[AndGunsForAll]

I believe someone poilished the bolt carrier, but unsure if they always came looking like this?...Picked me up today at a local pawnshop a Saiga 12 in original configuration, was a little dirty and former owner blemished the bolt carrier handle and carrier everywhere he handled it basically by minor corrosion(like an old machinist instructor used to call them, must have been a ruster, one who destroys metal equipment by their touch), but otherwise seems like bubba shot it, didn't clean it, but didn't scratch up the paint on receiver much, but in a spot or two, and I am gonna sand down the blemishes on the bolt carrier that corroded after suspected likely former polishing, had to inspect it thoroughly to make sure it was operational, doesn't appear like the bolt head was molested in any way nor the locking recesses, and guess they built these like tanks though, jimmy joe bubba probably yip yip yahooed with his drinking buddies a good number of times , probably was a "truck gun" since 08(seems I see a manufacture date).
What is that muzzle nut up there for(?),....I was supposing various chokes, a friend of mine surmized flash suppressors or muzzle brakes. Came with ony a aftermarket 12 rounder, I don't really feel that the drum mags are a smart choice, probably one of those guns that when I get a few rounds down range I get bored.
Wow, at first I thought there was a non removeable plate after the forward outer plug was removed, but excessive carbon was keeping in a secondary floating piston, larger than what is on the bolt carrier. NEVER CLEANED PRIOR. I do believe it could have been shot till it wouldn't function properly no more, probably why it got pawned, and seems like these were a very cheap shotgun at once time.

 

[mriddick]

Sounds like something you can work with , I believe the nut is part of the choke system these firearms use.

 

[AndGunsForAll]

Sounds like something you can work with , I believe the nut is part of the choke system these firearms use.

Ah yes, I suppose there is someone out there, maybe, that hunts with one of these. I suppose it might take a standard choke thread, I don't do much shotgunning for sport. Upon closer inspection, if jimmy bubba polished the bolt carrier, he was a pro, so I don't believe it was ever polished. I've been watching folks talk these up for years, got me a centerfire systems catalog the other day, and was oogling over the "converted" saiga's, but what with my order of four Mosin Nagant PU snipers, and possible consideration for several more, I just really couldn't then I saw this, I mean, they wanted $500 for it, but it was so carboned up with initial inspection. I CLEANED IT JUST MINUTES AGO, I believe that the gas ports, three of them, were not allowing proper gas into the tube, one seemed blocked, but its clean now, the floating piston had an amount of surface corrosion on one side and now moves freely out of the forward section now. Unlike my recent purchase AMD 65 I traded for locally, which was starting to rust everywhere, and the oil inside of the receiver was moldy and still smells like mold even after I cleaned it and sprayed WD40, this one cleaned up pretty okay, soaked the bolt and its clean, no signs of corrosion on it. I AM UNSURE RIGHT NOW IF I want it in pistol grip copnfiguration, maybe I'll decide later, worse come to worse, I'll do a wire feed welding of a trigger guard relocation, maybe it would look better, especially without the buttstock on it now, those ugly-ish saiga buttstocks, but I do like the narrow pistol grips on those, I have small hands.

 

[DanaeDad]

The Saiga's are pretty rugged and will probably function fine now that you've cleaned it up. That after market 12 rounder is a regulatory "no-no" without additional 922r compliant parts. The Saiga 12 Forum goes on endlessly about converting these shotguns and keeping them in compliance with current law. For now, the original 5 round magazines are available through vendors and Gunbroker.

Mississippi Auto Arms or Danzig Arms are great vendors for conversion parts. Gunboards sponsors, Classic Arms, Aim Surplus and Centerfire Systems also have some parts for the Saiga 12. Converting to a pistol grip is a fairly simple process and if a 10-thumbed goober like me can follow a You Tube video and get it done, somebody with machine shop experience will find it easy.

There are two American makers for the gas piston, TROMIX is the first one. A new piston also counts as a compliant part. Classic Arms has an adjustable gas plug for the Saiga, it's American made and has 5 stops, in contrast to the 2 on the original. The barrel nut is there to protect the threads and can be easily removed to add chokes or a muzzle break. Again TROMIX has American made brakes to help boost your American part count.

Enjoy the Saiga, they're a blast.

 

[AndGunsForAll]

WEll, I don't believe in the use of high cap mags for these saiga 12's, its false ideaology that it makes them an effective gun for self defense, but who knows, I have decided to fix this up with the proper number of parts to take, oh, maybe drum mags, and gonna keep this gun in my permanent collection, unless I convert it and botch the job cosmetically, which then I'd sell it off and start over again on a fresh one with experience, I think I could do it, I only worry about doing it correctly and cheaply, not having to purchase expensive tools just to use once. I did a Saiga 7.62 I bought used, only thing I did was the plenty of usa parts to comply, but when I moved the triggerguard, I just tack welded with a block under the front, and only did a different usa made buttstock and pistol grip, had to leave the handguard alone, of course, never did like the look, and got rid of that, then low and behold here lately there are all these saiga 7.62's pre converted real nice for under $600 right when I just spent over two grand on mosin sniper rifles.
Actually, right now, I am temporarily on hold for spending, too bad, right now it only matters about parts count, might not like that 12 rounder that came with it, I think might sell that mag off to help pay for some parts, then just buy a drum or two to try this thing out, cause I don't like some long mag sticking off this practically to my knees(I'm not that tall), seems "wierd" to me, but not a drum, probably is what really makes these shine as a interesting gun.

 

[AndGunsForAll]

Actually, I've decided to keep this and convert this to pistol grip with the proper number of usa made parts/etc, like I editted above my previous post just now. Soon as I can, I will invesitgate what I need to buy and where, as advised.