I've read that it can take AK-47 magazines...is this true? How is the magazine set up on the SKS? is it detachable? Thank you!
For the most part, no they won't. The majority of the SKS have a fixed mag that loads via stripper clips. Im sure our eastern block experts will know for sure, but I recall seeing ones that would take AK mags years ago. I think Norinco had a model that would take them. Not very common IMO. This was back before the clintonista ban though. You have me curious now, gonna take a gander at gunbroker just for fun.
I saw one yesterday at a gun show that was setup to take AK mags for ~$600, i think it was a Norinco. There were several SKS's there, the cheapest was $375. Most were selling in the $500 range.
The D and the M models were set up to take AK mags. To convert one to AK mags is a fairly difficult and expensive proposition. The D and M models do bring a premium. $600 is about right. For my money, I would rather just hava an AK. The SKS is a good platform and works very well with the factory 10 rd mag. It is fast to reload (with some practice) with stripper clips.
Take a look at the Saiga rifles. They're still legal in Cali, so I'd imagine that you guys can get them too. For all intents and purposes, they're an AK. They just have rifle style stocks which helps them slip through the legal BS. Off topic, but while looking at Izhmash's website, I stumbled across this, which is a TIGR-9: Apparently, it's chambered in 9.3x64 mm. Izhmash claims a muzzle energy of almost 6000 J on the 9.3x64 mm
$600?!? wow, things really went up recently!!! Just a few months ago, I saw a few of the norinco ak mag models for $400 to $450. The most rare of these already rare sks models also has a cut-out in the bolt to take a stripper clip, by the way (in case you want to buy to collect and not shoot). I guess they were early models, before the ak-version was fully developed? Personally, I'd prefer a regular sks over the ak sks, since the ak version doesn't have a last round bolt hold open. I can reload with a stripper clip pretty fast, they are smaller and easier to carry than a magazine, and the bolt hold open lets me know when i run out of ammo quicker than pulling a dead trigger... If you don't have last round bolt hold open, you can always load a tracer round as your second to last or last round, but tracers aren't cheap... anyway, a regular sks is a nice way to go. get one. you'll love it. look for a paratrooper version if you want a smaller one. They have a shorter barrel.
I know it can be done, but take some modifications to your SKS, I picked up a book at the Gun show just a couple of weeks ago. But once you go that way, you will not be able to get back to original state the gun was in, plus I heard, and through experience so far, keeping the original 10rd in the gun is better, plus with some pratice you will re-load the gun just as fast with stripper clips. I found the sks clips are not as reliable as I like, also if you go that route Tapco makes the best clips I heard, I have Tapco 5rd'rs I have yet to use. (I want to try hunting with them for fun), I have bought Blue steel and Poly 30rd'rs from Pro mag and another company, they stove pipe or jam way too much for me to use and enjoy at the range. So I put my fix'd back in. I tried a see through scope mount on the gun... found out I'm more on the money without the scope even at 100yrds ... so at the moment, I'm back in original form sks yugo. I have buffer pads coming soon. (which I see if that makes a difference in anything) Recoil is not bad without them but I want to see if that helps with the 4x scope. But so far I've been finding that your best bet is to leave it alone. Maybe I'm just using the wrong parts. who know. Still a noob at SKS's and most guns. Your friendly neiborhood - Kix
Im appreciating everyone's input, but if the 10 rd box is fixed...how do people make them take clips? And can you make it go back to just the 10 rd box?
you take out the trigger assembly and then the fixed mag just pops right out. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPQYBn98HNE&feature=related[/ame]
I tried to put in a Tapco 20 round mag in my unaltered Yugo, and it just never worked right. Plus it was a pain in the you know what to even insert the mag. I was much faster with the 10 round fixed and stripper clips.
