Bailey Guns
Member
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2006
- Messages
- 381
I picked up a Saiga SGL20 a couple of days ago. This may be old news to some of you guys but I was very interested to learn more about this rifle.
This model was new to me and I had no idea on the history behind the gun. I paid $900 for the gun...outrageous, IMO, for an AK. But, considering the times and the prices guys are asking on GB, I felt it was actually a pretty fair deal. And it was in stock and on the shelf.
Anyway, apparently these rifles start out as standard Saiga sporting rifles destined for importation into the US. They are slightly modified by Legion. Ltd...from what I understand it's the Izhmash "custom shop". They are then imported by Arsenal, Inc and converted to 922r compliant, traditional looking AK-47 rifles.
From the Legion website:
The literature that came with the rifle states all SGL20 rifles are laser bore-sighted at the factory and they include a test target. The target included with my rifle didn't state at what distance the gun was fired.
Items included with the gun: a brochure from legion with a brief history of the gun, a DKG Imports catalog, 1 10-round magazine and a standard Saiga owner's manual.
I brought it home and checked to ensure standard AK mags work in the gun...they do. Surefire mags for Saiga rifles do NOT. ProMag mags for Saiga rifles fit in the gun well but they don't feed. The bullet enters the chamber pointed too high to feed. There is a bullet guide in place to enable standard AK mags to work. The Surefire and ProMags have a raised lip in the front that performs this function for use in unmodified Saiga rifles. The Surefire mags will not fit into the mag well.
I was going to clean the gun prior to firing but just didn't need to. It was absolutely spotless...even the chrome-lined bore. I gave it a just a bid of oil prior to firing.
Fit and finish of parts is on par with the best factory-built AK rifles I've seen. The finish is evenly applied and smooth. Durability? Only time will tell. All parts were smooth, no really sharp edges (like some of the other AKs I've seen...especially Romanian) and no flaws or tool marks. Trigger was more than acceptable in dry-firing, reset is REALLY short and noticeable...you can easily hear and feel it. Mags went in and out easily without trying to find the magazine well. I used 3 different mags for test-firing...1 Chinese, 1 Eastern Euro (unknown country), 1 Yugoslav. The two Euro mags fit the best with no wobble at all. The Chinese mag moved about just slightly.
My rifle did not include a muzzle break/compensator. It did have a very large, round, thread protector installed on the threaded muzzle. I plan on installing a slant-type muzzle break as I like the look it gives the gun. Surprisingly, the gun includes a bayonet lug! All of the furniture and FCG components appear to be Tapco. They aren't marked "Tapco", but they do have the "US" stamps in the same place as the other Tapco components I have. My rifle is all black and the US-made furniture looks quite good on the gun.
I took the 3 mentioned magazines loaded with Wolf Mil Classic ammo out to my "range". Started firing at a 3" black bullseye target from 10 yards. Everything went into a ragged hole at that distance and the rounds hit exactly to point of aim. Point of aim held at 25 yds and the group opened up to maybe 1.5 to 2 inches, standing offhand (in the wind and cold). All the mags functioned perfectly in the gun and the Yugo mags hold the bolt open after the last shot (though, in typical fashion, the bolt slams shut when the mag is removed).
The rifle performed flawlessly. Although I only fired 60 rounds (it was 20 degrees with about a 15 mph wind, right in my face) I have no doubt this gun will continue to function with typical AK-style reliability.
A few photos...I'll apologize for my lack of photography skills:
This model was new to me and I had no idea on the history behind the gun. I paid $900 for the gun...outrageous, IMO, for an AK. But, considering the times and the prices guys are asking on GB, I felt it was actually a pretty fair deal. And it was in stock and on the shelf.
Anyway, apparently these rifles start out as standard Saiga sporting rifles destined for importation into the US. They are slightly modified by Legion. Ltd...from what I understand it's the Izhmash "custom shop". They are then imported by Arsenal, Inc and converted to 922r compliant, traditional looking AK-47 rifles.
From the Legion website:
The literature that came with the rifle states all SGL20 rifles are laser bore-sighted at the factory and they include a test target. The target included with my rifle didn't state at what distance the gun was fired.
Items included with the gun: a brochure from legion with a brief history of the gun, a DKG Imports catalog, 1 10-round magazine and a standard Saiga owner's manual.
I brought it home and checked to ensure standard AK mags work in the gun...they do. Surefire mags for Saiga rifles do NOT. ProMag mags for Saiga rifles fit in the gun well but they don't feed. The bullet enters the chamber pointed too high to feed. There is a bullet guide in place to enable standard AK mags to work. The Surefire and ProMags have a raised lip in the front that performs this function for use in unmodified Saiga rifles. The Surefire mags will not fit into the mag well.
I was going to clean the gun prior to firing but just didn't need to. It was absolutely spotless...even the chrome-lined bore. I gave it a just a bid of oil prior to firing.
Fit and finish of parts is on par with the best factory-built AK rifles I've seen. The finish is evenly applied and smooth. Durability? Only time will tell. All parts were smooth, no really sharp edges (like some of the other AKs I've seen...especially Romanian) and no flaws or tool marks. Trigger was more than acceptable in dry-firing, reset is REALLY short and noticeable...you can easily hear and feel it. Mags went in and out easily without trying to find the magazine well. I used 3 different mags for test-firing...1 Chinese, 1 Eastern Euro (unknown country), 1 Yugoslav. The two Euro mags fit the best with no wobble at all. The Chinese mag moved about just slightly.
My rifle did not include a muzzle break/compensator. It did have a very large, round, thread protector installed on the threaded muzzle. I plan on installing a slant-type muzzle break as I like the look it gives the gun. Surprisingly, the gun includes a bayonet lug! All of the furniture and FCG components appear to be Tapco. They aren't marked "Tapco", but they do have the "US" stamps in the same place as the other Tapco components I have. My rifle is all black and the US-made furniture looks quite good on the gun.
I took the 3 mentioned magazines loaded with Wolf Mil Classic ammo out to my "range". Started firing at a 3" black bullseye target from 10 yards. Everything went into a ragged hole at that distance and the rounds hit exactly to point of aim. Point of aim held at 25 yds and the group opened up to maybe 1.5 to 2 inches, standing offhand (in the wind and cold). All the mags functioned perfectly in the gun and the Yugo mags hold the bolt open after the last shot (though, in typical fashion, the bolt slams shut when the mag is removed).
The rifle performed flawlessly. Although I only fired 60 rounds (it was 20 degrees with about a 15 mph wind, right in my face) I have no doubt this gun will continue to function with typical AK-style reliability.
A few photos...I'll apologize for my lack of photography skills:
