help ID'ing this SKS

[greenmntranger]

Read through the first post and am still confused as to date of manf. and any other info possible. What kind of bayonet, spike or blade?

The gun came with a synthetic after market stock , but all numbers on the metal match

Here are some pictures:

markings on right side of receiver (third digit is an 8)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/703/cvsw.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/jjcvswj)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/811/hqee.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/mjhqeej)

only other numbers are on the bolt

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/819/q4tf.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/mrq4tfj)

The only factory marking is on the back of the rear housing
I can make out the second number as a 6

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/28/7l66.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/0s7l66j)

The rear housing itself is like none I've seen as an OEM part
milled integral scope mount

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/513/muuv.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/e9muuvj)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/534/ylgp.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/euylgpj)

the other "oddity" is the muzzle break/ flash hider

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/31/0wkl.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/0v0wklj)

any info would be greatly appreciated

GMR

[crazy mark]

Looks like it is a standard Norinco china made for exportation. Possibly Front bayonet holder was removed for some one to drill muzzle brake holes. Could use blade or spike bayonet. Cleaning rod is missing. All other parts look normal.

[junkbug]

The rear cover is an aftermarket model, made to take scope rings. The barrel has been cut, and the bayonet/front sight band drilled for vent holes. Originally, the barrel extended through the front sight/bayonet band. You can see a hole where a pin to hold it on used to be. As it is right now, a bayonet would not work, the ring on the bayonet need to have the part of the barrel extending past the front sight to slip over and fix to. Any bayonet screwed on would just flop if unfolded. Later production series like most made commercially would use a spike bayonet, but that rifle is not suited to use one now.

[greenmntranger]

Okay, Im getting the same answer from several boards. Now, the question is, can I remove the bubba brake (how hard would this be? ) , thread and mount a aftermarket muzzle device, and replace the rear cover with an OEM one and then mount a scout scope

[Hardcast416taylor]

Not only is the finish different for the scope mount rear cover from the other pieces look at the "vent holes" on the barrel behind the front sight. The holes were drilled on a drill press or worse yet by hand as they don`t line up as a production done job. What you have is a "Bubba" custom SKS.Robert

[tomme boy]

To take the "break" off, knock out the pin and press the break off.

[leadman]

I bought a new old stock Norinco that was imported during the Clinton ban years as the bayonet lug is cut off. To mount a scope on the original cover I drilled and tapped it, mounted a Weaver base and used the metal duct tape to shim up the base to take the side to side movement out of the rear where the pin goes thru. This allows me to get a proper cheek weld unlike some of the see thru rear covers. A cheap 4X mil-dot scope works good on it and 3" or so 100 yard groups are possible with the Lee 160gr tumble lube boolit made for these guns. These are coated with Hi-Tek coating.
The bore on mine even being new is .3135" so slug yours to see what it is. 2400 for lower velocity loads works good and H4895 for full power work very well.
I had a Yugo SKS and put a Tapco stock on it that had the rail out front. Put a scope on it but it was even more front heavy than before.

[greenmntranger]

Went out to the shop this morning before anyone was up with a coffee and a cigar to do some pondering about this bubba'd barrel

really took a look at it and came to the conclusion that it very possibly DID come from the factory (more likely the importer) like it is and never even had a bayonet.

Reasons why I'm leaning that way seem evident to me ion this photo

First,the end where is is thought to be cut is evenly blued to the rest of the gun (flash might obscure this but it is)

And second, the barrel ends before the front sight assembly (or am I seeing this wrong?)


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/42/fzla.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/16fzlaj)

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

greenmntranger, I'm an old fart now and have seen a lot of the chicom sks's over the years. I was a young man fresh out of the Army and buying rifles when the first of the chicom SKS's started coming into the country and I'm very familiar with them, having owned several and having friends that owned them. We compared and all that back then. Hard to see in your pics, but that rifle looks like it originally was a typical chinese norinco sks of the period. My guess, without seeing all of it, was a commercial model and not a military surplus one, so likely had a spike or cuneiform bayonet. Some answers in red in the quote, based on having owned both military surplus and commercial norinco sks's.


Went out to the shop this morning before anyone was up with a coffee and a cigar to do some pondering about this bubba'd barrel You can tell the barrel has been bubba'd/cut because the end of the muzzle should stick out of the front sight/bayonet lug assembly by about a half an inch.

really took a look at it and came to the conclusion that it very possibly DID come from the factory (more likely the importer) like it is and never even had a bayonet. Because of some idiot government bans and other stupid rules/regulations from the BATF, some of the chicom sks's were imported without the bayonet, some with and some without the bayonet lug machined off and reblued. In those cases, the front sight assembly was always rebued and not left with any machine marks. ALL of the rifles with machined off bayonet lugs I've seen were blued from the factory. That said, none of them came into the country with those ugly looking and off center holes drilled in them. In the case of your rifle, your pictures show your rifle still has the bayonet mounting pin still in the front sight base lug. This indicates your rifle DID have a bayonet when it was imported and it was removed, likely to reduce weight, as they weigh a pound or so.

Reasons why I'm leaning that way seem evident to me ion this photo

First,the end where is is thought to be cut is evenly blued to the rest of the gun (flash might obscure this but it is) The photo also reveals the muzzle is cut straight across. chicom muzzles were not cut straight across. Instead, they were rounded over, with a classical crown cut in them. There are some good cold blues that can duplicate the steel pretty well. Also, it's not that hard to hot blue at home if you're a mind to.

And second, the barrel ends before the front sight assembly (or am I seeing this wrong?) Another indication it was/is cut. The barrel should stick out of the front sight assembly about a half an inch. There is a ring on the chicom bayonets that slips over that half inch of barrel to help lock it into position. With the setup you have there, no bayonet lock up is possible.


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/42/fzla.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/16fzlaj)

If that were my rifle, I would locate a new front sight base with or without a bayonet lug from one of the parts suppliers. I would then have the end of the barrel turned down for the proper amount of the barrel to stick out of the front of the sight. I would also have a proper crown cut on the barrel. Finally, I would locate an original chicom stock, possibly a paratrooper stock if the barrel was short enough and put that rifle back to an original configuration preferably with a bayonet installed and a cleaning rod installed.

But I'm an old fart who's biased and remembers what that rifle looked like back when. It would be cheaper to simply replace the front sight and be done with it. But properly fitting the front sight and having a proper crown done would be mandatory. Cheapest route would be with a front sight and no bayonet lug on it. You could possibly even had the drilled holes welded up and ground down/machined back out and reblued to look correct, but buying a new part is likely less expensive.

I hope my ramblings help you,

[greenmntranger]

Thanks for the reply Dave.

I have one question.

As I understand it, the front sight assembly is press fit and pinned over the barrel with the barrel end protruding past the sight to facilitate the bayonet lock up, right?

If this is the case, wouldnt cutting off the barrel ind flush with the sight assembly result in the barrel being flush with the sight assembly and not set back past the holes?

[Shooter6br]

100937Mine is Clinton era. The government was going to ban semi imports. I put on a peep site Tech Sights..... i changed out the non spring loaded firing pin with a stainless steel spring loaded to prevent chain firing with American primer re loads Use Lee 160 .312 TL bullets Fun! ( stock picture)

[junkbug]

I don't believe the front sight is a press fit. Remove the one pin and it should slide off. If it were mine, I would remove the front sight, cut the rear of it off behind the sight, slip it back on, and figure out where to file a groove for the pin to go that I sib the center of the front sight. That would look good (to me), be functional, and cost almost nothing. Good luck.

[greenmntranger]

So the saga countinues:

Got the sight assembly off with some PB Blaster and some heat

slight step on the barrel to limit sight assembly, barrel end chamfered ( no crown) , and bluing consistent even to the muzzel


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/819/40my.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/mr40myj)

[greenmntranger]

I don't believe the front sight is a press fit. Remove the one pin and it should slide off. If it were mine, I would remove the front sight, cut the rear of it off behind the sight, slip it back on, and figure out where to file a groove for the pin to go that I sib the center of the front sight. That would look good (to me), be functional, and cost almost nothing. Good luck.

Pin or solder, but yeah, seems like the cheapest solution

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Pin or solder, but yeah, seems like the cheapest solution

Looks like there's a pin hole in the sight section of the assembly. If it were mine, I'd re-do the crown, polish up the bare area to remove the corrosion, touch up with quality cold blue or rust blue the end. Then I'd machine off any of the cleaning rod holder off the bottom of the sight section along with the bubba'ed section and the bayonet section. Then I'd rust blue or hot salts blue in a coffee can the front sight after polishing. Google home hot bluing for the needed items.

I'd think about silver solder vs. clamping the barreled action in a vice, making a couple of sight alignment fixtures out of aluminum or wood, then tapping the sight on with a 12 point socket and drilling a pin hole to use the existing pin you have from removing the sight. It would look "right" like that and wouldn't be an expensive fix.

The most positive part about this fix is you both improve looks and reduce weight.

BTW, those chinese made "scope mount" dust/bolt covers like the one you have were never very good scope mounts, because they didn't bother to design them to mount solid and stable to the receiver. I'm not 100% positive, but I think you should be able to find an original cover without a serial number if your google fu is good enough. Shouldn't be expensive.

[junkbug]

You guys got what I was trying to say. I was tired when I wrote that. Silver solder is a good idea, I was even thinking about high temp epoxy.

All in all, a neat project.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

You guys got what I was trying to say. I was tired when I wrote that. Silver solder is a good idea, I was even thinking about high temp epoxy.

All in all, a neat project.

I thought you said it real well and it was a great way to resolve the problem inexpensively.

[greenmntranger]

I thought you said it real well and it was a great way to resolve the problem inexpensively.

Got to agree.

hope to have time this week to move ahead with the project (with pictures)

got to say, I have moved away from trying to specificly ID this model/sample and fix her up

[WILCO]

To take the "break" off, knock out the pin and press the break off.

Thanks Tomme Boy! I learned something today.

[tomme boy]

Know anyone that has a lathe that could fit the barreled action in? I would just turn the barrel back farther so the whole sight will push on further. I think the barrel sticks out of the front sight about 7/16" The main problem will be finding a lathe that will be big enough to pass the action through the tailstock.

Is this the 16" ParaTrooper or the longer barreled rifle?

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Know anyone that has a lathe that could fit the barreled action in? I would just turn the barrel back farther so the whole sight will push on further. I think the barrel sticks out of the front sight about 7/16" The main problem will be finding a lathe that will be big enough to pass the action through the tailstock.

Is this the 16" ParaTrooper or the longer barreled rifle?

This is another real good idea. I took a look around online and apparently that front sight with bayonet lug is no longer to be found very easily any more. I came back here just now to ask you how long the barrel was.

I was able to find a spike bayonet assembly for around 12 dollars on one site using my google fu. I also found original chinese SKS stocks, not sure if for spike or blade bayonet, but I'm reasonably sure a WTB ad would turn one up. If those holds could be plugged in that sight, the barrel turned back, re-crowned, the sight installed and an original stock installed, value of the gun would go up.

[Gtek]

Guess what I found in the SKS drawer on cut off barrel stub? PM if interested

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Guess what I found in the SKS drawer on cut off barrel stub? PM if interested

You might want to jump on this.

[Gtek]

Just an idea- using your sight assy cut off behind sight area, file flat, drive on barrel to step. Sight done, no money and kind of the same. Just no bayo lug which is the way you were heading. Just make sure it is perfectly straight on barrel, due to height of sight it is very critical. Looking at this one I would have no problem drilling .125" in/through original hole and banging in a .125"/1/8" roll pin- Done. Plenty of meat underside to support. Take care, Larry

[9w1911]

this is just my rant, but i cannot understand why people still bubba sks's and no chance some plastic stock that says tacticool will entice me to spend an extra 300.

[greenmntranger]

Just an idea- using your sight assy cut off behind sight area, file flat, drive on barrel to step. Sight done, no money and kind of the same. Just no bayo lug which is the way you were heading. Just make sure it is perfectly straight on barrel, due to height of sight it is very critical. Looking at this one I would have no problem drilling .125" in/through original hole and banging in a .125"/1/8" roll pin- Done. Plenty of meat underside to support. Take care, Larry

Cut the sight off today with the dremel, cleaned it up a file. Looks pretty good, will post picture later

So here is a picture of the sight assembly

Before:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/819/40my.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/mr40myj)



After:


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/850/x6wfc.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/nmx6wfcj)


Not bad for a Dremel and a file

Question:

Would you guys take off the cleaning rod nubs or leave em on?

[Gtek]

Do you have a cleaning rod?

[greenmntranger]

No, and since I've decided to keep it in the Choate stock it came with, I think you just answered it for me. More dremel work tomorrow night it is

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Based on keeping it in the Choate stock, I'd remove the cleaning rod nubs, unless I thought I'd adapt a standard stock to it at sometime in the future. In which case, I'd keep the nubs and save the labor.

[greenmntranger]

Truth be told, this rifle has been bubba'd so much that putting it back to OEM will never hapen, just going to keep it in the Choate stock it was wearing when I got it . In the long run, I would end up spending less $$ buying one that is still in it's original military configuration.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Sounds like nub-less is the way to go then.

[greenmntranger]

So a little more work on resurrecting this war horse.

Took the cleaning rod nubs off:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/841/5n85.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/nd5n85j)

I was going to clean up the screws on the scope mount top cover as they had been buggered pretty bad (yeah, I had one roll into the "void" )

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/841/jz32.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/ndjz32j)

But I decided to replace them with cap screws. Think they look much better

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/843/5n2d.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/nf5n2dj)

[Gtek]

The set screws and jam nuts I believe were for centering the cover and should be two per side. Maybe new set screws with jam nuts. Did you drill into rails? Might side load OP spring assembly and be hard on take down pin, Just wondering.

[greenmntranger]

There were 2 per side, one just happened to roll into the "void" before the picture was taken. Your right about centering the top cover, and side loading the recoil spring. Had to file down the cap screws to match the length of the set screws. and no, I did not drill the rails.

[Gtek]

We see pictures of the tail end, finish front end? And I know you know only back off one side for diss and POI won't change-much- maybe- ok. You got that mutt dirty yet?

[greenmntranger]

Still have some work to do.

Going to try my hand at recrowning it using these instructions:

http://www272.pair.com/stevewag/muzzle/mz.html

I still need to reattach the front sight, and I'm thinking on adding a flash suppressor.

After that, I need to do a camo paint job on the stock

I'll be up dating this thread as I go.

[greenmntranger]

This project will be completed on my workbench with the tools at hand and as I decided to add a flash suppressor to this project and to that end I did not want to have to send out the gun to have the barrel turned down to accomidate the front sight assembly. So I came up with this solution ( probably not original). I opened up the bottom of the assembly with a dremel and file, and then heated it with a torch and fit it to the barrel by tapping it on with a small ball peen hammer

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/842/py5zd.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/nepy5zdj)


Here is the end result. ( the sight has not been permanently attached yet.


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/836/yvya.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/n8yvyaj)

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

You might want to try silver soldering that sight on, rather than pinning it at this point. When you install the flash suppressor, you'll want the sight as far forward as you can get it to give yourself the maximum sight radius.

[greenmntranger]

Thanks Dave, was thinking the same thing.

So I finally got a chance to spend some time at the bench and crowned the barrel the other night.

following the instructions in the above link, I got my crowning tools together:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/834/9ar8c.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/n69ar8cj)

Then with the barrel plugged with a couple patches, I went at it with lapping compound. Just 15 to 20 seconds at a time, stopping to check the progress.

After a couple minutes, this was the result. I know its not perfectly uniform, I might go at it again to try and clean it up a bit more, but overall, Im pretty happy with the outcome.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/841/i2g3.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/ndi2g3j)

[Cobalt60]

For future reference, I use Yooper John's SKS site (http://yooperj.com/SKS.htm) for finding good info.