Nutnfancy SHOT Show: SAIGA Rifles and Shotguns

Can you get a reliable Russian-made AK-variant rifle for less than $500? Yes. Things may change but as of 2010 it is possible. The Saiga rifles offered by Russian American Armory Company are made on the same production lines as the AK-74 and AK-100 series of Russian service rifles and share their same reliability and durability. At least that’s what Mr. Clyde Woods from RAAC tells us in this Nutnfancy 2010 SHOT Show booth review (and he was a great host!). I am inclined to agree and wouldn’t hesitate buying the type. Featuring hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and chrome-lined bores and chambers, the Saigas shown here should shoot accurately and last a long time. The Saigas were engineered from the outset to be a commercial AKM variant and as such depart heavily from the AK/AKM feature set. As such they are “less threatening” and thus more importable. Although the Saiga rifles feature similar stamped receivers (about 1mm thickness) they lack many of the genuine AK/AKM features like: dimpled receiver for magazine stability, upper handguard and pistol grip, standard AK fire control group (Saigas use their own trigger arrangements), receiver notches for safety catch, bayonet-capable front sight block with muzzle device (Saigas have neutered front sight, no threading or muzzle device), integral cleaning rod, AK gas block with vent holes, and standard AK magazine capability (Saigas take a proprietary magazine, modification for capability IS possible for some Saigas [barrel …