Saiga IZ-240 (5.45x39)

[JohnGILLBONI]

Hello folks, I am having some issues trying to get a saiga and I was wondering if anyone on here could help me out.

I wanna get a saiga in 5.45x39 (saiga IZ-240) and from what I have seen they only have a 10 round mag. Some say you can use an AK-74 mag and some say you can't because something about the saiga mag that helps feed the bullet into the chaimber. I had a guy tell me that there are two kinds of siagas..... one had a milled reciever and one had a stamped reciever. I guess if it has the dimple on eachside of the mag hole then it can use an AK-74 mag or if it is like a wasr AK with the flat sides WITHOUT dimples it has to use a saiga mag.

Some say you have to fix the bullet catch, some say u don't....... so I'm all confused because I don't know much about siagas, can anyone shine some light on this matter? thank you.

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[Bon Sauvage]

saiga-12.com Everything you want to know.

 

[Trlsmn]

Try NWFA member Northernbornrebel he has some pull with the importer.

<broken link removed>
http://www.northwestfirearms.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=70

 

[biggie24420]

here try this site and I think it will fix up all your problems lol
<broken link removed>

 

[NorthernBornRebel]

The Saigas do NOT accept 74 mags, you need to install a bullet catch and replace the mag catch for it to function properly. To do this, you need to convert it to standard AK configuration. This is a service I offer.....in fact, I am in the middle of a 5.45 underfolder build for a customer from Texas. When done it will accept standard AK74 magazines and will look like a standard AK-100 series rifle.....except it will have an underfolder stock.

 

[Trlsmn]

Some say you have to fix the bullet catch, some say u don't....... so I'm all confused because I don't know much about siagas, can anyone shine some light on this matter? thank you.

There is no bullet guide on the Saiga's so you must install one from an AK74 to use the AK mags. The Saiga has the bullet guide built into the magazine. You do need to trim the mag catch on the Saiga's to work with the AK 74 mags.

Here is the guide.

Here is a what the guide looks like installed.


The mag catch is longer on the Saiga, here is a picture to illustrate the difference in where the Saiga mag catch grabs compared to a regular AK mag.

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

I might buy the 5.45 myself.

 

[JohnGILLBONI]

Well from what i've read so far the reg AK74 mags will fit and work, but when I get the rifle I will try and if not then I guess I can put on a bolt guide or whatever.
I checked out the bulgi mags in the site posted by BIG and it sez on there it will work, i've seen on some forum site that them 5.45x39 saigas are the only ones that use a "factory" 30 round ak74 mag.
I was gonna get an ARSENAL AK74 but decided to be a little different and get a saiga and put a tapco stock with the built in pistol grip, a railed forend and a short rail grip with maybe a flashlight attachment. It will be a nice tactical rifle, dependable, and cheaper to shoot.

 

[NorthernBornRebel]

I can't believe that they take the standard AK74 mags as that would violate the regs they had to abide by to get the other Saigas imported. Oh well, we'll see when either you get yours or I get mine.

 

[Trlsmn]

Well from what i've read so far the reg AK74 mags will fit and work, but when I get the rifle I will try and if not then I guess I can put on a bolt guide or whatever.
I checked out the bulgi mags in the site posted by BIG and it sez on there it will work, i've seen on some forum site that them 5.45x39 saigas are the only ones that use a "factory" 30 round ak74 mag.
I was gonna get an ARSENAL AK74 but decided to be a little different and get a saiga and put a tapco stock with the built in pistol grip, a railed forend and a short rail grip with maybe a flashlight attachment. It will be a nice tactical rifle, dependable, and cheaper to shoot.

You can likely find something nicer (A real AK74) and good to go in town for the same money you will have invested if you look around. You will find that most purists have a very low opinion of Tapco stocks, the pistol grip conversion stock in particular is a very short term and unsatisfying cure. What happens typically is people start with a compromise like that when they first get into the hobby and later do it the right way, so they pay twice, the old saying "buy once, cry once, is true." That said, good luck with your project regardless.

 

[biggie24420]

You can likely find something nicer (A real AK74) and good to go in town for the same money you will have invested if you look around. You will find that most purists have a very low opinion of Tapco stocks, the pistol grip conversion stock in particular is a very short term and unsatisfying cure. What happens typically is people start with a compromise like that when they first get into the hobby and later do it the right way, so they pay twice, the old saying "buy once, cry once, is true." That said, good luck with your project regardless.

lol you can find a russian around town under $400? The saiga is a real ak by the way hahahahahahahahaha

 

[biggie24420]

Just wanted to let you and everyone else know that with the IZ-240 (5.45x39) saiga rifle, you can use regular military spec. ak74 mags. I gone done the research and I have actually cycled 90 rounds through one of these Saiga ak74 with no feeding issues without having to use a bullet guide. You probably need to use a bullet guide on the 5.56 (.223) and or the .308 rifles.
There is a little difference between the saiga mags and the regular ak mags but in this case the difference doesn't effect the bullet feeding into the rifle/chamber.

 

[Ravenous]

I believe this will be my second gun purchase. With surplus ammo at $240 for 2160 rounds you can do a lot of shooting on the cheap!

 

[biggie24420]

You sure can. I got my ammo from Aimsurplus.com I got the spam can with the 1080 rnds. for $130 and they are corrosive so make sure you clean the heck out of the rifle when done shooting. I also got the COMM-BLOCK ak74 30 rnd. mags for it and if you get 4 or more you get it for $10 and it comes with a free pouch (pouch is used and smells funkey lol). The mags are a little scuffed up but they feed great. You can also go to carolinashooterssupply.com and get the bulgi 30 rnd. mags for $15 and they are darn near new. This saiga also has a bolt lock that is neat. I got mine from peach state guns LLC or whatever........ found them on gunbroker.com and it was $370 shipped. I had it shipped to my FFL and he lives in hillsboro and he does $10 transfer fee and $10 background check. Some website sells these rifles about ten dollars cheaper but I forgot the name.
My friend got an arsenal and he spent like $800 and it is a great looking ak74 but if your on a budget get the saiga and it is RUSSIAN and it's an AK74 also lol put some tapco stuff on it and my man your ready to rock and roll. The factory plastic front grip or forend and the butt stock are rather cheap tho (cheap thin plastic)..... I also got a recoil buffer for $10 and I can't wait to go shooting.

 

[chris61182]

I just got my IZ-240 a few days ago, haven't shot it yet. I own a few other Saiga's and sadly this new model seems to be a few notches lower on the workmanship than the ones I've seen before. I can only assume the Russians know that most of the Saigas are going to have their trigger groups replaced because they sure didn't spend any time cleaning the hammer up. On mine there's a burr that makes the trigger pull real heavy right before it breaks. But that's not anything a quick and easy conversion can't fix.

And like biggie pointed out, aimsurplus is good, carolinashooterssupply is where I get all my conversion parts, and centerfiresystems just barely beats aim on mag price.