SKS Magazine question

[timyarb]

Heya All.

I just got myself a few of the John Masen 10 rd. SKS magazines and they are a bit hit and miss on the holding the bolt open. I was just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for making that a bit more reliable. I dont think it matters but just in case, It is a Norinco SKS with a ATI Fibreforce stock on it. Any help would be greatly appreciatted. Other than that those mags work flawlessly in the rifle.

 

[mchgnmike]

Out of curiousity, why do you want an aftermarket 10 round magazine? I am guessing it is probably a detachable type but still, why?

My preferrence is for the original hinge type 10 round magazine that was designed for the SKS rifle. It works flawlessly and if you use stripper clips you can reload it much faster than any detachable magazine made for that rifle.

Where I work I have many customers want and feel they need the detachable magazine but I can tell you that you will need to do some adjustments for it to work properly and to also hold open the bolt after the last round fired. The detachable magazine were designed by people wanting to make a buck or two to answer the demand for customers wanting their SKS to accept magazines like an AK-47. The original magazine was designed to work in the harshest extremes.

 

[Ivy Mike]

I saw a company that makes a proprietary 30round mag for the SKS, but have never heard anything about them.

I think a company could do a brisk business if they'd convert SKS's to reliably operate and feed from an AK mag.

 

[timyarb]

10 rounders

Out of curiousity, why do you want an aftermarket 10 round magazine? I am guessing it is probably a detachable type but still, why?

I got them because one of the clubs here has a competition that requires 2 magazines that are loaded with different amounts of rounds. So you have to have them already loaded and they need to be changed. This isnt possible with the internal and stripper clips.

Actually the magazines arent bad at all they feed very reliably. The only issue I have so far is that the bolt isnt held open after last shot. Also a small matter that honestly I can live with. The mags only cost me $12 each so the cost was next to nothing.

I know that people have had mixed results with the detachable mags but so far I have 2- 10rnd mags and a 30rnd (that coincidentally does hold the bolt open every time) that are simple to use and work as reliably as the internal one.

Since I have no intention of taking the rifle through the muck or into hiding holes and whatnot their ability to work reliably under the harshest conditions isnt a factor for me. I have this SKS just for fun shooting at the range and some simple competition shooting.


And not to sound rude or anything but please lets not start the debate about whether or not an SKS is appropriatte for competition shooting, truth is I dont really care I am going to do it anyway.

 

[rbernie]

I think a company could do a brisk business if they'd convert SKS's to reliably operate and feed from an AK mag.

Rifletech/DC Engineering says that they have, but for the price I'm gonna let someone else tell me how well they work before I buy 'em. I posted a thread about two/three weeks ago on this, and at the time nobody came back as ever having tried 'em....

 

[Lennyjoe]

I picked up a 30 rounder that wouldn't hold the bolt open. Used a file and pliers and did some adjustments and it worked fine. Unfortunately the rear tang broke off and the mag is now useless.

On a good note, I ran into a few more mags and plan on working them this weekend.

I'd expect with your mag that your gonna have to do like everyone else and tweak it a bit to work.

 

[GlocksRock]

The only good, reliable detachable mags I have found for my Norinco SKS are the USA brand 30 round mags.

 

[timyarb]

Thanks guys

Thanks for the replies. I keep looking at the mag and it looks like it should be pretty easy to fix it so that it holds open. All I would really need was to make the little plastic bump on the back of the Follower a little bigger and it will hold open. As it is the thing will hold if you catch it just right.

Ahh well I will see if I can find something to make it a little bigger.

Either way I am seriously happy with this rifle it is about the same amount of fun as my Walther g22 to shoot. I actually think I am going to go pick up a Yugo one tonight if they still have them so that I can have one with the original wood stock as well. SKS's are insane because it seems like a little addiction inside of my larger Gun addiction. I love it.