What is a "converted" Saiga or Vepr?
Saigas and Veprs are hunting rifles based on AK actions. Put simply, a converted Saiga or Vepr uses a standard AK-pattern pistol grip and military magazines, making it look and behave much like a military AK. Saigas and Veprs arrive from the factory with their FCGs relocated rearward and their bullet guides removed, preventing use of a standard pistol grip and military high-capacity magazines. To "convert" the gun back, the FCG and trigger guard are replaced or modified to get them in their original positions, and a standard AK pistol grip is attached. A bullet guide is also installed to allow reliable feeding, although calibers that are not used in military AKs (.308 and shotgun shells) do not need a bullet guide, since no military magazines exist.
So if that's what a converted gun is, the question now is why does this conversion process exist? To answer that question, first you have to know about the problem:
There's a law out there restricting importation of firearms made in Russia. Want to buy an AK from Bulgaria? Go ahead. Want to buy an AK from Russia? No dice.
Russia has a Voluntary Restraint Agreement (VRA) with the US. Basically, Russia agreed not to flood the American market with cheap, awesome guns, and in return America did something for Russia. I don't know exactly what deal was struck (though I've heard we agreed to finally explain what "e-mail" is) but the point is, no AK-12s, no SVDs, no AS Vals, and no VSS Vintorez(s). The humanity...
There are only a few firearms, specified by name, that are on the list to get in. Saigas and Veprs did make the cut, surprisingly, but only because they are about as lame as AK-pattern guns can get. Even though a Russian-made, honest-to-god AK receiver lurks at the center, Saigas and Veprs still have terrible triggers, forgettable ergonomics, and tiny magazines. Alas, you can't just buy the good bits from Russia because then the gun is back to being a Russian-made military firearm and is violating US Code 922(r). But let's say you wake up one morning, down a few shots of vodka, and realize your blood runs Commie red and you just NEED to rock-n-lock a banana mag and chop-chop-chop the capitalist pigs into submission. Comrade, you're in luck.
There's a law out there restricting importation of firearms made in Russia. Want to buy an AK from Bulgaria? Go ahead. Want to buy an AK from Russia? No dice.
Russia has a Voluntary Restraint Agreement (VRA) with the US. Basically, Russia agreed not to flood the American market with cheap, awesome guns, and in return America did something for Russia. I don't know exactly what deal was struck (though I've heard we agreed to finally explain what "e-mail" is) but the point is, no AK-12s, no SVDs, no AS Vals, and no VSS Vintorez(s). The humanity...
There are only a few firearms, specified by name, that are on the list to get in. Saigas and Veprs did make the cut, surprisingly, but only because they are about as lame as AK-pattern guns can get. Even though a Russian-made, honest-to-god AK receiver lurks at the center, Saigas and Veprs still have terrible triggers, forgettable ergonomics, and tiny magazines. Alas, you can't just buy the good bits from Russia because then the gun is back to being a Russian-made military firearm and is violating US Code 922(r). But let's say you wake up one morning, down a few shots of vodka, and realize your blood runs Commie red and you just NEED to rock-n-lock a banana mag and chop-chop-chop the capitalist pigs into submission. Comrade, you're in luck.
It just so happens that there are tons of other nuts like you, and some of them are machinists, and a few others are lawyers. The lawyers remembered that you can build a military firearm if it's made in the USA, and after closely examining the federal laws, they realized that if you replace enough components in that "Saiga sporting rifle" with parts made here in the USA, that rifle suddenly qualifies as "made in the USA." So the guys with machine shops got to work, and before you knew it there was a booming industry devoted to "converting" these Saiga rifles and shotguns back to military configurations using only American-made parts. The whole thing is 100% legal and all the folding stocks, pistol grips, and 75 round drum magazines in the world are now yours for the taking.
The same situation exists for Veprs, which are a heavier AK-pattern rifle based on the RPK. The days of poring over the 922r bylaws in order to make sure you are meeting the minimum number of USA-sourced parts are mostly over, as many manufacturers offer "kits" made up of all tools and parts needed to legally convert a particular firearm. Or, if you're not the handiest person in the world, you can just buy a professionally assembled gun off-the-shelf from a number of vendors specializing in 922r conversions.
For a detailed breakdown on the conversion procedure, see the Tech Articles section, and for advice on 922r compliance parts, see the Upgrades section.
The same situation exists for Veprs, which are a heavier AK-pattern rifle based on the RPK. The days of poring over the 922r bylaws in order to make sure you are meeting the minimum number of USA-sourced parts are mostly over, as many manufacturers offer "kits" made up of all tools and parts needed to legally convert a particular firearm. Or, if you're not the handiest person in the world, you can just buy a professionally assembled gun off-the-shelf from a number of vendors specializing in 922r conversions.
For a detailed breakdown on the conversion procedure, see the Tech Articles section, and for advice on 922r compliance parts, see the Upgrades section.
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