Saiga x39 conversion WIP

[SuRrEaLNJ 294]

I like work in progress threads, get to wip on most of my other hobby forums and people can see where you are in a project. I had onne that lasted 640 some odd posts over 7 years when I built my truck.

Anywho...

 

I started peace mealing  parts together for this quite awhile ago, literally a part here and a part here over the last year and a half or so.. Wife said no more guns when I bought it, so it took some time to pull this off on a shoestring budget, never mind all the firearms that have changed hands in that time...

 

when i bought this think i had an idea in my head what i wanted it to look like, and i intend for this to be the go to gun and plan to start taking some classes with it. Im trying to make a modern update to the platform giving me better ergonomics and options like a light mount etc but im sure at this point someone allready has an itchy finger on the nyet meme

 

tonight i striped it down to the receiver and barrel assy and hit the bare spots with some duplicolor black. i had planed on taking pictures of the process and instead just kept drilling and grinding and hitting things with hammers, but this is where it was before paint

 

 

i think im going to use the old mans drill press for the bullet guide so the next progress will be depending on getting into his garage.

 

while im here since there was no threads under the shroud I'll need someone to do the brake, if any vendors can thread pin and welt a 14x1LH brake on here lmk 

 

[ogfarmer 138]

Tier 1 Defense did mine, cut the sleeve, threaded and added slant brake for traditional look. I suppied the brake.

[ogfarmer 138]

I wish I redid the whole front end before doing the brake.

[SuRrEaLNJ 294]

im trying to cover all my bases here so that i dont wind up with any i wish situations when done, im gonna get it all together and make sure it runs before i get to the more permanent stuff like the brake. im going to try the bolton fsgb wiht the power customs rear to adress the non adjustable height of the bolton. i figure doing a set and forget there will be ok since im mounting a strikefire

 

if the gods smile on me next year or so i may get a pap carbine to fill the wood ak hole that this creates

[carl_g 568]

If you want to go with a 74 type brake just get a 74 FSB. They are threaded so no need to get the barrel done.

[Lalo 13]

i think im going to use the old mans drill press for the bullet guide so the next progress will be depending on getting into his garage.

 

Using a drill press for the bullet guide is completely unnecessary specially if you buy the kit with the tap set. Would probably take you longer to setup and secure the receiver that it would for you to install the bullet guide using a hand drill. It's a 5 minute job.

[SuRrEaLNJ 294]

I have the kit, so ill just do it by hand then but ill blame you if i goof, cool? =P

 

I have a manticore brake in 14x1lh since im moving the front sight back via the bolton

[SuRrEaLNJ 294]

Double post

[carl_g 568]

Using a drill press for the bullet guide is completely unnecessary specially if you buy the kit with the tap set. Would probably take you longer to setup and secure the receiver that it would for you to install the bullet guide using a hand drill. It's a 5 minute job.

Agreed..

[Lalo 13]

I have the kit, so ill just do it by hand then but ill blame you if i goof, cool? =P

 

Ha! if you goof up the bullet guide install, then good luck putting the rest of that gun together... ETA - Drill the hole with the hand drill, tap the hole by hand. Go slow, use lots of oil, go in a little then back out to remove the shavings, repeat...

 

BTW - Why did you drill out the rivet and remove the mag catch? Unless you're going to be upgrading the catch, I would have left that on unless you're palnning on re-rivetting the stock one on.

[carl_g 568]

If you goof just jbweld it on.. plenty of people have done that with zero issues.

[S14Swap240sx 6]

remove the mag catch! get a real trigger guard on there!

[SuRrEaLNJ 294]

I have a galil style latch for it. Trigger guard will be replaced with the css one.

 

If i can bodger the bullet guide yet rebuld an engine or trans i think i have a problem bigger then the bg

[SuRrEaLNJ 294]

well i planed on taking more pics as i did the conversion, but then i got sidetracked by actually doing the conversion.

 

i have no idea why people make the bullet guide sound so intimidating, took me more time to get a new tap handle then it did to tap the hole, slow and steady lots of lube piece of cake

 

 

 

the bolton gas block was a little trickyto do, wound up setting it with a couple of squares on my kitchen counter, as its the most level surface in the house. i spent more time fidling with it then i did taking pics and thats where i started to get sidetracked

 

 

next thing ya know it looks like this

 

 

things to still do, plug receiver holes, fit mag catch, fit grip as it sits to far back so im going to pull it closer to the trigger rather then open the hole, fit the chaos rail. 

 

admissions: use the twist tie trick putting the hammer in, or else you will have a hole in your finger like i have

 

incase anyone looks at this later on looking for information on how to do this this is the guide i used 

[carl_g 568]

Nice job!

[SuRrEaLNJ 294]

so fitting the chaos rail was easier than anticipated, backed the upper screw off about a turn and a half then set the sides, no filing needed in my case.

 

the hogue grip took a decent amount of material to bring it forward to get the hole to line up. i could have just reamed the hole, but i dont have huge hands do the forward shift was more comfortable.

 

 

I quickly found that i hated the location of the bolt hold open lever, so having the krebs safety on there anyway I cut the tab into a washer for the hammer. my natural hand placement puts my trigger finger to close to the receiver to have it there

 

I put in a IO KGB latch wich i fit, but dont like, the stop on it is to short and it catches on the mag body if you dont keep it depressed till the entire mag is clear of the rife. i have a galil latch en route that im gonna try, if not then ill weld a tab on the original one

 

i boresighted both the irons and the rds so atleast i know ill be on paper when i get to the range, sadly that wont be for another 10 days or so if im lucky

 

 

 

once i get that done ill work on getting the nightbrake on the end

 

since it dosnt co witness ( i knew it wouldnt) i was thinking i should probably use a qd mount for the rds, no?

 

[SuRrEaLNJ 294]

Finally got out to shoot it, and it runs like a champ. Few issues though, I need to adjust the fsb slightly, when sighting I realized it wasn't as strait as I thought, needs a nudge to the left. I also couldn't sight the strike fire with the stock mount and the flip up caps on, it hits the rail that bad. I didn't think it caused that much deflection, so I'll go ahead and replace the mount.

 

Mag dumps will get the handguard I need gloves hot as well in case anyone was wondering