As well as a new variant a 6″ Wilson/Nowlin ramped barrel.

This barrel will fit Kimber, Springfield, and STI 9mm or .38 Super full size 1911 pistols which are cut for a ramped barrel.

These pictures show a Delta Arms S-12 conversion next to an as imported Saiga-410. Both have the standard 19″ barrel.  And from the rear edge of the receiver to muzzle, both measure 28 & 1/4″ in length.  However, the over all length of the S-410 is 41″ compared to the converted S-12′s 37 & 5/8″.  Converted Saigas lose over three inches in over all length by moving the trigger forward to where it is meant to be. Collapsible or folding stocks offer the possibility of an even more compact firearm.

All conversion must contain US made parts, for 922(r) compliance.  This typically includes a US made fire control group because it counts as three compliance parts. More often then not, the US trigger used is the TAPCO G2, because of its combination of its reasonable price, good quality, and ready availability.

And a 922(r) compliant US conversion is necessary to legally use the larger magazines and drums available for Saiga-12s.  In as imported configuration you are limited to five round capacity of the original magazines.

Delta Arms Company of Fairfax, Virginia does all the conversion work for the Saiga-12s stocked by J&G Sales.  Of course, their conversions include all the common features listed above. But what sets Delta Arms’ conversions apart from others are the details addressed to deliver a truly high performance shotgun:

• Bolt hold open function retained
• Hammer & bolt carrier contoured
• Function tested & reliability tuned
• Check & correct magazine well dimensions
• All metal refinished with DuraCoat

Many are quick to dismiss the inclusion or omission of the Saiga bolt hold open. After all, it does not activate automatically after the last round is fired, as on the AR-15. However, the bolt hold open is a welcome aid when it comes to seating loaded ten rounds mags and/or twenty round drums. The bolt must be held back while seating these. Without the bolt hold open, you are looking at an awkward three handed operation. This also means the shotgun can be fired at ranges which require the bolt be held to the rear while the shotgun is set on a table, with out the use of an empty shell or other device. 

Some reshaping of the G2 hammer is required simply to fit it to a S-12. Delta Arms goes on to contour the hammer and bolt carrier to improve the cyclic action of the gun. This results in a smoother recoil impulse. Additionally, it increases reliability with low base shotgun shells. And every gun is test fired by Delta to ensure functionality before they ship.

Another issue addressed by Delta Arms which is often unrecognized by others is the magazine well.  Saiga-12 are commonly made with mag wells too small to correctly fit even the factory supplied magazines.  Delta Arms gauges all mag wells, and corrects any undersized dimensions.

After all conversion and reliability work is done, Delta Arms strips the original finish from their Saigas and applies DuraCoat. This is a point easy to over look, many can not tell the difference between two black shotguns. However, DuraCoat is a substantial upgrade in quality and durability from the paint the Russians use.

When shopping around for a US converted Saiga, be sure to look at the specifications of the conversion and not just the price.  Other conversions don’t look like such a bargain when you take into account the short cuts that may have been taken to get that low sticker price.

There are a few differences between the first run barrels (1st-Gen) and the current production barrels (2nd-Gen).  Before I cover the changes I will mention what has not changed, these are still 5″ Government model 1911 barrels.  Compatible with any 9x19mm or .38 Super Auto 1911 which accommodates a standard non-ramped barrel.

The first apparent change is the alteration in markings.  The first run barrel is on top, with the 2nd-Gen barrel on bottom.  This allows easy identification of what barrel variant you have.

Next is the main difference in regard to case support and maximum ammunition compatibility.  The chamber chamfer has been significantly reconfigured.

Most apparent is the reduction of how far the chamfer extends around the circumference of the chamber mouth.

Less obvious is that the chamfer angle has also been reduced.  This means the chamfer extends a reduced distance into the chamber.  These two changes combined greatly increase the case head support.

Lastly, as a product improvement measure, the rifling pattern has been altered as well.  The first run barrels had an eight groove right hand twist, as in the picture above.  While the 2nd-Gen barrels feature a six groove left hand twist as seen in the picture below.

All these updates make the 2nd-Gen barrels a great improvement over the first run variants.  I tested the 2nd-Gen barrels in three test pistols.  The first two pistols were of course Tok’11s #1 & #2, refit with new 2nd-Gen barrels.  The third test pistol is a Taurus PT1911 .38 Super.  This PT1911 is in factory trim with the exception of the installation of a 2nd-Gen 7.62mm barrel and spring kit.

Each pistol was shot with a minimum 100 rounds of Polish surplus.  The Polish surplus is the ammunition which exhibited the weak case heads that made the 2nd-Gen barrel design a reality.  The three pistols were also fired with Yugo surplus, Sellier & Bellot FMJ, and some hand loads as well.  There were no functional problems among the three pistols.  More importantly, there were no signs of case head weakness shown on any of the fired brass.

I know there are several out there waiting to get their hands on one of these barrels.  In the next few weeks we should be receiving additional barrels which will be for sale.  Keep an eye on J&G Sales’s new website for availability.

It has come to our attention that a small percentage of the available surplus 7.62x25mm ammunition has weak case heads.  When these cartridges are fired in our new 1911 barrels, this combination can result in a case head failure.  In order to avoid this, we recommend our barrels not be used to fire surplus 7.62x25mm.  Modern commercial 7.62x25mm ammunition is acceptable for use in these barrels.

Our barrels have been redesigned to also allow the use of most surplus ammo. Any one who wishes to exchange their current barrel for one of the new upgraded barrels should contact myself, Kristofer Gulbrandsen, the gunsmith at J&G Sales. The next batch of barrels is several weeks from completion, however anyone desiring an exchange will be given preference over new orders.

Sincerely,
Kristofer Gulbrandsen

928.445.9650

First is the basic issue all platforms not designed specifically for the 7.62x25mm suffer from; insufficient magazine length.  A 9x19mm Glock model will be a single shot with factory length 7.62x25mm ammo.  The Glock Model 20 does better.  Its magazine will take ten or more factory cartridges, although you will have to squeeze the feed lips together a bit since the Tokarev case is narrower then the 10mm.

The second issue is more complex.  The Glock’s mechanism is inadequate for reliable ignition with much of the surplus ammunition.  In my testing Polish and Yugo surplus, both required a minimum of three strikes to fire.  100% failed to fire on one hit, and 100% failed to fire on two hits.  This means a Glokarev pistol would be limited to commercial or hand loaded ammunition.

It maybe possible to put together a combination of custom parts to make surplus ammunition viable.  I do not believe this is the case, because of how far from working it is in stock trim.  I have not tried any combination of after market parts to solve the ignition problem at this point.  So taking into consideration the limitations described, would you be interested in purchasing a Glokarev barrel?

Here is a sampling of overall lengths for various 7.62x25mm cartridges available today.  The lengths listed are an average of  five cartridges measured for each load listed.

Wolf Gold 85gr JHP: 1.346 inches

Prvi Partizan 85gr FMJ: 1.369  inches

Sellier&Bellot 85gr FMJ : 1.370 inches

Yugo surplus: 1.369 inches

Polish surplus: 1.366 inches

Across these five loads that is a average overall length of 1.364 inches.  This is notably longer then the 1.3 inches often attributed to the 7.62x25mm.

For comparison here are some .38 Super loads:

American Eagle 130gr FMJ: 1.269 inches

Aguila 130gr FMJ: 1.261 inches

This represents an average of 1.265 inches overall length for the .38 Super.  A 1/10th of an inch difference is considerable in the application of pistol designs.  Particularly when it is a 1/10th too much.  There is no easy solution.  Adding length to the magazine requires adding length to the magazine well.  This means a modified frames in addition to modified or custom magazines.

This started as a complete fullsize Rock Island Armory 1911 chambered in .38 Super.

This started as their basic model.  The slide has been extensively lightened, in addition to the other custom work; Dawson sights, EGW fire controll, Ed Brown MaxiWell and grip safety, and of course, the J&G Sales 7.62x25mm 1911 barrel kit.

Slide lightening is not necessary for the Tokarev cartridge conversion.  However, the lightened slide combines very well with the 7.62x25mm cartridge in the 1911 platform.

The low projectile mass of the .30 Tokarev, combined with reduced mass of a lightened slide, makes for a pistol with very low felt recoil and muzzle flip.

These are Wilson 47SX magazines.  Here you can see they will accept six cartridges of factory length 7.62x25mm ammunition.  In this case Wolf Gold jacket hollow point.

7.62x25mm 1911 barrel kits are now available right here at jgsales.com!

Those of you interested, can catch the second broadcast on
Sports Hog 103.1 FM, this Sunday at 9am.