Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

С Новым Днем Ган - Я получил мою Сайга стрелковая
Happy New Gun Day - I got my Saiga Rifle!
(Any translation errors are Google's)

I figure everyone needs at least one rifle or carbine capable of shooting MOBD* - here's mine. She's utilitarian and kinda u-gly. (Don't tell her I said that...) 7.62 x 39 and of course "rock stock" at the moment - plastic furniture and all.



She's anything but svelte at the moment, but there are some upgrades and updates planned. A nice Russian girl - I think her name should be Svetlana. Rather appropriate since Sveltlana means "light" and the muzzle flash of a Saiga carbine can be rather impressive!



I've been surfing all of the usual Saiga web hangouts for customizing ideas. Most folks seem to go tacticool with their updates - I'm planning to go kinda retrocool - I found this over at SaigaStock.com:



Being a woodworker, I'm inclined to have a go at making my own from scratch, but that sure is purty. I really like that modified Monte Carlo pattern...

A question for any Saiga/AK-pattern owners out there - is the scar/scratch arc that the safety puts on the receiver just a fact of life on any of Mikhail's marvels - or is there something to prevent it? I'll probably do a finish job on it, but the scratch (and the likelihood of repeating it bugs me).

Looking forward to some range time very soon...


*Moment of Barn Door
**Crossposted on my blog - just sayin'

... eat up with it, I say, He 's plumb gone!...

naming a gun, indeed - next thing you know he'll be sleeping with it.

Congratulations and welcome to the club, bro!

"Svetlana" is very sexy!

I've been surfing all of the usual Saiga web hangouts for customizing ideas. Most folks seem to go tacticool with their updates - I'm planning to go kinda retrocool - I found this over at SaigaStock.com:

That would be sweet...returning her to her original blonde Russian roots!

I'm inclined to have a go at making my own from scratch, but that sure is purty.

You think you can make it? It would make "her" unique. Not to mention a great learning experience(for me to). That stock set does look nice though

is the scar/scratch arc that the safety puts on the receiver just a fact of life on any of Mikhail's marvels

Yes it is. Consider it a beauty mark on your new girl

"Can" is not a problem - time is the biggest issue right now. My work keeps me away from home and my workshop - and when I am home all I want to do is relax (I know, I'm a slacker ).

Here's a custom lefty guitar body I did for a guy:





...and here's what he made out of that body:



I need to get back in the shop...

Wow, nice work, you could surely do a stock.

Man thats a nice guitar...all I got is a Mexican Stratocaster...its nice but not as nice as that one...

All I did was make the body - though I did resaw it from 9/4 rough red ash stock. It was finish ready when I handed it over to Cole - he did the finish and relic work. I can't remember where he got the neck - I'm not set up to make them yet. It's a sweet sounding ax.

gunderwood wrote:

I've been surfing all of the usual Saiga web hangouts for customizing ideas. Most folks seem to go tacticool with their updates - I'm planning to go kinda retrocool - I found this over at SaigaStock.com:

That would be sweet...returning her to her original blonde Russian roots!

I agree. A synthetic AK-like rifle doesnt get it for me either...

I'm just old fashioned enough that wooden furniture on guns just looks "right" to me. Don't get me wrong, I won't turn down polymer goodness either - especially in a pistol.

Here's a couple of guns like what I want to do - the first is the same set that I pictured before with a before and after:



The second is one a guy does that he calls a QPG - Quasi Pistol Grip. I kinda like both, so I may just hafta combine the best of both when I do this...



The QPg with a Monte Carlo cheek riser would be bada$$.

ETA: Plus, with wooden furniture, it's no no longer one of those "Evil-I-Tell-You-Black-Rifles™."