SAIGA .223 any good?

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PTR 91

New member
OK take this from a owner of a saiga 223 and a former owner of a kel tec. The kel tec was crap, overheats too easly and with its's peep sights the accuracy was horrible. The saiga is alsome and yes you can easly shoot paper plates from 100 yards. It is an AK in 223 so it is very dependable. Trust me go with the Saiga, you will kick yourself later if you buy the kel tec.
 
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Manedwolf

Moderator
Excellent.

It IS an AK. And not only that, but instead of being a Romanian copy with a finish apparently applied by monkeys, it's a real Russian AK made by Izhmash, on the same machinery the Russian Army AKs are made on. The same company Mr. Kalashnikov still consults for.

They have a chromelined 1:9 twist barrel, and will eat anything you can feed them. A high-cap mag can be purchased from Surefire for $50, or you can convert it to be a combat AK with some work and the correct number of US parts.
 
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cajun47

New member
how much do SAIGA .223 rifles go far in shops? that site i linked is at cost i think. $267 seems real cheap.
 
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Manedwolf

Moderator
$259-$289 for the .223, which is really a 5.56. They put the 223 on it with a sort of wink and nudge for the "sporter" guise. It has no problem using surplus 5.56 at all. I've fed Radway Green SS109 and Guatemalan through mine, no problems. It's an AK. ;)

(As another plus, they come with a Warsaw Pact scope rail, and any AK lock-on scope mount or weaver mount rail will go right on.)
 
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PTR 91

New member
You hit the nail on the head. Damn fine rifle and just to say it has a lot better trigger/ trigger pull then on a WASR 10. Pickone up you won't be sorry.
 
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cajun47

New member
so i can shoot the military 5.56 as well as the .223? yes i have the romain ak copy. my question is how much more accurate are these SAIGA .223? can i expect much tighter groups? how are they for 200 or 300 yards?

im guessing the SAIGA .223 is not as accurate as a bushmaster(which i can't afford).
 
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Manedwolf

Moderator
so i can shoot the military 5.56 as well as the .223?
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Yes.

yes i have the romain ak copy. my question is how much more accurate are these SAIGA .223?
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I don't have a romanian one, but this is pretty accurate. It's very well-made, by the people who made the AK in the first place. :)


im guessing the SAIGA .223 is not as accurate as a bushmaster(which i can't afford).
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Why not? With good ammo and a good, zeroed scope, it's got the same barrel length and barrel twist. (16" or 20", the Saiga is available in both) I think it'd be every bit as accurate as a bushmaster M4-configuration of the same barrel length, respectively. Is it as accurate as a floated-barrel long bushmaster meant only for championship benchrest matches? Probably not. But those are meant only for that purpose.

No surplus ammo will ever be pinpoint accurate. Military ammo doesn't have to be. If you want that, you'd want to buy a box of precision 223 match ammo for it. :)
 
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MD_Willington

New member
My S223 cost me $305, that is with $20 for transfer to a local FFL...

I picked up 3 additional factory magazines from Krebs for $18 a piece, everyone else starts at $25+...
 
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TOU

New member
SAIGA .223 any good?

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http://www.gunsatcost.com/Item.aspx?PID=56178

good price but are they dependable like an ak47?
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Yes...they are AK's....some of the best quality as already noted.

would the .223 version be far more accurate than my 7.62x39 ak47(i can hit paper plates at 100 yards).
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Probably. More than a comparable Saiga in 7.62? Debatable.

how does this compare with the kel-tec .223 rifles?
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I will admit up front, that I do not own and have never even shot the Kel-Tec. That said I have handled them and for a backpacking kick around rifle they look to be alright. Outside of that, I really don't have any desire to spend $400 on one....especially since I hardly ever backpack anymore.

When it comes to these Saiga's, they are one of the best bargains in firearms out there since the NIB $69 SKS's years ago...probably better. Basically I believe you can't go wrong for the $250-$300 spent; they are even tough to beat for nearly double the price, IMHO. Now, I don't say that easily nor am I wealthy by any means but I say it knowing that I could realistically manage to buy just about anything if I really wanted to. I still bought the Saiga's. (Also have a Daewoo DR-200...may also add a Bushie Dissipator and PTR-91 in a month or two for completely different reasons.) I mean, why spend more than I/you have to for their specific intended purpose when it's not necessary?

Now...if you want a pure target rifle, you are barking up the wrong tree. (I have some high dollar 14-17lb single shot rifles that do just that.) Reliability, HD, SHTF fun gun with more than adequate, quality and accuracy? Absolutely...and then some. That said though I think you will do just find with them especially if you add optics or something like the MOJO sights. The rifle's fit, finish, and quality is more than cable, it is only a matter if the OEM sights and if your skills are up to it. I haven't had a chance to truly target with my own yet, but have seen several 1.5-3 moa targets shot with all three calibers...including the .308. Besides, if you change your mind it is doubtful you would loose much more than $25-$50 on reselling it if you buy it right initially.

Incidentally, I put my own money where my mouth was as I recently bought a complete "Fat-Pack" of Saiga's; all with the shorter barrels. (One in each caliber; the 16" rifles AND the 19" Shotties') I was so impressed with them I immediately bought another in 7.62 and .223.

Enjoy,

TOU
 
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CraigKN

New member
I've been looking for an inexpensive and reliable autoloader for general marksmanship training, and I think that a Saiga .223 might be perfect. I have a 10/22, which I plan on using as often as possible, but I'd like to add a centerfire to my arsenal.

I'm hoping to attend an Appleseed shoot this summer, and I need a rifle for that. My 10/22 would be ideal (for the 25 yard portion), however it has a bull barrel and a scope (no iron sights), and I'd rather attend the Appleseed with iron sights. I'll bring both, but I'd like a centerfire to shoot the longer range targets with.
 
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