Saiga 12 Gauge Review

 The Saiga-12 is a Kalashnikov-pattern 12 gauge combat shotgun available in a wide range of configurations. Like the Kalashnikov rifle variants, it is a rotating bolt, gas-operated gun that feeds from a box magazine. All Saiga-12 configurations are recognizable as Kalashnikov-pattern guns by the large lever-safety on the right side of the receiver, the optic mounting rail on the left side of the receiver and the large top-mounted dust cover held in place by the rear of the recoil spring assembly.

The looser clearances offered in an AK style design result in high reliability—an enormous boon on a semi-automatic shotgun, as this class of weapon had previously tended towards unreliability.

The Saiga-12 is manufactured by the arms division of Izhmash, in Russia. It was previously imported into the US by European American Armories, although their agreement expired in 2005 and Izhmash is now exporting through the Russian-American Armory Company.

I have not been able to take the weapon out with my MD Arms 20x Round drum yet. I have however run about twenty rounds through the 5x and 12x round magazines.

The weapon had problems cycling and extracting low brass rounds, but a thorough cleaning, new gas puck and plug resolved the problem. This is the damage from 5x 00 buck rounds and 1x 2.75" slug. If I had been using my 20x round drum, I very likely could have felled the poor tree I was firing at.

As far as putting lead down range, this shotgun is only outpaced by the AA-12, which is reserved for FFL holders, police, and military. It, is, NASTY! The barrel can be replaced easily with a much shorter one for home defense. There is also plenty of room for rails and the stock can be converted without any change necessary to the trigger assembly or receiver.

This is my very favorite mid-life crisis/compensatory weapon ever.So much fun! I rate this weapon a 4/5.