Its no SHTF rifle but is there anything better for a similar price?
I don't want to start another "SHTF" rifle thread, but I'm wondering what would exclude this or ANY rifle from this category.
Practically anything you learn to use well and take care of will take care of you. A intergral pictinny rail system, or the host of other things that we do to rifles is not NECESSARY to handle a SHTF situation.
I weathered 8 weeks of "SHTF" during Katrina, and I kept a Romanian AK-47 (SAR-1) and a Glock 19 9mm with me. The AK I used had standard wooded stocks, and had NO rails or such. I lived.
In fairness, if you are talking about SHTF as a home invasion type thing, I can see more need for rails. I have a flashlight on a $20 universal rail mount that sits on my Vector AK underfolder in case I need to go check out something that goes bump in the night. But this is hardly an integrated or massively expensive forearm replacement.
As far as some of the questions that were raised: EAA and RAA saigas do have some subtle differences due to the years that they were imported. None of the differences are going to significantly matter. EAA and RAA are simply the importers that brought the saigas into the country during two periods of time. RAA is the current importer.
It's true that unmodifyed Saigas will use proprietary magazines. However, on the 7.62x39 and 223 models, they can take regular AK magazines or Galil/orelite magazines respectively with the installation of a simple feed ramp. In the 308 model FYI, you'd be better off just using the FBMG 20 round proprietary magazines. HOWEVER, if you use a high capacity magazine in an unconverted Saiga, you are about to run afoul with ATF and section 922 regulations.
Conversions can be done for about 100 dollars if you are willing to do the work yourself. It isn't hard at all if that appeals to you.
I can't speak for the accuracy of the 223 or 7.62x39 rifles, but my converted Saiga 308 is doing 1.0-1.5 MOA all day long with the 16" barrel. However, it is generally accepted that some of the most accurate AK varients, as mentioned previously, will be the Saigas. You may be able to squeeze a bit more accuracy out of a milled reciever AK, but then you are really talking about getting into some money.
All in all, if you are just wanting a cheap high capacity rifle where you are looking to hang a lot of things on it, you'd probably be better off buying a WASR AK-47 and buying the accessories as you can afford them piecemeal. They are cheap, solid rifles that will fulfill a function. It would not be in 223, but in a SHTF rifle, caliber isn't going to save you either. I personally have chosen 7.62x39 and 308 as my rifle combination for preparation.
Going the Saiga route has advantages and disadvantages. You are able to get the stock rifle even cheaper than you can get a WASR. However, in converting it, you need to add $100 dollars in materials if you do it yourself. Add about $300 dollars if you want to buy one pre-converted. In the end, however, you will have a top of the line AK rifle.
John
