Saiga aftermark. mags...

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Ignition Override

New member
With brand-new .223 and 7.62x39 Saigas, just bought two extra original Izhmash 10-rounders for each, not wanting to trust the aftermarket copies.

Comments on two other websites indicate that possibly the SGM design can be just as reliable as these original Izhmash. My only interest is having a 20-rounder for each rifle-If SGM is known to be as dependable.

I'm not doing any mods. to either rifle and only want simplicity and Reliability. The only hunting interest-not avail. (to me) in west TN-is feral pigs.

Has anybody out there actually used generic SGM mags in one or both of these all-original Saiga .223 or 7,62x39 rifles?
Any mag which requires any sort of 'tweaking' etc is out of the question.
 
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Mike38

New member
I have some 30 round SGM mags for my Saiga 223 and they work flawlessly. But, be advised, you have to make your "out of the box" Saiga 922r compliant before inserting magazines with a capacity over 10 rounds. The web site www.saiga-12.com can help you with this.
 
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P71pilot

New member
I have a saiga 7.62x39 and before I converted it myself, I bought and used a SGM tactical 20rd mag. The SGM mag did give me feeding problems one time but I believe it could have been dirty, as I cleaned it out and didn't have any more problems. I have fired about 300rds through my saiga before conversion, and have fired about 800-1300 through the rifle after magazine and pistol grip and handguard conversion. The only malfunctions I have had with the rifle were a total of 2 and they were right in a row with the SGM 20rd before conversion.

One huge advantage military AK mags have over any other type of mags is durability. Steel rear and front locking tabs/pieces are much much stronger than any polymer mag. I tapcos and similar mags with polymer locking pieces will break fairly easily.

Also the stock and grip and trigger conversion is ssssssssoo much nicer. The rifle shoulders and feels so much better. Feel free to PM me with any saiga questions you have
 
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Ignition Override

New member
Thanks very much, but I never work with tools, have no Dremel etc, and don't want to learn by experimenting on any of my guns.

Have no need for a standard 30-rd. mag, but if very reliable metal 20-rd. AK .223 mags Are readily available, I would ask local gunsmiths whether they have added bullet guides etc, and for approx. how much cost.

As for my 7.62x39 Saiga, are very dependable metal 20-rd. mags easily avail. for those rifles with the bullet guides?
 
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drobs

New member
You'll need to do the feed ramp conversion but check out:
stores.csspecs.com/

Can't get on his website from here but I thought he had 223 AK mags.

While I haven't done a Saiga Conversion (built 4 AK's from kits) these kids seem to be able to bang out a conversion quickly & easily:
http://www.youtube.com/user/eddiekern/videos

Regarding 20rd AK mags - the steel Hungarian 20rd mags were the best but now are expensive and hard to find. Probably some for sale on gunbroker. I've heard the Tapco & Korean 20rd mags are functional for bench shooting.
 
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Ignition Override

New member
Looks like sticking with the Izhmash 10rd. mags is the way to go.

I have no need for a mag which gets in the way, and have no tool skills-even for a bullet guide. Can't see any logical reason to risk messing up a perfectly reliable pair of guns.
And no armed insurgents have been maneuvering around west TN (semi-rural behind opposite houses), or did I miss something?
 
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P71pilot

New member
If you do not feel comfortable working on your gun absolutely do not do it. It was my first gun smithing experience and I enjoyed it and did good work. Gave me experience and confidence to fit a new trigger to my 1911 which turned out fantastic. Hungarian 20rs mags are really nice but getting rare. There are modern Korean made commercial grade 20rd mags that are cheap and fairly durable. They have slightly smaller and less welds, but they are all steel and should hold up well. I have one and it has not given me any problems yet. I usually use 2 Korean made 10rd steel mags as I like the low profile and they function perfect. I have a 75rd Romanian wind up drum mag for the rare occurrence of needing to be in a fire fight. That sucker is heavy. The factory saiga is still a fine Rifle. And the factory saiga mags do have a steel tab in the back. At least my 7.62 does
 
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Ignition Override

New member
Does fairly constant use of these new (or limited use) Izhmash factory mags often result in worn plastic, causing any feeding issues into the chamber, as long as the mag springs are strong?
I ordered an extra Izhmash for each rifle as a precaution, and also because they are difficult to locate.

By the way, E-Bay can be better than Gunbroker.

I just watched an excellent video on Youtube where a guy installed the Dinzag bullet guide. It does look easier than expected, but twisting that tap by hand is quite alien to me.
If plastic will hold up, just don't need the major obstruction of the 30-rd. mags.
 
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2afreedom

New member
The 20 round SGM mags are great. They work without any modifications to the rifle or the magazines and mine have been flawless with any type of ammo I have used. I find the 30 rounders to be so long that they get in the way of prone or rested shooting.
 
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5whiskey

New member
I will say that if youre iffy on installing a bullet guide, don't do it. The saiga trunion is hardened steel and somewhat difficult to drill. Its not rocket science, but I have been asked to diagnose a problem Saiga 223 before. The guy reported that every magazine would have one or two rounds with unusually stout recoil and muzzle flash. He was using galil mags I believe. I saw that it had been drilled and tapped for a bullet guide.

I asked the guy. He drilled it with a hand drill. He jacked up the drill job and stripped out the threads when he went to put the bullet guide in. So he epoxied it in. He noticed it was gone after the first range session... But thought it was fine because the gun had no failures. He didn't believe me when I told him that the rounds with stout recoil had been caused by bullet set back when the Saiga's rather violent operating system slammed that round in the chamber, and that the gun was unsafe to fire with magazines he was using unless he had a bullet guide

I've seen t flimsy 30 round promags do the same thing. That little flimsy bullet guide is easy to break off.
 
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Mike38

New member
I've seen t flimsy 30 round promags do the same thing. That little flimsy bullet guide is easy to break off.
Click to expand...

Those Promags for the Saiga are pure junk. I bought a package of ten of them for $100 and thought I was getting a great deal. One came in the package with the bullet guide already broken off. The first mag I tried jammed on round three. Broke the bullet guide. The second mag I tried, the bullet guide broke on the first round chambered. I packaged everything back up and returned them for a refund. I then bought one SGM mag to try. Worked flawlessly. I have since bought a total of eight SGM mags. Thousands of rounds, zero problems.
 
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