[BlancoTrx]

I don’t know anything about these things so I’m looking for some help from the forums.

I’d love to know more about this recently acquired Saiga. I blocked the serial but forma quick scan, the H03xxxxxx serial is from 2003, other than that I don’t know where to start looking up the history and other info on this. I’d also love to learn what the different stamps are.

Thanks in advance!

 

[BlancoTrx]

Not much to say......its just a slab side saiga sporter from 2003. One of the least desirable models but they stopped importing them around 2013 so prices have went up . You cld keep as is or so its more usable u can do a cheap/quick bolt on pistol grip and trigger conversion and put on a bolt on handguard retainer so you can use standard handguards .

Thanks for the reply. I paid 8 hundred a week ago, hopefully I didn’t overpay for the “least desirable model.”

Where can I find the correct pistol grip, trigger conversion and hand guard retainer to use standard hand guards? I’d love to put some wood furniture on this but I am very new to AK platform so I don’t know much about them or modifying them at all.

Mostly Izhmash factory and maker's stamps on the left side, the right side has the importer's receiver scrawl, F S (fire safe) and caliber. The 3 digit number behind the charging handle should also match the number stamped into the bolt and they should match the last 3 digits of the serial #

The "safety warning" you see plastered behind the rail isn't popular and wasn't necessary for import, most AK's imported today don't have that, except Zastava unfortunately. Later Saiga's don't have that warning

The tiny factory stamp to the left of the trunnion serial # is the less desirable one, the other is the official Izhmash logo, a triangle with an arrow inside

The features I prefer when looking over a Saiga Sporter to buy are:
16" barrel
Dimpled receiver
No receiver "billboard"
Drilled and pinned FSB, GB and RSB
Izhmash triangle stamp on the trunnion
The least amount of non-essential scrawl

thanks for the reply! So can you tell by the photos of my receiver is dimpled, drilled/pinned FAV, GB and RSB (I don’t even know what that means LOL) and does this one have the Izhmash stamp? Sorry, I’m a huge rookie when it comes to AK, this is my second one and even the first one I have (M70) I don’t know much at all about other than how to clean it and it goes bang when I want it to.