Yugo SKS muzzle brake?

[embee]

I've got a newbie question for you guys (and gals)

I have a Yugo SKS with a grenade launcher, and I've read that it's threaded on. If I want to replace the grenade launcher with a muzzle brake, do I need one that threads on, or can I use any SKS muzzle brake?

 

[jefnvk]

Careful what you do. Taking a Yugo rifle out of its original configuration is a no-no, unless you replare enough parts to have less than 10 foreign parts on it.

 

[DMK]

If I want to replace the grenade launcher with a muzzle brake, do I need one that threads on, or can I use any SKS muzzle brake?

It's threaded on and held by a pin. The regular SKS muzzle brakes will not fit.

I'm not sure I agree with taking it off being illegal. It's not a permanant modification and while removing it may affect it's C&R status, just put it back on before transfering it. As far as it being illegal to own, they permanently cut them off when shipping to Cali and that has the ATF's blessing.

 

[standingbear]

heres an interesting thought..what if you can drill some holes through your evil G. launcher?in effect making it the muzzle break?


why couldnt it be cut down and holes added to make it a muzzle break,all one would need is a dremel to shorten it and a good drill and a vise to hold the gun in...this way it could remain on the barrel just that its no longer a grenade launcher but now just a break.

 

[embee]

Re: Legality

I did find this post on http://glocktalk.com/sitemap/topic/332190-1.html, all the way at the bottom:

Posted by: Decguns

The ATF doesn't exactly say it has to be in original configuration to still be C&R, but it is fairly limited:

"Yugoslavian manufactured rifles M59 and M59/66, 7.62 x 39mm caliber, all semiautomatic variations and having a fixed magazine, manufactured from 1947 to 1992"

While adding a folding stock would get you into 922r country, you can modify the rifle slightly and still have it considered a C&R. Removal of the grenade launcher, addition of a scope and a sporter style stock would still fit the description.

Is this guy's interpretation OK? Or is he missing some other vital regulation? Seems to me, just from that post, that the ATF only really seems to care about the fixed magazine..

 

[jefnvk]

The problem is that no one has really gotten two clairifaction that are the same. My letter that came back from the ATF said any modifications at all were not allowed. I specifically asked about a replacement reciever cover that had a scope mount. That wasn't even allowed, according to them, as it took the rifle out of original condition. This being despite the fact that it takes all of two seconds to pop off the scope reciever cover and put the original back on. Others have gotten responses back that say as long as it is not a permenant modification, it is OK. And no one (at least, not when I finally gave up on modding it) can get a straight answer on how the rifles are being sold in California, either.

A good place to look at would be http://www.sksboards.com. They have plenty of links describing exactly what modifications can be made, and what you have to do to remain legal.

 

[DMK]

heres an interesting thought..what if you can drill some holes through your evil G. launcher?in effect making it the muzzle break?

Some of them already come that way. There's two different grenade launchers on the 59/66 models. One with holes and one without. Even with the holes, it's not the most effective brake in the world. I suspect that they are really there to somehow help launch the grenade more effectively.

I guess the real question should be why put a brake on it at all? The x39 round in an SKS doesn't kick much at all and the rifle has hardly any muzzzle rise. That's especially true with the heavier 59/66 model. All you are going to end up doing is making it a lot louder for no real benefit.

I think what would be really cool is if somebody made a knurled thread cover. That way you could unscrew the GL, screw on the thread cover to protect the threads and keep the OAL a little shorter.

 

[embee]

Well, after some thought, and a failed attempt to get the grenade launcher off , I've decided to leave it as-is. I'm not sure why it wouldn't come off, I used a punch to drive out the pin and then used one of those belt wrenches, the damn thing just didn't want to come off. Really, I was just removing it for cosmetic reasons so it's not a problem. Even my tiny wife has no problem firing it with the existing recoil.

Now, instead of starting another thread, I'm just going to ask another of my newbie questions - I've read that somehow, the contact that the receiver/barrel makes with the stock makes it more or less accurate (something to do with harmonics and barrel whip?).. Now I understand that the SKS is nowhere near what anyone would call "accurate", but would a replacement stock that perhaps more snugly fits the rifle make the rifle itself more accurate?

Of course, this is all just to satisfy my curiosity, I don't think sinking all that money into an SKS is wise when I'm trying to save up for my CMP Garand . Once I have my Garand, then I can satisfy my accuracy cravings..

 

[DMK]

I've read that somehow, the contact that the receiver/barrel makes with the stock makes it more or less accurate (something to do with harmonics and barrel whip?).. Now I understand that the SKS is nowhere near what anyone would call "accurate", but would a replacement stock that perhaps more snugly fits the rifle make the rifle itself more accurate?

I put a synthetic stock on an SKS and bedded it. It didn't make any noticable difference in accuracy. Now if the stock was so loose that it shifted when you fired it, then bedding might be worth it, but for most people, accurizing an SKS is an excercise in futility. (I say most because there are a knowledgable few who have put time and effort into fairly major modifications and had very good results, but if you've never accurized any rifle before, the SKS is not the place to start)

Of course, this is all just to satisfy my curiosity, I don't think sinking all that money into an SKS is wise when I'm trying to save up for my CMP Garand . Once I have my Garand, then I can satisfy my accuracy cravings..

Now it is possible and probably much wiser to turn a Garand into a tack driver. Especially if you convert it to .308 and shoot match ammo.

 

[railroader]

http://home.att.net/~detect/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html Yugo muzzle brakes. Mark

 

[RTFM]

Try the bufffer from Buffer Technology fot the recoil.

http://www.buffertech.com/stores/1/SKS_P19C2.cfm

RTFm

 

[embee]

A question about actually getting the GL off - I did manage to drive out the retaining pin, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get the damn thing to unthread. So I have a few more newbie questions:

1) Did the USSR thread in the same direction as we did? Is "lefty loosey righty tighty" an Americanism?

2) What exactly can I use to get this thing off? I even tried one of those rubber-belt wrenches. Is it possible there's just some cosmoline way deep in the threads or something??

3) Which part exactly is the grenade launcher? I noticed that towards the end of the barrel there are actually 2 pins. One is on what I think of as the actual GL - the ridged end piece, and just that. The other pin is further back and is next to what I guess is a locking ring? I've attached a picture, sorry about the quality but I had to hunt one down on the web and blow it up.

Also, when I was trying to get the GL off, I had driven out both pins, and nothing rotated anywhere.

Thanks!

 

[DMK]

It's pin 1 you need to drive out. Put pin #2 back in. The GL is just the cylinderical thing at the muzzle. The rest is the front sight block. In between those you can see the barrel itself.

IIRC, it has a standard thread, counter clockwise to twist off, looking down the muzzle.. It is on there TIGHT. I wrapped a piece of leather around mine and used a big, heavy duty, all steel pipe wrench (the kind that clamps tighter with the more force you use to twist it). Some good penetrating oil (like Kroil or PB Blaster)and resting the rifle muzzle down overnight might not be a waste of your time.

 

[embee]

OK, I'll give that a shot DMK, thanks!