Archived Posts » 60,546,157
The Russians Are Coming...
2/17/2012 2:58:41 PM
About two weeks ago, I sold off my tricked out Romanian PSL-54c, and although I took a bit of a hit on the sale, it still generated enough cash that, just yesterday, I was able to bring home this pair of Russian beauties:
Indeed, that is one Saiga and one Vepr, both chambered in 5.45x39, and all mine!!! The next step is to convert them, which I plan to document in this thread. I won’t be taking a “how to” approach since many of you have already done such conversions, and those who haven’t are probably at least familiar with the process, given the number of videos and blogs on the subject. Instead, I’ll just describe my intent for them here, and update my progress with future posts. All this may take some time, though, as buying these rifle’s simultaneously has severely depleted my “gun fund,” but I think it’ll be worth it in the end. That said…
My plan for the Saiga is pretty simple; namely, I plan to mount it in plum Arsenal/KVAR furniture and pair it with Russian plum magazines. Likewise, even though I like the AK74-style brake that is so popular, I’ve decided to go with a standard slant brake on this one, partly to differentiate it from all of the SGL-21 clones out there, but also because I’m hoping to acquire an SLR-105 at some point, which already has the AK74-style brake. I intend to refinish the metal bits in flat black, as I don’t care for the shiny paint it currently sports.
As for the Vepr, it will likely be more involved, even though it requires less conversion work. Obviously, the FCG won’t need moving, and I don’t expect the front-end changes to be any different than the Saiga. Threading the barrel may be an issue, though, as it is thicker than I expected, and I don’t want to use a pinned or bolt-on muzzle device. My device of choice right now is the “Russian Original Flash Hider” from CNC Warrior, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.
The furniture, I think, is where I’ll have the most fun, as I intend to build it myself. As a third-generation woodworker, I’ve been active in the field since my youth (both professionally and as an avid hobbyist), so it is only logical that I take a crack at it before spending money on someone else’s offerings. I don’t want to reveal specific details just yet, as I’m still working out certain “unconventional” design elements that may or may not work, but I can say that I’ll be using a brown finish to match the brown magazines I have. Also, much like the Saiga, the existing black paint is on the shiny side, so I'll end up refinishing it in flat black as well.
So there you have it. Updates will be forthcoming, but until then, thanks for looking.
-RSM
Indeed, that is one Saiga and one Vepr, both chambered in 5.45x39, and all mine!!! The next step is to convert them, which I plan to document in this thread. I won’t be taking a “how to” approach since many of you have already done such conversions, and those who haven’t are probably at least familiar with the process, given the number of videos and blogs on the subject. Instead, I’ll just describe my intent for them here, and update my progress with future posts. All this may take some time, though, as buying these rifle’s simultaneously has severely depleted my “gun fund,” but I think it’ll be worth it in the end. That said…
My plan for the Saiga is pretty simple; namely, I plan to mount it in plum Arsenal/KVAR furniture and pair it with Russian plum magazines. Likewise, even though I like the AK74-style brake that is so popular, I’ve decided to go with a standard slant brake on this one, partly to differentiate it from all of the SGL-21 clones out there, but also because I’m hoping to acquire an SLR-105 at some point, which already has the AK74-style brake. I intend to refinish the metal bits in flat black, as I don’t care for the shiny paint it currently sports.
As for the Vepr, it will likely be more involved, even though it requires less conversion work. Obviously, the FCG won’t need moving, and I don’t expect the front-end changes to be any different than the Saiga. Threading the barrel may be an issue, though, as it is thicker than I expected, and I don’t want to use a pinned or bolt-on muzzle device. My device of choice right now is the “Russian Original Flash Hider” from CNC Warrior, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.
The furniture, I think, is where I’ll have the most fun, as I intend to build it myself. As a third-generation woodworker, I’ve been active in the field since my youth (both professionally and as an avid hobbyist), so it is only logical that I take a crack at it before spending money on someone else’s offerings. I don’t want to reveal specific details just yet, as I’m still working out certain “unconventional” design elements that may or may not work, but I can say that I’ll be using a brown finish to match the brown magazines I have. Also, much like the Saiga, the existing black paint is on the shiny side, so I'll end up refinishing it in flat black as well.
So there you have it. Updates will be forthcoming, but until then, thanks for looking.
-RSM
2/17/2012 3:27:54 PM
tagged
2/21/2012 4:00:17 PM
Just a quick update…
Over the weekend, I removed the furniture from both rifles in preparation for their respective conversions. Likewise, I removed the “muzzle shroud” from the Saiga as well, but sadly, the barrel isn’t threaded. Now that I can make a more direct comparison between the rifles’ barrels, though, it is clear that I’ll have to alter my plan for the Vepr. To be precise, it looks like I’ll have to re-profile the tip with a Dinzag muzzle cutter so that I can thread it to match the device I want to use. This is an expense I didn’t plan for, but at least I know I’ll be able to use it on any future Veprs I acquire. On the bright side, however, I sold off a bunch of stuff in the EE, so I was able to order most of the stuff I’ll need to convert both rifles. I figure they’ll start showing up later this week and early next week, and then the fun begins. I’m looking forward to it.
-RSM
Over the weekend, I removed the furniture from both rifles in preparation for their respective conversions. Likewise, I removed the “muzzle shroud” from the Saiga as well, but sadly, the barrel isn’t threaded. Now that I can make a more direct comparison between the rifles’ barrels, though, it is clear that I’ll have to alter my plan for the Vepr. To be precise, it looks like I’ll have to re-profile the tip with a Dinzag muzzle cutter so that I can thread it to match the device I want to use. This is an expense I didn’t plan for, but at least I know I’ll be able to use it on any future Veprs I acquire. On the bright side, however, I sold off a bunch of stuff in the EE, so I was able to order most of the stuff I’ll need to convert both rifles. I figure they’ll start showing up later this week and early next week, and then the fun begins. I’m looking forward to it.
-RSM
2/21/2012 4:18:33 PM
Originally Posted By rsm000rsm:
Just a quick update…
Over the weekend, I removed the furniture from both rifles in preparation for their respective conversions. Likewise, I removed the “muzzle shroud” from the Saiga as well, but sadly, the barrel isn’t threaded. Now that I can make a more direct comparison between the rifles’ barrels, though, it is clear that I’ll have to alter my plan for the Vepr. To be precise, it looks like I’ll have to re-profile the tip with a Dinzag muzzle cutter so that I can thread it to match the device I want to use. This is an expense I didn’t plan for, but at least I know I’ll be able to use it on any future Veprs I acquire. On the bright side, however, I sold off a bunch of stuff in the EE, so I was able to order most of the stuff I’ll need to convert both rifles. I figure they’ll start showing up later this week and early next week, and then the fun begins. I’m looking forward to it.
-RSM
Just a quick update…
Over the weekend, I removed the furniture from both rifles in preparation for their respective conversions. Likewise, I removed the “muzzle shroud” from the Saiga as well, but sadly, the barrel isn’t threaded. Now that I can make a more direct comparison between the rifles’ barrels, though, it is clear that I’ll have to alter my plan for the Vepr. To be precise, it looks like I’ll have to re-profile the tip with a Dinzag muzzle cutter so that I can thread it to match the device I want to use. This is an expense I didn’t plan for, but at least I know I’ll be able to use it on any future Veprs I acquire. On the bright side, however, I sold off a bunch of stuff in the EE, so I was able to order most of the stuff I’ll need to convert both rifles. I figure they’ll start showing up later this week and early next week, and then the fun begins. I’m looking forward to it.
-RSM
Like someone else said recently the 5.45 never were threaded and if your replacing the FSB that wont matter.
Take lots of pics of your progress
2/21/2012 4:52:06 PM
Originally Posted By Iowaredneck:
[
Like someone else said recently the 5.45 never were threaded and if your replacing the FSB that wont matter.
Take lots of pics of your progress
[
Like someone else said recently the 5.45 never were threaded and if your replacing the FSB that wont matter.
Take lots of pics of your progress
Yeah, I'd read that, but I was keeping my fingers crossed anyway, just in case. I had the threading tools on my "stuff to get" list just in case as well.
As for progress pictures, that's part of the plan, assuming my camera cooperates. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't. Or maybe I just suck at photography. ;-)
-RSM
2/29/2012 12:08:06 PM
In an earlier post, I mentioned that I ordered most of what I need to convert both rifles, and I’m glad to say that the last of the packages arrived yesterday. While waiting for everything to get here, though, I reconsidered my plan for the Saiga. To be precise, the Saiga is going to be my “go to” gun if I expect to do a lot of shooting over a significant period of time, be it a carbine class, an afternoon of plinking at the range, or an impromptu “run & gun” session with friends. The problem, however, is with standard AK pistol grips. Simply put, they’re too skinny for my hands, and cause me all kinds of grief when doing any type of shooting other than from a bench rest. This is why Hogue is my grip of choice, although I like the US Palm battle grip as well. If only they made a grip in plum…
That said, although I prefer AK rifles dressed in simple furniture (be it wood or polymer), there’s something to be said for a “tactical” set up when done right. I’ve attempted this a few times, but I wasn’t pleased with the results, so the rifles ended up back in their original configurations.
More recently, I climbed on the Draco SBR bandwagon with the intent to use that gun to satiate my tactical AK craving, but I canceled that plan for various reasons, not the least of which was the eventual cost to set up the SBR the way I wanted it. I did pick up a few of the parts I was going to use, though, and I still have them, but now I’ll use them on the Saiga. Here’s a picture of those parts, along with the rifle and the new parts I still intend to use for the project.
As the picture shows, I still need a few pieces to complete the set up. For starters, I plan to replace the dust cover with a TWS “Dog Leg” along with the accompanying rear peep sight. I’ll pair that with their new hand guard system as well, once it becomes readily available. Until then, though, I’ll have to use the factory dust cover and hand guard.
That leaves the muzzle device. There are four I’m considering, including the Battlecomp AKBC, the FSC47 and J-Tac47 from Primary Weapons Systems, and the upcoming AK Dynacomp. I’ve read a lot of good things about the first three, and the preliminary reports on the fourth also bode well. Ultimately, though, price is going to be as important as performance, so right now, the PWS offerings are leading the race.
Now, I realize this will result in a rifle that is far more expensive than I originally planned, but the total cost is still a lot less than that of the Draco SBR.
As for the plum stock set, it won’t go to waste, as I have a CAI M74 Sporter that is in dire need of better furniture, and since I don’t shoot it very often (or for very long), the skinny pistol grip won’t be an issue.
There you have it. I should have another update in a few days, so until then, thanks for looking…
-RSM
That said, although I prefer AK rifles dressed in simple furniture (be it wood or polymer), there’s something to be said for a “tactical” set up when done right. I’ve attempted this a few times, but I wasn’t pleased with the results, so the rifles ended up back in their original configurations.
More recently, I climbed on the Draco SBR bandwagon with the intent to use that gun to satiate my tactical AK craving, but I canceled that plan for various reasons, not the least of which was the eventual cost to set up the SBR the way I wanted it. I did pick up a few of the parts I was going to use, though, and I still have them, but now I’ll use them on the Saiga. Here’s a picture of those parts, along with the rifle and the new parts I still intend to use for the project.
As the picture shows, I still need a few pieces to complete the set up. For starters, I plan to replace the dust cover with a TWS “Dog Leg” along with the accompanying rear peep sight. I’ll pair that with their new hand guard system as well, once it becomes readily available. Until then, though, I’ll have to use the factory dust cover and hand guard.
That leaves the muzzle device. There are four I’m considering, including the Battlecomp AKBC, the FSC47 and J-Tac47 from Primary Weapons Systems, and the upcoming AK Dynacomp. I’ve read a lot of good things about the first three, and the preliminary reports on the fourth also bode well. Ultimately, though, price is going to be as important as performance, so right now, the PWS offerings are leading the race.
Now, I realize this will result in a rifle that is far more expensive than I originally planned, but the total cost is still a lot less than that of the Draco SBR.
As for the plum stock set, it won’t go to waste, as I have a CAI M74 Sporter that is in dire need of better furniture, and since I don’t shoot it very often (or for very long), the skinny pistol grip won’t be an issue.
There you have it. I should have another update in a few days, so until then, thanks for looking…
-RSM
2/29/2012 2:19:32 PM
sweet. Now convert it already! If I wanted to see parts sitting on a table I dumped my spare parts box on my work bench 
