Russian Saiga AK

These are the forums for all things Saiga http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?act=idx

Head over there and first read the forum on 922r compliance to see if it's legal for you to use 30rnd imported magazines.

You need to post more info on which Saiga you have and what you want to know.

Coming from the store with a 30 rounder means absolutely nothing. I have seen a lot of people selliung a stock saiga with a russian 30rnd mag as the only change and that's not a legal config. Post a pic or lets figure out if your legal and what you want to do or get out of your rifle.

It could have a US made follower and floorplate for the mag and another us part and already be compliant but it's the first thing I bring up when I hear it came with a 30rnd.

What are the markings on the receiver?


7.62x39, .308, or .223?

Barrel length? 16 or 20 with the .223 or 7.62

Pistol grip or original hunting configuration?

Here is the manufacturers website see if you can figure out what model you have.

http://www.raacfirearms.com/rifles.htm


Glad to help.

It came from the store with a 30 round mag, so I'm under the assumption (I know what they say about assuming...) that they're legal to use.

Click to expand...

Never a safe assumption. I have seen plenty of not compliant saigas being sold with 30 rounders. You even see people putting pics up on the net with the 30 rounders in them advertising them.

It looks like a basic conversion. If the converter used all USA parts (double check this) you will have a US pistol grip(1 part) stock(1 part) and trigger group(3 parts). Go to the Saiga forum and double check this as well, but if memory serves, you need to use 4 qualifying US parts in a conversion to get it 922r compliant, and use higher capacity mags than it came from the factory with. If you buy USA mags, those count as 3 parts. You can google up a list of which parts qualify toward your conversion numbers, and again, it is all at the Saiga forum, along with a lot of helpful and Saiga knowledgeable members to help.

As others have suggester reading up on 922r over at the saiga forums will be a good place to start. Your saiga has been "converted." By this I mean modified form the sporting format in which it was imported to a more traditional AK format.

The thing you will need to do in order to determine the legality of that rifle is determine where the following parts on it were made:

Stock

Pistol Grip

Fire control group: Trigger, Hammer and Sear

Muzzle brake.

Often but not always US made parts will have USA on them somewhere.

To comply with 922r an imported rifle in non sporting form (putting in a magazine that holds more than ten rounds qualifies it as non sporting) cannot have more than 10 foreign parts taken from a list of specifically enumerated parts.

The stock saiga has 14 such parts.

On your rifle they have changed the stock. If it is US made you can subtract it and you are down to 13 parts.

They have added a pistol grip. If it is US made then you are still at 13 parts. If it is not then you are back up to 14 (or 15 depending on the stock).

The Fire control group counts as three parts (hammer, sear, and trigger). If they have used a US made FCG you are down to 10 parts and you are legal. If it is not US made then you are at 13 or 15 still.

The muzzle brake on the rifle has been added. It is like the pistol grip. If it is US made you stay at the same parts count if not you go up one.

The magazines are also countable parts. They count as three parts, the base plate the follower and the body (I believe those are the parts, I'm certain it is three however). Most of the cheap AK mags are foreign made and thus it is nice not to need to rely on the mags to be compliant. The mag you have there looks like it is foreign and thus you remain at your previous part count with it in. A US made mag would make you part count come down by 3.

One other part that is sometimes changed out is the gas piston. If you have a US gas piston subtract another part.

I don't know if the above is very clear but I hope it helps. In short if all the parts they have added pistol grip, muzzle brake, and stock are US made and the fire control group is US made then you are legal. If you count parts as discussed above and you are over ten you are violating federal law. Some will say that is not a big deal to be non compliant. I am in the camp that argues it is much much much cheaper and easier to get compliant in the first place than it will be should it ever become an issue.

Out of curiosity what did you pay for it? Also does it have a bullet guide (something screwed or welded on the trunnion just beneath where a bullet enters the chamber)? If so how is it attached, screw, rivet, weld etc.

I love my saigas and I'm sure you will too. They are one of the best things going in AKs IMO. The only bad thing is it will make you want to get the .223, .308 and 12 gauge models and possibly others. Saigas at my house seem to grow in number like rabbits.

If even one of those trigger group parts is US-made, you're golden. Saigas have 14 foreign parts as built, including the magazine (3 parts). You only need to replace 1 non-magazine part to use a US-made magazine in any capacity.

On reading Girodin's post I will correct what I said, and attempt to break it down as simply as possible:
You need to swap out 4 foreign parts from the list of parts that qualify.
You conversion changed the stock, added the pistol grip, changed the fire control group, and added the muzzle device. It came stock without the pistol grip or muzzle brake, which is why adding those out don't bring your part count down. If they are US, it's a wash, and if they are foreign, they add to your part count (goal is ten or less).
So you need to figure out where the pistol grip, stock, fire control group, and muzzle brake were made. The most common fcg on conversions is tapco, which is US, and sometimes an RSA fcg is used, which is also US made (and a score, since it is adjustable, and $100 bucks, vs around $30 for the tapco.) To be compliant, and use the cheap standard foreign AK mags, they all need to be USA made.
That would be:
Stock- minus one
Pistol grip- wash
Fire control group- minus 3
Muzzle brake- wash

I think $585 is a fair price for a 922r compliant conversion with the muzzle brake, which requires moving the front sight back, and threading the end of the barrel.

Given the prices I have seen AKs going for lately I would say that $585 is not too bad. I have seen AKs that are not nearly as nice as what you have right there selling for $800.

IMO, for $585, in that configuration, you did REALLY good. Embrace the Russian within!

Ya did good man in my opinion. Glad you found some answers.

ooops duplicate