Saiga rifle

Saiga hunting rifle with polymer furniture, in 7,62x39 caliber.
  Saiga hunting rifle with polymer furniture, in 7,62×39 caliber.


Saiga 308 rifle with
 Saiga 308 rifle with"hunting type" wooden furniture.

 

Saiga 308 rifle with
  Saiga 308 rifle with"military type" polymer furniture and optional telescope sight.

 

Saiga 100-serieshunting rifle(available in .308 Win and .30-06), with improved design and ergonomics(it has different magazine release and a cross-bolt button-type safety).
 Saiga 100-serieshunting rifle(available in .308 Win and .30-06), with improved design and ergonomics(it has different magazine release and a cross-bolt button-type safety).

 

Saiga MK-01 carbine in .223 Remington, with 10-round magazine,side-folding AKS-74-type skeletonized stock andshort barrel.
Saiga MK-01 carbine in .223 Remington, with 10-round magazine,side-folding AKS-74-type skeletonized stock andshort barrel.

 

Saiga MK-03 carbine in 7,62x39, with AK-74M-type side-folding polymer butt and 30-round magazine.
  Saiga MK-03 carbine in 7,62×39, with AK-74M-type side-folding polymer butt and 30-round magazine.

 

  Saiga Saiga MK Saiga 308 Saiga M100
Type/ action gas operated,semi-automatic rifle
Caliber(s) 5,56×45/ .223 Rem, 5,6×39, 7,62×39 5,56×45/ .223 Rem, 7,62×39 7,62×51/ .308 Win 7,62×51/ .308 Win and 7,62×63 / .30-06
Weightunloaded 3,8kg / 8,4 lbs 3,4kg / 7,5 lbs 3,86kg / 8,5 lbs 3,77kg / 8,3 lbs
Length 1066 mm / 42" 943 mm / 37,1" (butt opened)
710 mm / 28" (butt folded)
1100 mm / 43,3" 1100 mm / 43,3"
Barrellength 520mm / 20,5" 336mm / 13,2" 554mm / 21,8" 554mm / 21,8"
Magazinecapacity 5or 10 rounds 5,10 or 30 rounds 8rounds 3 rounds

 

Saiga(sort of antelope)is a name of a whole line of shotguns and rifles / carbines, based on proven and tried Kalashnikov AK assault rifle design. these were developed and are produced by IZHMASH factory in Izhevsk, Russia, which also makes current Kalashnikov assault rifles.Story of this rifle began during late 1970s, when IZHMASH factory designed a semi-automatic carbine in 5,6×39 Russian caliber for controlling the population of the saiga in Kazakhstan. About 300 carbines were produced and project was all but forgotten until early 1990s, when IZHMASH brought back the idea of AK-based semi-automatic hunting carbine in .223 Rem and 7,62×39. During late 1990s IZHMASH also introduced a strengthened version of the same rifle, initially chambered for more powerful .308 Win ammunition, and later on for 9x53R. Saiga rifles are very popular in Russia and elsewhere, mostly because they follow one of the most popular assault rifles in the world, and also because of competitive price and good reliability. Produced in a number of calibers and versions, Saiga rifles can be used for hunting small or medium game(depending on caliber), as well as for training, practical sport shooting and self-defense.
 A special note must be made on short-barreled Saiga MK carbines. Legality of such short-barreled rifles in various countries may vary. In Russia, for example, such carbines have additional firing block, which is actuated automatically once butt is folded, so gun can be fired only with butt extended. With this limitation, Saiga MK carbines are quite popular fir home defense duties, private security and practical shooting sport. In other countries same guns can be either legal, legal with certain limitations or illegal completely. Same applies to magazine capacity – as issued, Saiga rifles will accept only proprietary magazines with capacity of 10 rounds or less. However in some countries where there are no limits on magazine capacity for civilian guns, same rifles can be had with modified magazine housings which will accept 30-round AKM (7,62×39) or AK-101 (5,56×45 / .223) magazines.

Saiga self-loading rifles are gas operated, and use extremely reliable long-stroke gas system and two-lug rotary bolt system borrowed from Kalashnikov AK assault rifle. Receivers are made from stamped steel,furniture can be made either from wood or polymer. Charging handle is integral to boltcarrier,manual safety is also copy of  Kalashnikov AK one, but it has only two positions – safe (top) and fire (bottom)instead ofthree. Short-barreled Saiga MK carbines feature modified gas system and flashhider borrowed from AK-102short assault rifle.On hunting models, stock has a semi-pistol grip integral to the shoulder stock;defensive / practical shooting models feature separate pistol grip and fixed or side-folding stock. Side-folding stocks can be of solid plastic or skeletonized steel design, but all fold to the left side. Feed is using detachable boxmagazines, either 10-round single stack or 30-round double stack (in.223 or7,62×39 only, using AK-101 or AKM magazines). Standard sights include front post, installed on protected base on the barrel or gas block, and tangent-type open U-notch type rear,adjustable between 100 and 300 meters. Telescope or red-dot sights cam be installed using special mounts which are attached to the proprietary side rail on the left side of receiver.