I have had an SKS for a while and have been looking around for a paratrooper because I thought I would like a shorter barrel, but after thinking about it I decided to make one myself. This is what step one looks like.
I cut about 4" off the barrel, the finished length will be a little over 16". I cut the bayonette lug off of the front sight and cleaned it up, it will go back on the barrel.
I recrowned the barrel and turned it down so the front sight can be pressed back on.
Before starting on this I watched a couple Utube videos of people stripping the barrels of these guns with just a hammer and a brass punch. I don't have that kind of luck, I have a twelve ton press and I had to push on the sight and gas block HARD to get them to come off and I was not sure I was going to get the rear sight off without destroying it. I definately have some refinishing work to do on the barrel. I turned the barrel down so that the front sight would have to be pressed on as I didn't want to mess with drilling it for a pin. I got it most of the way with a hammer and block, flush with the barrel crown, and finished it up with a bushing I turned out on my lathe, and the press.
This is it for now.
I kinda like it, the butt pad adds some length to the back where it is needed, and I like the shorter barrel.
I am considering modifying it to accept AK magazines next. I have other rifles that do so it would be handy if this one did too. The thing about the mag mod is that once you start on it there is no going back as it requires machining to the receiver and trigger housing, we'll see. I also found a nasty crack in the stock, so I may be making a new one of those too, that may end up being what prompts me into the mag mod.
I cut about 4" off the barrel, the finished length will be a little over 16". I cut the bayonette lug off of the front sight and cleaned it up, it will go back on the barrel.
I recrowned the barrel and turned it down so the front sight can be pressed back on.
Before starting on this I watched a couple Utube videos of people stripping the barrels of these guns with just a hammer and a brass punch. I don't have that kind of luck, I have a twelve ton press and I had to push on the sight and gas block HARD to get them to come off and I was not sure I was going to get the rear sight off without destroying it. I definately have some refinishing work to do on the barrel. I turned the barrel down so that the front sight would have to be pressed on as I didn't want to mess with drilling it for a pin. I got it most of the way with a hammer and block, flush with the barrel crown, and finished it up with a bushing I turned out on my lathe, and the press.
This is it for now.
I kinda like it, the butt pad adds some length to the back where it is needed, and I like the shorter barrel.
I am considering modifying it to accept AK magazines next. I have other rifles that do so it would be handy if this one did too. The thing about the mag mod is that once you start on it there is no going back as it requires machining to the receiver and trigger housing, we'll see. I also found a nasty crack in the stock, so I may be making a new one of those too, that may end up being what prompts me into the mag mod.
