Codex: Saiga-12K (Striga)

Saiga-12 (Striga)

Power: ★★★☆☆
Firing Speed: ★★★☆☆
Reload Speed: ★★★★★
Capacity: ★☆☆☆☆
Range: ★★☆☆☆
Critical Chance: ★★★☆☆

Daniel recovered the Saiga-12 during the purge of Hargreave’s bunker lab, pried from a locked security room that had once been stocked for the lab’s containment guards. It was one of the few intact weapons he managed to secure before UBCS stormed the site. Heavy, brutal, and far from subtle, the shotgun quickly became his dedicated close-quarters utility weapon, especially suited for tight hallways, tough enemies, and sudden ambushes. It was used to great effect in subduing the Basilisk during his first outing into the world of anti-bioterrorism.  

Customizations & Modifications

Folding Stock: Collapsible for storage and maneuverability, lets Daniel stow it across his back in a marine sling when not deployed. Shortens overall length for confined spaces and allows for quick swapping between accuracy and ergonomics.

Ultracompact Barrel: Reduces weapon profile, speeds hipfire response by a fair margin. Increases spread greatly, trading range for raw stopping power and saturation.

Breaching Muzzle (Modular): Reinforced muzzle device doubles structural damage against locks, hinges, and barricades. Can be swapped for suppressors or choke tubes when available, giving it flexible role use.

Angled Foregrip: Adds control, reducing recoil and increasing ergonomic control. Allows steadier follow-up shots, even during rapid fire.

Magazine System: Standard 5-round mags can be upgraded to 8 or 10-round extended versions. A 20-round drum offers unparalleled firepower but makes the weapon heavier and somewhat unwieldy, slowing aim and reload speed. Drum magazines may jam under pressure.

Available Ammunition

1. Buckshot: Devastating close-range spread. All-purpose common round found almost everywhere.

2. Slugs: Solid projectiles; accurate and penetrating at medium range. Semi-armor penetrating, deals excellent single target damage at short-medium ranges.

3. Dragon’s Breath: Magnesium incendiary; ignites targets. Impact ignition and friction trigger reduces range significantly but can set flammable surfaces and materials on fire. Moderate penetration on soft tissue.

4. Explosive (Fragmentation) Shells: Impact detonation; small-radius blast(5M). Capable of airbursting with the right modification, fin stabilized with eruptor charge head and fragmentation-cut body.

5. Breaching Rounds: Frangible; ideal for locks and barriers. Designed to prevent ricochet and blastback, but less effective against hard targets.  Purpose built round.

6. Taser Shells: Electroshock discharge; stuns enemies and electronics.  Very rare Umbrella-designed anti-BOW shell, capable of delivering 150,000 volts at a lethal current to the target.  Penetrating prongs are designed to defeat soft armor but may struggle with plating.

7. Rock Salt Shells: Less-lethal deterrent; painful, blinding, useful against humans. May be effective against certain types of BOW strains, 

8. APDS Shells: Crackle-fin stabilized tungsten darts designed to defeat hard armor. When fired, the shell is sheathed in a discarding sabot, allowing for the round to shear through Level 4 protective plate with ease. Highly illegal.

Exclusive Upgrade

“Close Quarters Monster”: Grants the Saiga a select-fire system, allowing the operator to switch between semi-automatic, two-round burst, or full automatic fire modes. This transforms the shotgun into a devastatingly versatile weapon for close-quarters combat.

AN: Just a little something fun that I put together to release with the Saiga once he got it. I thought it was a fun little project to tide over those hungry gearheads for a little while. Images are courtesy of the Hatcher Gun Company. I'm not affiliated but they have some cool stuff up there for the gun nuts out there to check out. And yeah, if you're wondering, this was the image that won me over for this gun.