Saiga

File:Saiga 20k.jpg

The Saiga 20K in real life.

The Saiga 12K (Сайга) is a Russian 12-gauge Combat Shotgun available in a wide range of configurations. Its firing mechanism is heavily based on the famous and time-proven Kalashnikov assault rifle design (AKs) and thus they share many similarities. The weapon also comes in a 20-gauge variant and is instead called the Saiga 20K.

Battlefield 2

S12K
Faction	MEC Spetsnaz Rebels Insurgents
Kit	Engineer
Handling
Firemodes	Semi-Automatic
Rate of fire	300 rpm
Ammunition
Magazine	7 shells
Reload	4 seconds
Effects
Damage	12-8 x8 (96-64)
Range and Recoil
Recoil	2 (hip) 0.75 (zoomed)
Media
Sounds	File:BF2 Saiga Firing.ogg
Source of statistics

In Battlefield 2, the S12K is the default weapon for the Engineer kit for the MEC team. It is the first semi-automatic shotgun players will most likely get at their disposal. The weapon is potentially more forgiving than the pump-action USMC and PLA shotguns; it is usually not capable of a one-hit kill, but its magazine-feeding mechanism and its semi-automatic firemode allows one to follow up the first round much faster than with a pump-action shotgun. It is very similar to the Engineer class' Tier one unlock weapon, the MK3A1 Jackhammer, as both have the same magazine capacity, fire rate, and range, although the MK3A1 boasts a higher damage output per pellet at close range

Battlefield 2: Special Forces

In the Special Forces expansion, the S12K is issued to MEC Special Forces, Spetsnaz, Rebels and Insurgents Engineer kits. It functions the same as it does in the base game.

The S12K in Battlefield 2

An model of the S12K in Battlefield 2

An model of the S12K in Battlefield 2

An model of the S12K in Battlefield 2

Battlefield: Bad Company

S20K
Faction	Russian Ground Forces
Kit	Demolitions Kit
Progression
Unlocked at	Unlocked at start
Handling
Firemodes	Semi-automatic
Rate of fire	Medium
Ammunition
Magazine	8 shells
Starting ammunition	48 shells
Effects
Damage	Medium
Range and Recoil
Range	Short

In Battlefield: Bad Company's singleplayer, the S20K is the Russian and Serdaristani forces' standard shotgun, and can be found in every singleplayer with the exception of Ghost Town. When picked up by the player, it is paired with a set of five HG-2s.

In multiplayer, the S20K is the default shotgun for the Russian Demolition kit and is the first semi-automatic shotgun available to the player. It has an 8 round magazine and can kill within 3 or so shots with a good fire rate, but like all shotguns, it is limited to a very short range.

The S20K in Battlefield: Bad Company on the multiplayer map Deconstruction

The S20K being aimed

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Saiga 20K Semi
Kit	All Kits
Inventory slot	Primary Weapon
HUD icon
Progression
Unlocked at	Level 2
Handling
Firemodes	Semi-Automatic
Rate of fire	300 rpm
Ammunition
Magazine	6 shells
Maximum ammunition	30 + 6 (without Extended Shotgun Magazine and Ammo Upgrade) 24 + 12 (with Extended Shotgun Magazine, but without Ammo Upgrade) 54 + 6 (without Extended Shotgun Magazine, but with Ammo Upgrade) 48 + 12 (with Extended Shotgun Magazine and Ammo Upgrade)
Reload	4.167 seconds
Effects
Damage	14.3-6 x6 (85.8-36) (buckshot) 39-28 (slugs; all)
Multipliers	2.5x Head 2.1x Head (Slugs)
Range and Recoil
Recoil	Medium
Media
Sounds	Firing sound
Source of statistics

Only available in multiplayer, the Saiga 20K Semi in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is the second shotgun available to all kits requiring the achievement of rank 2. Like all other shotguns that are used with the Assault kit, the grenade launcher is replaced with C4. It has a default capacity of six shells, a good rate of fire and a short effective range. This shotgun is used most effectively at extremely close range because it's high fire rate and high damage enables it to kill multiple enemies quickly. For the quick trigger finger, the Saiga 20K is a good choice, since it is semi-automatic and is not limited by a pump-action function or an overwhelming automatic fire mode like other shotguns. It is statistically exactly the same as the USAS-12 (even though the stats bar in-game shows less damage for the USAS) the only difference being the fire mode is semi automatic contrasted to the USAS, which is fully automatic.

With the 12 Gauge Slugs specialization and Magnum Ammunition, it can be used as an effective semi-automatic rifle, though the M1 Garand may be preferred due to the extra two rounds per magazine or the M14 EBR due to the extra four rounds per magazine, however, with the Extended Shotgun Magazine specialization, the Saiga has a higher capacity of 12 rounds. However, with slugs, bullet drop must be accounted for. Another advantage the Saiga 20K has over these two weapons, besides its close range effectiveness and crowd control ability, is that is can take down UAVs with ease. The use of a reticle rather than sights, though simply cosmetic, can be considered an advantage as well, due to the increase of peripheral vision.

700px-Saiga12KBC2MP.JPG

The Saiga 20K Semi at Valparaiso in Rush.

The Saiga 20K Semi at Laguna Presa in Squad Rush.

The zoomed view of the Saiga 20K Semi.

Saiga-20K.

Reloading.

The Saiga's in-game stats evaluation

Battlefield Play4Free

Saiga
Handling
Firemodes	Semi-automatic
Rate of fire	360 rounds per minute
Ammunition
Magazine	14 rounds
Maximum ammunition	56 rounds
Reload	4.2 seconds
Effects
Damage	Close range 22-24 Medium range 14-16 Long range 5-7
Multipliers	2.1x Head
Media
Source of statistics	Battlefield Play4Free game files

The Saiga-12 appears as a purchasable weapon in Battlefield Play4Free. It remains semi-automatic and comes with a 14 rounds magazine, good damage, accuracy and moderate rate of fire, at the cost of 980 for unlimited use.The weapon has a very clean appearance, like all of the elite weapons, and sports a tan paint scheme on the magazine, pistol grip, and handguard. Although a good choice for close-quarters maps like Sharqi and even Karkand, the gun's effectiveness deteriorates with range; most players discard this gun for the USAS-12, which has slightly lower damage and a smaller magazine but costs less Battlefunds, can be temporary bought with in-game credits, and has a higher rate of fire as it is fully automatic.

Render of the Saiga-12.

Battlefield 3

Saiga 12K
Faction	United States Marine Corps (MP) Russian Ground Forces (MP) People's Liberation and Resistance (SP) GRU (SP)
Kit	Assault Support Engineer Recon
Inventory slot	Primary weapon
Progression
Unlocked at	Rank 34
Unlocks	Kobra (10 kills) Flechette (20 kills) Extended Magazine (30 kills) PKA-S (40 kills) Tactical Light (50 kills) 12 Gauge Frag (60 kills) PSO-1 (70 kills) Laser Sight (80 kills) 12 Gauge Slugs (90 kills) IRNV scope (100 kills) PKS-07 (125 kills) PK-A (150 kills) Flash Suppressor (175 kills) Reflex (200 kills) Holographic (235 kills) ACOG (270 kills) Rifle Scope (300 kills) M145 MGO (350 kills)
Dogtag(s)	Proficiency Master
Handling
Firemodes	Semi-automatic
Rate of fire	220 RPM 180 RPM with Frags
Ammunition
Magazine	6 + 1 shells 10 + 1 shells with Extended Magazine
Starting ammunition	28 + 7 shells 22 + 11 shells with Extended Magazine
Maximum ammunition	48 + 7 shells with AMMO 44 + 11 shells with Extended Magazine and AMMO
Reload	2.2 seconds loaded 3.5 seconds empty 0.80 reload threshold
Ballistics
Velocity	Buckshot and Slugs: 300m/s Flechettes: 450m/s Frags: 150m/s
Effects
Damage	Buckshot: 18 - 6 x 9 (172 - 54) Flechettes: 12.5 - 8.4 x 9 (112.5 - 75.6) Frags: 20 - 5 impact; 25 - 0 blast Slugs: 75 - 37.5
Multipliers	Head: x 2.4 Torso and arms: x 1.0 Legs: x 0.9
Suppression	4% - 2%
Range and Recoil
Range	Buckshot: 15m - 30m Flechettes: 12m - 25m Slugs: 15m - 50m Frags: 8m - 40m
Maximum range	Buckshot: 300m Flechettes and Frags: 450m Slugs: 1,500m
Blast radius	Frags: 2.0m - 2.5m
Recoil	0.8 (up) 0.2 (left/right)
First shot multiplier	x 1
Decrease per second	15 per second
Spread
Hipfire	1.5 (standing, still) 1 (crouching/prone, still) 2 (standing, moving) 1.5 (crouching/prone, moving)
Hipfire	1.5 (standing, still) 1 (crouching/prone, still) 2 (standing, moving) 1.5 (crouching/prone, moving)
Zoomed	0.4 (still) 0.8 (standing, moving) 1.2 (crouching/prone, moving)
Zoomed	0.4 (still) 0.8 (standing, moving) 1.2 (crouching/prone, moving)
Increase per bullet	0.6 per shot
Increase per bullet	0.6 per shot
Decrease per second	8 per second
Decrease per second	8 per second
Media
Sounds
Source of statistics	Symthic - retrieved September 8, 2012

In Battlefield 3, the Saiga-12K returns in its 12 gauge variant - as signified by its name. The shotgun fires in semi-automatic mode and has a rate of fire of 220 round per minute, or 180 rounds per minute if it is using 12 Gauge Frag rounds, with moderate recoil. With a box magazine size of 6 + 1 rounds or 10 + 1 with Extended Magazine, the Saiga-12K can unload a lot of damage in a short amount of time.

Singleplayer

In the singleplayer campaign of Battlefield 3, the Saiga-12K is first seen being used by the People's Liberation and Resistance in the mission Uprising without any attachments. Black can make use of it in his fight for survival against the PLR as he moves through the earthquake ridden rubble of Tehran and it compliments the AKS-74u he receives early in the mission to help dominate at close ranges.

The Saiga 12-K is then used by Dima with a PKA-S in the mission Kaffarov. He can use it to great extent later in the mission when the fight moves in to the villa, while his AEK-971 will help in the earlier sections of the level. Several enemies during the last two missions of the singleplayer campaign are also equipped with this weapon, and with attachments like the said PKA-S, the Laser Sight, an IRNV, and the Kobra.

Multiplayer

In the multiplayer portion of Battlefield 3, the Saiga-12K is unlocked at Rank 34 and is an All-kit weapon that is available for use by every kit. The weapon really shines in close quarters situations like Operation Métro and Grand Bazaar in all game modes, or Rush on most maps due to the close quarters chaos around the M-COM Stations.

Because the Saiga-12K fires semi-automatically and has a large box magazine, it has a very high damage per second ratio as it can unload a lot of pellets in a shorter time than most other shotguns with its faster reload than the DAO-12 or M1014, the other two semi-automatic shotguns available in-game.

However, the Saiga-12K has a lower pellet count per shot than the M1014, with each shot of 12 Gauge Buckshot or Flechette Ammunition firing only 9 pellets, compared to the M1014's 10 pellets per shot. With either ammunition loaded, the Saiga-12K can kill in as few as one shot, or as many as 11 with Flechettes or 17 with Buckshot depending on how many pellets hit the target and at what range. At closer ranges, however, it generally takes one or two shots to bring a target down, with the potential to take multiple targets down with two or more shots.

The DAO-12 fires the same amount of pellets as the Saiga-12K, but starts with a larger magazine size at 8 shells that only gets larger with Extended Magazines at 12 shells, outpacing the Saiga-12K by one shell in each case at the cost of a longer reload. The M1014 on the contrary has a lower magazine at 4 + 1 by default or 6 + 1 with Extended Magazines, as well as a longer reload, giving reason for its additional pellet per shot.

With 12 Gauge Slugs or 12 Gauge Frags, the Saiga-12K can be used at much further ranges as more of a semi-automatic rifle, at the cost of losing its edge in close quarters, requiring at least two shots to kill, while it can take up to 4 at longer ranges. Equipping a 3.4, 4x or 6x/7x scope can help increase the effective range of the weapon on maps with larger sight lines, but players using these scopes will need to account for bullet drop against targets at long ranges.

At close range, optics are of much less concern as the Saiga-12K with Buckshot or Flechettes generally does not need to be aimed, although it will be more accurate if the player chooses to do so. A Laser Sight can improve its hip-fire accuracy a decent amount as well, and before the 1.04 Patch that came with Close Quarters, it was more accurate to fire from the hip while stationary than to aim down the sights. A Flash Suppressor can help lower recoil for multiple shots at longer ranges with Slugs or Frags, or to decrease the ability of the player to be identified in close range in darker areas when firing due to the flash from the weapon when firing will be significantly reduced.

Extended Magazines is always a great option for close quarters as it nearly doubles the Saiga-12K's magazine and allows it to be able to fire more often and reload less often while still having the same ammunition count as without them applied. A Tactical Light can also help as close ranges to potentially blind targets, especially those with IRNV scopes, and to get the edge over them in close ranges if the player is assaulting a well defended area such as an objective in Rush.

Gallery

For attachments pictures, see Saiga 12K/Attachments.

The Saiga-12K on the map Operation Firestorm in multiplayer.

The Saiga-12K as it appears in Battlefield 3.

The Saiga 12's iron sights.

Left side of the Saiga-12K.

A close-up of the Saiga-12K.

A close-up of the Saiga-12K's iron sights.

Trivia

• In Bad Company 2 the shells are clearly green in the magazine as seen when reloading but are red after being ejected from the gun.
• It is the only semi-automatic shotgun in Bad Company 2.

Videos

[[Video:SAIGA 20K SEMI|thumb|300px|left|Gameplay of the Saiga 20K at White Pass, Atacama Desert, and Isla Inocentes.]][[Video:Battlefield Play4Free Saiga-12 Commentary|thumb|300px|right|Gampeplay of the Saiga-12 in Play4Free]]

External links

• S12K & Saiga 20K on Wikipedia
• S12K on Modern Firearms
• Saiga 20K on Modern Firearms