Saiga 12 gun mod questions

[Njal Thorgeirsson]

Hi all! I be new to this forum.

I recently bought a Saiga 12 and I've been exploring all of the modification possibilities. I noticed that many people move the trigger group forward to its originally intended location, so I researched what processes and parts are involved in such a modification. Essentially what I'm asking is: What are the downsides to permanently modifying a Saiga in this way? Can it damage the long-term value of the gun? (And yes, I'm familiar with 922r). Also, what are your opinions on moving the trigger group forward- good or bad choice?

 

[Roan]

There are a number of good reasons to convert the Saiga platform. Better trigger, ergonomics, weight, and aesthetics are but a few. However, there are a few downsides. Unless done by a real gunsmith, the long term value won't really go down, but won't go up either. When buying a converted Saiga, people tend to look for 'brand names'. 922r is another downside which you know about. And there's a small possibility that political winds may make a converted weapon illegal or restricted without doing the same to an unconverted piece. And you won't be able to take the weapon to some of the states that are already like that. None of these downsides, you might note, are actual functional differences. I converted mine myself and I would do it again without hesitation.

 

[VA27]

I converted mine into a Benelli after the novelty wore off.

 

[Njal Thorgeirsson]

If they, say, stopped importing Saga 12s for whatever reason, do you think an un-converted one would eventually be more valuable than the modified ones?

 

[Roan]

That's difficult to say. It would largely depend on how the ban happened, what other things were effected by it, and the parts/condition of the converted Saiga. I would say the risk doesn't outway the benefits of converting.