RAA Saiga .223

T

TheGoldenState

New member
http://www.raacfirearms.com/index.php3?pageid=SaigaProducts.htm

Down at the local GS, wandering. Came across RAA (now Mercury?) Saiga .223 I know next to nothing about Saiga's. Anyone have one or experience with them, and can offer some insight into their reliability, accuracy, etc.
Purpose? Not much outside of a desert plinker fun gun.

Out the door, new, with tax and DROS = $460.



Opinions Please :D

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Side Note: I am also considering the Mini14, new, for 750 otd, but i'll save that for another thread;)
 
i have the 5.45x39 and the 410 shotgun. both of them have been converted back to he AK style. i use that term loosely, basically i'm saying they have pistol grips now. they are really fun to shoot. i imagine the .223 will be about the same as the 5.45. i put 2 1/2 tins of surplus ammo through it without a single hiccup. so i would say, yes, reliable. but yes, you're right, a great desert plinker. that's all i ever use mine for. accuracy is about what i expect, atleast from me. i'm sure the gun shoots better than me. there is no need to convert one if you don't want to. they shoot just as good if you don't. i do however think the trigger is better once i converted it. and that's an ok price. they can be had for cheaper, but usually you have to factor in shipping and transfer. so it's about sixes.
 
I dont have any first hand experiance with a 'true saiga', but I do own a Arsenal SGL-21 which started out as a saiga from Izhmash then went through Legion and finaly to Arsenal where they "assault rifled" it to russian mil-spec. I can tell you that Izmash is the number one name in the AK platform production business, and to the best of my knowledge they are the only ones who produce any saiga products. You can be assured that its a quality AK variant, russian no less.

As for reliability, Its an AK, nuff said. And as for accuracy, I believe its slightly better than your average run of the mill AK. My 7.62 Arsenal Saiga holds about a 2.5-3 MOA where as an average AK (wasr/sar/ect...) will have a 3-3.5. Im sure a 223 will have a slightly better MOA.

I personally am not interested in a 223 AK variant, but if I was I would jump on that deal. And if you want to, some time down the line, you can convert it yourself.
 
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My Saiga .223 was utterly reliable, loved shooting Russian surplus ammo. Decently accurate, not quite an AR, but it was a fun plinker. Stuck a Dragnov style stock on it, didn't have to convert it to have a pistol grip. Lots of aftermarket support for them.
 
The Saiga is a very decent rifle for the money, I've had 3 of them, one in 7.62x39, one in .308, and one in .223/5.56. All have been flawlessly reliable and altogether well-made rifles.

$460 seems a little steep, but then I am assuming from the OP's username that they are from California where it's pretty much expected that one has to pay quite a bit more for guns so it's probably an ok deal.

Incidentally, the rifle in the pic you posted is actually the .308 version.
 
Thanks for the info. fellas. I may do a bit more searching around and do some further price checks. Or may ante up and do the Mini 14, which i've only ever heard positives about.

AZ, That conversion looks great BUT wouldn't fly here. Pistol grip, removal mag and NO bullet button = Illegal.:(
 
Meh, I would choose a Saiga over a Mini any day. The Mini costs more and doesn't really do anything better than the Saiga.
 
I've got a Mini-14 and a Saiga .223
I love my Mini, but the Saiga is the better utility rifle IMHO
The Mini is more refined, prettier and probably more valuable, but the Saiga is easier to clean, easier to maintain, will eat about anything, it's 5.56 ready, and not so pretty you can't lug it around and scratch it up a little.
I don't know about the newer ones, mine is a 2006 model, but the barrels on the Saiga are pretty heavy.
I read somewhere they use the same blank as the 7.62 barrels so you wind up with a nice heavy barreled .223.
 
Last Fall I bought a Saiga .223. Once I figured out that it prefers 62 grain bullets and hates 55 grain, I’m very happy with it. Group sizes at 100 yards go from 6 inches with 55 grain pills down to 3 inches with the 62 grain. Functions 100% reliable. Reasonably accurate. Ugly as sin, but I can overlook that.
 
$460 is too much though since they wholesale for under $300. Add $20 shipping and $20 transfer and you should pay less than $350.
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Problem is, the OP is apparently in California. It is the state with the strictest gun laws in the nation. I believe the transfer process is more time-consuming and a fair amount more expensive in CA. (Correct me if I'm wrong here) And even though the Saiga is already a relatively "neutered" AK, to be California-legal, it has to be further neutered and incorporate a bullet button, which is a device that essentially renders the magazine non-detachable. The mag doesn't literally have to be permanently affixed, but should be such that it can only be removed with the use of a tool. Naturally this adds to the cost. So $460 is overpriced for a Saiga in most of the country, but hard to say for sure if it's overpriced in California
 
Love my converted Saiga .223. Utterly reliable and accurate enough to ring the 300 yd. gong at my local range consistently. I feed it handrolled 55gr. FMJs and it has yet to malfunction.
 
Problem is, the OP is apparently in California. It is the state with the strictest gun laws in the nation. I believe the transfer process is more time-consuming and a fair amount more expensive in CA. (Correct me if I'm wrong here) And even though the Saiga is already a relatively "neutered" AK, to be California-legal, it has to be further neutered and incorporate a bullet button, which is a device that essentially renders the magazine non-detachable. The mag doesn't literally have to be permanently affixed, but should be such that it can only be removed with the use of a tool. Naturally this adds to the cost. So $460 is overpriced for a Saiga in most of the country, but hard to say for sure if it's overpriced in California
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Almost. It is not bullet-buttoned. It simply just does not have a pistol grip. You cannot have a removable mag AND a pistol grip here. If you want the pistol grip you have to get the top loaded breaker (like i have-bushmaster .223- and never use because it simply it outrageous to have to do every 2 seconds) or the bullet button that you're referring to. The bullet button, from what I have been told countlessly, is extremely fast and simple with devices that attach right on to your finger and allow you to have a near normal running gun. 10rnd mags of course.

I wasn't looking for anything and just stumbled upon this. Surprised to hear that so far all is for the cheaper Saiga over the Mini. Hopefully I'll get a break in the busy sched this weekend and can do some more searching.:)
 
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