Saiga 12??

JMF0486 · December 20, 2010, 01:22 PM

Can someone tell me more about this shotgun?? Reliability/Dependability, easy to tear down and clean?? It would be used for HD and just goin out back and messing around. Thanks in advance.

JMF

Technosavant · December 20, 2010, 08:37 PM

Build quality is uneven (mostly regarding the gas ports). Reliability isn't bad once broken in (they like heavier loads), but it isn't as absolute as the AK design rifles. Reloads aren't as fast and easy as you'd think due to the lack of a last round bolt hold open. It is a soft shooter, but I find that occasionally I have shells go nose-up into the top of the chamber for a failure to feed jam. That would be a problem in a HD scenario.

If you get one and it runs well, then it would work as a HD gun, but I'd sooner reach for my 870 for that, no matter how awesome the S12 looks.

JMF0486 · December 20, 2010, 11:44 PM

thanks for the reply . i dont know much about shotguns. ive used m1014s and mossberg 500s while i was in the marines. my friend is getting the saiga 12 and was showing me videos of it on youtube, i thought it looked pretty cool but wanted to learn more about it from people that have used them or owned them. so figured id ask tfl.

jmortimer · December 20, 2010, 11:46 PM

What technosavant said. If you put enough $$$ in one it can be reliable and converted to last round bolt hold open. At that point you could get an FN SLP or Benelli M4.

jaguarxk120 · December 21, 2010, 09:21 AM

From pictures I've seen, they look like they are made from stamped sheet metal. Is that so?

JMF0486 · December 21, 2010, 10:37 AM

So what your telling me is, is that the saiga 12 is more of a go out back and shoot pallets/whatever and have fun with type of gun. For HD stick to something more along the lines of an 870 or a Mossberg 500 (which would be the smarter thing for me since im used to it)

Technosavant · December 21, 2010, 11:01 AM

Jaguarxk120, the receiver is indeed stamped. It's a standard AK action.

As for the S12 in general, it can be reliable, but it takes some shooting in order to prove that your particular one is reliable. Mine is probably about 80%, but I didn't go out and put a couple hundred rounds of slugs and buckshot through it (that seems to be the generally accepted method of breaking them in).

While they look cool, they really don't do anything that much better than any other semiauto shotgun; I'm not poo-poo'ing the thing, I'm just saying that sometimes people have unrealistic expectations for it. I don't discourage people from purchasing one, but don't expect you're getting some military spec ops capable uber death machine shotgun. You're getting a sporter semiauto shotgun assembled by a group of fairly indifferent workers. The shotguns are easy to work on and can be whipped up into something completely other, but you'll also be spending more to do that.

For a better view of what people have done to and with them, check out the Saiga 12 forum.

jmortimer · December 21, 2010, 11:01 AM

If you don't want to spend the $$$ on the FN SLP or Benelli M4 then check out the Mossberg 930 SPX - the 930 is proving to be rock solid reliable at half the price or less than half the price. Otherwise you can never go wrong with the 500 or 870.

December 20, 2010, 01:22 PM	#1
JMF0486 Member Join Date: November 9, 2010 Location: Nine Mile Falls, WA Posts: 93	Saiga 12?? Can someone tell me more about this shotgun?? Reliability/Dependability, easy to tear down and clean?? It would be used for HD and just goin out back and messing around. Thanks in advance. JMF

December 20, 2010, 08:37 PM	#2
Technosavant Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 4,040	Build quality is uneven (mostly regarding the gas ports). Reliability isn't bad once broken in (they like heavier loads), but it isn't as absolute as the AK design rifles. Reloads aren't as fast and easy as you'd think due to the lack of a last round bolt hold open. It is a soft shooter, but I find that occasionally I have shells go nose-up into the top of the chamber for a failure to feed jam. That would be a problem in a HD scenario. If you get one and it runs well, then it would work as a HD gun, but I'd sooner reach for my 870 for that, no matter how awesome the S12 looks.

December 20, 2010, 11:44 PM	#3
JMF0486 Member Join Date: November 9, 2010 Location: Nine Mile Falls, WA Posts: 93	thanks for the reply . i dont know much about shotguns. ive used m1014s and mossberg 500s while i was in the marines. my friend is getting the saiga 12 and was showing me videos of it on youtube, i thought it looked pretty cool but wanted to learn more about it from people that have used them or owned them. so figured id ask tfl.

December 20, 2010, 11:46 PM	#4
jmortimer Junior member Join Date: January 24, 2010 Location: South West Riverside County California Posts: 2,763	What technosavant said. If you put enough $$$ in one it can be reliable and converted to last round bolt hold open. At that point you could get an FN SLP or Benelli M4.

December 21, 2010, 09:21 AM	#5
jaguarxk120 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,620	From pictures I've seen, they look like they are made from stamped sheet metal. Is that so?

December 21, 2010, 10:37 AM	#6
JMF0486 Member Join Date: November 9, 2010 Location: Nine Mile Falls, WA Posts: 93	So what your telling me is, is that the saiga 12 is more of a go out back and shoot pallets/whatever and have fun with type of gun. For HD stick to something more along the lines of an 870 or a Mossberg 500 (which would be the smarter thing for me since im used to it)

December 21, 2010, 11:01 AM	#7
Technosavant Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 4,040	Jaguarxk120, the receiver is indeed stamped. It's a standard AK action. As for the S12 in general, it can be reliable, but it takes some shooting in order to prove that your particular one is reliable. Mine is probably about 80%, but I didn't go out and put a couple hundred rounds of slugs and buckshot through it (that seems to be the generally accepted method of breaking them in). While they look cool, they really don't do anything that much better than any other semiauto shotgun; I'm not poo-poo'ing the thing, I'm just saying that sometimes people have unrealistic expectations for it. I don't discourage people from purchasing one, but don't expect you're getting some military spec ops capable uber death machine shotgun. You're getting a sporter semiauto shotgun assembled by a group of fairly indifferent workers. The shotguns are easy to work on and can be whipped up into something completely other, but you'll also be spending more to do that. For a better view of what people have done to and with them, check out the Saiga 12 forum.