Saiga .308 Conversion (front end only)

Vernonia MW · Dec 25, 2024

This was a little bit different of a front end conversion, performed on a Saiga .308. These come without threaded barrels and will not accept standard handguards. There is no barrel protruding past the front sight, so threading these is a little more involved than usual.

The rifle was stripped to just the barreled action. The front sight and gas block were pressed off. I then clamped the receiver in the 4 jaw chuck with some protective shims, and put the muzzle in the live center. A steady rest was used to... help keep things steady.

As with the PSL I threaded and posted about, turning a barreled action in this fashion is a trade-off. The threads will be "concentric enough". They will not be as good as if the barrel was removed and put in my cat's head fixture.

Vernonia MW · Dec 25, 2024

I started by turning the threads. There was not enough barrel diameter to do 5/8-24, unfortunately, so it was decided to do M14x1 LH.

I then had to turn back the front sight journal. The plan was to push back the front sight the distance between the two pin holes, so that the rear pin hole becomes the front pin hole, and a new rear pin hole gets drilled.

ZA_Survivalist · Dec 25, 2024

Can't wait to see the finished product!

Vernonia MW · Dec 25, 2024

Now for where the handguard retainer would go. Before loading on the lathe, I marked out approximately where the handguard was going to be going. At this location, I turned a journal. I then made a bushing, and heat shrunk it onto the journal I turned on the barrel.

Vernonia MW · Dec 25, 2024

It was time to re-populate the barrel. The gas block was pressed on, and then the front sight. The handguard retainer grew in diameter after shrinking it onto the barrel, so I had to hit it with some emory cloth. It was a very nice fit afterwards. It is worth noting the handguard retainer used was from a Yugo M72, and needed a larger diameter than normal handguard retainers.

Unfortunately, this is as far as this project went in my shop. The customer (a good friend of mine) said he would finish the rest of the work on his own. He just needed help with the turned features. The only work that was left was adding the groove for the handguard retainer, and drilling the remaining front sight pin hole.