Ah, I didn't know about the magazine incompatibility of the Saigas. I have to ask though, how different are they. Are we talking the kind of problem that somebody could solve with ten minutes persuasion with a dremel tool, or real differences...

Yeah, you can modify the magwell if you know what you are doing or send it out and get modded to take AK mags. Its not a big mod.

Thing is, if cops/military are grabbing guns in a time of disaster they won't care if its a Saiga or a full blown AK. They were taking .22s off of old women in Katrina. Get something small, folding stock, SBR, whatever, and be low key, you won't last very long with any weapon otherwise.

Surefire does make hi-cap Saiga mags, they are more expensive and much harder to find that regular AK mags but if you don't want to go the mod route you still have hi cap options.

i was always under the impression that the SKS had detachable mags.were all the ones i'd seen modified??...because that a big issue.

5 or 10 round fixed mags are standard I believe. They can be modded to accept removable mags.

Yup, fixed mags are standard. Cool thing about the SKS is you can run stripper clips.

There was a model of SKS that took AK mags from the factory, I think Norinco produced them, don't know the availability of them, definately a lot rarer than your standard SKS.

Used to see SKS drums around every once in a while too. Think they were 75 rnd.

Yes and yes, but not to such a degree in either case that it would matter.
Unless one is looking at a Dragunov variant, you don't buy commie rifles for accuracy - but for reliability.

Fps (velocity) loss or gain from changes in barrel length usually only amount to 10-50 fps per inch of difference. 50 being a hell of a lot, and very unusual. Each gun is different, so you can easily have two identicle guns that shoot the same ammo at measurably different speeds. Same for accuracy.

Just tell your pops to buy them both, that way he won't regret not having the one he didn't get.

that means that all the SKS's i've been around must've been modded.i never knew that.glad i do now.thanks boys.

I have been wanting a AK type for some time now, I have done lots of reading and more or less setteled on the idea of a converted Saiga, with a little know how it can be a DIY project, or there are gun smiths to go to aswell . I love the fact that you can have it your way. Here is a guide for the DIY type converting a Saiga.
http://www.cross-conn.com/Saiga_Conversion/index.htm

But before you go looking for "high-cap" mags make sure you are in 100% compliance with "922(r) compliance" laws.

Recently bought my first rifle, a pistol-grip converted Saiga. Can't get any more authentic than this IMHO. "IZHMASH Russian State Arms company, the parent company of AK-47, has used the design of its most famous model to develop various semi-automatics including Saiga, which is really a part of the family of semi-automatic shotguns and rifles."

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Good looking buys

Very nice.

Beautiful AK there rackemup, I am jelous to say the least.
Is that a cross-breed super-tuck holster? how do you like it?