TM AK47 to Saiga

[Gumball]

Hello everyone. As i was thinking in my room, deciding what my next rifle purchase was, i thought why not build something rather than buy something already finished. Well, since im an "ak guy" the type of rifle has to, ofcourse, be an ak. I started researching different type of AK's and variants, I thought maybe a beta, krinkov, svd, or saiga. My inventory so far is a CYMA AIMS and a CYMA AK74U so i had the CQB and outdoor aspect down. I thought to myself why not just build a DMR? I havent seen any Saigas in the airsoft world so thats what i picked.

 

Brainstorming:

 

I picked a semi-automatic Saiga IZ-114 due to its style and ease of converting. It seams to have a regular dust cover and reciever. The only major differeances are the buttstock, gas tube, and front hand grip. Once i saw what i needed I set off seeing what parts i had. I had a SRC aluminum reciever and a TM front end and needed to get the saiga custom parts and a dust cover. All these parts gave me a very basic saiga rifle, to pimp it out i am going to attach a harris bipod to the handgaurd and attach a rail platform to the dust cover to attach a scope.

 

 

My intentions:

 

A problem i ran into while brainstorming was the buttstock, which looked like it could be cut off a M14. The only problem was that i would still have the gearbox motor sticking out of the bottom of the reciever if i tried to attach that type of buttstock. Once i did some research i found that some people replace the stocks for a SVD buttstock. All i needed to do is chop down the reciever and actually find a JG(TM compatible) buttstock to put on the rifle. I emailed around and found out that airsoft megastore had these buttstocks in stock for 39 dollars shipped.

 

 

This is where the magic is happening, my desk, as of right now there are pieces of plastic, screws, and tools EVERYWHERE lol.

 

Let the games begin:

The first order of business was to fit the hand guard. I disassembled the entire front end so it was just the sight block and the naked barrel. Since the hand guard is real steel, it is obviously not going to be so easy to fit. There is a piece of plastic that fits into the front of the receiver. This plastic piece needed to be cut down in order to have it fit correctly. Once that fit i drilled two holes into that plastic piece in order to secure it to the body.

 

 

 

The Sight block came next and a lot of work came with it. In order for the hand guard to fit under the sight block assembly, you need to cut down the plastic on the bottom of the sight block. This will make you cut the front two bottom reciever screws which then leaves those front holes(on the receiver) to secure to the hand guard .

 

 

Once that was done it was time to move onto the gas tube assembly. In order to fit the gas tube, you need to cut the mock gas tube that is hidden by the top handguard on a normal TM AK.

 

 

 

The gas block needs to be cut because on TM rifles the Gas tube and block are 1 entire mold. Also, the cleaning rod hole also needed to be removed in order for it to fit in the hand gaurd.

 

 

I was planning on buying a real steel gas tube but there was no point since all it is is a tube. I went to home depot and found some 1/2" PVC pipe. It was cut, then on one end the inner diameter was sanded in order to secure the cut gas block.

 

 

On the other end i made cuts for it to be secured to the sight block.

 

 

Once all of that was done i sanded it down with some 320 grit sand paper and painted it with some spray paint in satin black.

 

 

 

Now that the front end is completed, next is the *albatross* of the rifle. The SVD stock will be ordered in the morning and i will provide another post to follow that up. After that will be a new paint job for the Sight block, Gas block, Dust cover, and SVD stock.

[bbondaloose]

Wow, pretty impressive so far. When are you hoping to finish this by?

The front end looks almost spot on!

[Gumball]

Wow, pretty impressive so far. When are you hoping to finish this by?

The front end looks almost spot on!

 

As long as money allows, i can probably finish it within a week or two. Im in the talks with a few people for the scope, dustcover, and rail to bolt on the dustcover so the main wait will be the time it takes to negotiate a price and shipping.

[ninja master of coffee]

That is looking nice! Definately different from the usual mods, looking forward to see how this turns out!

[Murdoc]

After I saw the photo; I thought; that you have to sit back the gearbox, and use a long, custom nozzle(your idea is simpler)...

I would change the gas block, and front sight to modifyed CYMA 031(its more similar to SAIGA).

[Murdoc]

Ooops, I posted twice . So that's why AK-74:

Everything else very well done!

[DarkLite]

Nice work there. You going to attach a side plate for optics?

[Gumball]

Ooops, I posted twice . So that's why AK-74:

Everything else very well done!

 

 

Thank you! And yes, the guy im getting the dustcover from also is selling a ak74 gas block so im going to snatch that up aswell. As much as setting gearbox back, thatll be a very long a tedious process. Ill achieve a basic look by just attaching the stock on and not moving anything so that what im gonna do. I also dont know where to buy/how to make a 2 inch air nossel lol.

 

 

Nice work there. You going to attach a side plate for optics?

 

 

Nope, im just gonna bolt on a rail platform onto the top of the dustcover. I think itll look a bit more sexy with that, if i fail to achieve the desired look then the side plate is the next option.

[DarkLite]

You could also mount a rail to the top of the front grip, just in front of the rear sight. That would probably be more stable.

[Gumball]

You could also mount a rail to the top of the front grip, just in front of the rear sight. That would probably be more stable.

 

i could but then i could only use a dog sight on it and i want this rifle to fill more of a DMR role, ty for the suggestions and feedback though! If the Dust cover isnt rescure enough then i could always reinforce the inside of it in order for it sight very tight against the receiver.

 

Little progress, the Gas and sight blocks have been painted along with the front sight. The threads in the barrel that secure the gas block and the front sight are getting worn out(bought the front end used) so im gonna need to use some loctite as fix for that. The Handgaurd already has a hole drilled in the front of it so putting the nut to secure a harris bipod wont be too hard. I may try and secure the handgrip to the barrel for added support due to the added weight of the bipod. I may get some bondo and create a custom brace to go around the barrel. Then i can place a nut and set it into place to allow the harris bipod adapter to screw into.

 

Progress so far:

 

 

[Mr. Blue]

I think its humorous you are converting a conventional AK to look like a saiga, where saiga owners (not including myself) convert their saigas to look like conventional AK's

[Gumball]

I think its humorous you are converting a conventional AK to look like a saiga, where saiga owners (not including myself) convert their saigas to look like conventional AK's

 

lol yea, it was a pain trying to find pictures of a stock saiga on some forums lol

[Mr. Blue]

Saiga12.com is a good resource.

 

mind you that the thumb hole was a recent edition. they normally come with the the standard hunting style stock.

[Gumball]

Saiga12.com is a good resource.

 

mind you that the thumb hole was a recent edition. they normally come with the the standard hunting style stock.

 

thats the forum ive been using lol. I wanted to do the hunting style stock but the main problem would be fitting a version 7 gearbox. The motor would stick into the stock when would mean i would have to hollow it out. If i did that then making it sturdy enough to be able to rest my head on it or take a few blows to the ground would be a challenge. I would probably JB weld and bolt it into place permanently . If i did that then i would also just add the space between the mag catch and the trigger gaurd. Wouldnt be too hard on a tm body, nothing that a hack saw, some sheet metal and some bondo couldnt fix. Maybe another time though, i already ordered the SVD buttstock, fitting it and finding more places to secure it other than the motor cage screw should also be a challenge lol

[Murdoc]

I also dont know where to buy/how to make a 2 inch air nossel lol.

On US WW2 airsoft forum schmitty(?) made an Fg42 early type AEG. He located the modified(the box/motor angle) V3 AUG gearbox in the stock and used an about 15cm long nozzle to hit the modded hop-up unit.

If you find a plastic tube, that fit on the nozzle; you can cut the nozzle in to parts, and insert the tube.

 

As he said; with no fps setback.

[Gumball]

On US WW2 airsoft forum schmitty(?) made an Fg42 early type AEG. He located the modified(the box/motor angle) V3 AUG gearbox in the stock and used an about 15cm long nozzle to hit the modded hop-up unit.

If you find a plastic tube, that fit on the nozzle; you can cut the nozzle in to parts, and insert the tube.

 

As he said; with no fps setback.

 

 

not a bad idea. Although the main problem would still be fitting the version 7 gearbox into the stock. Im not sure if it could fit in a regular saiga buttstock.

 

 

[Murdoc]

not a bad idea. Although the main problem would still be fitting the version 7 gearbox into the stock. Im not sure if it could fit in a regular saiga buttstock.

I thought at your 'thumbhole'(motor can fit in the grip-part of the stock).

I think at V7 the wall would be paperthin at the "grip" part of the stock. Other problem, is that V7 holds the nozzle high on the front. It can be switched 180 degrees. Enough to make an SKS, but not low enough to fit in AK.

Maybe a toltally custom SAIGA wood(or fiberglass)stock...or an original thumbhole...

[Gumball]

what do you mean by thumbhole? you mean buttstock?

[Murdoc]

what do you mean by thumbhole? you mean buttstock?

I thought about that SAIGA you posted on your first photo... "My intentions:"

[Gumball]

I thought about that SAIGA you posted on your first photo... "My intentions:"

 

oh, i see. I agree with you about the walls being too thin. I could possibly fit the version 3 motor cage but that means the top of the GB may stick out the top of the buttstock in that picture. I dont think there is enough space from the bottom of the hand grip to the top of the cheek rest to accommodate a ver 3 gb.

[Murdoc]

You can buy this instead of long nozzle(with high fps):

http://shop.ehobbyasia.com/upgrade-part/parts-upgrade-aeg/gearboxs/real-sword-completed-gearbox-for-rs-t3-svd.html

[Gumball]

You can buy this instead of long nozzle(with high fps):

http://shop.ehobbyasia.com/upgrade-part/parts-upgrade-aeg/gearboxs/real-sword-completed-gearbox-for-rs-t3-svd.html

 

is there just a shell with wiring and trigger ?

[Murdoc]

is there just a shell with wiring and trigger ?

I think you need more. And it's cheap, if a full RS SVD is 500$... here the hop-up:

http://shop.ehobbyasia.com/real-sword-metal-hop-up-chamber-set-for-rs-svd.html

I would buy it; if I finished the first step with V3, and JG "SVD" stock. This could be a great DMR. And you would be the only one, who has it.

[Gumball]

i think im already the only person to attempt this lol. As for now i dont have an additional 100 to sacrifice on a GB+hopup, school is comming up and i need some money for books lol.

 

Update:

 

I got the SVD stock in today, WOOT WOOT! i also got the scope and the RIS plate, all im waiting on is that dust cover.

 

 

So, first thing, i got the stock and fitted it. I have a regular TM compatible lower reciever which had the tangs broken off. The angle of the end, where the tangs are, is a lot steeper compared to a AK-47S reciever(which is what this stock is compatible with). Because of this you need to cut a portion of the end off in order to let the stock sit correctly.

 

 

and the final outcome:

 

 

All thats left is the dust cover(hopefully will come by the weekend), mounting the harris bipod nut in the handguard, Reinforcing the handguard to the barrel, and mounting the scope. I also need to paint all of this. I think ill sand then spray the stock black, put on some polyurethane, sand it again, then hit it with another coat of flat black. If i do that i wont need to worry about it being scratched and having the mock wood show.

[Murdoc]

i think im already the only person to attempt this lol. As for now i dont have an additional 100 to sacrifice on a GB+hopup, school is comming up and i need some money for books lol.

 

I thought in the future... use it for a year, and if it has some scratch-need to repaint, etc... add that 150$ to make it totally authentic.