Open shotgun option on the Cheap

[Alaskapopo]

Minus the Red Dot this is around $1200 (parts only...you need to do the work). Totally reliable....you could cut the cost by forgoing the folder, extended mag release, poly choke..etc And the guys who say they are unreliable and need constant tweaking do not know what they are talking about.

Actually Saigas vary quite a bit in reliablity from gun to gun. My R&R Saiga is great my other saiga that is more or less stock except for a Tromix basic conversion won't make it through a mag without a malfunction. To say everyone with a different experience than you is wrong and does not know what they are talking about is pure ignorance and insulting. When I get the cash together I will be sending my other Saiga to R&R as well.

Pat

Edited November 14, 2012 by Alaskapopo

[downhere2]

I shot open with a saiga last year. I took a couple of months to work the bugs out but in the end it was very reliable. I did all of the work myself and have $1500 in it.

The main issues with a saiga or any mag fed shotgun is dealing with multiple loads on a stage and solving a miss. Example would be 7 rounds shot - 2 50 yds slugs - 4 shot - 2 75 yd slug all from different positions.

You can buy insurance by loading extra rounds to compensate for a miss and burning rounds if you don't or doing multiple mag changes. Once your mags are loaded you are stuck with your decision. When everything works out it's great when it goes bad it's brutal.

With a tube gun you can single load for anything that comes up at anytime pretty quick.

Most of the club matches I have shot it would not have been a disadvantage to just have large extention tube that would let you start 12 or 14.

So to answer your question for a cheap open shotgun I would buy a 28" mossberg 930 waterfoul and add a nordic +8 extention and maybe add a red dot if you have extra cash. You could add a speed loader or xrail at a later time if you decide you like open.

Knowing what I do now I would have went with a xrail.

[Alaskapopo]

I shot open with a saiga last year. I took a couple of months to work the bugs out but in the end it was very reliable. I did all of the work myself and have $1500 in it.

The main issues with a saiga or any mag fed shotgun is dealing with multiple loads on a stage and solving a miss. Example would be 7 rounds shot - 2 50 yds slugs - 4 shot - 2 75 yd slug all from different positions.

You can buy insurance by loading extra rounds to compensate for a miss and burning rounds if you don't or doing multiple mag changes. Once your mags are loaded you are stuck with your decision. When everything works out it's great when it goes bad it's brutal.

With a tube gun you can single load for anything that comes up at anytime pretty quick.

Most of the club matches I have shot it would not have been a disadvantage to just have large extention tube that would let you start 12 or 14.

So to answer your question for a cheap open shotgun I would buy a 28" mossberg 930 waterfoul and add a nordic +8 extention and maybe add a red dot if you have extra cash. You could add a speed loader or xrail at a later time if you decide you like open.

Knowing what I do now I would have went with a xrail.

I have found that using my coupled mags in the Arredondo coupler makes missing a non issue other than the split second it takes to make another shot. Most slug stages I have found either have the slugs in the begining or the end or some times bunched in the middle. What I do is just start with the correct mag and reload rack the action and shoot the slugs until I am done and if I need to reload one more time to go back to shot. The Coupler has made dealing with mixed ammo stages easy.

The 20 round mag is what I use when its all one type of ammo rather it be shot or slugs.

Knowing what I know now I am glad i went with R&R.

Pat

Edited November 16, 2012 by Alaskapopo

[gose]

firebird fully race tuned Akdal with $140 ea firebird mags,

Factory Akdal 10 round mags are now available everywhere for ~$75 each. Hopefully Jim's 5 round extension will be available in time for next season, giving us 15 rounds

And I agree with Alaskapopo, not being able to single load rounds is not really a big issue. Game it and stack your rounds, or add a few extra burn rounds for margin, or simply switch mags...

Edited November 16, 2012 by gose

[THM7]

Did not mean to insult anyone but I constantly hear the same story "S12 are not reliable" . Well I have three of them and they all work fine....they can be made reliable if you know the system, keep them properly maintained, and very important....use stiff hulled ammo.

[Alaskapopo]

Did not mean to insult anyone but I constantly hear the same story "S12 are not reliable" . Well I have three of them and they all work fine....they can be made reliable if you know the system, keep them properly maintained, and very important....use stiff hulled ammo.

Agreed.

[T Bacus]

And the guys who say they are unreliable and need constant tweaking do not know what they are talking about.

Yea, we're just the guys who see them choking every weekend. I don't shoot a lot, but I have yet to be squaded with someone whos Siaga has made it through a match without gaging at some point.

[9X23Guy]

I hope to get squaded with you someday. R and R Targets Saiga all the way here and I do shoot a lot.

[Alaskapopo]

And the guys who say they are unreliable and need constant tweaking do not know what they are talking about.

Yea, we're just the guys who see them choking every weekend. I don't shoot a lot, but I have yet to be squaded with someone whos Siaga has made it through a match without gaging at some point.

You need to shoot some matches with us. R&R's dominate open up here and mine has not malfunctioned in a long time. I have seen a lot of tube gunners spill shells all over the ground trying to use speedloaders however and that has cost them a lot of time on the clock. We are currently going through an equipment shift in Open with mag fed guns starting to take over. Its just like when single stack guns had to move aside for double stack pistol mags. Lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth but resistance is futile. One exception to my rule is the XRail that is a competative tube gun. But in my opinon you need to have a high cap shotgun to be competative in open. The only way around this is when stage designers try to limit the Saiga's advantage by limiting round counts. But when you have a high round count stage the scores speak for themselves.

Pat

Edited November 18, 2012 by Alaskapopo

[9X23Guy]

Even in a low round count stage I can honestly say that I've never fired a flatter, softer shotgun.

[Topmaul]

Saiga on the cheap first do the work yourself. I have less than $900 bucks into mine and I saw one at a gun show which was not as nice as mine for like $1400 the two guns had a lot of the same parts! My gun as a few extras the gunshow Saiga did not have.

So do the work yourself you will save over $500 bucks.

There you go. My humble opiinion!

While I'm not the fastest shooter and simply shoot for fun and comradery I can say that my gun is 100% reliable.