# Saiga 12 Gunsmith



## omegax (Oct 25, 2006)

So, I have a Saiga 12, but mine's one of them that needs some tinkering. I need to get the gas block off, and I am NOT comfortable applying any more force than the amount I've already attempted.

So, this thing being such an oddball: does anybody have any recommendations for a gunsmith near-ish to Fargo that would be willing to go on a little adventure? The Custom Gunworks guy doesn't want to touch it, and the Outdoorsman's guy isn't around to ask, until the end of the week. I'm just looking for other suggestions, in case I need to cover my bases.

I'm pretty sure it just needs 2 pins driven out, and then tap the block off. Only one of the pins is being stubborn. I think it's going to be a relatively simple matter of pressing it out of there. It's barely used. So, it shouldn't be rusted.


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## cajunsnowchaser (May 6, 2014)

I wish i had some info for you being i have never messed with that shotgun just ak 47s and sorry for sounding rude but sounds like u should have bought a american designed gun instead of a russian gun. I would think if a few gunsmiths said they dont want to touch it that means it might be a serious problem with it. My best wishes getting it fixed please post some pics of it so we all can see what the problem seams to be andhow it was fixed. God bless and shoot straight.


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## omegax (Oct 25, 2006)

If there were an American gun with removable box mags or drums, I'd probably have one of those, too.

Saigas are actually an awesome gun, but I do wish I would have known to take out the gas plug and look to see if the gas block is obstructing any of the holes, before I bought it. That's all that's wrong with mine. It's a pretty common issue with a known fix. If you get one without that issue, it's a really reliable gun. I would have no reservations buying another one, with that knowledge.

There are 4 holes (some Saigas have 3) in the barrel that let gas into the system. In my case, the block is covering 1 of the holes completely, and 2 are about half-covered. It's not a serious problem. You just need to get the block off, file it a little, and put it back on.

It's also not a huge deal. All it's doing is preventing it from cycling light loads. I could push 2 3/4" buck though that thing all day... it's just an annoyance that it's not working perfectly. It's also really eating at me that the fix is SO CLOSE, but just out of reach. The freaking fix is staring me in the face!


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