Was in my favorite gunshop tonight returning a scope for warranty work and they had this baby on the shelf.  The finish is perfect; the marks in picture are from the oil and handling the gun.

Doesn't seem to have been fired much, if at all. Plus it came with three extra magzines and a locking double-gun hard case for $250 out the door.

I know that Hesse made some modified AKs that looked something like this (CDNN has them for $399 dealer) but there are no Hesse markings anywhere, just the EAA import marks and the Izmash Arsenal markings, plus the weld between the brake and the FSB is absolutelty perfect, which is also not a Hesse indicator. It has the scope mount rail, too.

Checked the EAA website and they only offer them with the hunter-style stock and bare muzzle.

Anyone have any ideas?

I'd bet that's still a Hesse conversion.

I second the Hesse. The buttstock is a Hesse.  Still, $250 is a *very* good price...I'd snag it.  I've seen a Hesse 7.62x39 conversion, and it was surpisingly nice.  Ditch the buttstock though...garbage.

take care,
Tc

The hunter stock version Saiga is $229 at CDNN , plus $23 for each extra mag, so nice deal OTD plus conversion!!

Maybe one of the homeless kids working in Hesse's shop turned out to be a child gunsmithing prodigy?

Looks like a nice deal, I'd say go for it.  

You should then see about some further work, like a conventional handguard system or something.  Anything that will remove the Hesse stigma from the rifle and make it yours.

I'll agree with the assesment that it's a Hesse rework. No markings that I could find see on the FCG though I didn't disassemble it completely.

I saw a couple new ones on the rack at two different gun shops today, one for $459 and one for $479, with no accessories. So I think my $250 was well spent.

Who sells 30rd Hi caps for this gun?
Anyone?

LMFAO. No one made high-cap .308 AK mags before the ban, and Russia certainly never fielded anything the like, so WTF are the mags going to come from? Sorry, just bitter.

Rumor has it a 25rnd Galil .308 mag will work, with modification to the rifle. Also seen M14 mag conversions that'll work, but Galil mags are like, $50 a pop, more if they're in OK condition, and I only saw the M14 conversion once, and dont recal who had it.