Saiga-12 Magazines, what's the best?

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[Pb]

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I just picked up a Saiga-12 shotgun a couple days ago, I am looking to convert it soon and also find some more magazines for it so I can get the most out of my gun. I must say I am a little disappointed with magazine availability so far though, does anyone make a decent Saiga mag in the USA?


I have tried the Promag 10 rounder and it is beyond worthless. It jams constantly and the bolt rams into the follower on the last shot.

I also have a Surefire 12-round mag which seems a lot smoother than the Promag but is also a massive disappointment because the lip on the front broke off before I could even shoot it :banghead:

It looks like there are also Surefire 8-round mags, but after my experience with the 12-rounder I am extremely wary to touch another one of their products. I would be happy to get a couple more factory 5-round mags, but these aren't all that easy to get either and ideally I'd like something bigger.


So, what's my best bet? Are the 8 round Surefires significantly better than the 12s? Are there any other decent mags available in the US?


Thanks...
 
Yeah... that's the thing, the Surefire looks well made but I don't want to get burned twice if this is a common thing.


Have you had any jams with AGP?
 
Wait a few months.

CP is working on a metal mag.
Mike D is working on a polymer double stack mag.
Chaos is working on a metal mag, and a magwell (mag will have 2 versions, one will work w/o magwell, the other will be for use with the magwell).

The best is yet to come, I'm guessing.
 
AGP for now. Metal feed lips. Got two ten rounders. Saiga has never miss fed out of either.

Had two stovepipes during the first ten rounds, stock five rounder. Buffed the action parts. Like butter now.
 
pb said:
I also have a Surefire 12-round mag which seems a lot smoother than the Promag but is also a massive disappointment because the lip on the front broke off before I could even shoot it
Click to expand...

That happened to my SF mag as well. I haven't had a single issue with my AGP's.
 
Based on the responses, I think I will order one AGP 10-rounder, and see if anything better comes along later. Thanks.
 
Pb i was gonna tease ya about the surefire but i see i was beaten to it lol

good to see you found some advise tho

i only have a saiga 410 so aftermarket support isnt there like for the 12 and the surefires seem to be ok for them (dont own any just going on what others have said) otherwise i use the factory till something else hits the market for a "reasonable" price
 
Factory 5 rounder

I have never had any issue with one

Taiwanese 5 rounders

these are reliable and good mags. Obviously they are only five rounders but they are good mags and not too expensive

Factory 8 rounders

People seem to think these are the BEST. That said they are very expensive and don't warrant the price to me.

Sure fire

Surefires are pretty good mags. Various competitive shooters, such as Jack Travers have reported they are the most reliable. The 12 rounders are too long for my taste and as people have mentioned there are reports of them breaking the front tab off, typically is seems when fired with magnum loads. To be fair I have seen an AGP break the exact same way and seen other reports of it as well. For either brand this would not be a issue with a magwell which is the way to go with an S12 anyways. The 8 rounders are probably the best size.

PRO MAG

Pro mags are likely the worst choice. Many reports of problems and they seem to take a fari amount of effort (boiling etc) to get to work. No real surprise that the pro mags don't run well.

AGP

AGP all the way. I have 2 and have never had any feed problems from either one.
Click to expand...

I have a slightly larger sample size. I have used about 20 AGP mags. The first batch of ten I bought ran flawlessly. I was very happy. The second set of ten I encountered issues. About 5 or so of the them needed some work to run right. I hand to sand down portions of the inside to prevent the shells from getting stuck. It is easy enough to fix and give the price I got them for I am okay with it.

Drums

If you want a drum get an MD 20. The AA drum is garbage and what is worse is that it is garbage that costs 3x as much as the vastly superior MD20. Pro mag is coming out with a drum but I have no faith in anything promag. Cost is similar for the 20 rounder to the very proven MD20. I'll believe a pro mag product works only when I see it. Time will tell whether this is one more crappy pro mag product or if they have turned a new leaf. I am not hopeful for it however.

Soon to be released options

Chaos is making a 8 round steel magazine. These probably wont be the best choice for 3 gun because they only hold 8 rounds but Chaos makes high quality products and I would expect these to be quality mags that work. After this they are said to be making a ten round mini drum. The mini drum seems to be a ways off at this point.

MD Arms, makers of the famous MD20, are developing a double stack mag. Tony Rumore, the saiga guru, has reported that he has seen it and it functions flawlessly. I believe this will be the saiga mag to have when it hits the market. It should offer capacity without being absurdly long and unwieldy and should function very well.
 
MD20 is on a $100 pre-order special right now, which is a smoking price for a great product.
 
Yes $100 for the MD 20 is a killer deal. There will be a wait but at that price it is worth it if one wants a drum.
 
Hell, $120 was a smoking deal, $100 is a downright steal. I ordered two at $120 and have them in hand already.
 
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