Atlantic Arms Russian Saiga Hi-Cap came in today!!!

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jon_in_wv

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My Russian Hi-Cap Saiga conversion finally came from Atlantic Arms today. For those that read my other thread when I was choosing this rifle you may know that Atlantic had a bit of delay sending my order and when I called them they stated they had a problem with the rifle they were going to send me and they were waiting for a new shipment to come in to send me a good one. They also said they would throw in a four pack of magazines for my trouble. I agreed (of course) but when I picked up the rifle today the first thing I noticed when they opened the box for me was the AK was in a really NCStar soft rifle case. There was also a Minimag flashlight with Atlantic Arms printed on it, two Atlantic Arms can cozies, the cleaning kit that goes in the butt stock, cleaning rod, manual, two polymer 30 round mags, and a 40 round mag. I don't think I'm too disappointed I didn't get the four pack of mags. I would say they MORE than treated me right. I like customer service like that!
The rifle its self is saaaweeeeet. It is really nice looking. There are very minor handling/shipping marks on the plastic but it nothing more than what I'll do it in the first range session and the dealer pointed one scratch on the receiver. I had to ask where it was twice. Its that small. I also expected the AK to be heavier than it is. It is really compact and I don't think its heavy at all. It doesn't have a bullet guide but there is a small bead (weld) in that spot that looks like it serves that purpose. I'm interested to see how that works/holds up.
My wife is returning from her tour in Iraq this weekend so likely I will be too busy to go to the range but I'm hoping I will get a chance next weekend to run about 200 rounds through the Saiga to see how it functions. The weapon is pretty clean but I'll clean it before I take it out then I don't plan on cleaning it again until the 1000 round mark, whether it needs it or not.

Here is the link to the weapon I ordered.
http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/programming/expand.asp?Prodid=499
 
So they gave you a couple silly beer coozies,and a couple (i'm asuming) low-rent Pro-Mag plastic magazines,a next-to-useless mini-mag (again, assuming it's non-LED ) and the normal cleaning stuff that already comes with the gun, but NOT the 4-pack of east-block 30 rounders they promised.
As we used to say in the USMC....."wrong-O Mary Lou !!" I'd call those guys up and get me my 30 rounders,me !!
But to not entirely piss on your parade...congrats on getting a Saiga, i have an unstated number of them myself, and they ARE all that and a bag of chips !! You're really gonna dig it. If i could make a positive suggestion, don't screw around, order a whole case ( or two) of Golden Tiger, or whatever...SOON !! And then DON'T go shoot it all up ( at least not till you've replaced it.)
Also, isn't this one of those converted rifles without the bullet guide ?
I'm really interested in hearing how it performs. Keep us posted. M.
 
Here are some pics of what I got. I didn't get he can cozies in the pix. I gave one to my dealer (Laura at Caveman Outdoors) and the other one is in my car already.
 

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Mil-Dot, Don't ignore the fact that NONE of that crap was supposed to come with the weapon. Cheap crap or not they made an effort to make me happy and thats more than most companies will do. I'm not going to be a prick about it and whine because I didn't get the right free crap. They didn't have to send any of it. My order was never contingent on getting the mags. They are relatively cheap, I'll order some. Also, they knew I was planning on posting this stuff and a range session on here. If they sent crappy mags that don't work its on them when I post the range report. I'll get the new mags later. I don't like the poly mags anyhow. I'll order some steel ones.
 
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any clue who does the conversions from saiga rifle to hi cap ak for these atlantic rifles?
 
If I ever buy another gun in a few years or so, it will probably be a Saiga .223 or x39 (depends on ammo prices etc)-that is, if the academically-oriented jack-asses in the Democratic Party allow these to be imported etc. We can hope that both Feinstein and Pelosi get mugged by guys with stolen handguns.

Jon, dumb question here, but will such a Saiga also accept smaller magazines?
You have a superb weapon from everything I've read and heard about them. Some highly-experienced shooters on rifle teams (i.e. Navy Reserve) have not even heard of them. This can be a good thing.
I'm so glad that so many people also know little or nothing of the Mosin Nagant, nor its value.
Have fun.
 
That random bead of welding just does not do it as a bullet guide for me, if it's cheaper, and is reliable then why hasn't anybody who actually makes high cap AK's ever done it to cut costs (when they have done just about everything else imaginable) and im not talking about a US AK modifier, i mean the arsenals of all the underfunded east block countrys that have made these things in numbers for such a savings to really add up. It also ruins the possibility of you installing a real bullet guide without dremeling that welding off of the trunion first. I would also steer clear of the promags, they are worth nowhere near their 7$ dealer pricetag. That being said my next gun will either be a 7.62x39 saiga, or a .223 that will promptly have a Bulgarian barrel in 5.45.

The "we are finding you a better rifle than the one we were going to send you" sounds more like a "we are out of stock and still wan't your money, and are waiting on a new shippment, and have this worthless promotional Atlantic Firarms crap insted of the propper magazines we ran our mouthes about but thought better of (kind of like when we thought better of just saying it's out of stock in the first place and asking you if you wanted to wait for the new shippment.)

That's just my take though.
 
http://www.redstick-firearms.com/

This is supposedly the company that does the conversion. I checked the AK47 boards and I heard nothing but positive things about this company.

Why are you guys so cynical about Atlantic Arms? They were very up front with me and I have no reason to think they lied about anything when it come to this rifle. It took about two weeks to get it and they threw in some free stuff for the delay. The rifle looks awesome. I knew when I ordered it I may have to install a bullet guide. Big deal. Its not like they tricked me or something. I got exactly what I asked for and some extras and you guys are complaining?? Atlantic Arms posts on this forum, why don't you tell them how unfairly you think I was treated. I paid a fair price for a nice weapon, they included some extras FREE that they didn't have to provide, and you can explain to them how I got shafted. Personally I think thats crap. If they had sent NOTHING but the rifle I would have been fine because that ALL I PAID FOR. They weren't obligated to send anything else. I posted on another thread that I would try the AK without the bullet guide as Atlantic says it works fine like it is. I am already planning on installing a bullet guide later. I'm not going to engage in a useless argument on the merits of the way they did it. It wasn't my idea. Call Redstick or Atlantic and ask them.
 
looks fine by me.....what do you expect this rifle to be, a $50,000 Holland and Holland English shotgun?? I plan on ordering one of these soon.
 
Saigas/AK's to me are sort of funny because they are at the same time sort of simple and cheap looking, but I wouldn't change a thing, because simple, cheap, easy, and effective are all it turns out I need :p
 
I have saigas and have done conversions myself on them. On the saiga board nobody bad mouths Red Stick and I can't recall anything negative about Atlantic either. It is definitely less expensive diy but all in all I think this is a fair deal. Have fun with it.
 
Why are you guys so cynical about Atlantic Arms?
Click to expand...

Face it, some people would bitch if you hung them with a new rope. And in certain platform circles (1911, AR, AK) you have to do things in a certain way, with certain vendors, and display a certain expertise.
 
Hey Jon,

If it feeds reliably, good for you.

I haven't purchased anything from Atlantic, bu they sure seem to be on the up and up.

I did the Saiga conversion myself and fabricated a bullet guide from a hunk of black iron pipe. Bottom line, it works.

Lot's of guys over on the Saiga board talk about sticking a small sheet metal screw into the front lip of steel mil. surp mags to function as a bullet guide as well.

All you really need to do is provide a little tip up and they seem to feed from mil surp mags just fine.

People just can't seem to make the mental transition to accept that not every gun is a combat/patrol rifle that you expect to bet your life on.

Have fun and be safe.
 
http://www.redstick-firearms.com/

This is supposedly the company that does the conversion. I checked the AK47 boards and I heard nothing but positive things about this company.

Why are you guys so cynical about Atlantic Arms? They were very up front with me and I have no reason to think they lied about anything when it come to this rifle. It took about two weeks to get it and they threw in some free stuff for the delay. The rifle looks awesome. I knew when I ordered it I may have to install a bullet guide. Big deal. Its not like they tricked me or something. I got exactly what I asked for and some extras and you guys are complaining?? Atlantic Arms posts on this forum, why don't you tell them how unfairly you think I was treated. I paid a fair price for a nice weapon, they included some extras FREE that they didn't have to provide, and you can explain to them how I got shafted. Personally I think thats crap. If they had sent NOTHING but the rifle I would have been fine because that ALL I PAID FOR. They weren't obligated to send anything else. I posted on another thread that I would try the AK without the bullet guide as Atlantic says it works fine like it is. I am already planning on installing a bullet guide later. I'm not going to engage in a useless argument on the merits of the way they did it. It wasn't my idea. Call Redstick or Atlantic and ask them.
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Can I ask where you heard Redstick was doing the conversions for Atlantic? I've never heard that before. Not that it means it's not true, but I spend a lot of time on the Saiga forum, and haven't seen this mentioned.
 
That "ramp" looks.............indescribable.
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That's what I noticed too. But hey, as long as it works.

My conversion is 99% complete, just waiting on the buttstock this afternoon. I'll post a pic once I get it.

How much did you pay for the Saiga conversion? Did they modify the mag catch to accept milsurps? I noticed the MasterMolder mags.
 
That ain't a ramp its a spot weld... I'm not sure Will would do that.

Anytime I've chat'd with him via email, he has said they pull the trunnion and barrel and rivet in a proper ramp...

Thank you for posting the pictures jon_in_wv...

Atlantic would NOT in the other thread, an now I see why.
 
That ain't a ramp its a spot weld... I'm not sure Will would do that.
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing. I've heard great things about Will and Red Jacket, and that "guide" doesn't scream Red Jacket quality.
 
jon_in_wv:

If I were you, I'd confirm that Red Stick is the company that converted the rifle you bought. Not saying there is anything wrong with it, but I don't know if Will @ Red Stick would do the bullet guide like that. So if he didn't, it wouldn't be fair to throw his company's name on it. Just saying.


Other than that, nice Saiga! Let us know how it shoots.
 
chris in va said:
How much did you pay for the Saiga conversion?
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He didn't.

These "(pre)converted Saigas" are being sold by Atlantic Firearms, AIM Surplus and others. The OP purchased one of these from Atlantic Firearms.
 
22_Shooter said:
jon_in_wv:

If I were you, I'd confirm that Red Stick is the company that converted the rifle you bought. Not saying there is anything wrong with it, but I don't know if Will @ Red Stick would do the bullet guide like that. So if he didn't, it wouldn't be fair to throw his company's name on it. Just saying.
Click to expand...

+1 Agreed.


Probably wouldn't be hard to dremel that "ramp" out and add the real deal either if it had future problems...

The way it is now it will probably be sufficient, just not exactly the way I'd do it though, yes I do have a ramp from Dinzag!
 
That is a bizarre feed ramp.


Does the Atlantic Saiga come with a G2 trigger...or just a generic AK trigger?


I've always wondered that, but never inquired being that I'm not a potential buyer.


I hear some places that convert Saigas do not use the G2.
 
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