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Posted: 6/9/2010 2:18:54 PM EDT
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Can anyone recommend several REPUTABLE 'smiths doing Saiga conversions? There was a thread about Texas shops a week or so ago; I contacted Sledgehammer Arms, and he's not taking new work.
Haven't heard from the others, so I thought it's time to start looking for other options. Thanks! 
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Quoted:
Can anyone recommend several REPUTABLE 'smiths doing Saiga conversions? There was a thread about Texas shops a week or so ago; I contacted Sledgehammer Arms, and he's not taking new work. Haven't heard from the others, so I thought it's time to start looking for other options. Thanks! How detailed of a conversion do you want to do? It's pretty easy. Knocking off the FSB and Gas Block can be done with a hand drill and a hammer or a dremel. Install can be done with a block of wood and a hammer. Pinning can be done with a hand drill. Back end conversion is cake. $340 (rifle) + $90 (furniture) + $15 (retainer) + $30 (Gas Block) + $50 (FSB) + $25 (FCG) + $25 (Foreign Muzzle Brake) + $20 (bullet guide) + free labor (you) = a sweet rifle. If that scares you, then I'm sure you could buy an arsenal with all of the goodies for less money than a conversion unless you're looking for something really exotic. Heck you could buy an AK-105 cheaper than you can build one. |
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I've thought about doing it myself––but things like a one hook or two hook trigger confuse me––I'm not sure which I need. I've read the internet info on the conversion––seems pretty straight forward––I guess the trigger stuff intimidates me. And I don't have a lathe or equipment to thread the barrel & install a muzzle break.
Ideally––if possible, I'd like the cleaning rod & a bayonet lug––these aren't as important. I wasn't able to find any info on these mods and suspect a gunsmith needs to do them. What am I looking to build? An AK with Meprolight night sights, a nice, two-stage AK trigger group & an ACE folding stock. I ordered the sights, but again, am not sure what to do with the trigger. Or who's to buy––Arsenal? TAPCO? Someone else? The after-market parts I have absolutely no experience with––so I'm not sure what brand to buy. The trigger on my Saiga is actually pretty nice, so I thought about just buying an ACE Saiga folding stock & installing the Meprolight sights. This weekend I'll most likely tweak with mag release for standard AK mags. Even reading here & on the net––I don't feel like I know enough about an AK. I detail strip my Glocks, Walther PP & PPK, SIGs, Luger, Rugers and have done fluff & buff trigger jobs on my S&W revolvers & ARs––but no AK experience. I have a Dremel & basic hand tools, but no milling machines, lathes, rivetting equipment, etc. Part of me says––what the heck––but I don't like the idea of screwing up a rifle––even if it is relatively inexpensive. So it might be simpler to leave the modifications to the experts. ETA: The mods are for a 7,62x39––so I don't have the equipment to cut the trigger opening. Make sense? |
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Saigas take a single hook fire control group. I installed a double hook on one but it required notching the receiver.
I don't need a muzzle device, just one more thing to clean shooting corrosive ammo. I have two other AK type rifles if I need to shoot one with a muzzle device. Grind 3 rivets and pry the plate off. Drill the trigger transfer bar pins with an undersized drill bit and knock them out. Install a dinzag arms bullet guide. dremel and drill press is all you need for a simple conversion. Red Jacket used to do the simple conversions http://www.redstick-firearms.com/services/services.html Better off buying an SGL if you can't/won't do the work yourself |
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Red Jacket used to do the simple conversions http://www.redstick-firearms.com/services/services.html Better off buying an SGL if you can't/won't do the work yourself Still do. Atlantic has them here Not a bad looking rifle, IMHO, although I do prefer the full conversions offered by Arsenal. I got a chance to get my first look at a SLR-107F yesterday in a local shop. Bulgaria instead of Russian but still a damn fine rifle. I love the folding stock on that gun. If I hadn't already allocated my "gun money" for the year... oh well, $849 saved... for now. 
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Red Jacket used to do the simple conversions http://www.redstick-firearms.com/services/services.html Better off buying an SGL if you can't/won't do the work yourself Still do. Atlantic has them here Not a bad looking rifle, IMHO, although I do prefer the full conversions offered by Arsenal. I got a chance to get my first look at a SLR-107F yesterday in a local shop. Bulgaria instead of Russian but still a damn fine rifle. I love the folding stock on that gun. If I hadn't already allocated my "gun money" for the year... oh well, $849 saved... for now.
I didn't mean that Red Jacket did them for vendors. Red Jacket did them for customers, but if they do the front end they charge more than the simple conversion and with all parts and labor you could just buy an SGL already done for less. The OP was asking who could do his conversion, if he can't do it himself he should just sell it and buy one already done. |
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Yeah, I knew what you meant. I was just letting the OP know that there was an option available for a less expensive, partial conversion, if he was afraid to tackle the job himself. Someone on here recently bought one and posted a review.
Of course it doesn't have the AK HGs, a threaded muzzle, or cleaning rod provisions, but I sorta like the looks of the HG they used on this one and all in all I don't think it looks half bad. Just depends on what features are important to the individual. Personally, I'd buy an Arsenal, but then again that's because I lke the 107F and that isn't something I could do myself. My only gripe with the 107 is that they didn't include the receiver side optic mount for some reason. I probably wouldn't ever use it anyway but you never know. It's not a deal breaker for me since if I ever needed one I could always add it later, but for the price I'd have thought they would have installed one. |
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