Can I add a detachable mag to my SKS if it's 50 years old?

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  • Threeband

    The M1 Does My Talking
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 30, 2006
    25,232
    Carroll County
    My brother used to say, "You can, but you may not."

    Man he could be annoying.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,673
    Also I will admit to unhelpful laziness on not pulling up the relevant ATF stuff, but odds are excellent you may not and still call it a C&R. You could convert it back prior to transferring it as a C&R

    ATF basically says you can only do minor things, like modifying the sights, installing or removing sling swivels.

    Different than original stock (a replacement that matches the original is fine), cutting the barrel or stock down, installing an optics rail, etc. would modifying from its original configuration and make it not C&R

    Now if the modifications were done 50 years ago, it would be fine. Example a sportswriter milsurp that was done right after WWII. It’s a C&R because it was
    Modified 50+ years ago.

    Again, you could return it to its original configuration and then could be transferred as a C&R again.

    After you possess it you can do whatever you want.

    Of course state laws not withstanding which says an SKS not in its original magazine configuration is banned. So in MD you may not modify it with a detachable magazine (or one of the 20 round fixed mags)
     

    Doobie

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 23, 2013
    1,777
    Earth
    If you're worried about the improving the functionality of a 50+ year old marginally effective rifle, what you really should be doing is working some overtime to buy a better rifle ;-)

    Some things just aren't worth the time and cost of "improving". I can put an LS motor in a '72 Audi, but at the end of the day it's still a '72 Audi.

    The rifle is very effective for what it was designed for...the user has to be effective in utilizing it.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,877
    SKS would still be a good choice to equip an untrained illiterate peasant conscript army .
     

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    The rifle is very effective for what it was designed for...the user has to be effective in utilizing it.
    The SKS was designed as a carbine rifle for fighting the west and squashing internal dissent, and it is not nearly as effective in that role as an AK-47. That's why the Soviets dumped it so quickly - it's the M14 of the Soviet weapons development world.

    That's not to say the SKS isn't a fun shooter or an interesting nostalgia trip, but let's be honest with ourselves about its obsolescence. I have a pre-ban SKS-M, and even the addition of AK mags and a semi-decent thumbhole stock doesn't make the platform all that much better.
     

    Hecktor Peabody

    Boris Badinov
    Aug 22, 2018
    84
    Southeastern PA
    The SKS was designed as a carbine rifle for fighting the west and squashing internal dissent, and it is not nearly as effective in that role as an AK-47. That's why the Soviets dumped it so quickly - it's the M14 of the Soviet weapons development world.

    The sks was designed to fight fascists. Though the soviets may have abandoned sks production in 1958, military issue, sks production carried on well into the mid 1980s in China and in Yugoslavia into 1990s.

    If I had to guess, relative ease and higher rates of production (stamped vs milled), and a drastic, post ww2 evolution in force philosophy were the main reasons that the Soviets relegated the SKS for issue to lower echelons in favor of the Ak47.

    For squashing dissent and uprisings amongst unarmed masses, there's a considerable argument to be made that the SKS is more ideally suited for the purpose than the AK.
     

    GuitarmanNick

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 9, 2017
    2,221
    Laurel
    Not sure why some say the SKS is not accurate except that they were made by many countries and some are not as well made as others.

    My Chinese, National Security Forces marked rifle is very well made and more accurate than most mil-surps using irons, even with these old eyes. It is my favorite rifle to shoot.
     

    Straightbolt

    unindicted co-conspirator
    Apr 4, 2015
    2,502
    The 'Burbs
    Agreed.

    However, I doubt any French soldiers were killed by the sks in Vietnam. The french abandoned Vietnam in 1954, didn't they?

    I suppose the Russians were supplying the North Vietnamese Army with munitions before 1954. I would conclude that would have included SKS rifles and even WWII Russian captured German K98k 8mm rifles.
     

    Hecktor Peabody

    Boris Badinov
    Aug 22, 2018
    84
    Southeastern PA
    I suppose the Russians were supplying the North Vietnamese Army with munitions before 1954. I would conclude that would have included SKS rifles and even WWII Russian captured German K98k 8mm rifles.


    China was the main source of aid for NV throughout the 1950's. The Soviets didn't really step in until the US started to get involved.

    The soviets were dumping the sks into eastern bloc countries in the 1950's.
     

    Straightbolt

    unindicted co-conspirator
    Apr 4, 2015
    2,502
    The 'Burbs
    China was the main source of aid for NV throughout the 1950's. The Soviets didn't really step in until the US started to get involved.

    The soviets were dumping the sks into eastern bloc countries in the 1950's.

    I admit I had no idea who all exactly may have been suppling small arms to the North Vietnamese Army in 1954 and back. It's my understanding the Chinese didn't start their own SKS production until 2 years later in 1956.
    Honestly I'm surprised the Russians wouldn't have been more than happy to help give the French a black eye by sliding arms over or under the table to the North Vietnamese.
    Clearly another Hollywood historical mistake in that film.
    To the OP I love my Archangel 35 round SKS mags. They have proven to be 100% reliable and with an easy to hit magazine release lever.
    You can easily add this magazine with no worry of permanently altering it's C&R status, just don't loose the original # matching magazine.
    With some practice you should be able to do quick mag changes.
     
    Last edited:

    Hecktor Peabody

    Boris Badinov
    Aug 22, 2018
    84
    Southeastern PA
    I admit I had no idea who all exactly may have been suppling small arms to the North Vietnamese Army in 1954 and back. It's my understanding the Chinese didn't start their own SKS production until 2 years later in 1956.
    Honestly I'm surprised the Russians wouldn't have been more than happy to help give the French a black eye by sliding arms over or under the table to the North Vietnamese.
    Clearly another Hollywood historical mistake in that film.

    The AK47 rendered the SKS45 virtually obselete before the first one come off the line in 1949. But the soviets weren't able to produce the AK in numbers substantial enough to replace the SKS until the middle to late 1950's.

    If I had to guess, I'd say the soviets were keeping the SKS at home and in the Eastern Bloc until they had 'ironed' out all of the kinks and logistics of mass producing the AK-- around about the time that the M56, Type56, and M59 went into production in Romania, China and Yugoslavia.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,673
    The AK47 rendered the SKS45 virtually obselete before the first one come off the line in 1949. But the soviets weren't able to produce the AK in numbers substantial enough to replace the SKS until the middle to late 1950's.

    If I had to guess, I'd say the soviets were keeping the SKS at home and in the Eastern Bloc until they had 'ironed' out all of the kinks and logistics of mass producing the AK-- around about the time that the M56, Type56, and M59 went into production in Romania, China and Yugoslavia.

    Weren’t the Ruskies producing contract SKS for the Chinese starting in 54? I’d be surprised if they made it to the NV at that point in the war, but maybe some did as a proving ground for them.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,877
    It wasn't just Commies vs Imperialist Running Dogs . There were intramural power struggles between Russia vs China .
     

    cogcon

    COGCON
    MDS Supporter
    If you're worried about the improving the functionality of a 50+ year old marginally effective rifle, what you really should be doing is working some overtime to buy a better rifle ;-)

    Some things just aren't worth the time and cost of "improving". I can put an LS motor in a '72 Audi, but at the end of the day it's still a '72 Audi.

    :thumbsup:Wish there was a quicker way to like a post!
     

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