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04-04-2020, 16:22 #1
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- Mar 2018
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- Verwoerdburg
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Saiga .223 bullet guide installation / LM mag conversion
This is a simple guide on installing a bullet guide to enable the SAIGA .223 (AK101 in my case) to accept LM/R/Galil mags (which are much cheaper, easier to find and feed more reliably than the cheap plastic mags)
Converting the 7.62x39 saiga's to accept standard AK mags is the same procedure.
DO NOT DIY this if you don't have experience with tapping. Rather send it to a gunsmith
The SAIGA mags will require some slight modification in order to fit after the bullet guide has been installed
Step 1: Buy the bullet guide kit. I got mine from Hailstorm. Think it was about R600
Included is a tap, an allen-key, two bolts and the bullet guide.
You will need to have your own:tap-handle, shifting spanner and drill.
For magazine modification you will need a file (a belt-sander will be even better)
Step 2: strip your firearm to open-up the receiver area whare you'll be working and place the bullet guide in position. Firmly agaist the barrel and centered in the middle like so: (ignore the bolt in this image)
Then use a punch to mark your hole for drilling
Clamp your rifle and drill the hole. a Drill-press will be better here, but a handheld drill should also work just fine. Don't go all the way through, just through the first base (youll feel the drill bit going through)
Step 4: Tap the hole. This is the most difficult part. Take it slowly and keep your tap lubricated (I used regular Q20 'spookpoep')
The issue is that the included tap is not long enough that the tap-handle can rotate freely past the rear sight base, as shown here:
I therefore used a shifting spanner to rotate the tap.
BE CAREFUL not to break the tap. Applying enough downward preassure as not to strip the threads, and reversing every now and then to allow the thread shavings to come loose.
After your threads are deep enough you can proceed to screw in the bullet guide.
Step 5: Screw down the bullet guide. Remember some Loc-Tite. If you didn't f*ck up the tapping process this should be a fairly easy step.Here is the finished product:
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04-04-2020, 16:29 #2
- Join Date
- Apr 2009
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- Southern Suburbs - CT
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- 6,164
Saiga .223 bullet guide installation / LM mag conversion
Interesting thanks Vuur. I found cheap mags at Spartan for R350 a few years back. No clue what they sell for now.
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04-04-2020, 16:31 #3
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- Mar 2018
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- Verwoerdburg
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Re: Saiga .223 bullet guide installation / LM mag conversion
Modifying the Magazines:
The Saiga mags each have their own integral bullet-guide. This will need to be removed. Like so:
BEFORE
AFTER:
And the standard mags (The bloody expensive ones)
Before:
After:
I used a belt-sander to smoothen the area where I cut off the bullet ramp. A file would work fine as well. Be careful not to damage the mag-follower.
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04-04-2020, 16:41 #4
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- Mar 2018
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- Verwoerdburg
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- 308
Re: Saiga .223 bullet guide installation / LM mag conversion
Hi griffin. no problem. Jup, I also got one of those. I suspect you're talking about the "PufGun" mags like the one shown in the first image of my 'mag-modifications' post. As well as a "Pro-Mag" one from nobleteq. They gave me some feeding issues as sometimes the friction between the bullet brass and the walls of the magazine caused the follower to stay depressed enough for the bolt to moer the bullet into that 'integral bullet guide' causing FTF. It happened about 4 times in 400 shots, enough for me to justify the above conversion.
LM/Galil mags are just much better quality at a reasonable price (R450 at Nobleteq. Swatco also has them)
And this also gave me something to do during the lockdown
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04-04-2020, 18:16 #5
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- Apr 2009
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- Southern Suburbs - CT
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- 6,164
Re: Saiga .223 bullet guide installation / LM mag conversion
Luckily I haven’t had issues.
You are braver than I, I would not attempt this easily.
I do find these AK 101 mags a bit harder to load up. LM mags load much easier.
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23-04-2020, 19:42 #6
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- Dec 2009
- Location
- JHB
- Age
- 41
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- 3,005
Re: Saiga .223 bullet guide installation / LM mag conversion
Has anyone stress tested or torture test how reliable this conversion is?
It makes a good prepper option for SA if it works over the long run
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10-06-2020, 10:44 #7
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- Mar 2018
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- Verwoerdburg
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- 308
Re: Saiga .223 bullet guide installation / LM mag conversion
I've sent about 300 rounds through mine since the installation. No feeding issues yet.
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10-06-2020, 10:45 #8
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- Mar 2018
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- Verwoerdburg
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- 308
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20-04-2021, 16:57 #9
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- Dec 2009
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- JHB
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- 41
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Re: Saiga .223 bullet guide installation / LM mag conversion
Can you still use Saiga mags with the bullet guide installed?
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21-04-2021, 07:41 #10
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- Oct 2012
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- Noord van die biltong gordyn.
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- 57
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