SKS barrel question

[jbrooks19]

I am wanting to shorten the barrel on my SKS and was wondering if anyone lne here has done it before? How hard was it? And what can I do for a front sight after I shorten barrel? I want to shorten to try to make it a little lighter and maneuverable. Thanks for any ideas.

 

[K_W]

What country SKS is it? Pics?

They are all already carbines with a very short LOP stock. On my Chinese, there is only about 20 inches of barrel, and only about 1 1/2" can possibly be removed and retain the sights... not worth it. and scopes DO NOT work on SKS's without major modification so you need that sight. (scope mount receiver covers do not hold zero.)

If you shorten it, you may affect how reliably it operates as it is designed with different parts for different length barrels.

At a minimum, you must...

1. un-pin the front sight block
2. measure the barrel diameters with a micrometer to find how short you can go.
3. verify you will be legal length,
4. measure everything again (measure twice cut once)
5. cut
6. square
7. contour the muzzle
8. crown the barrel
9. align the sight block
10. drill the channel for the pin
11. drive the pin in
12. hope...
13. test

If you really need to have a short, light, maneuverable, 7.62x39 rifle... get an AK with folding a stock or AK pistol.... or hire a gunsmith.

No offense, just it's not an easy job.

 

[happyfiero]

i
if you have a vice and basic tool skills
you will have to face and crown as already stated
check out Survivors SKS Boards
bunch of info the subject
check out the aftermarket sight

 

[brute69]

Choate mount, professionally installed, get a red dot and go as short as you like (legally). I have a choate on mine, nc star scope, zeroed about 600 rounds ago and its still there.

 

[newguy]

i
if you have a vice and basic tool skills
you will have to face and crown as already stated
check out Survivors SKS Boards
bunch of info the subject
check out the aftermarket sight

 

[David]

I've done a couple of them, shortening the barrel and remounting the original front sight (minus the bayonet lug) to the shortened barrel. Here's a thread on one of them.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/long_guns/224114-gunsmithing_making_an_sks_paratrooper.html

 

[David]

And here is a Yugo, minus the grenade launcher.

 

[762minigun]

And here is a Yugo, minus the grenade launcher.

That actually looks really good.

 

[38special]

And here is a Yugo, minus the grenade launcher.

I like it. For a long time I thought it would be cool to get a paratrooper. Never thought of just making one.

 

[ModernS30]

I really wish I had never sold my Yugo. What was I thinking?

 

[ILFarmer]

I chopped one of my yugos back to 17".

 

[Indy 1911]

I have seen these at LGS. Yugo I believe. Is 419 a reasonable price? Also do the Yugos accept detachable mags?

 

[David]

I have seen these at LGS. Yugo I believe. Is 419 a reasonable price? Also do the Yugos accept detachable mags?

Six months ago $250 was high, who knows what's reasonable today. They don't take standard AK mags (most of them anyway) but Tapco makes a removeable mag that will work.

 

[ILFarmer]

Detachable mags are fine, just expect to have to fiddle with them a little to get them to fit/feed properly. With a yugo you would be better off practicing and getting proficient with stripper clips. But if you insist, I've found that the TAPCO 20 round duckbill magazines are the least troublesome. If you decide to use a detachable magazine in an sks don't forget about good ol' 922 and the guidelines set forth therein.

 

[Flinttim]

There's a guy over on SKS Boards selling a new front sight that works w/o machining. A lot of guys are cutting them off to make paratrooper guns or sometimes called rancher guns. Just don't cut it off behind the gas tube .LOL. Seems the China guns work best for this. Some of the Euro guns require some playing around with the gas tube vent. Personally I like my SKS as is. But that's coming from a guy who routinely carries a 44" barreled flintlock rifle. LOL.

 

[David]

There's a guy over on SKS Boards selling a new front sight that works w/o machining. A lot of guys are cutting them off to make paratrooper guns or sometimes called rancher guns. Just don't cut it off behind the gas tube .LOL. Seems the China guns work best for this. Some of the Euro guns require some playing around with the gas tube vent. Personally I like my SKS as is. But that's coming from a guy who routinely carries a 44" barreled flintlock rifle. LOL.

If you cut one off behind the gas tube you've got a class 3 rifle, don't get caught without your tax stamp. I have not had any problems with the function of the ones that I have shortened.

 

[Cat-Herder]

You could always do something crazy like this....