Question for the guys who own a box mag-fed shotgun because I have some interest in picking up a Vepr 12:


Have you found shells that can be left loaded in the magazine for an extended period of time without deforming out of round? A friend had a Saiga and left it loaded for HD, and the 00 buck rounds he had loaded squished down so they weren't round, preventing it from cycling. I don't know what shells he had loaded. Thankfully he discovered this before he ever needed it.


Thanks in advance.

back when I had a saiga 12 I used silver bear 12 ga for the top rd. it's a zinc metal shell that never gave me a days problem left loaded on a closed bolt. I haven't seen it available in a few years though. to bad your not local as I still have plenty of this left.

or the ras 12... no rim, no deformation....

I've had Saigas since ~2000, and have never had the shells deform just loaded in the magazines. I've had some magazines loaded for years and not had an issue.

I'm assuming you're referring to the shells loaded in a magazine that is locked into the gun against a closed bolt. For my factory mag catch Saiga where I have to hook the front and rock the back in, I do find that the top rounds can be squished where they are pushed down into the mag by the underside of the bolt. I don't seem to have that problem in my others where I have custom mag catches where I can rock the mags in front-to-back, back-to-front, or just straight in. I typically insert them rocking back-to-front, so the necessary compressing of the shells on a closed bolt is through the brass rims, and I've not noted a deformation of the hulls then (but I've not left the gun loaded for extended periods as I use it for matches and cycle ammo through frequently). Another way to get around the front squishing is to insert the mag with the bolt locked back so the top cartridge doesn't get squished while rocking the magazine in.

Now, to what you're probably asking - pressing on the front end of a plastic shotshell hull (as a normal Saiga does when inserting a mag) is going to deform the plastic hull. The above poster has the solution for that - use a metal hull. I've got some old brass hulls that I'd probably use if it was a problem for me.

I have some S&B 00 buckshot which was left in a mag against the closed bolt, with minimum deformation after 6 months. I chambered it by hand and it was smooth. The front of their shell uses a separate plastic disc (instead of folds), so it's sturdy.

Thank you, guys.