I am going to convert my Saiga 12 after watching the carolina shooter supply video set on Youtube and seeing how easy it is with a DIY trigger guard.  I am very excited now!  But I see there are a few makers of DIY trigger guards - Tromix (grip nut welded to trigger guard), Carolina Shooters Supply (forged alum. - one solid piece), E-TAC (formed from one piece of bent 16 ga steel), and TAC47 (similar to Tromix DIY TG).  Which one do you all think is best?  Or should I not go this route and send my Saiga to a shop that does the conversions?  

Also, for those that went the DIY TG route, how did you touch up the unfinished area under the plate that blocked the trigger hole?

i went with a etac/go guns trigger guard...Its made out of steel so you can weld it to your reciever, or it has the ability to bolt it on as well...I havent installed mine yet, still trying to find a place to convert it without being obscene with the price...HAHAgood luck...

looks like im going to do most of the work myself.

I've done the old school conversions and the used the E-Tac. Waaaaaaaay easier and worth the cash. I don't see why anyone wouldn't save some cash and do the conversion themselves. With the DIY trigger guards available, all the difficult work is done.

That is unless you plan on going full retard and doing the gas block and FSB, too. In that case just get an Arsenal.

Seems like the difficult work is drilling out the rivets.  Is it better to grind or drill them out?  I seen diffent videos and posts where some grind the head off, then tap the shaft out - whereas on the carolina video, he drills the shaft out.  Do you have to drill the shaft through all the way or just enough to knock the rivet out?

ETA: Arsenal remakes the Saiga 12 like they do the Saiga rifles???

Oops, I had other cal. Saiga conversions on the brain with that last sentence Arsenal has some models with their new clamp on the barrel rail thing which is fugly, IMO.

I grind the rivets down, then try to tap them out. A lot of times they are stubborn so I drill the center out to relieve the exterior pressure and tap them out then. It sounds more difficult than it is.Converting a S12 with a DIY trigger guard is very easy. The longest part of the process is waiting for the paint to dry if you refinish it. Good luck!

i just tried to drill out my rivets and used a brand new cobalt 3/16" drill bit with a 18v drill and after 20 mins, all i did was make them silver...i have no clue whats up with that, but going to find a more powerful drill this week, get a better drill bit, and try one last time before i send it in to cadiz for warranty gas port work..

them rivets are no joke...LOL

I try to grind them down as far as possible before I center punch them and start to drill through them. Cobalt bits are the way to go and use the smallest one you can and work your way up in size. Some of the rivets can be a real bitch. I have a pile of shot and broken bits that can attest to that.

these were the rivets that hold in the trigger fork etc...does it take that long to really drill them out??? I used cutting oil and put a good amount of pressure on it, tried it fast speed and slow speed, oil, and no oil, and fricken things are tough as tank turds.

The trigger pins holding on the rear trigger that you need to remove? Sounds like you might be spinning them instead of drilling them. Use needle nose vise grips to hold them on the inside and it should just take a little drilling on the outside of it. Once you get past the "flair" of the rivet you usually get a little metal donut on the bit. It should take just a couple taps from this side and it'll come out.

I just pounded out the "axis pin" rivets with a hammer and punch that was slightly smaller than the pin size.  Took a little whacking, but I had to keep the noise down, wife was sleeping in the other room.  



Today, I dremel off the heads of the TG rivets, hack off the stock tang, and rebuild everything.

Took all of 5 min to drill mine out today. Like the above poster said, you may just be spinning them. The DIY TG was something I was going to get but after doing it the original way I see no point. 2 min to grind out the spot weld and your done. 2 min of work isnt worth the price tag.

Well i got the rear pin out today, it took another 5-10 mins of drilling with a standard drill bit, but its out, I think the cobalt bit i got from  home depot sucked, so im going to buy another drill bit and an air drill for extra power and hopefully the front pin drills out today...

i used a set of needle nose vise grips and that might have been the problem, so thanks for that suggestion...

ETA: Got the last one out!!!!  WOO-HOO...

Now im in process of grinding down trigger guard rivets and cutting off tang... Sucks it still has to go in for warranty work, but at least when its done I can put it back together and hit it with some BBQ paint and its done and ready to have some fun...Only had it 1 1/2 years...

Thanks for the help guys and sorry for the thread hijack OP. wasnt intentional...

Not a problem - I feel your pain.  I had trouble with the rear pins, too - even when I held them in place with pliers.  It took me about three hours to remove all the rivets - I broke about five bits and had to go to Lowes to replace them so I could continue - What a PITA.  That guy on the Carolina Shooter's Supply (CSS) video makes it look deceptively easy.  I got a conversion kit from CSS that included the Tromix DIY, Tapco SAW grip, and Tromix FCG.  I also got the stock adapter, Tromix stock, DPH phoenix claw (bargain @ $30!!!), Rock N lock guide (another headache to install, but worth it!), and an MD drum (another bargain @ $80 - glad I didn't get it from Brownells, they're listed for $259).  Everything was @ my doorstep two days after I clicked submit order - incredible!!  The Bravo Company Manf. of Saiga conversion parts!  I touched up the bare metal with high temp engine enamel gloss black found @ Wally world.  Took it to the range this weekend - did great after tuning the MD gas plug - even with low brass target loads!  Pics coming soon!!!!

Yes, greg from CSS makes it look like its a piece of cake, and he is the fastest shipper in the world...lol...not sure but I think he has friends on the starship enterprise and beams crap to peoples houses...
Sounds like a nice stick you have built, Im also thinking of getting a rock and lock but not sure if im gonna go that way or go the R&R magwell??? ill figure it out..

I still have to send it to cadiz for warranty port and gas block work but at least i dont have to have him do the majority of the conversion as well...Should save me some $$$... after I get it back ill post pics of my baby

im going with;
goguns rear AR stock adapter(pignose)
carolina trigger guard
tromix g2 trigger
gas fixer plug
twister puck (and a KA warranty puck...thank god for kings armory..yeah buddy
milspec ctr stock
fugly stick handguard
kvar side mount sight mount
aimpoint H1
jte trigger and recoil springs
ram ambi mag release
modified safety
krebs sights
etac mini talon breacher

and i might have cadiz install a LRBHO

Here are pics as promised:







In this one you can see the seam where the engine paint and the original powder coat meet.  You have to be looking for it.  Sometime in the near future, I might refinish it with desert tan gunkote.  Parts used on the build:
Tromix DIY TG
Tromix FCG
CSS modified BHO
Tapco SAW grip
CSS receiver block w/ Tromix stock
Vickers Tactical padded sling.
JTE Rock N lock guide - went with this so I could still use drum - might get another S12 to try a magwell on since they are somewhat cheap and plentiful.
MD gas plug
Tapco gas puck
Tapco forearm w/ rails
Magpul AFG
YHM angle mount w/ GGG flashlight ring and Surefire 6P LED defender
DPH Phoenix claw door breacher/FH (only $30 @ CSS.com!!!) w/ Chaos barrel nut (highly recommended).
MD Arms Drum, 2 SGM 12 rounders, and 4 AGP 10 rounders.

Most came from Carolina Shooters Supply - thanks Greg for the lightning shipping and great prices!

Very nice, good work!

I ordered the Chaos quad rail from CSS yesterday and found the HK sights that go with it @ Mississippi Auto Arms (they have three sets left - was really surprised to find them!), so it should be more badass!  Will post updated pics.  BTW the MD Arms 5 position gas plug is a very essential upgrade!  Best $25 I ever spent.  I can now cycle the Federal Value pack (FVP) and Winchester universal value pack (WVP)with no problem on the + setting.  I went through two cases this weekend and used the MD drum to check it's functioning - and it worked perfect!  I could shoot the FVP and WVP all day because it's so low in recoil compared to the higher brass.  What a killer good time I had this weekend - but man is my gun dirty now!!!