[JamisJockey]

I've heard that, depending on the mounting style, mounting optics on an SKS rifle can be unreliable. Any opinions on this?
I got to check one out with the Dragunov style stock at the local gun shop, and its very comfortable, but the cheek rest puts my head too high for the original sights.

[Hazwaste]

A little off of your topic, but my Marine dad tells me that there's no such thing as a "Former Marine".

[JamisJockey]

Former is just a term for 'Inactive Duty' :D

[Sactown]

I believe you only have 3 options for mounting optics.

1. The scout style mounted the rear sight. I think you would have to remove the scope to clean the gas tube.

2. Drill and tap the side of the receiver for the mount. No problem 'cept your drilling and tapping the side of your reciever. Some people would rather not make permanent changes to their rifles.

3. Receiver cover scope mounts. Overall, I haven't heard of these keeping zero very well. The fit must be pretty tight.

Personally, I'd go with the scout style. SKS rifles aren't tack drivers.

[DMK]

No problems with mine except for finding a good quality short scope so I can use strippers.

I use the Choate mount which is probably over priced and required drilling and tapping the reciever.

I think that one could replicate this setup using angle iron with a Weaver rail screwed to the top. I have to admit though, that it is very solid and certainly strong enough to use as a carry handle. Even though, it is not required to remove the mount to clean, or field strip the rifle, if the entire mount is removed at the allen bolts, it doesn't loose zero when replaced.

I also modified the cheek piece on my Choate Dragunov stock so that it can be easily removed and stored under the stock. This allows me to see under the scope and use the Williams peep sight if I wish.

Please ignore the piece of junk detachable mag which has since been trashed. The original fixed mag is now in it's place and legendary SKS reliablity is restored.

Click here for detailed pics (http://home.mchsi.com/~davidkoch/ebr/)

[Braz]

Cool DMK,

I like the looks of that sks too. :)

http://www.SpyderMagazine.com/files/sks.jpg

[Rockrivr1]

I installed a cheap Chinese scope that was mounted to a replacement dust cover on my Yugo SKS. The instructions said to shave down the two leading edges of the cover to make it fit properly. I was lucky in that I didn't have to do that and a couple of light hits with a rubber hammer seats it properly so I can push through the locking pin. The cover sits very tight.

The scope is a Leapers 6x and once zeroed I've only had to make a few slight adjustments to it. This scope is small enough that I have no problem using stripper clips to feed the rifle.

The one down side is that the cross hairs are a little thick so that at 100 yrds the X is covering a big section of a standard size target.

Then again, I'm not looking for sub MOA accuracy with it. It's a good plinker and a lot of fun to shoot.

[DMK]

Thanks Braz. Is that Choate's optional camo on yours? I've never seen a real good pic of it before.

That's a US made TAPCO gas cylinder on there too isn't it? Does it fit well?

[cabinetman]

I've been doing some research and found that the SKS was, in fact, actually used as a sniper! Who would have guessed.

Anyway, unlike their "proper" contemporaries, the SKS snipers were a "catch as catch can" affairs with a variety of scopes and mounts. None of the mounts were dust covers, however.

Here is a good link to see what they used.

http://www16.brinkster.com/skssniper/yugosks.html

and another:

http://www.angelfire.com/nt/cruffler/YugoSKSSniper.htm

You can find some outstanding scope and mount sets here. I just ordered the 400 meter PSOP unit with batteries and a blank plate to mount for one of my Yugos. It's coming directly from Kalinka in Russia and is current military:

http://www.kalinkaoptics.com/cgi-local/kowstore.cgi?user_action=detail&catalogno=GSPOSP424SVD4


For the money, how could you possibly go wrong?

Rome

[DMK]

Cabinet man, that's interesting info. Thanks for sharing it with us. I think you are right in that they used what they had available, namely surplus Soviet scopes, and adapted them to the rifles. I also noticed that they must have loaded the rounds individually as the scopes would seem to prevent using a clip.

I wonder how many of those were made? It would certainly be easy and cheap enough to make a reproduction with the current market of Yugos and Russian scopes.

Hmm, I think I see a project coming! :cool:

[cabinetman]

That's why I bought the Kalinka unit. I've got a few Yugos, one of which is a lower quality "volunteer" that I'd like to do as properly as possible, just for the fun of it. I'm a C&R and love to keep my rifles as issued, but the Yugos are inexpensive enough to toy with and the mounting bar I'll install will fit an old style scope/mount setup should I ever find one. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy retrofitting this Russian beauty onto the Yugo and shoot some long distance targets.

Rome

[12.7x99mm]

leave them the way they are

[DMK]

I've got a few Yugos, one of which is a lower quality "volunteer" that I'd like to do as properly as possible, just for the fun of it. That's very cool cabinetman. Isn't that really what C&R is all about? To collect, shoot and understand interesting weapons. To see what they were capable of in the field rather than just reading about them in a book or looking through glass at a museum.

Sure the Yugo sniper wouldn't be authentic, but obviously they really did exist and yours should be capable of everything the real ones were. I'd say that's good enought to get the look and feel of the real one for your own personal enjoyment.

[riddleofsteel]

This is an example of the type of SKS mount that involves drilling and tapping the receiver. The entire scope and mount will quick detach with the rmoval of two large finger nuts. The rifle will mantain zero when the scope is put back on within 1/2 inch at 100 yards. I also opened up the ejection port a little and stoned and angled the ejector to direct the ejection of empties out to the side. This is a pre-ban Norinco SKS and with the 4X scope shown will shoot 1.5 MOA at 100 yards with Chi-Com steel jacket/steel core ammo. I usually use the standard 10 round box mag but I have never had the first problem with this 30 round mag as far a reliability.

http://yerfrockethellhound.com/SKS.jpg

[CampX]

Good info! I have the el-cheapo dust-cover mount, and it fits TIGHT, but I want a more solid zero from my SKS. I was thinking of modifying the mount I have by drilling and tapping a piece of flat-bar on the side of the reciever, to solidly attach the dust-cover to the reciever. Should work.

[riddleofsteel]

If you are going to drill and tap the receiver anyway why not fabricate a mount out of a piece of angle? You can drill and tap the angle to accept any standard Weaver mount and still use the iron sights by looking underneath.

[Sleeping Dog]

If you're going to drill and tap the receiver, it may be worth a call to see what Tantal has in the way of mounting plates and optics for an SKS. Some of the AK stuff should work, but I'd ask first.

Tantal's site (http://tantal.kalashnikov.guns.ru/)

Regards.

[MitchSchaft]

A little off of your topic, but my Marine dad tells me that there's no such thing as a "Former Marine".

Former Marine as opposed to ex-Marine. Once a Marine always a Marine. Your dad meant there is no such thing as an ex-Marine.

[riddleofsteel]

Try this mount.

http://www.choatemachinetool.com/images/SKS_scope_mount.jpg

by Choate Tool company

http://www.choatemachinetool.com