Self-loading rifled carbine Saiga MK (7.62x39 mm) version 03

Saiga is a family of hunting carbines made on the basis of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. They are created at the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant. Today an unlimited number of different samples have been created:

• smoothbore design for hunting - a gun of 12, 410 and 20 calibers;
• rifled designs for calibers: 5.56x45, 5.45x39, 9x19 Parabellum, 7.62x51, 7.62x39, .22 Long Rifle;
• small exclusive batches were also produced for Russian 9x53R and 5.6x39 mm cartridges. The first in the series, with all this, was the Saiga-5.6 for the 5.6 x39 caliber, which was produced in 1974.

Saiga is a more abundant model range in terms of varieties and copies, which also has its own “tuning” and “finishing” production studios. The gun represents a wide range of calibers from rifled rifles to caliber 12 smoothbore carbines, also from almost clear copies of the AKM to carbines that are completely different in the barrel and butt. They are also distinguished by their amazing technical properties.

Description of the Saiga MK 03 carbine

Self-loading rifled carbine "Saiga MK" 03 caliber 7.62 mm, chambered for 7.62x39 mm cartridge. Created on the basis of the AK-104 assault rifle, which has a gas-operated reloading mechanism. Version 03 is equipped with a barrel length of 336 mm.

• The buttstock is folding, there is a mechanism for blocking the trigger mechanism when the buttstock is folded. The stock, pistol grip, forend and gas tube trim are made of black plastic.
• The carbine is equipped with sights similar to the AK-104 - a rear sight on a bracket with a slider and a closed front sight on a high bracket. There are no rails for installing optics.

The factory version comes with a five-round magazine, and can optionally be equipped with a ten-round magazine.

Advantages and disadvantages

• The trigger mechanism of the carbine is similar to the AK-104, it just does not have an automatic fire sear, and the bolt has three degrees of locking. Therefore, “Saiga MK” version 03 can be considered a trouble-free and “indestructible” representative of a firearm.
• Due to the short barrel, the effective range of the shot does not exceed 300 meters, and the accuracy of hits is more consistent with military weapons than with hunting weapons.
• The ergonomics are outdated, the stock is not comfortable enough, it does not have an adjustable, or even a shock-absorbing butt pad. Due to the short barrel, the sound of the shot hits the ears hard.
• There is no way to install optical sights without tuning; the brutal iron rear sight and front sight are not equipped with fiber optic threads.
• Many owners of this carbine would like to have a magazine that is at least similar in size to a combat magazine and can hold 30 rounds. But these are not produced.

Purpose

A rifled weapon, a license to own which can be obtained only after five years of continuous experience in owning (documented) smooth-bore hunting weapons.

Due to the short barrel, it is positioned as a weapon for self-defense, but there are enthusiasts who go hunting with it. With a successful shot at a distance of up to 100 meters, you can take an elk.

Varieties

In the basic version, the Saiga MK carbine, version 03, is equipped with a plastic butt and a barrel 336 mm long.

• Optionally, it can be a metal frame made of plywood or walnut.
• There are options on which a 415 mm long barrel with a muzzle brake is installed.

Prerequisites for the creation of the Saiga hunting rifle

The Saiga hunting carbine begins its history more than 30 years ago, when countless herds of saigas trampled the fields of Kazakhstan, causing significant harm to agriculture. The administration of the union republic sent a request to the Politburo to resolve this issue. Saigas spoiled the crops, but the smooth-bore rifle that existed at that time, used for hunting, could not cope with this problem; the gun was ineffective.

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It was decided to make a special hunting tool that would allow hunters to more effectively control the number of small antelopes, while replenishing the cash budget, because saigas meat was exported.

The first self-loading Saiga carbine for hunting appeared in the 1970s. Designers and testers of Izhmash, together with representatives of local game managers and Glavohota, tested hunting carbines for four years and also brought them to perfection. After the development of the new product was completed, approximately three hundred Saiga carbines were made for hunting under the 5.6x39 mm caliber. Still, even despite the creation of the first industrial batch, for many years a new smoothbore hunting carbine remained a rarity.

Specifications

The Saiga MK carbine has these characteristics. 03 7.62x39 mm:

The history of the Saiga family

The turning point in the fate of the Saiga family carbines was the “dashing nineties”. The adoption of laws that regulated the circulation of civilian weapons, including the worsening crime situation, created a great demand for massive army self-loading rifles. Izhevsk gunsmiths who were left without a “state order” remembered the “Saiga” for hunting.

Since 1993, the creation of the Saiga family of self-loading rifles for hunting has been established in Izhevsk. The adaptation of the combat assault rifle to a rifle was decided by a group of gunsmiths consisting of V. Afonin, G. Nikonov, V. Simonenko, A. Turkin, V. Tsypko and others. An exotic cartridge for the Russian Federation was chosen as ammunition for the gun - .410 Magnum. At first it was assumed that the hunting carbine would work with foreign cartridges, then the creation of this type of ammunition was established at the Barnaul, Krasnozavodsk and Tula factories.

The next step in the development of “smooth-bore carbines” was the creation of a similar weapon chambered for the 20-caliber cartridge. This gun was intended for hunting medium and small animals, as well as performing security functions.

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By the end of the 1990s, on the basis of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, the Saiga 12 carbine was developed, which became one of the more massive types of weapons; the carbine demonstrated good technical properties. It is curious that “Saiga 12” in a special version “030” is used not only by civilian shooters, but also represents a certain interest for experts in the form of a massive assault weapon (Carbine “18.5 KS-K” - in a combat version).

In order to improve the technical properties of the design, it was decided to deeply modify the Saiga for hunting. A modernized version of the Saiga-M appeared, which became the founder of the family of rifled guns. At first, in the 2000s, the Saiga Mk models were released, which on the outside were a copy of Kalashnikov assault rifles.

Design

• Self-loading carbine with folding stock. The trigger mechanism is driven by powder gases discharged from the barrel bore through a gas outlet pipe.
• The design is completely identical to the AK-104 combat assault rifle, the only thing that makes the Saiga MK version 03 different from it is the absence of an automatic fire sear. Provision is made for blocking the trigger when the stock is folded.
• The pistol grip, butt, fore-end and gas tube cover in the basic version are made of black impact-resistant plastic.
• Sights are a traditional AK rear sight-ruler with a slider and a high closed front sight, both made of metal.

Saiga-12. SVD strategy 3-4

Izhevskaya is engaged in tuning Saiga carbines on an industrial scale. Among the more advanced Legion tuning options is the smooth-bore version of Saiga-12. SVD strategy 3 - 4". The design of the Saiga-12 carbine is made in the style of the Tiger carbine, which is based on the SVD rifle.

The SVD 3-4 strategy from Saiga-12 has the following borrowings:

• automation mechanisms;
• trigger and impact mechanisms;
• fuse and magazine.

The Tiger carbine has a 580 mm long barrel and a slotted flash suppressor. The shape of the orthopedic butt, which is created from laminated plywood, was borrowed from the SVD rifle. At the end of the butt there is a rubber shock absorber that reduces recoil force. The handguard is also made from plywood. For intensive cooling, oblong holes are made in the barrel. Shooting is carried out with 12/70 mm cartridges.

The SVD 3-4 strategy is fired from a detachable 5-round box magazine. The SVDS 3-1 strategy is produced based on the standard of another SVDS rifle, which has a folding stock. Unlike the SVD 3-4 Strategy, the carbine is equipped with a folding frame stock and a wooden handle. Both models look remarkable, “military-style,” which appeals to many security company employees and hunters familiar with the military Kalashnikov. In terms of ballistic characteristics, the SVD Strategy is no different from the ordinary Saiga-12.

Operating principle

Based on the use of part of the powder gases from the barrel bore, which activate the trigger mechanism.

1. The carbine is removed from the safety by lowering its flag, located on the right side of the receiver, down.
2. The bolt frame is retracted, for which you need to hook the first phalanx of the index finger of your right hand onto its lever, and then release it so that the bolt frame itself, energetically and with a characteristic click, returns to its original position.
3. When the bolt frame is returned, a cartridge from the magazine is sent into the chamber, the bolt rotates and locks the barrel. At the same time, the trigger is cocked and the trigger is placed on the sear hook.
4. After pressing the trigger, the trigger is released and strikes the firing pin, the firing pin of which punctures the cartridge primer. A shot occurs.
5. When fired, part of the powder gases return to the gas tube and put pressure on the bolt frame piston, forcing it to move back and compress the return mechanism spring. As a result, the trigger is cocked and the cartridge is supplied from the magazine to the loading line.
6. When the bolt frame is returned back under the action of the return mechanism spring, actions similar to step 3 occur, after which the carbine is ready for the next shot.

Technical characteristics of smoothbore shotguns "Saiga" caliber 12

Saiga smoothbore carbines have a whole set of specific features that they inherited from the Kalashnikov assault rifle. The performance characteristics of Saiga-12 are as follows:

• The weight of the carbine is 3,600 g. in the “Saiga-12S” version and 3,500 gr. in the Saiga-12K version;
• The Saiga-12S barrel length is 580 mm, the Saiga-12S barrel length is 430 mm;
• Magazine capacity ranges from 4 to 10 rounds;
• Caliber – 12 (18.3 mm);
• The operating principle of this carbine is based on the removal of powder gases.

The front and rear sights are used as standard sighting devices. It is possible to install additional sighting devices.

The Saiga-12 hunting carbine has few disadvantages, but they are quite serious for some hunters:

• Due to the design of the carbine safety, it is impossible to shoot offhand;
• The weight of the gun is quite large, and some hunters who do not have impressive dimensions complain of fatigue after hunting with the Saiga.

Despite this, smooth-bore Saiga is often purchased for hunting, although experienced hunters prefer hunting weapons of a classical design. At the same time, some hunters purchase Saiga as a weapon specifically for self-defense, or as an additional gun. However, there are cases where hunters with two guns successfully hunt with Saiga-12, achieving fairly high results.

The advantages of Saiga-12 are as follows:

• The simplest design of a carbine, which has an automatic mechanism identical to that of an AK;
• Quick disassembly and assembly;
• Incredible performance in any harsh conditions, despite contamination;
• Possibility of purchasing magazines for 8 or 10 rounds;
• The convenient design of the weapon partially compensates for its heavy weight;
• Possibility of installing sighting devices of any type.

Quite high rates of fire rate, muzzle energy, muzzle velocity and other indicators similar to those of a Kalashnikov assault rifle.

Procedure for partial disassembly

1. Separate the magazine from the receiver.
2. Remove the cleaning rod.
3. Recess the corrugated square button on the receiver cover and separate it itself by moving it up and back.
4. By pressing forward, remove the return mechanism clutch from the grooves and remove it together with the spring from the groove of the bolt frame.
5. Move the bolt carrier back. After the piston exits the gas tube, smoothly, avoiding the stops of the bolt cylinder catching on the guides on the receiver, remove it moving backwards and upwards.
6. Remove the bolt cylinder from the bolt frame by tilting it down and turning the bolt clockwise.

The most common modifications of the smoothbore Saiga

Now there are many different modifications of the smooth-bore Saiga, which differ in length, design and the presence of various devices that are installed on hunting carbines.

"Saiga-12" is the most popular modification of the carbine. Although this modification has been produced for many years, it is still incredibly popular. The plant continues to delight its customers, releasing more and more modifications every year.

The main difference between the Saiga-12 carbines is the letter designation, which is placed after the number “12”. This letter indicates how long the rifle's barrel will be. For example, Saiga-12S has a long barrel measuring 580 mm or 680 mm. Saiga-12K has a barrel length of 430 mm.

Another interesting feature of the Saiga-12K is the presence of a lock, which does not allow firing with the butt folded, since the total length of the carbine with a short barrel is less than 800 mm, which is unacceptable under the Law on Weapons. In order to make a shot, you must unfold the butt. In versions with a long barrel, such a blocker is absent.

Saiga 12k isp. 340 was made specifically for sports and recreational shooting. In this modification, there are no mechanical sights, since in order to achieve high performance in shooting, it is necessary to use optical or collimator sights. This modification has:

• Weaver sighting bar;
• Thumb quick release button;
• The shutter handle allows reloading from both the right and left sides;
• Push-button type fuse.

This model has an AK-type stock, which is equipped with a rubber butt pad.

"Saiga" model 12 EXP-01 is an almost complete "clone" of "Saiga 12K" version. 030.

The only difference between this model is the absence of a blocker. This is why the Saiga model 12 EXP-01 is a prohibited weapon for use in Russia.

An interesting model is the Saiga-12K. 40. This model has a magazine receiver neck that completely copies the same device on American M-16 rifles. This model is equipped with a sighting device similar to the sighting device of a Kalashnikov assault rifle. In addition, this model is equipped with a Weaver sighting rail.

In addition to the Saiga-12 and its modifications, there are several more modifications of the smooth-bore Saiga.

"Saiga-410", which appeared in the early 90s and marked the beginning of all further developments of hunting carbines, which were created on the basis of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. With its appearance, this model immediately resolved the issue of creating an AK-based gun that used low-power cartridges. The choice of such a specific caliber can only be explained by the plant’s orientation towards Western consumers.

In any case, the Saiga-410 can hardly be called a full-fledged hunting carbine, since a cartridge of this caliber can hold too little shot or buckshot. Mostly shooting is carried out with bullet cartridges. Most carbines of this caliber were purchased for self-defense or for security organizations.

There are modifications of the Saiga-410, which are similar to the Saiga MK carbine - an almost complete copy of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. It is for this reason that such modifications of the Saiga-410 are still quite popular, despite their weak firepower and insufficient reliability.

The Saiga-20k carbines and other modifications of the 20-caliber Saiga appeared as a tribute to Russian hunters, who mostly used hunting cartridges of this particular caliber. This model also has great similarities with the Saiga MK (although the Saiga MK appeared much later).

Unlike Saiga-410, the 20-gauge model range is distinguished by its overall reliability. All other shooting indicators, such as rate of fire and penetration ability, are at a high level, just like the “ancestor” of the entire Kalashnikov assault rifle series.