Feat of the Week: Saiga 12
The Gunsmithing Story
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Sporterized Saiga-12
By Vitaly V. Kuzmin - http://vitalykuzmin.net/?q=node/529, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29470697
This week’s gunsmithing feat is unsporterizing a Saiga-12. Banned from import in 2014, these Russian semi-automatic, gas operated shotguns are increasingly rare. We can’t wait to tell you more about “unsporterizing” this shotgun and explain why it was banned. So let’s get started!
Before they were completely banned from import in 2014, Saiga-12s had to come to the United States in the “sporterized” configuration. Because of import restrictions regarding certain calibers, these combat shotguns had to be reconfigured into “sporting” shotguns. Sporterized Saiga-12s don’t have a pistol grip or folding stock. Additionally, the trigger and trigger guard were moved backward and put in place of the pistol grip. Once imported, it was legal for people to have a Saiga-12 unsporterized by a gunsmith.
This customer wanted us to do both an action job and unsporterize his Saiga-12. First, we removed the factory extended trigger assembly and moved the trigger back to it’s original position on the gun. Then, we installed a new trigger, pistol grip, and new buttstock.
While this process is relatively simple and doesn’t need much more explanation, we thought this was a gun worth blogging about. And we couldn’t resist talking about the Saiga-12.
Customer’s Unsporterized Saiga-12
The Saiga-12 History
Manufactured by the Kalashnikov Concern—formally known Izhmash—the Saiga-12 is a shotgun patterned after the infamous AK-47 rifle. Developed in the 1990s, these shotguns are used for hunting and self-defense. It is also a popular combat shotgun for U.S. police forces and the Russian Spetnaz (special forces). Users benefit from its lightweight and minimum recoil.
Originally known as Izamash, the Kalashnikov concern was founded in 1807 in the city of Izhevsk—close to the river and raw materials. The plant supplied the Imperial Army with muskets and firearms during the Napoleonic Wars and during the first Crimean War in the 1850s. Beginning in the 1890s, Izamash began mass producing the Mosin-Nagant, and during World War I, it produced 1.4 million rifles for the Russian Army.
Again, in World War II, the Izamash plant was the main manufacturer of firearms for the Soviet Armed Forces. In just three years, the plan produced over 11 million rifles—more than all the German manufacturers combined.
After World War II, they hired Kalashnikov to design guns, and in 1947, he created the AK-47. Izamash began production of the most iconic Russian rifle of the modern era. They continued to develop firearms based on the Kalashnikov rifle including the AKM, the AK-74, the RPK light machine gun, and the SVD sniper rifle.
Putin at the Kalashnikov Concern in 2016
By Russian government - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/52920/photos/45675, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61041172
After the Soviet Union collapsed, Izhmash struggled to compete with firearm manufacturers worldwide. But with the creation of the Saiga—a shotgun patterned after the AK-47—their popularity in Western markets rose rapidly. In 2013, the company experienced a reorganization as the Kalashnikov Concern, and with its new name and identity, the company one again became Russia’s largest firearms manufacturer and exporter. Today, the Kalashnikov Concern produces 95% of all of the small arms in Russia.
Why was the Saiga-12 Banned?
In February 2014, unmarked Russian troops invaded Crimea, and, with the help of pro-Russian separatists they installed a new pro-Russian government. The United States, along with the United Nations and many Ukrainians, claimed that this new government was illegal and illegitimate.
In retaliation, the United States imposed economic sanctions on the Kalashnikov Concern and several other Russian companies. These import sanctions were intended to punish the Russians for their aggression and military intervention in both Ukraine and Crimea. But they also effectively banned new Saiga-12 and other Kalashnikov Concern products from import to U.S. consumers.
On the bright side, the import ban on AKs and Saigas enabled American manufacturers to gain a foothold in the AK marketplace previously occupied by the Kalashnikov Concern. For example, Kalashnikov USA (unrelated to the Kalashnikov Concern in Russia) produces several AK-style guns including a KS-12 which is a clone of the Saiga-12.
But will we ever see new Russian Saiga-12s in the U.S. again? Probably not. The American government intends on continuing these sanctions until Russia ends their occupation of Crimea. The Russians, however, have shown no signs of backing down. In fact, the Prime Minister of Russia claims that Crimea is now fully integrated with Russia—they use both Russian time and money and have constructed a fence between Ukraine and Crimea.
It’s rare to find a Saiga-12 for sale these days. No one wants to give them up, for fear they’ll never get their hands on one again. Interestingly, this shotgun is named after the saiga antelope—a critically endangered species found in Russia and other parts of central Asia. They’ve continued to face extinction throughout the 21st century due to excessive hunting and poaching. And much like the antelope, the Saiga-12 has become an endangered species.
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