Shear_stress
Member
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2005
- Messages
- 2,728
For a while, shotguns were a kind of aversion therapy. My Remington 870 was the only one in the galaxy that broke. My Ithaca 37 Featherweight left me looking like I had ridden a Vespa to a Pagan's rally. Eventually, my love of blasting things was eclipsed by my sense of self-preservation. I decided to take a hiatus from scatterguns.
Enter the Saiga-12. After hearing how gently these shotguns treated whiners like me, I needed to get one. For various reasons (described in a previous thread) I was not able to do this until last week. Though delayed, my reentry into the world of shotguns had begun.
To review, the Saiga is a semiautomatic shotgun built by Izhmash in Russia on a beefed-up AK action with two monster extractors on the bolt. All have detachable magazines, chrome-lined bores and two-position adjustable gas systems to handle different loads. They are shipped to the U.S. with a traditional rifle stock, but can be retrofitted to look like the fat-barreled AKs they are. If interested, please contact THR-ers Correia or Pvt Pyle. Their shop, FBMG, offers a full line of Saiga rifles and shotguns. Retrofitting is also available from them.
My Saiga-12 has a 22" barrel, fixed full choke and a short, somewhat adjustable sighting rib bookended by a gold bead and a simple sight blade. As the name suggests, it is a twelve gauge (2 3/4 and 3"). Twenty gauge and .410 Saiga shotguns are also available.
The Saiga-12 is fed by a five-round detachable magazine that attaches with a "rock and lock" motion. Ten rounders will be soon available should your Phalanx air defense system be in the shop. I plan to get a couple. Magazines, not Phalanxes.
My gun was purchased used but in like new condition. It may never have been fired based on the spotless rear trunnion. I added a recoil buffer from Blackjack Buffers to keep the trunnion looking that way.
To the range . . .
Along with the shotgun, I brought some Remington and Winchester game loads (1oz./#6 and 1 1/8oz./#7 1/2, respectively). Unfortunately, my rifle/pistol range allows neither bird nor buckshot. If I actually wanted to shoot my Saiga, it would have to be at the adjacent sporting clays range. After seeing the reasonable prices for trap and skeet, I decided to give them a try. If nothing else, it would scandalize the sportsmen clad in expensive outer wear cradling shotguns that cost more than a college education.
It took some doing to get the Saiga to comply with the range rules. As a Kalashnikov-pattern gun, it has no bolt-hold open. Fortunately, I got the green light as long as I transported the gun with no magazine attached and a spent shell visibly blocking the action.
I first went to the patterning board, intending to test function rather than shot dispersion. I had to use the Winchester loads, as the range doesn't accept anything smaller than #7 1/2 shot. No matter. I first tried a few rounds on the #2 gas setting (light loads) with no problems. I then switched to the #1 setting (heavy loads) to reduce the already light recoil further, even if it cost reliability. After all, I'd only be feeding 1-2 rounds at a time.
I then tried one round each of skeet and trap. With the Estate target loads bought from the range, the Saiga was very pleasant to shoot. At 7.9 pounds it isn't light, but it handles nicely and is fast to the shoulder. The trigger pull is fairly long, but light and smooth. Recoil is very soft. I put fifty rounds through with ease. I even broke some clays!
I did encounter three minor issues. The first was the short sight radius. This may be less of an issue with someone who has actually shot trap or skeet before. The second issue was three marginal FTEs in which the spent shell did not quite clear the action. Recall that I was running light target loads on the "heavy" gas setting. There's your explanation. Last, the Saiga has a slightly cumbersome manual of arms compared to a double or tube-fed gun. However, I was able to acclimate pretty quick. Also, aftermarket bolt holt open devices are available from Blackjack Buffers.
All told, I enjoyed my new gun and a new sport. The guff I expected to take for my ugly Russian gun never happened. In fact, the Saiga was a big hit at the range. I now formally withdraw my above statement about effete sportsmen.
Edited to fix spelling and grammar.
Enter the Saiga-12. After hearing how gently these shotguns treated whiners like me, I needed to get one. For various reasons (described in a previous thread) I was not able to do this until last week. Though delayed, my reentry into the world of shotguns had begun.
To review, the Saiga is a semiautomatic shotgun built by Izhmash in Russia on a beefed-up AK action with two monster extractors on the bolt. All have detachable magazines, chrome-lined bores and two-position adjustable gas systems to handle different loads. They are shipped to the U.S. with a traditional rifle stock, but can be retrofitted to look like the fat-barreled AKs they are. If interested, please contact THR-ers Correia or Pvt Pyle. Their shop, FBMG, offers a full line of Saiga rifles and shotguns. Retrofitting is also available from them.
My Saiga-12 has a 22" barrel, fixed full choke and a short, somewhat adjustable sighting rib bookended by a gold bead and a simple sight blade. As the name suggests, it is a twelve gauge (2 3/4 and 3"). Twenty gauge and .410 Saiga shotguns are also available.
The Saiga-12 is fed by a five-round detachable magazine that attaches with a "rock and lock" motion. Ten rounders will be soon available should your Phalanx air defense system be in the shop. I plan to get a couple. Magazines, not Phalanxes.
My gun was purchased used but in like new condition. It may never have been fired based on the spotless rear trunnion. I added a recoil buffer from Blackjack Buffers to keep the trunnion looking that way.
To the range . . .
Along with the shotgun, I brought some Remington and Winchester game loads (1oz./#6 and 1 1/8oz./#7 1/2, respectively). Unfortunately, my rifle/pistol range allows neither bird nor buckshot. If I actually wanted to shoot my Saiga, it would have to be at the adjacent sporting clays range. After seeing the reasonable prices for trap and skeet, I decided to give them a try. If nothing else, it would scandalize the sportsmen clad in expensive outer wear cradling shotguns that cost more than a college education.
It took some doing to get the Saiga to comply with the range rules. As a Kalashnikov-pattern gun, it has no bolt-hold open. Fortunately, I got the green light as long as I transported the gun with no magazine attached and a spent shell visibly blocking the action.
I first went to the patterning board, intending to test function rather than shot dispersion. I had to use the Winchester loads, as the range doesn't accept anything smaller than #7 1/2 shot. No matter. I first tried a few rounds on the #2 gas setting (light loads) with no problems. I then switched to the #1 setting (heavy loads) to reduce the already light recoil further, even if it cost reliability. After all, I'd only be feeding 1-2 rounds at a time.
I then tried one round each of skeet and trap. With the Estate target loads bought from the range, the Saiga was very pleasant to shoot. At 7.9 pounds it isn't light, but it handles nicely and is fast to the shoulder. The trigger pull is fairly long, but light and smooth. Recoil is very soft. I put fifty rounds through with ease. I even broke some clays!
I did encounter three minor issues. The first was the short sight radius. This may be less of an issue with someone who has actually shot trap or skeet before. The second issue was three marginal FTEs in which the spent shell did not quite clear the action. Recall that I was running light target loads on the "heavy" gas setting. There's your explanation. Last, the Saiga has a slightly cumbersome manual of arms compared to a double or tube-fed gun. However, I was able to acclimate pretty quick. Also, aftermarket bolt holt open devices are available from Blackjack Buffers.
All told, I enjoyed my new gun and a new sport. The guff I expected to take for my ugly Russian gun never happened. In fact, the Saiga was a big hit at the range. I now formally withdraw my above statement about effete sportsmen.
Edited to fix spelling and grammar.
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