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sks mag conversion ??
usar1
Member Posts: 405 ✭✭✭
Can you legally convert a sks to accept ak mags?
If so where can i get the kit?
NRA LIFE MEMBER.
If so where can i get the kit?
NRA LIFE MEMBER.
Comments
Be prepared for numberous uninformed responses.
The answer to this question is not so much a legal one as it is a practical one and that is - there is no simple way to convert the SKS to accept the AK mags and there is no kit. This conversion is impractical for all intents and purposes. It requires significant gunsmithing and re-work of the SKS to make it work.
Here is the answer that is correct which was made by a member of this forum. This can be found on "Search".
"As has been previously mentioned, "there is no kit to convert a standard SKS to take AK mags". I have sold SKS's from various countries going back to the mid 1980's. I have been approached at gun shows by countless individuals that had been sent to me by other dealers specifically looking for said kit. Upon my telling them that one does not exist, many of these guys get pissed and think I am messing with them.
Yes there have been SKS's that took AK mags. They were made from the ground up to be just that "an SKS that uses AK mags". The receiver is made differently, the bolt carrier is made differently, the trigger group is made differently, and the stock is made differently. All of these guns were made that way because most any attempts at a conversion will have limited success if any. There was a company in Michigan back in the early 1990's that did conversions on the SKS so that they would take AK mags. The conversion cost over $100 and wasn't always reliable and looked cobbish. Eventually the gov't shut down the operation.
Before the ban of 1989, there were SKS's that took AK mags and had standard stocks, with metal butt plates, bayonets, the whole nine yards. They were stopped from importation in March of 1989 along with the AK's. After the ban they came out with an SKS sporter model that had a thumbhole stock and later a Monte Carlo stock. They too were made from the ground up to use the AK mags. They had 16.5" barrels, no bayonet lug and the non-traditional stocks. Later seeing the popularity of the AK mag "sporter" SKS, the Chinese tried retro-fitting some standard SKS's so that they would take the AK mag. Although they knew what needed to be done, the coversions didn't work well. One of the main problems was that they tried to use a modified original trigger group. The problem was the mags fell out when you fired them. They really needed a different trigger group that had a different latch system so that the mags would stay in. The "made from the ground up" models had this trigger group. The modified ones did not. I personally had to make modifications to mags for customers so that their mags would stay in. Hence defeating the purpose of being able to take "standard" off the shelf AK mags.
Additionally there was a company years ago that made a kit. There advertising said "detachable magazine for your SKS, just like the AK. Problem was it didn't take AK mags, it just allowed you to convert the guns to take a detachable mag of their own design. It was made of plastic. You had to drill holes in your stock to attach the conversion block. They found there was too much play between the stock and the gun, so they redesigned it to attach to the barrel. In that design you were given instructions how far to drill into the chamber area of the barrel. "YES I SAID DRILL INTO THE BARREL Under The Chamber". The instructions were based on the thickness of a "screwed in" barrel. Just one problem, many had the thinner "pinned in" barrel. When they drilled their holes, they either drilled into the chamber itself (barrel destroyed immediately) or so close to the chamber wall that when they fired the weapon, the kit blew out the bottom of the gun because the pressures in the chamber blew there way through the weakened part of the chamber (The holes) and once again ruined the barrel.
Anyway, there is no kit for making an SKS take AK mags. A machinest can accomplish the task with great effort and skill. There isn't much that a truly good machinist can't do along those lines. However, you are talking machining, grinding, welding, redesigning on the receiver, the trigger group, the stock, and the mag release system. Having experienced these attempts at conversion previously, I can honestly say that I personally would not attempt it. Any specific instructions that you may receive should be looked at with a cautious and discerning eye. General instructions aren't going to cut it. You will need detailed drawings, specs relating to your specific series of SKS, Chinese, Russian, Romanian, Yugoslavian, Albanian. If Chinese, you will need specific detailed blue prints with exact measurements for the gun specifying milled trigger guard, screwed in barrel, stamped trigger guard, pinned in barrel. Etc.
Given the fact that even the Chinese themselves couldn't get a retro fit to work, I guess I personally wouln't attempt it. Th factory made models worked reasonably well, but the ones that they tried to do the refit had a number of problems. I personally experienced a few of those problems and got feedback from supplies that had to take them back with various other problems. All said and done, feel free to pursue your course, but it is by far and away, not nearly as easy to do this type of conversion as you may think or as you may have been told by the average "Arm Chair Gunsmith" or "SKS Expert" in the past."
Regards,
Heavyiron
"If I don't see you nomore on this world, I'll meet you on the next one, and don't be late!" - Jimi Hendrix
But there is a pamphlet entitled, "Converting your sKs to take aK maGs" that is often seen in the James Bond book section of gun shows that sells for $12; Don't buy it. The "Conversion" involves welding, filing, grinding, adding & removing metal and fabrication of stuff.
If you decide to attempt something like this; first hold an AK mag up to your SKS mag and note the width and length differences. Any gun nut worth his saltpeter would conclude,"Too much work!", and go get an AK.
It would be legal if you never sold it to someone after you "manufactured" your own version of an SKS, but I think there's a rule about US-made parts.
"Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit" --OVID
If you are going to re-post "MY" original response, you may want to reference who originally posted it.
"LRARMSX"
That way if there are any additional questions, I can address them. Thank you for referring to it however, I would hate to type that all over again. Sometimes I can be long winded (I know), but sometimes you can't really answer a question with just a sentence or two. At least not answer it with any degree of accuracy and clarity. I try to actually answer the questions asked here on this forum, rather than give "off the cuff" advice.
USAR 1,
As previously posted, there unfortunately is no simple kit to accomplish what you are asking about. Yes it can be done, but not by the average Joe, without a machine shop and the right tools and knowledge. Unfortunately many of the advertisements are very misleading and would have you believe that it is a simple matter to do so, it is not. Above and beyond all of that there are also legal matters to consider, but again, that doesn't pertain to the original question. Let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
LRARMSX
NRA LIFE MEMBER.
"Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away." Thoreau
Please accept my apologies.
I did not feel comfortable quoting your alias on the internet without your knowledge because of confidentiality issues, however I will do so in the future if the topic arises again. I would not claim credit for such a knowledgeable response.
Regards,
Heavyiron
"If I don't see you nomore on this world, I'll meet you on the next one, and don't be late!" - Jimi Hendrix