Hi,
I got a Saiga not too long ago and have been reading on this site some to get some info. I've learned a lot already. I already converted the rifle to accept hi-cap magazines. Instead of installing a feed ramp like people here have done, I simply used a welder to fill in the front part of the ak style mags where they have the notch at. It was a whole lot cheaper than buying a feed ramp, and didn't have to modify the rifle. Plus it works good.
Anyways, heres the question. When i got the rifle it had a scope on it. The mount is one of the ones that replaces the dust cover over the receiver instead of clamping onto the side mounts. Is that worth keeping? I think i am going to get a side mount style one so that I can field strip the gun without messing up the scope's zero. Whats the best type/brand/source to get?

It probably depends on how the dustcover is made and how well (tight) it fits.  On Galils, the RTZ is incredibly repeatable.

Most Saigas come with the Russki scope mount adapeter riveted on the left side.  Mounts and rings (and even scopes) are pretty reasonable for this adapter.  I get mine from www.kalinkaoptics.com.

I hate to break this to you good buddy, but welding up the notch in the mags is a felony (at least until the '94 ban expires next year).  PLEASE see the legal disclaimers on my conversion post tacked to the top of this forum.  You're risking 10 years in the pen if you keep them the way they are.  The reason being is that the mag will not longer fit and function in the original AK, and therefore you are manufacturing a "post-ban" high capacity mag.  You can modify a preban mag anyway you want to, but it must still fit and function in the gun it was originally designed for.  Your modified mags will not fit in a regular AK because the notch in front is designed to fit around the feed ramp in the rifle.  An easy fix for this is that if you are a welder, just weld in a blob to serve as a feed ramp, or weld in a piece of 3/4 inch pipe for a ramp.

As to the scope mounting issue, the best mount to use with your own scope is the one from CDNN

with rings www.cdnninvestments.com/saigsidrailm.html




and the new one with just a weaver rail
www.cdnninvestments.com/saigsidrailm1.html

DOH!
Wow, I didn't think about the legal crap when i did that. But answer me this. If I weld in the feed ramp, won't it hit the original magazine and keep it from working?  How would that not be a felony? I may be wrong but it looked like it would hit to me when I was comparing it to a regular AK.

Is CDNN a good place to deal with? I really like that weaver style side mount, plus they appear to have some other good stuff.

CDNN is a fantastic company.  I have ordered from them alot with no problems.

If you order the feed ramp from KVAR (called a bullet guide on their website), you can modify it the way I describe in my conversion post, and then simply put a dabble of weld on either side or a small spot in the front.  It should work fine.  Many people have used a welder to convert their Saigas.
As far as the felony idea about welding in the ramp, I don't see how it would be a felony if the rifle won't work at all.