“Saiga 308” - this is nothing like the AK-74M, which is redone for the use of rifle cartridges. Before talking about what kind of assessment could be given to weapons using the .308 caliber, think about whether there are such weapons anywhere else in the world? Will there be models that will be completely identical to Saiga in terms of its reliability and power, compactness and accuracy, versatility?
Introduction
Saiga 308 is always one step ahead of its competitors in this regard. Opinions on this model of weapons, of course, are very diverse. Someone considers it ideally suited for their respective purposes, but someone, on the contrary, is, to put it mildly, surprised at such conclusions. In any case, we should remain realistic.
For some reason, it is generally accepted that imported weapons (especially hunting weapons) are not subject to any criticism. This is fundamentally the wrong position. However, the topic of the article is somewhat different, so we just do a little review, we will deal with the main features of the Saiga 308-1 rifle. Reviews about him will also be presented during the article in the form of an information part. So, before our eyes we see the same old, good “Saiga”, executed in an “automatic” style, designed for a rifle cartridge of the NATO model, caliber .308.
Hunter Positioning
Probably everyone who at least started looking for reviews of the smooth-bore “Saiga” more than once literally came across a huge number of negative comments. One gets the feeling that every second hunter simply hates our gun. But this opinion is still not all expressed (fortunately, most likely).
Interestingly enough, dislike for this carbine is mainly shown by those people who do not know how to use it effectively. Perhaps this can be called not even an interesting fact, but symbolic. Even greater emotions (and it is precisely about ridicule and laughter) is caused by the fact that a considerable part of the ill-wishers of our Izhmashiv brainchild never even shot from “Saiga”. Thus, we are not dealing with facts, but with common misconceptions and stereotypes.
Although it should be noted that such a concept is often found in our country. It is generally accepted that domestic products are losing imports in almost all areas. In fact, we repeat, this is nothing more than a delusion. In recent years, domestic manufacturers have begun to build up pace, apply innovative technologies in order to catch up with their Western partners, if they can be called that. A great example of the confrontation between reality and stereotypes is the Saiga 308 carbine. Reviews say that this is a very competitive weapon, and not just having the right to exist.
Advantages of the “Saiga” caliber .308
Perhaps, with a full analysis of this gun, you can find out that the popularity of the model is based on three peculiar whales. This is an adequate price, design features and ammunition used to fire at a target. In fact, the design is simple and reliable to the extreme, it doesn’t pick and choose the Saiga, the weapon is omnivorous. And besides, the carbine is self-loading. This characteristic nevertheless contributes to the common cause.
In general, about the "Saiga-308"
As mentioned earlier, this model is an ordinary alteration of a Kalashnikov assault rifle under a NATO rifle cartridge. Cosmetic defects that a weapon may receive during its operation, fortunately, will not affect the performance of this semiautomatic device.
Test: carbine shooting
Probably, many hunters are accustomed to the fact that any short-barreled weapon behaves quite aggressively during the shooting. So to say, he wants to fly out of his hands at all costs, “blowing” a large flash of flame. But here about something, and practically it is not necessary to speak about return as such. She is certainly present. But not so strong in fact. Something in this regard, “Saiga” becomes similar to the “Tiger”.
An interesting fact is that during firing the barrel is not so intense. That is why sufficiently tight shooting has never led to negative consequences. If we compare the model again with the same “Tiger”, then, without any doubt, we can say: the last weapon is more sensitive to barrel heating.
The use of optics
Suitable for mounting the "Chestnut" sight. But using it, the shooter must monitor the location of his head. Otherwise, you can get it well in the eye with an eyepiece of the sight. “Chestnut”, apparently, was developed for “cooperation” with weapons with lower returns. In fact, this can explain the low magnification of the sight itself, as well as its large field of view. Practical firing showed that when firing at a distance of up to 100 meters, the bullets fall almost exactly at the target. The spread is really minimal. This is another indicator that can be included in the comparison list of imported and domestic weapons.
Conclusion
In general, if we talk about the Saiga-308 as a weapon for hunting, then here we can definitely say: it is not inferior to its analogues. Neither domestic (the same “Boar” and “Tiger” models), nor imported. On the contrary, a smoothbore carbine has even a definite advantage. It is, of course, about compactness. Especially if the model has a folding butt. Here, weapons generally go out of competition.
But let's not forget that each gun has its own shortcomings. In the case of the Saiga-308, this is ergonomics. This problem has been dealt with up and down more than once, not two, and not three times. But it is subjective in some ways. Therefore, everyone makes an appropriate decision on the basis of their conclusions.