Why? Because the Saiga started at $350, and the trigger parts were $75 and the stock cost me $25 shipped and stained. WASR's were $450. Why? Because WASR's are unpredictable, ranging from great to pure crap. Why? Because it's a real Russian AK, made at the fully modernized Izhmash factory. Why? Ever seen another AK shoot 2 MOA? Then there's the widespread availability of non-corrosive .223 ammo, good mags available, and more. In the end, I paid the same price as a WASR, but put in a few hours of work and got something far better. Honestly, that's what it boils down to: spend a little bit of money and a few hours converting a Saiga, and it suddenly becomes the best AK you could have ever bought.