I heard that the Saigas do not accept standard AK magazines. Is this true? If so, that seems like a major disadvantage to doing a Saiga/AK conversion. Does anyone have links to people that can do full Saiga/AK conversions? Do the conversions make the Saigas accept AK mags? Thanks.
A bone stock saiga will not accept standard AK mags. There are two issues, both of which care easily resolved. First the mag catch is different and requires needs to be slightly filed down. Just file a little and try the mag. If it wont fit, file a little more. I go nice and slow filing a little and checking fairly often. Eventual it will fit in like it should.
The second problem is that not all rounds in the magazine will reliably feed. The fix is very very simple. A bullet guide must be installed. Some people make there own. The cut a piece of pipe and shape it. The advatage is it costs a couple dollars. The deisadvantage is that it is more work and likely will require a bit of fitting to get it to work just right. I simply buy a dinzag bullet guide.
http://www.dinzagarms.com/ With a BG from dinzag simply drill a hole with the bit he provides and then tap said hole with the tap he provides. Then set the BG in there and put the screw in. I then cycle some rounds. When you are convinced everything is as it should be you can add some lock tight to the screw if you like.
It is pretty simple stuff and now standard AK mags will function.
The other issue is 922r compliance. If the gun is otherwise stock and you put a mag that hold more than 10 rounds in it you have violated federal law! To comply with 922r the gun must have 10 or fewer foreign parts from the list of "evil" parts. The stock saiga has 14 so 4 must be removed. Doing the conversion allows one to get 922r compliant by using a US Fire control group, 3 parts (and it is a much much better trigger to boot) and US made stock and pistol grip (1 part, since the gun had no PG to begin with you don't subtract a part but you don't add one either if the PG is US made). There are other countable parts (fore grip, op rod, etc) thus if you must have a foreign stock or PG or muzzle device, etc there are other ways to achieve compliance.
The work on a basic conversion is pretty simple and it is a fun little project. It is very satisfying to do it one's self. It also gives people new to AKs a very good understanding of how their weapon works. It really is something you would have to try to screw up to do anything serious enough to ruin the gun.
Some people are scared off buy the conversion. Don't be, it is easy. Further you get a brand new Russian built gun not a parts kit build. Saigas are high quality Aks and they just happen to be fairly economical as well if you do the work yourself and shop around when you buy. Sadly the days of saigas for $250 seem to be gone forever. I still find them for as low as $320.
I haven't done to much looking, but haven't seen them for any less than the $359
http://www.classicarms.us/ About half way down. IDK if they are a direct distributor but they have saigas for $339.
