Saiga 12 reliable enough for HD?

[Eskimo]

A Saiga 12 would be a fun gun, but would it be reliable enough for home defense? I read somewhere that they had feeding problems.

[HJ857]

The S12 can have some issues due to what seems to be random manufacturing issues. However I think all those issues can be solved by just a few simple things.

1) a reduced power hammer spring that runs around 12 bucks. This reduces the force needed to cycle the action and makes the trigger far, far nicer.

2) replacing the factory gas plug with a three setting plug, also a cheap item and adds a larger amount of gas to go through the tube than the factory plug.

3) don't use the cheap low power birdshot loads. For me, Remington game loads are the lowest power I can use with 100% reliability.

4) put a lot of rounds through it because they do need break in time.

5) you can also polish the bolt and/or enlarge the gas ports. Go to http://forum.saiga-12.com/ for in depth info.

I have no concerns about reliability of the shotgun now. I do have issues with a couple magazines, but I test them thoroughly and mark them so I know which ones I can use with confidence and which I can use for fooling around with at the range.

A great place to get S12 parts is Carolina Shooters Supply. Fantastic shop.

[Dave McC]

Any defensive firearm must be able to pass the Ayoob Test. That's 200 rounds of DUTY ammo fired glitch free.

I tested a bone stock Saiga recently. It was flawless over several hundred rounds of mixed slugs, buck and birdshot from 1 oz target loads to 1 3/8 oz lead goose loads.

IMO, this Saiga would make a great defensive shotgun as is and even better with a bit of mods. That would include adding a PG. The trigger needed improvement and moving it with the PG mod would fix, I'm told.

Otherwise, the Saiga's a fine choice for risk management and threat level reduction.

[balazona]

There is no Bolt hold open feature after last shell fired.
So,inserting a new loaded mag can be difficult specialy in life and death situation.thats why i like tube fed shotguns.

[Technosavant]

Can one be reliable enough out of the box?

Yes, but it needs to prove itself first. You need to break it in, and it needs to function well with the chosen load. That may mean doing some tweaking- the Gunfixer gas plug, maybe polishing the bolt and hammer, maybe enlarging gas holes.

It's still going to be cumbersome to maneuver and reload compared to a Rem 870 or Mossberg 500/590. But it will be a bit easier to shoot- it manages recoil pretty well and when converted to separate pistol grip and stock, it handles not unlike a longer barrel combat rifle.

[HJ857]

Regarding the reloading speed issue, there are a couple different magwells that are available now. These are bolt-on parts that may or may not require grinding the mags a bit. Once done the reload speed and ease of locking in a new mag, even with the bolt closed, is amazingly fast. Of course you do have to have extra mags available but I believe that the point of a mag feed firearm of any sort is based on having extra mags available, and not to reload a single, empty mag.

If one can accept that basic convention, and you try it, you'll never want to use a tube fed shotgun ever again.

[jmorris]

There is no Bolt hold open feature after last shell fired.
So,inserting a new loaded mag can be difficult specialy in life and death situation.thats why i like tube fed shotguns.

Over the last year I went from tube feed to a saiga for 3 gun. Reloads are way faster with the saiga and I don't have a last round bolt hold open (they are out there though) not to mention when changing from say slugs to shot. You just swap mags and rack once vs. rack, rack, rack, rack, rack, rack, rack, rack, load, load...you get the picture.