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AK 47 vs Saiga
woodchuckjohn
Member Posts: 207 ✭✭✭
Interested in an assault rifle, 7.65x39. How do the Saiga and AK 47's compare? Cost is about the same for NJ compliant guns.
Comments
The term "assault rifle" is a made up term used by people who want to ban semi-automatic rifles, and IMO you shouldn't use it.
Lecture over.
The caliber in question, is 7.62x39, by the way.
To answer the question, the Saiga is effectively a Kalashnikov pattern rifle set up in a "sporting" configuration specifically to avoid every "evil looking" feature that makes the above-mentioned gun banners upset.
So while most of the guts and action are the same, the Saiga has a conventional stock and a moved trigger group to accomodate it, and the Saiga has been set up to accept only reduced capacity single stack magazines. Usually Saigas come with plastic furniture and AKs wood, but either gun can be set up with either type. Saigas are also actually built in Russia, and are considered to have good build quality, compared to say some of the lower-end AK pattern guns built in other places.
Not sure how legal it might be to do it in NJ, but there is a whole cottage industry of people who turn Saigas into AKs. You can read about how to do it on the internet, if you like.
As to which one to get, I suspect your "NJ legal" AK rifle has been neutered to only accept low capacity magazines. So in terms of function, there may not be any real difference at all.
If you're interested in a gun for actual fighting, and the cost is the same, I'd say just get the AK. You'll have a little bit of an easier time fitting aftermarket parts/accessories for AKs, than Saigas. Assuming the gun is capable of accepting high cap mags, then that's another plus (even if such magazines aren't readily available in NJ).
Note that AK's are made in different places and to different build qualities, and it does matter. Its usually the case with these that more money will get you a better gun. . .though even the cheapies "should" still work OK and put the lead downrange.
If you just want a 10 round semi-auto rifle in a medium caliber, then the Saiga is perfectly fine. As some food for thought, SKS rifles are functionally similar to Saiga ones, though they're typically available cheaper.
It comes with the riveted on scope side mount.
Interestingly, it will take 7.62x39 AK mags perfectly but of course they wont handle the 223.
The Saiga website shows all the mods and regulations pertaining to them.
However if you want a good AK without the AK look and price tag, the Saiga is a bargain.