Saiga 22: New rifle from Izhmash!!!

Posted in Rifles by with 36 Comments
Tags: , , , , , ,

0_value_17551_188-tfb-tm

I am excited to report that Izhmash Arms, the official manufacturer of the AK and Saiga rifles, has launched a new series of .22 Long Rifle chambered AK-styled rifles.

The new Saiga 22 comes in two flavors. The standard model is patterned after the AK-105. It features an AK-105 style side folding stock and polymer furniture. The “Version 4″ model is patterned after the AKM and features a fixed stock and wooden furniture.

The guns are fed from a 10 round magazine that is the size of a AK-sized 30 round magazine. They come with standard AK-style iron sights and can be fitted with a AK side mounted optics rail.

These guns look like a lot of fun! I think AK fans are going to be ecstatic about the chance to own a real Izhmash .22 LR AK. Hopefully these will find their way stateside.

Saiga 22
The muzzle brake is apparently a dummy
Specifications
Caliber .22 LR
Capacity 10 rounds
Barrel 16.3″
Stock AK-105 style folding stock
Overall Length 38″ (stock extended), 28.5″ (folded)
Weight 7.27 lbs
Saiga-22 version 04
Specifications
Caliber .22 LR
Capacity 10 rounds
Barrel 16.3″
Stock Fixed wood stock
Overall Length 35.6″
Weight 7.27 lbs

More info about the guns here.

[ Many thanks to Leanfox for emailing me the link. ]

Steve Johnson

Founder and Dictator-In-Chief of TFB. A passionate gun owner, a shooting enthusiast and totally tacti-uncool. Favorite first date location: any gun range. Steve can be contacted here.

More In: Rifles

Related Posts

  • http://www.kagogi.mee.nu/ Veeshir

    I don’t think the mag is the same size as an AK mag, it fits into one or something.
    I can’t quite figure out what they mean by this fom the link
    The rifle is equipped with a 10-round magazine which is located in an assault rifle detachable 30-round magazine.

    The reason I checked is because it seemed weird that a 10 rd mag for .22lr would be the same size as a 30 rounder for an AK.

    • http://www.thefirearmblog.com Steve

      Veeshir, I saw that. It sounds like poorly written text. I interpret it as to mean the magazine is the size of a 30 rounder. There are other mistakes in text on their website.

  • http://spetsnaz.su/ Johannes

    Actually, the top one looks like it’s based of a AK-74M/AK-103 rather than the short barreled AK-104/AK-105.

  • Jesse

    As fantastic as this is will they actually be imported to the US in that configuration? Does that whole “assault rifle” import ban not apply to 22 rifles?

  • Chris

    10 round magazines?
    What about those of us who live in free states?

  • http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=262088880770 Raph84

    I think the 10 round thing is because when you move past 10 rounds in a 22 things sometimes get finicky.

    If it sells well people always come out with aftermarket goodies I would imagine.

  • Brian

    I believe the “assault rifle” import ban doesn’t apply to .22lr calibers.

  • SpudGun

    I must admit, I’m not a big fan of military style rifle clones in .22LR, they just seem to be a bit ‘cosmetic’. There are plenty of other options available if you want a .22LR ‘tacticool’ rifle.

    But SpudGun, you say, what about the training aspects? You could get used to shooting a full size battle rifle but with much cheaper ammo. To which I respond, no you can’t. The noise, muzzle blast and recoil of 7.62 ComBloc is night and day compared to .22LR.

    Why anyone would want to buy a .22LR rifle that is heavier, more expensive and less ergonomic then it’s competitors is beyond me.

  • Matt Groom

    I don’t think they’ll be able to import it into the US without changing it to a Saiga type configuration. I also think the whole Tacticool .22 rifle thing loses a lot of steam when you have none of the rails and whistles and you’re stuck with a 10 round magazine.

  • Vak

    @Chris :

    I guess it’s because of export laws. Surely there will be magazines with higher capacity once they get stateside.

    And about the whole “The rifle is equipped with a 10-round magazine which is located in an assault rifle detachable 30-round magazine.”, maybe it’s some kind of mag that need to be inserted in a 30 round mag (I guess you take the flooplate off the 30 rounder, do the same for the spring and floower, drop the 10 round magazine into the bigger magazine, put the spring and follower back in and then put the floorplate back in place ?) to work, so they don’t have to make entirely new receivers. They keep the receivers, trigger assembly, stock, siderail, dust cover, the furniture and they just have to use a .22 barrel and a blowback operated action.

    It’s a really good idea in term of cost efficiency.

  • http://www.GunBurger.com GunBurger

    @Chris I agree, 10 rounds is week. I want a mag that holds as many a possibly for the size. Does this “10 round” all have to do with our “anti-gun” laws?

  • bullzebub

    if its made like the Yunker rifle its probably a 10 Rnd pistol mag inside the AK mag…

  • Mono

    The wood version looks like sex. I want both!

    Fortunately, our gun shops had bought Izhmash rifles before (altough mass media call those rifles as “ukranian weapons of war”)… a .22lr would be easier to import.

  • rusgunnut1

    Perhaps, Johannes, Izmash get confused with all the 100 numbers too? I know I do, which is why i would prefer it if they used the original designation system: AK-101-2 stay the same. AKS47M and AKS47UM, AKS74M and AKS74UM, or something like that.

  • primo capo

    a semiautomatic ak with a mag with ten round .22?
    I’m beginning to cry….
    :( (((

  • Xstang

    after staring at the clear space on the version 4′s magazine for a few seconds, I think that it would have to hold 30 rounds….

  • http://www.msn.com Ermac

    Wow, it’s exactly what I’ve been hoping for! Is it compliant to import in the US right? I bet the ATF will come up with some bullshit excuse to stop it from coming into the country.

  • Tony Chow

    What they probably are saying is that the .22LR magazine inserts into the 30-round centerfire magazine. This is the way the Army M-261 AR conversion kit works. See http://wonderwolfs.blogspot.com/

  • Lance

    Im with Johannes The main stlye is a AK-74M verson the AK-105 is a improved short barrel carbine which supplaments the AK-74SU.

    Still nice looking rifle though.

  • maxpwr

    Jesse: Not yet.

  • BTR

    Importation regs are much more lax for .22 rifles. Hence GSG importing the mp 5 stylled .22 rifles with 30 round mags and pistol grips. There is also apparently no prohibition on adding folding stocks to them as well.

    Maybe we can get these too??? This would beat the pants off the GSG version of the AK!

    I sure hope the mag capacity is over 10 rounds.

  • snoopycomputer

    “10 round magazines?
    What about those of us who live in free states?”

    Hopefully Black Dog Machine will accommodate us. :)

  • maxpwr

    Russia has a magazine limit of 10 rounds and since they weren’t immediately thinking of the export market, that is why they are currently limited to 10 rounds.

  • Carl

    I don’t know what everybody is complaining about. A .22 AK, made by the original manufacturer, probably with a lot of the same parts as the centerfire version sounds pretty awesome to me.

  • jaekelopterus

    I have no use for it, but I’m not going to complain. More guns is better guns!

  • subase

    Looks like the U.S is gonna buy these babies in truckloads for Iraq and Afghanistan training.

  • shankbone

    @ Carl:

    I’m not complaining, I’m yawning. This rifle may have interested me, if we were in the past, before the last 5 or so “tactical rimfires” had been released.

  • http://gunblobber.wordpress.com Gun Blobber

    Not sure what the big deal is…. .22LR Kalashnikovs have been around for a while. German Sports Guns (same folks that make the GSG-5) makes them, $350 from most places. And apparently GSG sought out Mikhail Kalashnikov himself and got his seal of approval for their version. They have the legal right to stamp his name on their guns worldwide, for whatever that’s worth. They can come with 10-round or 24-round magazines.

    http://www.americantactical.us/gsg-kal.html

    Classic Arms has them for sale:

    http://www.classicarms.us

  • Griffin

    I have to admit that all of these .22 LR versions of tactical rifles seem a bit silly to me on the surface. Sort of one (significant) step above airsoft guns.

    However, as an owner of an M&P 15-22 I also have to admit they are insanely fun and for me have proven very valuable in muscle memory training. Plus, of course, in this day and age of overpriced ammo it’s a great way to “warm up” before switching to the “real stuff” or to simply plink.

    More than anything though, my “tactical” .22 LR’s have been a great way to introduce non-gun people to how fun and not-scary tactical firearms can be. After they get used to shooting a .22 LR AR platform gun it’s easy to gently introduce them to the real deal and usually it seems they immediately like the “real one” better. By contrast, whenever I have non-gun people jump straight to a .223 they almost universally don’t like it.

  • http://anthroblogogy.blogspot.com/ DirtCrashr

    I think my local gun-shop in CA has a couple of those. 10-round mags make it legal here.

  • Anton

    In my opinion, it’s a silly concept.

    Now, if they made an AK based .22-rifle that would have some of the good features but combined it and if it would be a bit lighter and doesn’t try to look like a large caliber gun…

  • http://anthroblogogy.blogspot.com/ DirtCrashr

    Ok, the .22 one at my gun-guy is made in Germany and says “Kalashnikov” on it.

  • Komrad

    Ruger 10/22. Most likely costs less, probably more reliable, more after-market accessories, lighter, less stupid. It’s a no brainer.

  • jim

    10rnd mags make no sense for training.. there is a need for 30-40 round mags..

    but, these would have to be much cheaper than the inexpensive AK-74 variants that are available.. otherwise, just get a 74 variant..

  • Alex

    If the parts on this rimfire are the same as the centerfire, I can see the guys over at the Saiga 12 forums buy them just to chop them up. The folding stocks, gas blocks, bolt, and bolt carrier. Parts from the factory are hard to find and expensive over here.

  • Spirt of adventure 22

    hey they imported the gsg-5 whithout changing the stock