Well, I finished converting a Saiga. I thought I’d put all my work together for you guys, as a guide. Let’s start with some background information:

I never intended to convert my Saiga. I bought it, because I had been looking for a traditional grip semi-automatic rifle in .223 that wasn’t a Ruger or Kel Tec. I bought the Saiga online, because the price ($425 shipped & transfer fee) was awesome, the model for sale had magazine dimples, I couldn’t find the model I wanted in my area, and most importantly, they have a great reputation for accuracy, fun, and durability.

The problem was how it handled. I bought a model with a 20.5 inch barrel, figuring on some extra accuracy, but the balance of the rifle was fucked. Completely front heavy. In addition, the AK rear sights were four inched further from my eyes because of the traditional stock. It made it hard to get a good sight picture. I also noticed on my first range trip that the rifle shot two feet off at fifty yards, and at 100 yards I couldn’t hit the paper. I learned a hard lesson in why you should buy an AK in person: Canted sights. Later, you’ll see just how canted they were.

I decided to convert it as part necessity and part fun summer project. It took me about three weeks working on it here and there; if I do it again I can cut that time way down with what I learned doing this one. If you undertake this, know this: No two Saigas seem to be the same. Some have different receivers, and some different barrel diameters. It seems some are made from old Bulgarian .223 patterns, some from new Russian patterns, and some are a Frankenstein mix of the two. The latter was my rifle.

This guy’s conversion guide http://www.cross-conn.com/Saiga_Conversion/ is an excellent starting point, and shows how to do a basic conversion perfectly. I studied that first. The saiga12 forums were my go-to for oddball questions I had, and I found this http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?showtopic=26419 , a list of diameters for when you order parts- very helpful. The rest of my basic knowledge came from some basic googling, and a lot of ingenuity was required as well.

For parts, I used Dinzag for a hard to find gas tube and receiver plugs, k-var for my sling, swivel and magazines, and Apex for the rest. The stock was a used American copy of the Bulgarian AK74 style a friend of mine had. So…. Here goes. Enjoy.