The original Saiga's be it or the S-12 or the rifles are great actual Russian made guns of course to be imported they have to be in a sporting type configuration. They have the reliable AK type gas system and you can regulate the amount of gas via a simple knob on the front of the gas system. I have shot the stock guns before and they work well with the original magazines of course everyone wants more and more in regards to capacity and this is where a lot of the problems come in.
Aftermarket mags and drums come with different specs and when purchased a lot of time they come with instructions if the mags/drums don't fit how to fix the problem. All mags insert in the traditional AK manner by locking the front of the mag in and rocking it back. Some love it while others loath it. It comes down to a simple matter of training with the weapon.
A Saiga in it's heart is an AK plain and simple and it should be considered a sin to put them in a sporting configuration but some like the traditional sporting look and it works well for them. To me if it is an AK it should look and function like one. Conversions of Saiga's and VEPR's are big business. Some are all out like mine while others are simply bolt on pieces that work around the sporting configuration.
The conversion I had done simply copies the AK's that I have from Rifle Dynamics. I chose the parts that I know work and what I am used to except on this gun I had a Surefire magazine well installed. The purpose of this allows me to insert the mag straight in and not have to worry about the lock and rock on a traditional AK, it just seems to work better on the shotgun versions. The downside is now in order to remove the mag I have to grab the mag, press the mag release lever and pull the mag out. On a traditional AK you can perform a speed reload by using the new loaded mag to push on the mag release lever and knock the old mag out. This type of of reload can run the risk of damage to the mag release lever on some lesser quality guns or plastic "cheap" AK mags.
The Moly Resin finish to me simply holds up better than others. I tend to be rough on my guns when I train and besides the maker of the Moly Resin, John Norrell, is from my home state. Some of the other mods done make a bulletproof design even more sturdy.
The AK 100 folding stock is simply the best folder made for an AK. It is in fact a fixed polymer stock with a heavy duty hinge plate. When locked unless you knew it folded it is as stable as a traditional fixed stock rifle. I have been fortunate to shoot or own most models of AK variants from fixed stock to underfolders and nothing beats a fixed stock for being able to obtain a solid cheek weld and controlling the gun. Having the ability to fold this one to the side is simply and added bonus.
The Ultimak Rail on the gas tube allows me to mount and optic in a position that does not interfere with disassembly of the rifle. I usually mount one of the Aimpoint Micro Red Dots sights like a T-1 to the rail and it serves the purpose well. Many cheaper mounting systems simply replace the receiver cover or at the most have two screws at the rear of the cover to hold it in place. The design of the receiver cover does not really support this method as you never can seem to get the receiver tight enough or to lock down in the same place if removed. I know there are better designs now like the Texas Weapons Systems mount that attaches to the rear sight and uses that as a hinge point but to me they seem to make a good cheek weld more difficult.
To me there is nothing wrong with a stock AK trigger but they are basic military triggers not really prone to the best trigger pulls. I have found with full auto versions that once you shoot the rifle a few times and get used to that particular rifles trigger there is no problem putting the rifle on full auto and firing one, two or three round bursts simply by manipulating the trigger. Of course on a shotgun a good trigger cannot hurt however I wanted the same system and setup as my AK's.
The triggerguard and retaining plate are simply part of the conversion. Many times conversions of S-12's people will bolt on a stock with a pistol grip and not move the triggerguard/triggergroup back to it's normal position. The retaining plate was developed to keep the internals from shifting and coming loose and it does a better job than the factory part.
I chose the Shark Muzzle Brake first because it does a very good job of helping control the recoil of the shotgun. It is a rather aggressive design and I guess that if worst came to worst it could be used like a bayonet for self defense purposes. Although I could have gone with a shorter barrel length, with registration, I prefer the 18.5 and simply cutting off the barrel would leave burrs which could either deform or damage the shot coming out which would effect the pattern.
The mags being fitted to the gun goes back to what I stated before. They can be the weak link in the system and having them fitted to the specs of the gun ensures that I will have no problems that are magazine related.
Overall the standard S-12 is a great gun. It is robust and reliable just like it's AK cousin, brother, nephew and will do everything you want to do in it's stock configuration as compared to other box magazine shotguns like the Turkish MK, my God that gun has some recoil. Now all I have to do is find enough ammunition to feed it.
In regards to the $3K Saiga it is simply panic but someone will pay it. I have seen prices skyrocket in the last 10 days or so but in the last 24 hours the $2500 AR's and $750 cases of 5.56 are not selling. Hopefully all this mess will simply go away.
