IZHEVSK. Dec 2 (Interfax-AVN) - The Izhmash Consortium has demonstrated one of the latest modifications of the Saiga 308-1 rifled carbine, series 100, at the recent Saiga festival, held at a firing range of the Russian Emergencies Ministry outside Kolpino in the Leningrad region, the Izhmash Information Department told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday.
The Information Department said that at the firing range all those present could try various types of small arms, manufactured by the Izhmash Consortium, including various modifications of Tigr, Sobol, and Saiga 410K carbines.
"This festival has become a traditional end to a series of Saiga festivals held this year, and was timed to the 85th anniversary of Mikhail Kalashnikov, as well as the 50th anniversary of the Kalashnikov magazine, the press release said.
It also noted that in addition to promoting their products, sponsors of the festival had tried to reach purely practical objectives. The Izhmash Consortium has been gathering and analyzing information on operation of the Saiga carbine and other hunting rifles for several year in order to select the most successful one for mass production. The festival allows experts to hear opinions of most interested customers, most of whom have more than one Saiga-family carbine in their personal arsenals.
The festival also saw a firing competition among participants, sponsored by the St. Petersburg-based Saiga club and the office of the International Practical Shooting Confederation. Alexei Glyga, a member of the St. Petersburg-based club, won the title of the absolute champion the second year in a row.