New SKS

[amprecon]

I got a call from an in-law Christmas day saying they had some guns for sale and asked if I was interested. Well, I inquired into the makes and models and calibers and they didn't know much about guns and couldn't really explain exactly what they had.
So, my interests peaked I took a trip over there, they had an old Hi-Point 9mm, which did not peak any interest. They also had a Savage Springfield 187S .22lr auto-loader rifle (never heard of it) and a Chinese SKS with the black composite side-folding stock which I found distasteful.
The SKS was in well enough shape that after disassembling it found that it was in good enough mechanical condition that it was worth an offer. So $100 later I was on my way home with an unscheduled extra Christmas present from the in-laws.
I took it home and cleaned it up and found that the safety is loose in the off position, so I figured I could just tap the pins out, bend the forked spring back into shape and that would fix that. The pins are mushroomed at each end and could not be punched out without filing the ends flat. I figured it didn't rattle that much and wasn't worth the effort. The safety is well enough held sprung in the on position and this was a minor issue.
It is a full-length Chinese made SKS with a "26" inside a triangle stamped on the left side of the receiver followed by Chinese lettering then the serial number. It also came with the folding spike bayonet which I also have no real use for.
As I have recommended SKS's to numerous people on this and other boards who have been looking for an economical and reliable rifle I have given much thought into acquiring one myself as they have a conventional enough look to be carried into the woods hunting and not garner alot of attention.
So I removed the bayonet, cut the bayo lugs flat, filed, painted and replaced the stock with the traditional SKS red Chinese colored stock, it looks very aesthetically pleasing and has filled a nice little niche in my meek little armory. The only other item I wish to add to it is a stock extender butt-pad.
It has been raining here in Memphis this morning, but I think if it lets up I'm gonna take her out and see what she can do. I'll post the results with pics.

 

[Sam1911]

You *willingly* cut off the bayonet lugs of your own un-Bubba'd SKS?

Considering the legislative and social pressure the gunny community is generally under to sanitize/sterilize our weapons, and given the ever decreasing numbers of pristine specimens of military weapons of all descriptions available for civilian ownership, doing this of one's own accord kind of makes my skin crawl.

I don't mean to criticize, I guess, and I do remember the days of $89 Chineses SKSs overflowing dealer shelves and gun show tables, but ...

I guess I see it in the same light as "Sporterized" Mausers, M1903s/1903A3s, Enfields, 1917s, etc. but with the added dark cloud of "Politically Correctness" staining it.

I know there's probably not much more than a 1% loss in practical functionality of the rifle (unless you count the ability to use the spike as a monopod in certain circumstances...which I do). Still, while I'd probably have laid down twice that much for the rifle before, I wouldn't shell out half that for it now. :banghead:

Such things fall into the category of, "WAS nice, once."

To each their own, of course. I'm just a stuck in the mud preservation guy.

-Sam

 

[Hoppy590]

i agree. why CUT the lugs? just take the bayonet off and put it to the side if you dont want it.

you did a good deed by cleaning it up and putting it in the right stock, but bad karma for cutting the lugs.

how ever, congrats on the new rifle. may it serve its purpose

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

He probably cut the lugs because he doesn't need/want them. I see nothing wrong with it if it makes the weapon more useful for him.

 

[amprecon]

I didn't do it because of any PC reasons, heck I'm normally un-PC just to spite them, but I felt that this particular accessory on this particular rifle was just not necessary and didn't serve any real useable purpose for me. I just bought it because the price was right and "personalized" it to fit my purposes. I just saw the big ole' empty bayo lug a hinderance in the thickets and an unecessary protrusion that I'd probably be injured by in some form or another.
I do sincerely apologize to those that feel offended by the "sporterization" of my SKS though........ really

 

[jdc1244]

Enjoy your new SKS, they’re great rifles.

 

[Cosmoline]

So I removed the bayonet

You probably should have asked here first. You know they didn't allow very many Norincos into the US with the bayonet still attached. It's easy to find one sans bayonet, but if your bayonet was original it was a pretty rare bird. For every intact Chinese SKS with bayonet there seem to be two dozen that were either made for the US sporting market or imported sans bayonet. And of course with those it's actually *illegal* to reattach the bayonet, making the ones imported with pigsticker more valuable. So ordinarily filing down the lugs would be no great sin.

Still, we've all been there. The Norinco SKS's from the old vintages are excellent and extremely reliable. They are often surprisingly accurate as well. You have the right idea in avoiding aftermarket crudola. They work best with a minimum of "enhancements."

/26\ means Jianshe Arsenal. To find your date of manufacture, add 1956 and the first digit of your SN beyond one million, as explained here:

http://www.yooperj.com/SKS-24.htm

BTW, if you ever want to re-lug it I'll swap you the lugged piece from my own Norinco for your un-lugged one. Mines a "sporter" version of no collector's value that can't legally have a bayonet on it.

 

[Sam1911]

And of course with those it's actually *illegal* to reattach the bayonet, making the ones imported with pigsticker more valuable. So ordinarily filing down the lugs would be no great sin.

Could you provide the exact citation that dictates this? Are you saying that the SKS with a bayonet can fall under 922r?

-Sam

 

[Hoppy590]

Could you provide the exact citation that dictates this? Are you saying that the SKS with a bayonet can fall under 922r?

a chinese SKS imported with out the bayonet is considered a sporting arm. many were commercial models, and not surplus.

currently searching for cite

 

[Cosmoline]

There are many threads on the topic. The problem arises when you have SKS's that were allowed to be imported only sans bayonet. If you reattach one of these you're technically assembling it in violation of federal law.

The ones that were allowed in *with* a bayonet can keep the bayonet. When GHWB signed his infamous order the days of importing intact SKS's were over.

http://www.simonov.net/uberlaw.htm

http://www.sff.net/people/sanders/sks3.html

 

[Sam1911]

He probably cut the lugs because he doesn't need/want them.

Well, it would have been silly to cut them off because he DID need/want them!

He already spelled out his reasons why. I understand the point. The same argument was made by several million Mauser, Krag, Springfield, and Enfield owners who figured they'd be able to shoot a deer better if they cut their original stock up, threw away those hand guards, cut bits off the receiver, bent the bolt handles, cut down the barrel, and whatever else. Now, we sure wish we could go back in time and convince them to get a Rem-chester hunting rifle instead of hacking up all that vintage hardware.

I see nothing wrong with it if it makes the weapon more useful for him.

Well, see ...

For every intact Chinese SKS with bayonet there seem to be two dozen ... sans bayonet.

There's thousands of already Bubba'd SKSs out there.

For the sake of argument: I've got a low miles '69 SS Camero in mint condition, but this is my commuter car so I'm swapping out the big fat racing slicks for some P185 rain tires and ditching that v8 for a 1.8 L Diesel out of a VW Rabbit!

Why are you all mad at me? It's my car and I'll do what I want with it!

In the end, its just one cheap rifle ... no big deal. Just makes me a bit sad to see another go this way.

-Sam

 

[LeibstandarteAdH]

Isnt it illegal to remove the spike bayonet from the ones that legally came in with them?

 

[Sam1911]

Isnt it illegal to remove the spike bayonet from the ones that legally came in with them?

Ha ha! Wouldn't THAT be a switch?

No. You can pretty much delete the cool parts off of any military gun you own.

Just so long as you don't end up cutting the barrel too short or whatever else that might get you into NFA territory.

-Sam

 

[Seminole]

Do I understand that your relatives still have the Chinese SKS with the folding stock? If so, I might be interested in buying it if they still want to sell it.

Edited to add: Oh, nevermind--upon closer reading I figured it out. That's what I get for playing on the internet too late!

 

[dstorm1911]

Sam1911......... Yugo 59/66 you cannot modify it from its original as issued condition as the only way it could legally be imported was as a Curio/relic so it must remain a C&R in order to preserve its legal status........ think bout all those that are in Tapco stocks, GLs replaced with brakes etc etc if th ATF ever got bored they could have a field day........... and yea it states that the Bayo may only be removed for target shooting and cleaning I believe it was, there are two conditions, one being for range use... someone else can lookup the whole ridicules law and post it.....

 

[kngflp]

Nice looking SKS. By the way were do you shoot rifles in the Memphis area? I haven't had the chance to shoot rifles in quite a while.

 

[Sam1911]

Sam1911......... Yugo 59/66 you cannot modify it from its original as issued condition as the only way it could legally be imported was as a Curio/relic so it must remain a C&R in order to preserve its legal status........ think bout all those that are in Tapco stocks, GLs replaced with brakes etc etc if th ATF ever got bored they could have a field day........... and yea it states that the Bayo may only be removed for target shooting and cleaning I believe it was, there are two conditions, one being for range use... someone else can lookup the whole ridicules law and post it.....

Wow...imagine that. So, for a Norinco, or a Russian, not a problem. Just goes to show how appallingly stupid such gun laws are. Same gun, parts 99% interchangeable, functions the same, even looks nearly identical, but the rules are different.

Just when you thought things couldn't get any "stoopidur."

-Sam