Saiga .223-to buy or not to buy?

[nachtjaeger]

Finally decided on a new "varmint" rifle- the Saiga in .223 Remington. Found one at a local dealer for $500. Every online store seems to be sold out at the moment, so I can't get a better price right now. I've seen used ones listed for more than $500 also. Seems like a good deal- the mechanism of the legendary AK series but chambered for .223 Remington (apparently more available and cheaper right now.) It even passes muster with New York's assault weapons ban.

So, what do my gun-toting friends here think?

[schlamm]

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[Chimerix]

If you're buying a Saiga because you want a Siaga, I say go for it! If you're buying a Saiga because you want to do a conversion and make it into an AK, I say just buy an AK.

Personally, I covet a Saiga carbine in 7.62x39, slightly modded to take AK mags. I do not care for AK rifles, having shot a bunch of 'em, but I do live the cartridge and I do love interchangeable box magazines. Luckily, I have an SKS-M on the way, so I don't need the Saiga to scratch that itch!

That being said, usually when people talk about varmint rifles, they are talking about long-range tack drivers. I've never heard the Saiga, or any variant of the AK, praised on those criteria. The Dragunov comes closest, but even that is generally held as mediocre.

The price is reasonable, given current circumstances.

[Mynock]

Don't really know much about Saigas other than that the brand name is respected and trustworthy. They're made on the Izhmash assembly line right next to their big brothers the AK and as you stated use a lot of AK parts, so you should be getting a nice reliable rifle.
That being said, the price seems a little high. I can pick up a WASR (AK clone) with a folding stock that takes the regular 30 round Banana clips right now at any gun show for the same price. Could be that the quality isn't the same or that you live in NY (2nd worst place in the US to buy a gun you have my sympathy).
For a little more money you could get a Ruger Mini-14.
http://www.ruger.com/products/mini14Ran ... odels.html
Don't let the MSRP scare you, if you don't mind wood furniture the "Ranch" model is going for way below MSRP on gun broker. http://www.gunbroker.com/All/BI.aspx?Ke ... er+mini-14
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Speaking of gun shows--go to a few if you're in the market for a specific piece. You can often find better prices because you get dozens of shops competeing against each other in the same room to make a sale. The only gun I've ever actually bought at a shop is my BFR.

[nachtjaeger]

Not looking for an AK, especially since the NY assault weapon ban mentions them by name.

As to "varmints" the Saiga is designed for the two-legged sort, not the four-legged sort. I don't hunt coyotes myself- love to hear them sing on moonlit nights.

Any terrain where I plan on hunting is likely to be thickly forested, and a 100 yard sight line to a deer would be a rare shot, so "tack driving" accuracy isn't important in a rifle for me either. The Saiga groups as tight or tighter than I can shoot, so we should get on well together.

If you're buying a Saiga because you want a Siaga, I say go for it! If you're buying a Saiga because you want to do a conversion and make it into an AK, I say just buy an AK.

Personally, I covet a Saiga carbine in 7.62x39, slightly modded to take AK mags. I do not care for AK rifles, having shot a bunch of 'em, but I do live the cartridge and I do love interchangeable box magazines. Luckily, I have an SKS-M on the way, so I don't need the Saiga to scratch that itch!

That being said, usually when people talk about varmint rifles, they are talking about long-range tack drivers. I've never heard the Saiga, or any variant of the AK, praised on those criteria. The Dragunov comes closest, but even that is generally held as mediocre.

The price is reasonable, given current circumstances.

[nachtjaeger]

Bought my Saiga tonight. Put ten rounds through it to see how it handles, and I can hit a man-sized target at a reasonable range. Handles nice- less recoil than a shotgun. Can't let the semiauto tempt you to rush your shots, though. The chrome bore is sweet- one swipe with a dry patch and it's clean as a whistle.

[jadokast98]

Hallo mein waffenbruder. I would like to invite you and everyone else to the Guns and Game Forum.
http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/index.php
I have had many questions like this answered and have enjoyed the banter as much as here.

[Mynock]

If you're looking for some cheap but reliable ammo try BVAC. They sell once reloded .223 cartridges for about $150 for a box of 500. Wouldn't trust reloads for self defense purposes but for target practice you can't beat the price. I've bought their ammo for my AR, my Glock and my .500 S&W, never had a misfire.

[Mynock]

So how's it shoot?

[schlamm]

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