dirt and debris in the rim channel will cause miss feeds. Drums are great when they work.... you may need to put some dry graphite in them to get the feed speed in synch with the bolt speed of the weapon.... it makes a dramatic difference.


Cleaning and Maintenance: Keep the puck clean... period. Every couple hundred rounds or after each session, disassemble the weapon and clean the puck....those are not o-rings...that is built up plastic from the wads.... also, use a 12 gauge bore brush on the gas port chamber to remove the carbon and plastic build up. This is the most critical area of the gun to keep clean if you want it to run properly.


have fun....once you have it working reliably... they are a hoot to shoot

[BISHOP]

Thanks for the information.
I think that what you told me is priceless. I probably would have had some problems trying to figure everything out whe I ran in to these problems.


BISHOP

[strobro32]

Thanks for that info loki*hunter. It should be a sticky.

[loki*hunter]

If you have any problems with your gun at all... don't hesitate to contact me.... been through it and learned/used all the swear words it requires to get it right.... someone else's experience is always better than your own troubles....

[BISHOP]

Simple questions.

If I unscrewed the gas thinggy, and didn't pay attention to where it was originally set.....

* How many turns should it take to put it back so setting 1 is in the correct place??
* Also what direction (clockwise or counter clock wise) do you turn it for 1 to 2 setting???


BISHOP

[DHunter]

Simple questions.

If I unscrewed the gas thinggy, and didn't pay attention to where it was originally set.....

* How many turns should it take to put it back so setting 1 is in the correct place??
* Also what direction (clockwise or counter clock wise) do you turn it for 1 to 2 setting???


BISHOP

Turn it all the way in. Then back it off to the desired setting.

Setting #1 is for high power shells. Setting #2 is for low power stuff.
Although mine has functioned fine with nearly all rounds while on setting #1. So I would suggest leaving it there unless it seems to have a problem cycling.

[BISHOP]

I bought n auto adjusting gas plug.
I havent got it in yet bit it looks promising.
I saw it briefly mentioned on another forum, looked it up and liked the video and bought one that day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DIeY5Q2pjs


BISHOP

[BISHOP]

$45. and it will solve the gas problem. Its an automatic gas regulator, plain and simple.
There is an installation video in you tube.
I bought one, installed it and tested fired it today. All I had to shoot was the Fiocchi low brass and S&B 00 buck.

Once I dialed in the regulator for the low brass (just like in the vid), the rest was automatic and I loaded up a mag with a mix of the 2 types of shells I had.

Not a single problem. I love it and I don't need to think about buying a low brass reliability kiit for the gun to shoot low brass with (even though I wasn't going to do it anyway).

I no longer have to worry about position 1 or 2, just load up and shoot.

Though I'd pass it along to everyone...I know it sounds like a sponcered commercial but I swear its not.


BISHOP