R and R Targets Saiga Open Package ружье

R&R Targets Saiga Tactical 12 Gauge Shotgun

R&R Targets has taken the rugged and reliable Saiga-12 shotgun…

Kevin Davis

R&R Targets has taken the rugged and reliable Saiga-12 shotgun and redesigned it with more user-friendly controls, making it more shootable and far easier to run.

Removing the R&R Targets Saiga shotgun from its box inside, I felt a little like the Crocodile Dundee movie character who when drawing his bowie knife against some miscreant armed with a switchblade exclaimed, “Now, that’s a knife!” My coworkers cast their shocked glances in my direction and I believe I heard one exclaim, “You got a flamethrower?” Not really but in a manner of speaking, I guess I did.

The Saiga-12 shotgun is a Russian made, 12 gauge, magazine fed, gas/piston operating, semi-auto shotgun. Based on the ubiquitous Kalashnikov design the shotgun is manufactured in Russia at the Izhmash factory. It is a solid piece of weaponry, as you would expect from the designers of the AK. The problem is that as it comes from the factory, the Saiga has some design characteristics that are less than ideal due to importation restrictions placed on the design. It comes with a trigger group placement that is rearward of the standard AK, a standard stock, no choke and a limited sight radius. The appeal of the shotgun is that it is box fed with 10-, 12- and even 20-round drum magazines available. Although the Saiga shotgun has developed quite a following with tactical shotgun shooters the first thing most owners do is seriously modify the shotgun. This involves time with a gunsmith and parts replacement. The end result is that you may get a better designed semi-auto shotgun but still with some design issues, i.e. charging handle and safety on the right side of the receiver that are less than ideal. What if you wanted to incorporate the best of the AK and AR into your Saiga? Could it be done?

Gun Details

The barrel of R&R Targets shotgun displays the saw teeth at the end of the full-length handguard, allowing the gun to be used in a door-breaching role.

Robert Wright and the fine folks at R&R Targets have done just that. Taking the solid design of the Kalashnikov they modify, refinish and insert new parts to make their Saiga a more solid shooter that does not require a separate manual of arms than the AR with which many of you are intimately familiar.

The 12-round mags allow plenty of loads plus a diversity of ammunition to be carried by the operator that are only a mag change away.

R&R Targets supplied one of their Tactical Packages for testing and evaluation. According to Robert Wright no part is left alone. A partial list of the work done includes: Weld fill holes in the receiver and mill slots for new safety, magazine release and stock adapter; ream the forcing cone for more uniform shot patterns and less felt recoil; cut and thread barrel to accept Remington chokes; polish and smooth action; install R&R Targets proprietary aluminum parts including aluminum triggerguard, magazine well, magazine release, safety, grip adapter, and vented handguard; and install new adjustable stock, grip, choke, trigger (with trigger job). R&R then does a ceramic coating of the barrel and frame. The result is an aesthetically pleasing Saiga with an ambidextrous safety, standard AR magazine release, and left side placed charging handle that shoots very well. The R&R rework is a very intimidating design with the full-length vented handguard that incorporates a saw-tooth design on the business end for possible use as a breaching shotgun. From the muzzle end this makes the barrel look enormous and certainly intimidating. The standard Saiga-12 is big and heavy, but the R&R design reduces overall weight by replacing steel with CNC machined aluminum.

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ROCK RIVER ARMS PDS 5.56mm

R&R Targets has taken the rugged and reliable Saiga-12 shotgun and redesigned it with…

by Paul Markel / Dec 1, 2010

The Firearm Blog

I know Robert Wright of R and R Targets since the World Shoot Shotgun 2012 (Debrecen, Hungary) where we stayed in the same hotel and competed. For a little more than a week we did our best to smash down steel targets and clays as fast as we could. I remember we had so many issues with the local ammunition, jamming ourselves through the match.

In 2015 we met again, in Italy, for the World Shoot Shotgun 2015 and repeated the story, but at least I stayed away from any jams. I guess and I hope I’ll see him again in France 2018 for the same reason.

I’m sure Robert had his dream ready already in 2012, but it was not until 2015 he showed our party the first drawings of his new creation at a local Pizzeria.

He’s been working on the project for almost 4 years. I’ve seen bits and pieces, a picture here or there, but nothing quite enough for an article. Until now, and it bears his name.

If we look at who’s on the Podium in the large IPSC Shotgun matches most if not all shooters use modified Saiga or Molot shotguns.(It could be different for 3 Gun in the USA, I don’t know it well enough.)

But the dream to get an AR-based style shotgun has always been there. Many have tried. And failed.

I tried the Akdal, but we didn’t like each other very much. So I sold it but only after I spent a fortune on modifications and “upgrades”.

It will be very interesting to see what the upcoming Wright 12 will be like, and it shouldn’t be far away from release.

New extruded handguards are in the making and should be ready in about 7-8 weeks. They will be set up for M-LOK.

The magazines will be R and R’s own. The mold for the magazines should be done in about 8 weeks. A brave decision, but if it works you don’t have to rely on getting parts through customs, blockades etc.

The receivers are in machining. As you can see they have Left Hand Charge, an important feature in a shotgun competition.

The bolt looks like it’s from a Saiga, and it looks – and I hope it will – as if the trigger will be AR compatible. That would be a very nice Russian-American marriage.

One question is if the receiver has to be split in two for the bolt to come out for cleaning? That would be a disadvantage in my opinion.

I only have these pictures to judge by, but doesn’t it look like the Picatinny rail is split in two as well?

Below: New magazine release for the Wright 12. It’s 7/8 of an ounce lighter than the first one. I haven’t seen or felt the Wright 12 in the flesh, but I think weight may be an issue so the more that can be shaved of the better.

I shot my first R and R Targets shotgun in 2010, but I already had a (somewhat) working Molot Vepr 12 then and didn’t change. The shotgun below was on the podium (senior open) at the World Shoot 2015.

But the dream for many is to get a working AR-based shotgun. The Akdal 1919, upgraded, pictured below.

Below: Molot Vepr 12, just as the hot shell ejects. Shotguns like to spit fire and GoPro cameras can be turned the other way for great photos.

This is an example of what the current Saiga based R n R shotguns look like. Note the mid-barrel compensator.

TFB will be following this project as it emerges, and I really hope the Wright 12 will be successful.

Eric B

Ex-Arctic Ranger. Competitive practical shooter and hunter with a European focus. Always ready to increase my collection of modern semi-automatics, optics and sound suppressors. Owning the night would be nice too. TCCC Certified medic.

Сайга 9 и мой первый матч в классе “Rifle 9mm”

Не так давно приобрёл Сайгу 9. Хотелось увеличить колличество местных матчей, в которых я участвую с карабином. Новый класс в IPSC – “Rifle 9mm” даёт такую возможность. С таким карабином можно принимать участие в “пистолетных” матчах.

В продаже последнее время таких карабинов появляется не много. Говорят, производитель загружен военными заказами. В мой провинциальный городок приехала партия из 3х штук. Удалось осмотреть все ещё до того, как были выставлены на прилавок. Выбрал изготовленный “ровнее” остальных. Из замечаний по качеству: чуточку завалена вправо планка на крышке СК.
Настрел с учетом патронов, затраченных в ходе матча около 1000. Ни одной задержки при стрельбе. Проблем нет ни со штатным магазином, ни с магазинами от PufGun. Качеством которых я тоже доволен: примыкание четкое (после нескольких тренировок без стрельбы), с подачей проблем нет. Очень здОрово, что можно выбрать не только черные, но и прозрачные или цветные. Для спорта контроль расхода боеприпасов не так важен – перезарядки планируешь ещё на этапе построения “гейм плана”, но в случае незапланированного перерасхода боеприпасов (например, при поражении сложной мишени), позволяет оперативно контролиовать остаток. Даже микроскопическое преимущество может оказаться решающим (как видно из результатов даже этого матча), поэтому я использую прозрачные.

Работа автоматики отличается от АК (нет газового двигателя) – откат тяжелого затвора. Отдача мягкая, растянутая. При правильном удержании подброс практически отсутствует. Штатный ДТК не работает, он выполняет функцию защиты резьбы на стволе. Думаю над дульным устройством, есть намётки. После того как будет изготовлено и опробовано – поделюсь обзором.

Из неприятного – особенность пистолетных порохов + принцип работы автоматики = грязь в СК, закопченные магазины. На фото ниже последствия отстрела 500 патронов

Когда-то он был прозрачным.

По матчу:

• расстояния много меньше, чем на “карабинных” матчах. Отсюда великолепная динамика прохождения упражнений. Матч очень скоростной! И по поражению мишеней и по скорости перемещений. Для удобства манипуляций в таких условиях установлена передняя рукоятка – как дополнительный рычаг при вращении. Даёт некоторые преимущества более короткий хват.
• я отработал с механических ПП. Победитель матча (мой товарищ по команде) – с коллиматором. Моё отставание 0,6%. Проанализировал цифры. Видно, что выигрывал в скорости, но точность чуточку хуже. Наглядно видно какое коллиматор даёт преимущество. Подумаю над приобретением под этот карабин. Раз уж выступаем в едином классе, отставать из-за железа обидно. Результатом матча доволен. По уровню “драйва” – один из лучших матчей в этом году для меня. Огромное удовольствие получил.
• анализ прошлых матчей и работа над ошибками на тренировках даёт огромный эффект. Анализ результатов, просмотр видео очень важны! Экономия времени и патронов, отсутствие повторяющихся провальных ошибок на матчах.
• необходимо и дальше работать над балансом точность/скорость, постепенно поднимая планку с ростом навыка.
• поработать над принятием изготовки “с колена”. Можно группироваться более устойчиво.
• скорость “сплита” ниже чем на Сайге 5,45. Нужен более эффективный ДТК. Думаю и трубчатое цевье тоже установлю со временем. Так же нужна рукоятка перезарядки вместо псевдо газоотводной трубки. В остальном с железом полный порядок. Доволен и надежностью и качеством стрельбы.