Kushnapup Stock System
Bullpups are an uncommon sight here in the USA, but in the rest of the world, their proliferation is proof of their effectiveness. The Israeli Tavor, the Austrian AUG, the French FAMAS, the British SA80, the Chinese QB series, and the Belgian F2000 are just the more well-known bullpup rifle designs, and the militaries of countless more countries are jumping on the bullpup rifle bandwagon with either a homegrown design or a contract to one of the big manufacturers.
Thus, it is difficult to argue that a bullpup rifle is not, at the very least, a worthy competitor to the traditional rifle layout. So, if chopping 7-10 inches off of a rifle is a good idea, then removing the same length from a combat shotgun must be an even better idea, shotguns being the prerogative of close quarters.
Enter the Kushnapup stock system for the Saiga shotgun.
Thus, it is difficult to argue that a bullpup rifle is not, at the very least, a worthy competitor to the traditional rifle layout. So, if chopping 7-10 inches off of a rifle is a good idea, then removing the same length from a combat shotgun must be an even better idea, shotguns being the prerogative of close quarters.
Enter the Kushnapup stock system for the Saiga shotgun.
Shown here on a Saiga 12, the Kushnapup will work with almost all factory Saiga rifles and shotguns.
Unboxing the Kushnapup stock reveals a three-piece clamshell design made of hard black plastic (Kushnapup LLC says it's high-impact, heat-stabilized "jackhammer plastic"). The clamshells go together using hex nuts that fit into hex-shaped recesses in the stock, which mate to bolts of three different lengths that are inserted from the clamshell on the opposite side. It's a real pain to install and remove the stock, as the hex nuts are not captive and must be held into the stock with one finger while tightening with a screwdriver from the other side, but the system provides a tight fit. Reinforcing ridges are molded in a waffle pattern across the interior of the clamshells, ensuring the Kushnapup stock stays rigid and strong. The instruction manual could do with an editor's touch but the assembly itself was straightforward enough that the manual was mostly used to keep things in the proper order.
One quirk of the Kushnapup is that it cannot be used with a converted Saiga. The trigger linkage is designed around the factory sporter configuration, so the Kushnapup is marketed as a 922r-compliant option to all the various conversion setups you could build. Essentially, you can build a conversion kit from assorted stocks, grips, etc, OR you can buy the Kushnapup stock. It's nice to see another neatly packaged DIY option in the variety-soaked Saiga/Vepr conversion market.
The trigger mechanism seems well designed and is extremely robust. Trigger travel/pull are adjustable using a threaded rod and rounded nut, but I didn't find that much adjustment was necessary, and the adjustments I did do had a negligible impact on the trigger's feel.
The trigger mechanism seems well designed and is extremely robust. Trigger travel/pull are adjustable using a threaded rod and rounded nut, but I didn't find that much adjustment was necessary, and the adjustments I did do had a negligible impact on the trigger's feel.
The Kushnapup recycles the Saiga sporter's sling swivels quite handily, placing one up front and one on the left side of the buttstock. Another nice bonus to the Kushnapup for the Saiga 12 is the pushrod that actuates the gas plug detent, providing tool-less adjustment of the gas system (previously a screwdriver or punch was needed). However, I was unable to get my pushrod to work correctly as it was not long enough to contact the detent. Rather than calling and waiting for Kushnapup LLC to send me another, I bought some 1/8" tube stock and cut/bent my own.
Manufacturing quirks like the pushrod are to be expected from small companies, but now I've got some really bad news. Few will say the Saiga 12 isn't a hell of a combat shotgun. Auto-loading, fed by detachable magazines, and as long as it eats a combat diet (high brass or magnum shells), reliability is out-of-the-box flawless. The Kushnapup adds to the Saiga 12's already impressive resume by cutting the overall length down a barely-legal 26.5 inches. Heft a Saiga 12 in a Kushnapup stock, and you can be sure that you're handling one of the deadliest combat shotguns in the world. But let me qualify that last statement. Note that I said "you can be sure", because although a Saiga 12 in a Kushnapup stock (hereafter referred to simply as a Kushnapup) can wreak some havoc, there are a few major sore points. Five sore points, to be exact, discussed in detail below.
Problem #1: Reloading
The position of the pistol grip on the Kushnapup makes reloading a chore. If your Saiga 12 has the rock-n-lock magazine (as most do) you have to line the front face of the magazine up with the rear of the grip, grip the magazine by the bottom (the pistol grip is where your fingers would be), then force the magazine into place before locking it backwards. You can't really see what's going on, either, because all this is happening in your armpit. It's not hard, but it's time consuming, and that's far from the worst of it. What truly breaks the Kushnapup's reload is the fact that most Saiga 12s do not feature a last-round-bolt-hold-open. The lack of a LRBHO may not sound like a big deal unless you've ever tried to reload a rock-n-lock Saiga 12 on a closed bolt. Reloading on a closed bolt is the "fast" way to reload a Saiga 12, but it requires finesse, a lot a practice, and often quite a bit of grunting. That's a huge strike against the Kushnapup, because closed-bolt reloads are difficult on a regular Saiga 12, and just about impossible on a Kushnapup. You're stuck trying to perform an already squirrely reload, pressing against a closed bolt, with no room to maneuver against the pistol grip and little visual aid to help you along to way. With a huge amount of practice, I'm sure a shooter could reliably reload the Kushnapup on a closed bolt, but most mortals will be limited to the "slow" Saiga 12 reload (drop the mag, pull the bolt open and hold it back while flicking the BHO lever, insert a fresh mag, pull back the bolt and release, get back on target). The timeline for this "slow" reload is made even more glacial by the bullpup design, which necessitates an entirely right-handed reload, the left hand being occupied with balancing and bracing the gun. All totaled, expect to be out of commission for a solid 10 seconds whenever your hungry Saiga needs a fresh mag. If that doesn't sound too bad, consider that a standard Saiga 12 can be reloaded on a closed bolt in less than half that time. It isn't often that people pay hundreds of dollars for a slower reload.
Manufacturing quirks like the pushrod are to be expected from small companies, but now I've got some really bad news. Few will say the Saiga 12 isn't a hell of a combat shotgun. Auto-loading, fed by detachable magazines, and as long as it eats a combat diet (high brass or magnum shells), reliability is out-of-the-box flawless. The Kushnapup adds to the Saiga 12's already impressive resume by cutting the overall length down a barely-legal 26.5 inches. Heft a Saiga 12 in a Kushnapup stock, and you can be sure that you're handling one of the deadliest combat shotguns in the world. But let me qualify that last statement. Note that I said "you can be sure", because although a Saiga 12 in a Kushnapup stock (hereafter referred to simply as a Kushnapup) can wreak some havoc, there are a few major sore points. Five sore points, to be exact, discussed in detail below.
Problem #1: Reloading
The position of the pistol grip on the Kushnapup makes reloading a chore. If your Saiga 12 has the rock-n-lock magazine (as most do) you have to line the front face of the magazine up with the rear of the grip, grip the magazine by the bottom (the pistol grip is where your fingers would be), then force the magazine into place before locking it backwards. You can't really see what's going on, either, because all this is happening in your armpit. It's not hard, but it's time consuming, and that's far from the worst of it. What truly breaks the Kushnapup's reload is the fact that most Saiga 12s do not feature a last-round-bolt-hold-open. The lack of a LRBHO may not sound like a big deal unless you've ever tried to reload a rock-n-lock Saiga 12 on a closed bolt. Reloading on a closed bolt is the "fast" way to reload a Saiga 12, but it requires finesse, a lot a practice, and often quite a bit of grunting. That's a huge strike against the Kushnapup, because closed-bolt reloads are difficult on a regular Saiga 12, and just about impossible on a Kushnapup. You're stuck trying to perform an already squirrely reload, pressing against a closed bolt, with no room to maneuver against the pistol grip and little visual aid to help you along to way. With a huge amount of practice, I'm sure a shooter could reliably reload the Kushnapup on a closed bolt, but most mortals will be limited to the "slow" Saiga 12 reload (drop the mag, pull the bolt open and hold it back while flicking the BHO lever, insert a fresh mag, pull back the bolt and release, get back on target). The timeline for this "slow" reload is made even more glacial by the bullpup design, which necessitates an entirely right-handed reload, the left hand being occupied with balancing and bracing the gun. All totaled, expect to be out of commission for a solid 10 seconds whenever your hungry Saiga needs a fresh mag. If that doesn't sound too bad, consider that a standard Saiga 12 can be reloaded on a closed bolt in less than half that time. It isn't often that people pay hundreds of dollars for a slower reload.
The three stages of reloading a Kushnapup. Note that the magazine must be flush with the pistol grip until the moment it locks in place.
Now, I should point out that there are Saiga 12s with LRBHOs available, but they are difficult to find and that feature has a reputation for breaking on Saiga 12s. Some custom shops can relieve the Saiga 12's bolt, providing more clearance and making closed-bolt reloads easier, but this is an expensive and delicate procedure, and the reduced weight of the bolt can cause cycling issues. The true answer to this problem is the rare, expensive, straight-insert magazine Saiga 12, commonly called a "magwell" Saiga 12, which is a product of Russian military and police forces. Magwell Saiga 12s are available, but they are rare, priced at a premium, and cannot use standard rock-n-lock Saiga 12 magazines. Magwell Saiga 12s must use special magwell-specific magazines, and let's just say you haven't seen rare and expensive till you've seen a Russian-made, magwell Saiga 12 magazine (how does 'sold-out-immediately-at-$150-a-pop' sound?).
There are a variety of homegrown magwells produced here in the US that transform a rock-n-lock Saiga 12 into a straight-insert Saiga 12, usually using some sort of proprietary magazine, but the reliability of said conversion kits continues to be inferior to factory-installed Russian magwells. As an aside, it is possible to install a Russian magwell on a rock-n-lock Saiga 12, but right now simply getting the right parts, much less installing them properly, requires a pretty big circle of hard-to-find friends.
So the meat of it is, most Saiga 12s will have a long, loud, annoying reload if you put them in a Kushnapup stock. Some won't, and putting one of those into a Kushnapup stock would make a truly ferocious weapon, but as the saying goes, "speed costs money; how fast you wanna go?"
Problem #2: Field stripping
Got a problem with your Kushnapup? Break out the hand tools and put the coffee pot on, because you're not going anywhere for a while. To field strip, the entire stock needs to be removed, and that means the three clamshells need to have seven small bolts unscrewed with a Phillips head screwdriver, and the two stock screws removed with a flathead screwdriver. That's right, two different screwdrivers are needed to field strip. You'll also need to keep track of the seven hex nuts those bolts thread into, and note that none of these sixteen tiny parts are captive. Keep a close eye, or order some spares.
Problem #3: Requires permanent modification
This one wouldn't stick in my craw so much if Kushnapup LLC didn't make a big deal pretending permanent modification isn't necessary. Here's the deal: the buttpad bolts right over the back of the receiver, so you have to cut the stock tangs off the receiver in order for the buttpad to fit. The other option is to find a really thick buttpad and cut wedges out of it for the tangs to fit into, though these tang holes will likely wear out under recoil and you'll have some tang-shaped holes in your shoulder before long. A few folks advocate cutting a slice off the end of their factory Saiga stock to fit over the tangs and then bolting the buttpad to that, but it looks rather unattractive, increases the overall length, and is of questionable durability. By the way, neither of those ideas comes from Kushnapup. The company sells the "no permanent modification required" like it's a variation of the install process, an option available to the assembler, but in fact there is no other option if you stick to what's available in the box and on Kushnapup's website.
Another gripe with tang removal is that Saiga rifles with 16" barrels cannot have the stock tangs removed without bringing the OAL below the legal minimum. Thus, if you want to put your 16" Saiga rifle in a Kushnapup, you'll need to add a permanently-affixed muzzle device to get your OAL back up to legal limits.
To be clear, a Saiga with the stock tangs removed CANNOT use most aftermarket stocks. Only stocks that require a backplate to be installed (Tromix, Ace, etc) can still be used, and only after buying and installing said backplate.
There are a variety of homegrown magwells produced here in the US that transform a rock-n-lock Saiga 12 into a straight-insert Saiga 12, usually using some sort of proprietary magazine, but the reliability of said conversion kits continues to be inferior to factory-installed Russian magwells. As an aside, it is possible to install a Russian magwell on a rock-n-lock Saiga 12, but right now simply getting the right parts, much less installing them properly, requires a pretty big circle of hard-to-find friends.
So the meat of it is, most Saiga 12s will have a long, loud, annoying reload if you put them in a Kushnapup stock. Some won't, and putting one of those into a Kushnapup stock would make a truly ferocious weapon, but as the saying goes, "speed costs money; how fast you wanna go?"
Problem #2: Field stripping
Got a problem with your Kushnapup? Break out the hand tools and put the coffee pot on, because you're not going anywhere for a while. To field strip, the entire stock needs to be removed, and that means the three clamshells need to have seven small bolts unscrewed with a Phillips head screwdriver, and the two stock screws removed with a flathead screwdriver. That's right, two different screwdrivers are needed to field strip. You'll also need to keep track of the seven hex nuts those bolts thread into, and note that none of these sixteen tiny parts are captive. Keep a close eye, or order some spares.
Problem #3: Requires permanent modification
This one wouldn't stick in my craw so much if Kushnapup LLC didn't make a big deal pretending permanent modification isn't necessary. Here's the deal: the buttpad bolts right over the back of the receiver, so you have to cut the stock tangs off the receiver in order for the buttpad to fit. The other option is to find a really thick buttpad and cut wedges out of it for the tangs to fit into, though these tang holes will likely wear out under recoil and you'll have some tang-shaped holes in your shoulder before long. A few folks advocate cutting a slice off the end of their factory Saiga stock to fit over the tangs and then bolting the buttpad to that, but it looks rather unattractive, increases the overall length, and is of questionable durability. By the way, neither of those ideas comes from Kushnapup. The company sells the "no permanent modification required" like it's a variation of the install process, an option available to the assembler, but in fact there is no other option if you stick to what's available in the box and on Kushnapup's website.
Another gripe with tang removal is that Saiga rifles with 16" barrels cannot have the stock tangs removed without bringing the OAL below the legal minimum. Thus, if you want to put your 16" Saiga rifle in a Kushnapup, you'll need to add a permanently-affixed muzzle device to get your OAL back up to legal limits.
To be clear, a Saiga with the stock tangs removed CANNOT use most aftermarket stocks. Only stocks that require a backplate to be installed (Tromix, Ace, etc) can still be used, and only after buying and installing said backplate.
Problem #4: Questionable fastener longevity
After installing and removing the Kushnapup stock system five or six times, I have serious concerns about the durability of the Kushnapup's fasteners. All screwdriver fasteners will exhibit some degree of spalling and/or rounding under frequent use, and I knew the bolts that secure the Kushnapup's clamshells together wouldn't be an exception. Having a variety of sizes of Philips bits available to me, I took care to select the ones that provided the tightest fit, but after less than ten installations, there is far more deterioration than I am comfortable with. Add to this the fact that removing the Kushnapup stock creates no fewer than sixteen loose fasteners (seven bolts, seven nuts, two screws) and it's lucky I can still assemble the stock after a cleaning.This isn't a fatal flaw, as fasteners are easily replaced, but since Kushnapup LLC is asking almost $300 dollars for what is essentially an injection-molded polymer stock, I was a little annoyed that they couldn't spring for a baggie of extra fasteners to replace lost or worn-out hardware (and since these hypothetical replacements are too much to ask, I won't even consider noting that the fasteners should have been of harder steel and/or hex fittings).
After installing and removing the Kushnapup stock system five or six times, I have serious concerns about the durability of the Kushnapup's fasteners. All screwdriver fasteners will exhibit some degree of spalling and/or rounding under frequent use, and I knew the bolts that secure the Kushnapup's clamshells together wouldn't be an exception. Having a variety of sizes of Philips bits available to me, I took care to select the ones that provided the tightest fit, but after less than ten installations, there is far more deterioration than I am comfortable with. Add to this the fact that removing the Kushnapup stock creates no fewer than sixteen loose fasteners (seven bolts, seven nuts, two screws) and it's lucky I can still assemble the stock after a cleaning.This isn't a fatal flaw, as fasteners are easily replaced, but since Kushnapup LLC is asking almost $300 dollars for what is essentially an injection-molded polymer stock, I was a little annoyed that they couldn't spring for a baggie of extra fasteners to replace lost or worn-out hardware (and since these hypothetical replacements are too much to ask, I won't even consider noting that the fasteners should have been of harder steel and/or hex fittings).
The second problem regarding the Kushnapup's fasteners is even more troubling. It doesn't take a mechanical engineer to know that screws that thread into plastic are not intended to be removed and re-installed frequently, but the Kushnapup buttpad is designed with screws that do exactly that. The buttpad and screws are recycled from the Saiga sporter stock and must be removed every time the stock is disassembled, even for a simple field strip. The screws anchor into holes in small plastic tabs that protrude from each side of the rear clamshell, mirroring each other such that the holes overlap and align when the clamshells are bolted together. The plastic is tough, and the screws thread in to provide a sturdy fit, at least initially. If you have the audacity to clean your weapon regularly, however, the formerly tight fit starts to slacken as the plastic tabs wear away under repeated screwing and unscrewing. Now, five or six field strips later, my stock's bottom buttpad screw is a hairsbreadth from spinning freely, although the top screw still has a fair amount of grip, if not not nearly as much as the first time it was installed.
There doesn't seem to be a solution to this problem, unfortunately, other than trying to build up the stock tabs with reinforcing material or removing the stock less frequently. If Kushnapup had engineered a purpose-built buttpad, this problem could have been avoided, but the recycling of the hardware from the sporter stock buttpad (which was not designed to be removed frequently, if ever) means this particular fastener's anchor will not last too many more field strips without help.
There doesn't seem to be a solution to this problem, unfortunately, other than trying to build up the stock tabs with reinforcing material or removing the stock less frequently. If Kushnapup had engineered a purpose-built buttpad, this problem could have been avoided, but the recycling of the hardware from the sporter stock buttpad (which was not designed to be removed frequently, if ever) means this particular fastener's anchor will not last too many more field strips without help.
These holes are gripped by the buttpad screws. There are no threads, it's just a wood screw driving into the plastic every time you want to field strip.
Problem #5: Price
In your shopping cart at Kushnapup.com, the stock system is $275 plus shipping. Don't be fooled. Once the box arrives at your door, you've got a LOT more wallet work to do. The Kushnapup makes the Saiga's sights unusable whether it's a shotgun OR a rifle, so you'll need to install a rail on the gas tube; there are several companies that can help, with the most common being Ultimak and their $100 gas tube rail. The Ultimak rail is a good piece of kit, but the install is problematic. When the Ultimak rail was designed it was a drop-in unit, but the Saiga 12 has had minor production changes since then and suffice to say, where there was once a hole, there is no longer a hole. Current production Saiga 12s need to have that hole drilled and tapped in their gas block to install the Ultimak rail, and although I am lucky enough to have both a drill press and confidence in my ability to use it, I recognize that most shooters are not so equipped. Either pay a professional to do the install or risk needing a new gas block (good luck finding one), and add that service price to the $100 you already forked over for the rail. Alternatively, a few companies offer "gunsmith free" sight rails that mount to the rail with simple hand tools.
Now you need sights. Magpul BUIS you say, for a cool $90? A cheap little dot sight to brighten up your day? The Kushnapup laughs. You are mounting sights to the gas block of an auto-loading shotgun. Polymer iron sights will melt, and cheap dot sights will break under the recoil or be fried by the heat. A set of fixed Troy Battlesights is likely the cheapest option for heat-proof, recoil-proof iron sights, and run about $125 plus shipping. Want them to fold? Get comfortable with a $220 price point, plus shipping. While we're on that price point, $200 is about the minimum for a dot sight that can be relied on under that much heat and recoil (the Vortex Sparc and Lucid HD7 are good options, with solid reviews and reputations for great customer service).
In summary, don't be fooled by the Kushnapup's price. Even if you go with bare-bones functionality and do the work yourself, by the time you make it to the range it won't just be $275, it'll be $275 + $100 (Ultimak rail) + $125 (Troy Battlesights) = $500. That's $500, plus shipping from three different manufacturers, and installing the Ultimak rail yourself (which is highly inadvisable unless you've done that kind of thing before). The Kushnapup will not be a picnic for your wallet.
In your shopping cart at Kushnapup.com, the stock system is $275 plus shipping. Don't be fooled. Once the box arrives at your door, you've got a LOT more wallet work to do. The Kushnapup makes the Saiga's sights unusable whether it's a shotgun OR a rifle, so you'll need to install a rail on the gas tube; there are several companies that can help, with the most common being Ultimak and their $100 gas tube rail. The Ultimak rail is a good piece of kit, but the install is problematic. When the Ultimak rail was designed it was a drop-in unit, but the Saiga 12 has had minor production changes since then and suffice to say, where there was once a hole, there is no longer a hole. Current production Saiga 12s need to have that hole drilled and tapped in their gas block to install the Ultimak rail, and although I am lucky enough to have both a drill press and confidence in my ability to use it, I recognize that most shooters are not so equipped. Either pay a professional to do the install or risk needing a new gas block (good luck finding one), and add that service price to the $100 you already forked over for the rail. Alternatively, a few companies offer "gunsmith free" sight rails that mount to the rail with simple hand tools.
Now you need sights. Magpul BUIS you say, for a cool $90? A cheap little dot sight to brighten up your day? The Kushnapup laughs. You are mounting sights to the gas block of an auto-loading shotgun. Polymer iron sights will melt, and cheap dot sights will break under the recoil or be fried by the heat. A set of fixed Troy Battlesights is likely the cheapest option for heat-proof, recoil-proof iron sights, and run about $125 plus shipping. Want them to fold? Get comfortable with a $220 price point, plus shipping. While we're on that price point, $200 is about the minimum for a dot sight that can be relied on under that much heat and recoil (the Vortex Sparc and Lucid HD7 are good options, with solid reviews and reputations for great customer service).
In summary, don't be fooled by the Kushnapup's price. Even if you go with bare-bones functionality and do the work yourself, by the time you make it to the range it won't just be $275, it'll be $275 + $100 (Ultimak rail) + $125 (Troy Battlesights) = $500. That's $500, plus shipping from three different manufacturers, and installing the Ultimak rail yourself (which is highly inadvisable unless you've done that kind of thing before). The Kushnapup will not be a picnic for your wallet.
AR iron sights are needed, as the Kushnapup elevates the shooter's head. Similarly, a riser is needed for compact dot sights. The sight plane is mighty short and the rear sight is a bit closer to the eye than usual, turning an aperture into more of a ghost ring, but precision is still good enough for a shotgun.
Now that I've griped about the Kushnapup, let me say some good things about it, and there are some great things to be said.
It's a chunky, gutsy, ludicrously compact weapon. Cocking can be done with the Kushnapup shouldered by quickly snapping the bolt handle flush to your shoulder, an unfamiliar motion that highlights the shotgun's compact dimensions. Strange vibrations travel through your cheek as you cock the Kushnapup, reminding you that the beating heart of a Russian auto-loading shotgun is right next to your face (feel free to sweat a little at the thought).
The weight of the action is now in the stock, so the Kushnapup feels off balance when picked up and examined. Tuck the shotgun into your shoulder, though, and it feels light, fast, and focused. The Kushnapup stock doesn't actually come with noticeable weight savings over the original, but feels miles more nimble and biddable. Squeeze the trigger and you'll find the usual mushy Saiga pre-conversion trigger, but note that it feels slightly tighter than before and has a distinct two-stage feel.
The first round goes off and you find your face is still intact. Squeeze a few more off and you'll find no unpleasantness, despite the ejection port being so close at hand. I didn't taste any extra smoke or grit, and recoil seemed faintly lighter, perhaps a result of the action being tucked in closer to my body.
At the range, the Kushnapup feels great. I didn't notice group size improvements but I wasn't expecting to with a shotgun, though I suspect eventually someone handy with bedding compound might find that a properly bedded Kushnapup will act much like a bedded one-piece stock, allowing a free-floating barrel and providing as rigid a platform as could be asked for a long-range AK build. I'm not a shoot-and-move competition kind of guy, and even if I was, Saiga shotguns are not allowed at many competitions, so I can't offer too much insight into the Kushnapup's "combat" handling characteristics. However, I will say this: Imagine an autoloading shotgun, but make it lighter, tighter, and a lot shorter. That's the Kushnapup. Lay it across your chest and you'll find that it's overall length is probably narrower than you are, ready for all the paratrooping jumps, flash-and-clears, and vehicle deployments your mind can imagine.
Which brings us to imagination, the place where, sadly, the Kushnapup fits best. Sure, bullpups are a good idea, and sure, the Kushnapup handles better than a standard Saiga 12 because it's shorter and lighter. But the slow reload, difficult field strip and overall cost mean the Kushnapup just isn't a winner in my book. If the Russian paratroopers start landing in the field a la Red Dawn, I'd take a converted Saiga 12 over a Kushnapup any day of the week, unless the Kushnapup was built on a magwell Saiga 12. And if that's the case, go for it, if you have about $2,000 to blow. You can get the magwell Saiga 12 ($1200) in a Kushnapup stock with sights ($500) and a handful of mags, and that truly is one hell of a combat shotgun, but is it more effective than any other $2,000 Saiga 12? For instance, a short-barreled NFA conversion with all the "tactical" goodies? Doubtful.
If an idea is a good one, but only after money has been thrown at, then it might not actually such a good idea. To my mind, that makes the Kushnapup a bad buy, regardless of magazine insertion style. If you go the cheap route with a $750 bare-bones Saiga and already own a drill press, you'll arrive at the range with a $1250 gun that reloads and field strips slower than when it was stock. If you want to go big, your money is probably better spent on a SBS Saiga 12, or really any other $2,000 gun. Either way, the Kushnapup just doesn't hold up. It's cool, it's fast, and it's different, but it's not a very good bang for your buck.
Happy shooting.
It's a chunky, gutsy, ludicrously compact weapon. Cocking can be done with the Kushnapup shouldered by quickly snapping the bolt handle flush to your shoulder, an unfamiliar motion that highlights the shotgun's compact dimensions. Strange vibrations travel through your cheek as you cock the Kushnapup, reminding you that the beating heart of a Russian auto-loading shotgun is right next to your face (feel free to sweat a little at the thought).
The weight of the action is now in the stock, so the Kushnapup feels off balance when picked up and examined. Tuck the shotgun into your shoulder, though, and it feels light, fast, and focused. The Kushnapup stock doesn't actually come with noticeable weight savings over the original, but feels miles more nimble and biddable. Squeeze the trigger and you'll find the usual mushy Saiga pre-conversion trigger, but note that it feels slightly tighter than before and has a distinct two-stage feel.
The first round goes off and you find your face is still intact. Squeeze a few more off and you'll find no unpleasantness, despite the ejection port being so close at hand. I didn't taste any extra smoke or grit, and recoil seemed faintly lighter, perhaps a result of the action being tucked in closer to my body.
At the range, the Kushnapup feels great. I didn't notice group size improvements but I wasn't expecting to with a shotgun, though I suspect eventually someone handy with bedding compound might find that a properly bedded Kushnapup will act much like a bedded one-piece stock, allowing a free-floating barrel and providing as rigid a platform as could be asked for a long-range AK build. I'm not a shoot-and-move competition kind of guy, and even if I was, Saiga shotguns are not allowed at many competitions, so I can't offer too much insight into the Kushnapup's "combat" handling characteristics. However, I will say this: Imagine an autoloading shotgun, but make it lighter, tighter, and a lot shorter. That's the Kushnapup. Lay it across your chest and you'll find that it's overall length is probably narrower than you are, ready for all the paratrooping jumps, flash-and-clears, and vehicle deployments your mind can imagine.
Which brings us to imagination, the place where, sadly, the Kushnapup fits best. Sure, bullpups are a good idea, and sure, the Kushnapup handles better than a standard Saiga 12 because it's shorter and lighter. But the slow reload, difficult field strip and overall cost mean the Kushnapup just isn't a winner in my book. If the Russian paratroopers start landing in the field a la Red Dawn, I'd take a converted Saiga 12 over a Kushnapup any day of the week, unless the Kushnapup was built on a magwell Saiga 12. And if that's the case, go for it, if you have about $2,000 to blow. You can get the magwell Saiga 12 ($1200) in a Kushnapup stock with sights ($500) and a handful of mags, and that truly is one hell of a combat shotgun, but is it more effective than any other $2,000 Saiga 12? For instance, a short-barreled NFA conversion with all the "tactical" goodies? Doubtful.
If an idea is a good one, but only after money has been thrown at, then it might not actually such a good idea. To my mind, that makes the Kushnapup a bad buy, regardless of magazine insertion style. If you go the cheap route with a $750 bare-bones Saiga and already own a drill press, you'll arrive at the range with a $1250 gun that reloads and field strips slower than when it was stock. If you want to go big, your money is probably better spent on a SBS Saiga 12, or really any other $2,000 gun. Either way, the Kushnapup just doesn't hold up. It's cool, it's fast, and it's different, but it's not a very good bang for your buck.
Happy shooting.
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