Saiga 04 (AK103) staight pull Kalashnikov

[3doorpete]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/DSCF4153.jpg

The AK is an iconic rifle and I'd always wanted one. This one I bought from FSU Connection (www.Rusmilitary.com) last year in a sale they had for about £425 with the woodwork. Oleg is a great guy to deal with as well.

Saiga produce the AK's at the Iszmash factory in Russia that has been producing AK's for 60 years. The AK103 is essentially an AK74 that is chambered in a the AK47's 7.62x39 calibre. The biggest difference to a layman is the AK74's muzzle brake that the AKM's and AK47's didn't have.

The AK103 comes with black plastic furniture but you can easily fit AK47 woodwork if you want the authentic look. I went for the non-folding stock version as this gives you a manual bolt hold open feature which is useful if you are at places where the safety brigade are a bit nannying (namely Bisley!). This is seen in the photos as the silver tab button just above the trigger and works in much the same way as the Ruger 10/22's. You also get the trapdoor in the stock that contains the cleaning kit and tools that allow a full strip of the rifle.

To shoot these is great fun. You get the AK sound and thrill. The sights are fairly rudimentary and are gradiated out to 1000 metres, which is on the stupid side of optimistic. I can generally hit the black of the target at 300 yards regularly, but that is the absolute limit. The kick is very small, but if you take off the muzzle brake, it is noticably increased. Be careful though as if you do this, the cleaning rod will gradually work it's way out of it's housing under the barrel with each shot!

Primary and secondary extraction are faultless and easy, but you do need to be positive with your rearward pull off the cocking handle to ensure the round comes out fully and doesn't fall back into the breach causing a stoppage. I use graded ex-military ammo that costs £125 per 500 and it runs perfectly with it. With the lack of accuracy inherant in AK's, there's not much point in reloading or in using high end ammunition in my view.

This photo shows the AK fully field stripped. It's also pictured with it's proper magazine - a plastic item. The magazine in the main picture is a converted AK47 magazine. You have to do a small amount of machining/filing/dremelling to get AK47 mags to run in AK103's as the design was improved slightly. If you do this though, you can then use the traditional style AK 47 magazing as well as the 40 round RPK and 75 round drum magazines!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/DSCF4193.jpg

This picture shows the gas system which is blanked off as per straight pull laws.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/DSCF4195.jpg

AK's are always a talking point on the range. Everyone has AR's or bolt actions and always knock the accuracy of AK's. Then they ask for a go and have fun. So many people walk up and have a chat to you that you've never met before. If you want to compete, get an AR, if you want to have fun at under half the price - get an AK!!

Finally - here's a clip of my first ever firing of my AK on the Bisley zero range with the camera on a tripod. Thanks for reading my ramblings!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=AVKaKoPsGYw

[Korium]

Good write up!. I'm not sure your aware but the Saiga can run with traditional magazines without the need to modify them; there should be info available via AR15.com.

All it needs now is a original Bakelite or celluloid pistol grip to finish it off.

[3doorpete]

Korium - can't find the link on AR15, but can't see how they could work unmodified, unless you modified the gun. Teh lug that the mag release engages with is too thick on an AK47 mag. Additionally, the feed lips are slighly different and need filing and re-blueing.

I am happy to be corrected though, if there is a method!

[223Dave]

Good review mate glad to see your enjoying your Saiga. However although you may laugh i suggest you try reloading for it as i do for mine and it makes a hell of a difference to the rifle. I started purley because i was fed up of the surplus crap corroding my muzzel brake. I use 22 gr of vit 120 with hornday FMjs and my AK shoots 1-2 inch groups (with a scope on).

[DanTheMan]

£120 for the Saiga modified RPK 75-round drum magazine - are you tempted ? I would be......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzdY1eC6H8k

[3doorpete]

£120 for the Saiga modified RPK 75-round drum magazine - are you tempted ? I would be......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzdY1eC6H8k

Tempting, but overkill on a staight pull - My hand would be knackered! - awesome on a semi auto I would imagine!

[3doorpete]

Good review mate glad to see your enjoying your Saiga. However although you may laugh i suggest you try reloading for it as i do for mine and it makes a hell of a difference to the rifle. I started purley because i was fed up of the surplus crap corroding my muzzel brake. I use 22 gr of vit 120 with hornday FMjs and my AK shoots 1-2 inch groups (with a scope on).

Thanks - I'm going to reload a few actually to down power them so I can shoot them indoor at my club (need to get them down to about 1400fps), but only ammo that I seem to be able to get is steel cased, not brass. Not sure if they can be reloaded as easily.

[davederrick]

Thanks - I'm going to reload a few actually to down power them so I can shoot them indoor at my club (need to get them down to about 1400fps), but only ammo that I seem to be able to get is steel cased, not brass. Not sure if they can be reloaded as easily.

Have you managed to find any reloading data to get 1400FPS ?? I'd be most interested in it if you are, I'm about to buy an AK103 & want to shoot gallery ranges with it.

p.s. Loved the YouTube footage, it finally persuaded me to get it with wooden furniture. Thanks.

[DanTheMan]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/DSCF4153.jpg
You have to do a small amount of machining/filing/dremelling to get AK47 mags to run in AK103's as the design was improved slightly. If you do this though, you can then use the traditional style AK 47 magazing as well as the 40 round RPK and 75 round drum magazines!

You can add a bullet guide to the Saiga to make it work with all AK mags without modification, Dinzag arms sell the kits or you can make one very easily.

[Roodles]

You can add a bullet guide to the Saiga to make it work with all AK mags without modification, Dinzag arms sell the kits or you can make one very easily.

In addition to adding the bullet guide, you would also need to file down the magazine catch. But I'm sure you already knew that.

I just ended up modifying the magazines, I got some surplus ones for £11 each. I decided it would be better to bodge a magazine and throw it away if it went wrong, as opposed to bodging up the gun

[DanTheMan]

In addition to adding the bullet guide, you would also need to file down the magazine catch. But I'm sure you already knew that.

I just ended up modifying the magazines, I got some surplus ones for £11 each. I decided it would be better to bodge a magazine and throw it away if it went wrong, as opposed to bodging up the gun

Yup very true BUT it's tricky to mod the front of the Bakelite mags - this is where a bullet guide wins if you are going for the retro look !

Also just for reference some 7.62x39 Saiga's have a "feature" stepped chamber to produce spent cases with a bulge in the neck so that the Russian authorities can differentiate between spent rounds from civilian and military weapons.

[Roodles]

Yup very true BUT it's tricky to mod the front of the Bakelite mags - this is where a bullet guide wins if you are going for the retro look !

Also just for reference some 7.62x39 Saiga's have a "feature" stepped chamber to produce spent cases with a bulge in the neck so that the Russian authorities can differentiate between spent rounds from civilian and military weapons.

I think that was discontinued, mine certainly does not do it. There are still plenty kicking about that do, though.... A bit of a pain for a reloader, I would imagine