As a rookie player, I was not that attracted to Russian weapons. The main reason for this was the total or partial lack of ergonomics - right side charging handle, horribly designed fire selector, cumbersome reloading, etc. Still, a CM.028 (AK-47) was the first replica on my shelf, mainly due to the reliability of the V3 gearbox. Later, of course, the western replicas reached me, I switched to a G36, later to an M4 and finally, after a very long time, I switched back to the Russian line - mostly at the insistence of my team. There were two models on the Russian side that I was always interested in, one was the AKs74u (Krinkov) and the other was the Russian antelope, the Saiga.

The Saiga is a really peculiar animal species, surprisingly the Russians have many herbivores that are special (Saiga, Musk Deer, etc.) The Saiga is equally peculiar among weapons. At first glance, it's like holding an AK-103. Then, upon close inspection, you notice the shape of the magazine, then the forend and the many reinforcements of the weapon. Yeah! The Russians have taken a sick idea and reformed the AK-100 family to create a fully automatic shotgun. The airsoft version of this was a futile pipe dream for years, a longing that was further enhanced by the game Escape from Tarkov. Then came the news that the first gas AK was coming from the Japanese manufacturer, which sparked a sense of hope. Then, over the years, rumours surfaced that the Japanese were going to make the Saiga with a gas powered, self-loading semi-auto solution. Needless to say, I was very excited, mx eyes were sparkling and my wallet was crying in advance.

I was really looking forward to the release. As it turned out, the first batch was very limited, made even more difficult by COVID. The result was that the price of the model was very high and its availability was next to impossible. One and a half years after its release, things started to normalise, I took the liberty of asking the Czechs, Anareus, for help. In the end, I got the best shotgun of my life and by far the most unique shotgun in its category, something which Anareus supported a lot with their favourable offer. It was an interesting surprise, it was one of the top offers for Black Friday 2024 and I think it will remain like that in the future.

The first observation was that the packaging was very nicely done by the Japanese. A black box with beautiful graphics, and nice captions. To my surprise, the product has been given a serial number corresponding to a completely new family (referred to as GBB shotgun, number 01 - so this implies there will be more monsters like this, including the short and SBS version of the Saiga). The interior is absolutely spectacular, feeling like you're getting into a luxury car. Some styrofoam protection is covered with black fabric, in a formally arranged box. A sticker has been placed under the fire selector to prevent scratch-fetishists from suffering; the usual indication of the presence of a hopup unit can be found. Next to the replica, they placed a barrel plug, which has pretty much become a Marui trademark, no one else includes such an accessory.

The first surprise is that the markings do not match the original. Instead of Izmash, „Marui” is seen everywhere – spelled with Russian cyrillic letters, as „Маруи”. This is a detail that, although inauthentic, is a nice joke and a creative stroke of Japanese creativity. The same fake inscription can be found on the box, replica and magazines. Other markings can still be found, such as those referring to the original calibre (12x76 18,3), fire mode markings (S/F), a number on the bolt carrier (183 - meaning unknown to me), and under the fire selector there are markings specific to the Japanese company (Tokyo Marui, Made in Japan) and to the distributor (ASGK). On the left side of the replica, there is a serial number, the type of weapon (Saiga-12K), a fake Marui logo and identification markings associated with the manufacture of the rifle. In addition, there is a 33/2 marking on the grip.

The design is quite unique. It bears a striking resemblance to the AK-100 series, but there are several changes to the base rifle - mainly due to its nature being a shotgun. The receiver has been reinforced around the breech (front trunnion), making the right side of the receiver much thicker. The handguard also received an extra reinforcement piece, which was actually used as a makeshift sight and also for fixing the shotgun sight. The magazine release is also different from the AK, but it's very similar in principle -  placed in a more prominent and visible location, and becoming more usable. The top cover and its attachment is also slightly different from the AK, and reminds me mostly of the SVD cover - it has a three-pronged fork on the front. And the spring guide is the version seen on the later AK models, with a separate locking knob - this had to be changed by the Russians mainly because of the GP-25 grenade launchers as far as I know. The handguard is also very different from the AKs, rounded and differently shaped compared to the AKs. The handguard has a sling mount ring, its design is more reminiscent of the look of shotguns and rifles found on hunting rifles. All in all, many people are repelled by the Saiga's shape, but I was attracted by its uniqueness.

Like all the newer Marui replicas, this one is all metal where metal should be. Unfortunately, the Japanese have compromised on a few things. The first is that there are only aluminium and pot metal alloy parts. The second is that there are no riveted parts, they have solved everything with bushings and screws. Steel parts are really very rare - apart from the top cover, pretty much everything is aluminium/pot metal. This makes the gun incredibly lightweight, even with the magazine - AEG users will throw a huge fit when experiencing this. Yet despite the aluminium/pot metal parts and the screws, it doesn't have the toy gun feel that other models have.

The quality of assembly is excellent. There is no wobble on the gun except for the top cover. That top cover was designed to be as wobbly as the real steel gun. Because of this, you get a loud rattling sound when in use. I've noticed that the sound makes people fear this replica, and on top of that the 3BBs per each shot effect makes the opponents hate you - perhaps this is the main reason for banning the replica in many fields, but I'll come back to that later. The other thing is that the replica sound is so distinctive that players quickly learn to recognise it and react - making some players specifically start hunting the Saiga user, while others start to avoid the source of the sound.  The only thing that detracts from the quality of assembly is the fact that the screws on the gun regularly loosen. Then, the whole handguard, the stock mount or (the thing I hate most) the stock release buttoncomes loose. The stock release, if loosened, will keep the stock from properly folding and staying on the side of the receiver, so in CQB scenarios, the stock will not be able to be folded unless I tighten the screw - so this is a very annoying error.

The outer barrel is thin, lightweight and made of extremely weak aluminium. But it does the job. Surprisingly, the length of the inner barrel is significantly shorter, at roughly half the length of the outer barrel - again, the Japanese have calculated the inner barrel length to make sure their 1 Joule limit is not exceeded. The outer barrel has been given a slightly glossier, colour-matching black paint. Its machining has a nice rough finish similar to the receiver. The end of the outer barrel is threaded with a thread protector cap and an o-ring for fixing. This makes it possible to attach various accessories to the outer barrel, such as a muzzle break, choke or even a tracer unit. Unfortunately, in the EU it is almost impossible to get a Saiga threaded version of the tracer unit from 5KU. So I ended up using grub screws to fix the version I have, accompanied by quite a bit of tape - it performs fine. For my part, I found that the length of the outer barel is excessively long, especially considering the length of the inner barrel. Without the tracer unit, the length is acceptable, but with the tracer, it becomes too long for CQB shooting.

The Saiga's sights are very simple and puritanical, just like the original. There is a brass ball at the front while the enlarged handguard reinforcement can be considered as a rear sight. The front sight is adjustable up and down, and an adjustment tool is supplied with the set. With a little skill, it can be adjusted with a plain Allen key by depressing the locking mechanism and turning the dial in or out.

The fire selector is identical to the AK, but can only be locked in safe and semi positions. Switching fire modes is very easy. Only a little force is required to click it into position, it does not feel stable or strong in position – but, so far it has never clicked out of position during shooting. The trigger is very slim. When firing, it is very soft and smooth, reset is very light and faintly felt. In my opinion, it resembles more of a fine-tuned sporting rifle with a crisp firing, which doesn't really fit the AK family. It doesn't pull all the way back to the grip when firing, leaving a gap of about 1-1.5cm between them - I'll come back to this later. Next to the trigger is a lever for emptying - pushing it in releases the bolt catch on the real steel version, so the barrel can be emptied after pulling it back.

The magazine release is a large piece around the middle of the receiver. It is also a pot metal part, with a nice curved shape. For me, it somehow works much better than the ones found on regular AKs - for example, the GHK magazine release and trigger guard always cuts into my hand by the end of games. What is unusual is that the magazine has to be inserted at a very odd angle. The magazine has to be hooked in parallel to the front of the gun and then arced into the magwell. However, it locks the magazine into the magwell snugly, it feels like you have to over push it to really lock the magazine - it takes some getting used to. Thus, in the case of the Saiga, changing the magazine requires practice, you have to do it carefully because of the weakness and fragility of the magazine - more on that later. Because of this, the skirmish usability is, in my opinion, seriously compromised. You will see an example of this in the photo folder.

The left side of the replica has a sight mount, which is secured by screws and is not riveted. It is essential to watch out for them during games because they will loosen just like all other screws. The sight mount itself is beautifully crafted, a spectacular element of the weapon - however, I have not felt the need to use a sight in CQB games.

The stock release button and the stock latch are located on the left side of the receiver. If there is anything on the sight mount, you can not fold the stock. As usual with AK models you get used to the fact that function always comes at the expense of ergonomics :) The large knob and the internal locking latch are also pot metal, and the locking screw is constantly coming loose. If that happens, the button gets stuck against the receiver and we are left unable to lock the stock into place. This is very annoying and is a constant issue during CQB. Normally, the stock locks tightly in place parallel to the receiver without wobble. Releasing it is easy and quick with the button at the end of the stock. The hidden compartment can then be discovered inside the stock, but the usefulness of this compartment raises strong questions on my part – it seems to be more of a showpiece than anything useful.

There is a separate button at the end of the spring guide, as I mentioned at the beginning of this article. The purpose of this button is to ensure that the spring guide does not accidentally release itself. Interestingly, this version is much more spectacular, nicer and more usable, but the parts upgrade does not seem to have reached the airsoft market.

Removing the top cover, you can see the bolt and the recoil guide unit. You can easily use the replica without the cover, but then you will not witness the characteristic metallic rattling sound. The spring guide uses a two-piece, double spring solution and has a buffer. In addition, the part connecting the two springs is also a dust protector. The spring guide itself can be disassembled into additional parts in no time. The buffer spring at the bottom of the spring guide is completely unlocked and free to move, which unfortunately starts to chew up the back of the bolt. To remedy said wear and presumed future damage, I installed a 3D printed Federal Concepts buffer. Another interesting thing is, the spring guide has a relatively weak spring. I currently have a 160% spring in, which is just a little faster than I need, a 130% spring would be perfect – either way, you will noticeably need a better spring.

When you take the bolt out, you get an impressive little package. Surprisingly, the nozzle in the bolt looks and works completely different from the usual one. It is large, wide and half-nozzle in design. It contains a huge valve, and the volume of the nozzle is brutally huge. This cylinder size is noticeable when firing, and the replica also handles the cold well due to this volume. The piston head itself, by the way, has a vented o-ring. Inside the receiver is the other half of the nose, a special triple nozzle similar to the spring-loaded shotguns and the previous gas-operated Marui shotguns. The other part of the bolt is an imitation gas piston, secured by a screw. It has an unusual shape, otherwise it is a very spectacular element on the gun – but not very visible from the outside unfortunately.

The trigger mechanism is fully pot metal, with a similar design and layout to the MWS. It is not very powerful, but it will endure average use because of its good sizing and design. It should be noted that the trigger group is basically designed for semi automatic firing, but with modification it is possible to achieve fully automatic mode. However, this may come at an increased cost of a broken trigger and a higher risk of breaking the nozzle or hopup unit when firing in fully automatic mode. What I like is that the trigger mechanism can be operated with small force. It is easy to cock the hammer, and yet it can hit the valve with great force. Plus, it is the same delayed trigger as the rest.

The hop unit is very special. First of all, we are talking about a 3-shot semi-automatic gas shotgun. Between the hop unit and the bolt, there is a special triple-nozzle. This nozzle is temporarily fixed by ball bearings, and then it is pushed forward by the bolt, pressing it against the hop unit. Two springs push the triple-nozzle backwards and secure it with the aforementioned ball bearings. It is important to check that the nozzle springs are always in good condition and that the triple-nozzle is properly lubricated. The magazine, which has complicated, unusual and fragile feed lips, is attached to this. The feed lips, by the way, are another weak point of the platform. After 1.5-2 years, we can buy aftermarket parts for these, which are either overpriced 3D printed parts or unnecessarily strong CNC aluminium ones. But hop chambers, for example, are still not available and other parts can not be sourced, either.

The hop unit itself uses the TM shotgun-type hop rubbers. It is identical to the rubber of the spring and gas shotguns, which is also a nice challenge to buy separately. The factory hop is brutally soaked in silicone oil, cleaning it should be done with great care and caution. The inner barrel is simple, plain aluminium (as mentioned above) and is half the length of the outer barrel. Replacing the inner barrel and hop rubber is a significant cost if you're looking to tune the replica, and it's also worth noting that with a full length inner tube, the muzzle energy is skyrocketing. In addition, tuning hop rubber is currently only available from Japan, while the inner barrel is the easier challenge - although experience has shown that its necessity is highly questionable. The hop unit is completely fixed, I recommend using between 0.25 gram and 0.28 gram BB weights and then slighty arching your shots, using ballistics. It sends BBs out in a nice cluster, has a perfect range for CQB and is limited to about 30-40 meters (100-130 feet) in the field. With a bit of tuning and practice you can get better performance out of it, for example by upgrading the hop rubber at a nice cost.

The magazine is a large square piece, the inside is covered by an external plastic cover. An interesting feature of the whole magazine is that the inside of the magazine can be removed by pressing a button on the top of the magazine shell. This reveals a temperature sticker on the spine of the magazine, a very useful and ingenious solution. The magazine can be basically divided into two parts regarding its structure. The rear section is the gas section, which is an aluminium block with a cross-pin sealing gasket and a pot metal/aluminiuem top section above. The locking pins are sufficiently spaced from the top of the aluminium block so I wouldn't worry about deformation even when using stronger gas – by the way, the filling valve is overpressure protected, meaning it will automatically release gas when there is sufficient overpressure. When filling the valve, a lot of gas is normally lost as there is no seal. The front of the magazine contains the BBs and the mechanics for handling them. The feeding mechanism is quite complex, full of parts and unfortunately the feed lips are fragile. Although I dropped the magazine several times, and yet the feed lips are not damaged - given how the magazine usually falls toward the aluminium block and lands on the bottom of the magazine. The magazine also has a dryfire option. Normally as the BBs run out, the gun will click empty. Putting the magazine in the gun has to be done carefully because of the barrel hook, but you can get used to it quickly.

The magazine itself has a capacity of 45 BBs, which allows 15 shots to be fired. Since 3 shots are  fired every time, it quickly creates fear among the opponents. Especially considering that the weapon can easily creep up to 1.2-1.4 Joules in the summer with green gas. For this reason, I tend to run weaker gas during the summer, and also the recoil valve has a trick you can use. The gas outlet valve does not have a conventional arrangement, its body is a notched cylinder and is fortunately a separate part. If you loosen the valve, you can turn this cut cylinder part; this way, the valve's gas output capacity can be tuned. Therefore, you can adjust it to any limit. For me, the replica generated 1 Joule with red gas during autumn CQB games, which is completely ideal.

Another new addition is that with the release of SBS version, we have another magazine from the manufacturer. Since the SBS is now fully capable of automatic shooting, a much larger capacity magazine has been made for it. The new magazine is also very nice looking, and its capacity has been increased from 45 BB to 90 BB, which means that instead of 15 shots, you can fire 30 shots. This, given the SBS's fully automatic capability, can be quite fearsome - although finding a pouch for the sizeable 90 BB magazines will be more of a challenge.

Many people tried converting it to HPA, although for me this option was not really necessary. On one hand, this is because it handles the cold very well. I think it handles cold better than it handles excessively hot weather. In any case, with the HPA version, the risk of breaking the nozzle is drastically increased. Presumably one reason is that you fire a lot more rounds with the gun, and another is that even the most professional HPA adapter may not be perfectly dimensionally accurate. More shots will put more strain on the triple-nozzle and its springs, plus I'm sure that the use of HPA will increase the rate of fire alarmingly - adding further risk.

Fortunately, support for the model is improving day by day. There are now steel trigger parts available, so if you want to build a fully automatic setup later on, you can do so without risk. External upgrades are plentiful, with parts abundant. From the classic shapes to ultra-modern range guns, you can build anything.

All in all, you get a very unique looking, currently unique semi-automatic (or modified fully automatic) shotgun. It is comfortable and efficient to use due to its detachable magazine design, which is accompanied by a unique sound and awesome combat effectiveness in buildings. Although we don't get an all-steel exterior and interior from the Japanese, we do get a rugged and well-assembled replica in hand. Plus, when used with moderation, we won't have any problems with durability and reliability. It will bring a smile to your face at the games, many will watch and many more will hate this shotgun for its amazing capabilities.

Text: Batmause
Photos: Batmause
Translation: Yssomru