The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Hi all.

Back again to waste my money on yet more gun pr0n.
Saiga 12 , what is the deal ?
Are they designed to shoot slugs, if so what is the range 50m tops ?
I am a member of a club who do practical shotgun, and it looks rather fun.
Are / were they used in any wars ?

Thanks in advance

Based on the AK platform and reliable as a result and yes they will happily shoot slug.....50m would be no problem.They are available with a traditional style stock and also in an AK configuration with a pistol grip etc.Supplies of new ones are slim due to sanctions imposed on KalashnikovConcern......another to consider would be a Vepr-12 as Molot aren't on the sanctions list and availability is better.

Kyrgyzstan police use them, as does the Bangladeshi army and the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (along with the Vepr-12) and the Ukrainian navy have adopted a carbine version.......I would hazard a guess that a few are being used in the Ukraine conflict as well.

Are you wanting one new or do you have one already? If the former you are going to spend a long time looking, no new ones can be imported due to sanctions. Vepr's can due to not being sanctions but not saigas.

Hi thanks for the replies.
Used is fine, not looking to get one anytime soon just an idea.
Are they all plastic or do they come in wood ?

dirtbag wrote:Hi thanks for the replies.
Used is fine, not looking to get one anytime soon just an idea.
Are they all plastic or do they come in wood ?

I believe a model existed called the hunter that had a wooden pistol grip and stock.

http://www.rusmilitary.com/html/firearms_saiga12.htm

Second model down, but that model seemed rarer. Also the last saiga shotgun I saw was a 20 not a 12.

Saiga is built on an AKM receiver and Vepr is built on the RPK LMG ( thicker receiver )

I have the VEPR 12 and use it exclusively with slug.

At 25m you can put as many slug as you want into one big ragged hole.

breacher wrote: Saiga is built on an AKM receiver and Vepr is built on the RPK LMG ( thicker receiver )

Forgot to mention that, the Saiga/AK receivers are 1.0mm thick whereas the Vepr/RPK receivers are 1.5mm thick.

I'd have a Vepr over a Saiga any day. One advantage with the Vepr is the drop in/out mag changes (AR style) as opposed to AK click/push style mags with the Saiga. The Vepr looks cooler as well... :)

HALODIN wrote:I'd have a Vepr over a Saiga any day. One advantage with the Vepr is the drop in/out mag changes (AR style) as opposed to AK click/push style mags with the Saiga. The Vepr looks cooler as well... :)

The Saiga can be had in the same configuration as the Vepr and look the same and rock 'n' lock mags work no problem.

They do, but I prefer the AR style mag changes. Also it wasn't just that, I had the 2 side-by-side at an RFD and I thought the Vepr looked like a better built S1 shotgun.