I'm looking for a trunk gun.  I own a Arsenal SLR 101 but i don't want to throw a $600 ak47 in the trunk.  Are saiga's the cheapest route to go to get a reliable AK47 in the trunk.  what are your recommendations.  I don't care about the pistol grip, it just has to take 30 rounders.  I can do the conversion later if i feel like it.

Quoted: I'm looking for a trunk gun.  I own a Arsenal SLR 101 but i don't want to throw a $600 ak47 in the trunk.  Are saiga's the cheapest route to go to get a reliable AK47 in the trunk.  what are your recommendations.  I don't care about the pistol grip, it just has to take 30 rounders.  I can do the conversion later if i feel like it.

Look around for a MAK 90, either new or like new. Should be able to find one for a little more than half of what your Arsenal cost.

how hard is it to covert the saiga to take normal mags.  I have access to a good machinist and machine shop.

Been seeing like new and new Mak 90's for $400.  Where oh where has the $150 ak47 gone?

Its not that hard to do, basically a bullet guide will have to be installed in front of the chamber.  It requires the part and drilling and tapping the trunion, not a big deal if you have ever tapped a hole before, or can have someone do it.  A lot of people make their own bullet guides from pipe, or I even made mine of flat strap bent and ground to shape.

You can set it up basically 2 ways.   1 is to file the mags down in the rear latch to fit the latch on the rifle. This way you can still use the  factory magazine and some others that will latch in without surgery.  Or you can file down the bump under the mag latch so it takes most standard highcap AK mags.  Either way you sometimes have to file mags in front of the feedlips to relieve enough material so it will seat in the receiver.  This is minor stuff to get them to fit, its the feedramp that is more important to how it will run.

The other thing with the factory Saiga is some can't deal with the trigger.  I have polished them up to improve the feel and learned to get used to it.   But after converting a couple,  the fire control groups made in the US are a lot better.  

If you didn't want to screw with mag conversion etc, a WASR or something used may be cheaper, though probably not better.