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Saiga shotgun series
The Saiga shotgun series is a series of AK-derived civilian semi-automatic shotguns developed and manufactured by Izhmash (now known as Kalashnikov Concern). The Saiga is primarily manufactured in three different calibers: 12 gauge (Saiga 12 series), 20 gauge (Saiga 20 series), and .410 bore (Saiga .410 series).
Each of these three types of Saiga shotguns generally have three main variants:
- The unsuffixed base variant, with long barrel, fixed buttstock, and no pistol grip. This variant can also be manufactured with a quick-detachable buttstock and quick-detachable pistol grip.
- The S variant with long barrel, folding stock, and pistol grip.
- The K variant with short barrel, folding stock, and pistol grip. The civilian versions of the K variants are equipped with a trigger locking mechanism that prevents the trigger from being pulled when the stock is folded; this is because the Russian law prohibits shotguns with barrel lengths below 500 mm (20") and also overall lengths below 800 mm (32"), and the Saiga K variants go below the length limit when their stocks are folded, necessitating the safety block to follow Russian regulations. Police, military, and export variants of the K variants are not equipped with this mechanism.
Sporterized BATFE approved semi-auto versions of the Saiga shotgun were available for sale to civilians in the United States prior to various sanctions against Russia, and many clones of the design (of varying quality) are still sold. Media occasionally depicts Saiga shotguns as fully automatic or select-fire. No production version with such a feature exists, but such modification is possible.
Specifications
(1994 - Present)
- Type: Shotgun
- Caliber: 12 gauge (Saiga-12), 20 gauge (Saiga-20), .410 (Saiga .410)
- Operation: Gas operated, rotating bolt
- Barrel Length: 580 mm (22.8") (Saiga 12/12S); 430 mm (16.9") (Saiga 12K)
- Overall Length: 1145 mm (45.1") (Saiga 12); 1060/820 mm (41.7/32.3") (Saiga 12S, stock open/folded); 910/670 mm (35.8/26.4") (Saiga 12K, stock open/folded)
- Weight: 3.6 kg (7.9 lbs) (Saiga 12/12S); 3.5 kg (7.7 lbs) (Saiga 12K)
The Saiga shotgun series have been featured in the following video games and television series:
Saiga 12
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia 88 | Neo-Nazi | 12K | 2009 | |
| Gamer | Terry Crews | Hackman | with removed buttstock, 10 inch barrel, and 20-round drum magazine | 2009 |
| The Expendables | Terry Crews | Hale Caesar | with removed buttstock, 10 inch barrel, and 20-round drum magazine | 2010 |
| Gun (2010) | 50 Cent | Rich Taylor | Saiga 12K Converted to fully auto | 2010 |
| Drive Angry | Billy Burke | Jonah King | Fully Automatic with removed buttstock, 10 inch barrel, and 20-round drum magazine | 2011 |
| Contraband | Gonzalo's thugs | with buttstock, 10-inch barrel and 20-round straight magazines | 2012 | |
| The Baytown Outlaws | Zoe Bell | Rose | 20-round drum magazine, short barrel, no flash hider | 2012 |
| The Baytown Outlaws | Daniel Cudmore | Lincoln | 20-round drum magazine, short barrel, no flash hider | 2012 |
| The Avengers | Loki's thugs | Saiga-12K | 2012 | |
| Osombie | Whiskey | 2012 | ||
| The Last Stand | Cartel gunmen | with removed buttstock, 10-inch barrel, Aimpoint sight and 20-round drum magazine | 2013 | |
| Do Not Wake Me Up (Ne budi menya) | Roberto Fleites | Bartender | 2020 | |
| Vitaliy Krivonos | Ray | |||
| Extraction 2 | Megan Anderson | Nagazi mercenary | 2023 |
Television
| Show Title / Episode | Actor | Character | Notation | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burn Notice/Center of the Storm | With 10 inch barrel, AN/PEQ-2 IR designator, EOTech red dot sight, and 20-round drum magazine | 2009 | ||
| Deadliest Warrior/Green Berets vs Spetsnaz | 2009 | |||
| The Walking Dead - Season 7 | Unknown | Savior Member | fitted with a Magpul stock & handguard; The Well" (S7E02) | 2016 |
| Unknown | Savior Member | "Service" (S7E04) | ||
| Norman Reedus | Daryl Dixon | "Service" (S7E04) | ||
| Unknown | Savior Member | "Service" (S7E04) | ||
| Arrow - Season 5 | with 10-rounded magazine; seen in gunstore; "Vigilante" (S5E07) | 2016-2017 | ||
| The Walking Dead - Season 8 | Unknown | Savior Member | "Mercy" (S8E01) | 2017 |
| Territory | Konstantin Itunin | Kalina | 2020 | |
| Evgeni Mundum | Six-Fingered |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror | "AS-12" | 2002 | ||
| Battlefield 2 | S12K | Rib sight, skeletonized stock | Saiga-12K | 2005 |
| Project Reality | S12K | Rib sight, skeletonized stock | Saiga-12K | 2005 |
| Rainbow Six: Vegas | Saiga 12K, cut weapon | 2006 | ||
| Alliance of Valiant Arms | Skeletonized stock, AK-style sights, wood handguard & pistol grip | Saiga-12K | 2007 | |
| Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 | Saiga 12K, cut weapon | 2008 | ||
| 7.62 High Calibre | 2008 | |||
| Battlefield: Bad Company | "S20K" | Rib sight, skeletonized stock | Saiga-12K | 2008 |
| Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots | Rib sight | Saiga-12K | 2008 | |
| ArmA II | Rib sight | Saiga-12K | 2009 | |
| SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 | S-12K | 2010 | ||
| Battlefield: Bad Company 2 | "Saiga 20K Semi" | Rib sight, skeletonized stock | Saiga-12K | 2010 |
| Battlefield Play4Free | "S12K" | Rib sight, skeletonized stock, tan pistol grip, handguard, and magazine | Saiga-12K | 2011 |
| Breach | AK-style sights, wooden handguard, skeletonized stock | 2011 | ||
| War Inc. Battlezone | 2011 | |||
| Battlefield 3 | Saiga 12K | Rib sight, skeletonized stock | Saiga-12K; Camouflaged (Single player only), 5+1 & 10+1 Capacity | 2011 |
| Ghost Recon: Future Soldier | Saiga 12 | RIS handguard, BUIS, and skeletonized stock; optional attachments available | Saiga-12K | 2012 |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops II | S12 | RIS rails, Magpul MOE stock, large muzzle brake, rail-mounted HK-style iron sights; optional attachments available | Saiga 12K | 2012 |
| State of Decay | "Russian 12K" | Saiga-12K | 2013 | |
| DayZ | Vaiga | Tactical | 2013 | |
| Survarium | Saiga-12S | 2013 | ||
| Metro: Last Light | Saiga | AKS-74U stock, wooden furniture; optional upgrades | Saiga-12K | 2013 |
| Splinter Cell: Blacklist | "SASG-12" | RIS handguard, telescoping stock; optional attachments available | Saiga-12K | 2013 |
| Payday 2 | "IZHMA 12G" | Hybrid receiver with AKMS features, AKMS stock; optional attachments available | Saiga-12K | 2013 |
| Warface | "Saiga" | 8-rounded magazine, Magpul UBR GEN2 stock | LSA Saiga 12 Signcutter CS-VLR | 2013 |
| "Saiga Bullpup" | 8-rounded magazine and Magpul MBUS Gen.2 sights | AKU-94 bullpup kit | ||
| "Saiga H.G.C. Custom" | Salvo-12 suppressor, folding stock, 8-rounded magazine and Magpul AFG grip | H.G.C. Custom | ||
| "Saiga Spike" | slug rounds, 5-rounded magazine and muzzle brake | CBRPS bullpup kit | ||
| Watch_Dogs | "RSG-12" | RIS handguard, skeletonized stock; optional attachments available | Saiga-12K | 2014 |
| Contract Wars | Saiga-12K; standard and custom versions | 2014 | ||
| Grand Theft Auto V | "Heavy Shotgun" | Optional flashlight, angled grip, suppressor and extended magazine | Saiga-12K; uses slugs; added in "Last Team Standing Update" DLC | 2014 |
| World of Guns: Gun Disassembly | Saiga 12K 030 | Aimpoint sight, recoil pad 6G15U for GP-25, Insight M3 flashlight, laser sight, FAB Defense grip | Saiga 12K 030 | 2014 |
| Call of Duty Online | "GPAS-12" | Saiga-12K; Cosmetically modified | 2015 | |
| Rainbow Six: Siege | SASG-12 | RIS foregrip, rail-mounted iron sights, aftermarket trigger-guard, Hogue pistol grip, CAA CBS AR-15 stock; optional attachments available | Saiga-12K; Hatcher Gun Company customizations | 2015 |
| Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades | Rib sight, skeletonized stock | Saiga-12K | 2016 | |
| Escape from Tarkov | Saiga 12ga ver. 10 12/76 shotgun | Muzzle brakes, Hexagon and Salvo 12 suppressors, any AK grip, sight rail mount for rear sight, MTU002 and Bravo-12 handguards, 5, 10-round box and 20-round drum mags, dovetail mount, Zenit RP-1 | Saiga-12K; Has a special variant: Saiga 12 NERFGUN | 2016 |
| The Division | Saiga-12 and Saiga-12K | 2016 | ||
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered | "Kamchatka-12" | Optional red dot sight or foregrip | Saiga-12K; Added in update; converted to full-auto, heavily customized | 2017 |
| Playerunknown's Battlegrounds | S12K | Can be fitted with several sights, muzzle devices and magazines | Saiga-12K | 2017 |
| State of Decay 2 | 2018 | |||
| Call to Arms | Izhmash KS-K | 2018 | ||
| Gun Club VR | Saiga-12K | Izhmash KS-K | 2018 | |
| The Division 2 | SASG-12 | Saiga-12 and Saiga-12K | 2019 | |
| Ghost Recon Breakpoint | Saiga-12K | 2019 | ||
| Into the Radius VR | "Saiga 12k" | Adjustable choke | With wooden AK foregrip, extra short barrel, conical flash hider, and Galil-style folding stock | 2020 |
| Battlefield 2042 | 12M Auto | Hatcher Gun Company modified version | 2021 |
Anime
| Title | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upotte!! | Saiga | Saiga-12K | 2012 |
| Magical Girl Raising Project | Calamity Mary | 2016 |
Saiga 20
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fara | Seen in the gun shop, 20K | 1998 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat Arms | Version available w/ camo paint | 2004 |
Saiga .410
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fara | Seen in the gun shop, 410K and 410S | 1998 | ||
| 999 | Tolepbergen Baisakalov | Oscar | 410K-01 | 2010 |
| Kamila Ermekova | Linda | |||
| Mujaheddin | ||||
| Oscar's friend | ||||
| Dark World (Tyomnyy mir) | Maksim Pleshko | Demon | 410K-04 | 2010 |
| Demons | ||||
| Suicides (Samoubiytsy) | SOBR member | 410K-04, scopped | 2012 |
Television
| Title | Actor | Character | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Sword | Roman Kurtsyn | Konstantin Orlov | Saiga-410K-01 | 2009 |
Kalashnikov USA Shotgun Series
The Kalashnikov USA KS-12 shotgun is a semi-automatic shotgun, a clone of the Saiga-12 manufactured in the United States by Kalashnikov USA. The KS-12 accepts 2.75” and 3” shells and features an adjustable gas system that allows it to utilize a variety of different shell types.
The shotgun also features the traditional AK style side-mounted dovetail mount and a threaded barrel. Most Saiga accessories and parts, such as magazines, chokes, and muzzle devices, are compatible with the KS-12.
The Kalashnikov USA Komrad is a 12 gauge semi-automatic, short-barreled firearm. While essentially a short-barreled shotgun, the Komrad is considered a "firearm" as it does not meet the definition for either a "shotgun" or a "short-barreled shotgun" under United States federal law and thus is not subject to the registration and extra paperwork required to own a similar short-barreled shotgun as outlined in the National Firearms Act.
The Komrad's barrel length is only 12.5" long, under the 18" length requirement to be considered a "shotgun" by law, however, it has an overall length of 31.5" and lacks a stock, instead being fit with a pistol brace. Like the KS-12, it features an adjustable gas system and is compatible with most Saiga-12 parts and accessories.
Specifications
(2019 - Present)
- Type: Shotgun, SBS
- Caliber: 12 gauge
- Barrel Length: - 12.6 in (32 cm) - Komrad 12; 18.5 in (47 cm) - KS12
- Length: - 31.5 in (80 cm) - Komrad 12; 38.2 in (97 cm) - KS12
- Weight: - 7.9 lbs (3.6 kg) - Komrad 12; 8.4 lbs (3.8 kg) - KS12
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warface | "Kalashnikov USA Komrad 12" Kalashnikov USA KHAOS |
w/fixed stock, reflex sight, custom pistol grip, extended magazine, tactical grip and muzzle brake | Komrad 12 and KHAOS added in 2021/2023 | 2013 |
Showtime Saiga-12
The unique custom Saiga-12 shotgun originates from the 2002 film Showtime, built by gunsmiths Larry Zanoff and Jim Boland. It was later prominently featured in the Firefly TV series, as major character Jayne Cobb's favorite gun "Vera".
Movies
| Title | Actor | Character | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Showtime | Pedro Damian | Cesar Vargas | 2002 | |
| Showtime | Mos Def | Lazy Boy | 2002 |
Television
| Show Title / Episode | Actor | Character | Notation | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firefly | Adam Baldwin | Jayne Cobb | 2002 |
Kushnapup
The Kushnapup is an aftermarket synthetic stock made by Kushnapup LLC (based in Utah) for Saiga shotguns and rifles (as well as similar weapons like the Catamount Fury), which converts the gun into a bullpup configuration. The Kushnapup can be used on all common Saiga calibers.
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost Recon: Phantoms | KSP-12 | w/ various attachments | 2014 |
See Also
- Izhevsk Machinebuilding Plant - A list of all firearms manufactured by Izhmash.
- Kalashnikov Concern - A list of all firearms manufactured by Kalashnikov Concern.