at an upcoming auction, a good deal on these guns might be possible. but i've not heard much about either of them. i did some web research and found a good bit of info but was wondering if anyone had real world experince with them. also checked prices at gunsamerica.com.

from a 1986 guns and ammo article, the calico looks interesting and im thinking it is a definite preban? any reason to own one? or was it more of a gimmick than anythng else? im thinking it could be a very fun gun.

id never seen the saiga 410 before. nor have i ever shot any 410. its a semi auto shot gun that lookd pretty new. what's the main use for this? is 410 readily available and cheap? any good reason to pick this up?

for these, what would the "can't pass it up at that price" be?

thanks!

The m100s are nice guns. Easy to take down and since the mags are based off of the 10/22 rotary design, they aren't prone to jamming. Calico has pretty much turned into a one man operation now and the m100s aren't being made, so it will have some definite collectors value.

I've never understood the idea of a .410 (or a 20ga for that matter). Most people will get frustrated with it due to it's minimal pattern, and therefore it's counterproductive for beginners. I've yet to find anyone, even young teenagers and slightly built women who can't utilize a 12ga with the correct instruction.

The M-100 is a blast to shoot, This is the only one I have ever seen at the range and people love it. If you want a accurate 22 this is not the one to get but if you want to plink all day then get the M-100, I hav 4 drums with mine and all function 100% if wound right, It will hold all 100rds in a 5 inch group at 100 yards with a red dot, not bad for a 100rds as fast as I can pull the trigger, I thought about getting a 9mm version but realy cant afford to dump that much money in ammo Have other toys to feed, All in all a very good toy but not much more then that I wouldnt want to use it in a cmbat situation but for a toy is great. From what I found the Calico with 1 drum sells on line for around $500 give or take $50 and drums pop up every so often for around $125 new they go for $200. If this helps any I am sorry for going into a frensy but I just ove my m-100 so much I get excited talking about it.
SCAR

The Calico is a class act.  Well made, and reliable.  The only complaints I had with the one I had were:

I had a M105 wood stock with a red dot.  Because of the wood forend design, the barrel was difficult to dismount, and caused wear of the front sight assembly.

Because of the method of mounting the scope mount, field stripping was difficult, and required re-sighting.

Other than this, a total HOOT to shoot.

If anyone is interested, I still have a new scope mount and base unit.

Calicos can be a lot of fun.  Some magazines are bad and will jam a lot, but in my experience most function fine.  You might need to get into the habit of re-tensioning the spring halfway through the magazine, though (a few turns on the knob in back).

.410 ammo is a pain in the ass to locate, and it's usually overpriced.  You can buy 12ga shells cheaper, since they're so popular.  I don't think I've ever seen "promotional" grade .410 ammo;  it's either hunting stuff or skeet loads, and either way it's about $8/box.

As for what one might use a Saiga for, I've heard people mumble about buying them as home defense weapons for their wives or kids or dogs or something.  Might make sense if your spouse is terrified of 12ga's.

scar,

no problem in the enthusiasm. i figure that is what shooting is supposed to be about...no matter what the gun.

either way, you might be glad to know i picked up the calico. it sold for 130.00. there was only one other person bidding on it. if not for him, i would have had it for 50.00. i'll let you know how things come along as i get settled with it.

i passed on the saiga for many of the reasons you guys mentioned.

thanks!!

if you got the money burning a hole in your pocket and want a FUN shotgun, then take a look at the 410 saiga.

its a very well made shotgun based off the AK reciever, uses detachable mags (4rnds) for sporting use. the 410 and 20ga are mostly for hunting purposes, where a 12ga might tear up a bird the lighter gauges wont. its a very good gun for introducing young kids to shotguns. the recoil is no more than a 223 AR.

the 410 ammo can be hard to find and expensive ($8 a box) and hard to reload (which is probably the reason for the high cost per box), S&B makes some cheaper 410 ammo, which ive seen at gun shows, mail order 410 would be a better solution.
a 410 slug is on par with 357mag, so it would make a decent self defense gun or small game gun.
the gun field strips like a regular AK, it bump fires really WELL, it has the side mount plate to mount Q/D PSO optics or kobra red dots.

the plastic mags are expensive and hard to find, most likely you have to get them from the importer in FL., and you need seperate mags for 3" and 2 3/4" shells (the saiga 12ga mags accept both sizes)

so for a light handy low recoil sporting or womans self defense gun its one to look at if you can handle the ammo and mag prices.

i believe winchester is now making a lever action 410, where most 410 were single or double barrel types like the "snake charmer"

if the 410 doesnt float your boat take a look at a saiga 12 ...IT ROCKS

Yup, the Saiga 12 is quite the shotgun.  Too bad they won't let us 'civis' have more then 5 rounds.

A 410 using slugs or {00} or (000) buck might be interesting.  But w/ four shots...... a 40/10mm pistol has more rounds.  But..... last I heard, the energy from a 410 slug was..... well....nice.