| Overview | BF2 | BC | BC2 | Play4Free |
| Battlefield 3 | BF4 | Hardline | 2042 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
— Battlelog description
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 rounds per minute, or 180 rounds per minute if firing 12 Gauge Frag rounds, and with moderate recoil. It has magazine size of 6 + 1 rounds or 10 + 1 with Extended Magazine. The Saiga 12K can unload a lot of damage in a short period 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 Operation Swordbreaker when Misfit 1-3 moves into the building after the initial firefight. It is later found in the following mission Uprising without any attachments, where Black can make use of it in his fight for survival against the PLR as he moves through the ruins of Sulaymaniyah and it compliments the AKS-74u he receives early in the mission to help dominate at close ranges.
The Saiga 12K 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. The weapon is very effective 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-COMs.
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. In addition, both the DAO-12 and the M1014 grants the ability of cancelling the reload process in case of emergency, while a Saiga 12K wielder is forced to either finish the reload or switch to a sidearm.
With 12 Gauge Slugs or 12 Gauge Frags, the Saiga 12K can be used at much further ranges as more of a high-power, 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 3 at longer ranges. Equipping a 3.4, 4x or 6x 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. It's also worth noting that slugs have a very slow travel time and have a small effective range.
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.
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