Powermatic 66 = Gunsmithing Tool

Since the weather is questionable today, instead of going to the gun range, I am going to try to modify the laser mount I got for my Saiga 12.

I suppose the relative newness and rarity of the Saiga are the reasons I can’t find a good laser mount. If you have an ordinary AK, and you want to stick aiming aids on your gun, you probably want some kind of scope. That means you need a mount directly above the receiver. You may not care if it blocks the sights. A shotgun is different. Those open sights are the only sights you are likely to use. You’ll want the top of your gun unobstructed by mounts. At least, that’s how I see it. Tromix mounts Tritium night sights on Saigas. You can’t do that if you have a mount in the way.

I want my laser fairly far back on the gun. I could put a laser and a light on the barrel, but I don’t want a ton of crap hanging off of it. A light seems like more than enough weight. And I want the light as far forward as possible, so it won’t shine on the gun. Add it all up, and you get laser in the back, light in the front. So it seems to me that there is a need for a side rail mount that holds a laser to the left of the receiver. Line it up so it’s in the center of the buckshot pattern at 50 feet, and you should be all set. If it’s a little off at 100 feet, it won’t matter. Under 50 feet, you can’t be off more than the offset between the muzzle and laser. Who cares? It’s a shotgun.

These are my theories.

Because it’s impossible to get a side mount for a laser, I decided to get the next best thing. I got a mount with two bases. One goes to the left, and one goes over the barrel. I’m going to take the top mount off…with my table saw.

I know it sounds insane. But it will work. If I put the mount in a jig and use the miter slot, I’ll be able to get a very nice cut. I can find some way to blacken it later. I hear a product called Aluma-Hyde is good. If I’m desperate, I can use grill paint.

Here are a couple of photos of the mount. The little arrow shows where I plan to saw it up. If I fail, I’ll discard the parts and consider it an experiment.

I see no reason why it wont work.

In a few days, my strobe flashlight and mount will arrive, and I’ll stick them on the barrel. Then I’ll be the happiest man alive.

It’s incredible how cheap this stuff is. Stuff that costs $120 from snazzy big-name companies costs $45 from China, and the quality is excellent. It’s too bad it’s illegal to use an imported kit to convert a Saiga to the proper configuration; on that score, I’m stuck with American goods.

Say what you want about the Chinese. They are doing a marvelous job of supplying Americans with weapon accessories.