DIY: Saiga Feed Ramp

Remove the magazine. Pull the charging handle to the rear. Visually inspect the weapon to ensure that no live ammunition is present.

Depress the dust cover catch button. Lift up on the cover and remove it from the receiver. Pull on the cover catch button to remove it, along with the recoil spring assembly. Pull the bolt and bolt carrier assembly out of the receiver.

Use a screwdriver to remove the two upper tang screws that hold the stock to the receiver. Remove the lower tang screw on the underside of the stock. Gently tap the stock with a rubber mallet. Pull the stock off of the receiver. Secure the receiver in a padded gun vise.

Cut the threads off of a 3/4 I.D. pipe nipple using a hacksaw. Ensure that the cut is as straight as possible. Fit the cut pipe nipple inside the receiver. It should be positioned in front of the front trunnion between the magazine well and breech.

Measure from the breech face to the end of the pipe nipple. Make a mark on the pipe where you will cut, keeping in mind that you don't want the pipe to hang over the breech face. Cut the pipe so that it will sit 1/16-inch from the end of the breech face. You now have a ring shaped piece of pipe that properly fits against the trunnion without hanging over the breech. Cut the pipe ring in half.

Look at the front trunnion. A small rivet head protrudes from the inside of the receiver. Transfer the dimensions of the rivet head and make a mark on the left side of the pipe half-ring. Cut a notch to fit the rivet head dimensions using a rotary tool with a metal grinding bit. Finish off the notch to remove any burring with a rat-tail file.

Place the pipe half-ring into the receiver. Ensure that the notch you just cut engages the rivet. Look into the magazine carefully in order to note where the bolt hits the pipe half-ring on the right side. Make a mark and then file across the right side of the pipe half-ring until you reach your mark.

Mark a dot at the lowest point in the center of the pipe half-ring. This point is where you will drill and tap for the securing screw.

Secure the pipe half-ring in a vise with the concave side facing up. Drill a hole into the ring where you made the dot using a 0.113 inch bit. Countersink the hole with a 1/4-inch bit. Remove any burring using sandpaper.

Fit the pipe half-ring back into the receiver. Insert a pin punch into the hole you just drilled. Tap the punch with a hammer. Remove the half-ring from the receiver. Apply cutting oil to the trunnion. Drill the hole you just marked with the punch to a depth of 1/8-inch using the 0.113 inch bit.

Thread the hole in the receiver using a 6-40 tap tool. Turn the tap a quarter turn at a time, then back it out a quarter turn until you thread the hole completely. This will ensure that the threads are properly cut.

Place the half-ring back in position and line up the hole in the ring with the hole you just tapped. Screw in the 1/8-inch flat screw until the screw-head is flush with the countersunk ridge on the half ring.

Reassemble the weapon and work the bolt back and forth a few times to ensure that it doesn't snag on the new feed ramp. If you encounter snags, lightly file the groove of the half-ring until the bolt passes over it with ease.