The cheapest shotgun shells are too short to feed reliably in a stock Saiga. Generally they are all about 1/8" short, and it causes a failure to feed when it misses the barrel extension because it pivots too high because its too short, and then the bolt slams it into the extension, getting everything stuck and no BOOM. The low brass shells have a marginally effective amount of powder to cycle the action, and when the powder charge is in the lower end of the margin the shell will remain in the action after ejection and get smashed sideways between the bolt and barrel extension.
It's horrible. It's not at all like the difference between cheap, shitty AK ammo and pricey, quality AK ammo. Cheap shotgun shells were not meant for a stock Saiga.
You can get the barrel extension lengthened by a competent welder so it will feed the cheap shells. And you could have the gas ports opened up, too, but that kind of thing really should be done by someone skilled and experienced ($$$). After all this bullcrap and the pistol-grip conversion, you could have spent the same money on a used (or maybe new) Benelli.
Also, the stock sights on the Saiga are perfectly functional and accurate, but WAAAYYYYY too small IMO, and they are poorly shaped. Like someone filed them to shape while the gun was being sighted with a collimator, or something, and then painted with the whole gun.
That said, they run 100% with high-brass shells of all types. Quality matters.
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