Building an SKS Carbine

[2nd Bat]

The SKS was created in the final months of the war and supposedly some were issued and used in the battle of Berlin. It is a semi automatic rifle that loaded from the top with stripper clips although like an SMLE there was a stubby, angled bpx magazine that stuck out down below. the rifle was quite a bit shorter than an SVT or Garand. It was wide spread in the Korean War and very commonplace in Vietnam especially popular with the VC and second tier or command element troops in the NVA.

I amjust finishing up a long term project for a customer but have been squeazing in some design and build time betwwen these efforts. The SKS will use a version seven gear box and stock and hardware bits from an actual SKS. I need to make the stock slightly wider so I literally band sawed the stock right down the middle and will essentially laminate in the needed width. With the stock split the hollowing out effort is much much easier. The real challenge as is often the case is figuring out how to do the magazines. I hate high cap mags but I am seriously considering cutting down and shortening an M14 high cap and fabricating the angled shape. Upper handguard will be slightly too tall to facilitate the upper gas tube otherwise the demensions should be quite close. I think like an actual SKS the magazine will be fixed and will only hold about 35 rounds.

[shiftysgarand]

Would it be possible to use an M14 midcap? Reloaded by a speedloader like brownien's Kar98?

[2nd Bat]

i am planning to reload with a speed loader. With the bolt action gas gun you have direct access to the mag top but with an AEG the mag locks into the gear box. i am thinking the top of the mag will be open where you normally pour in BBs and I'll have essentially a funnel that feed into the mag. There is a stock bolt in the SKS that could hide it (the access point). If possible I'd love to have it accessed from the top but doubt that will be practical

[knights52]

The SKS was actually created very early in the war, in the form of the SKS41 (7.62x54r). It didn't go into production, it was decided the PTRS was more important. At the end of the war, the SKS we know was issued in small amounts to the soldiers of the BeloRussian front, and was used a small amount in the Battle of Berlin. Just a little bit of insight.

[2nd Bat]

This project has slipped on to the back burner a bit due to other distractions and projects but I did do some additional work on it this past weekend while watching the Seahawks beat the Giants. I cut the high cap magazines down so it would fit in the space of the actual lower magazine and I'm afraid I cut it down too short and hacked into the mechanism. ruined that magazine!!!!!! The concept is sound but my execution was an epic fail. Sadly to complete this the SKS attached lower mag will have to be a bit oversized. i looked at other high cap magazine apparatus I had on hand to see if any of them could be married up to the upper feed system but alas they were ll as big or bigger. The idea of rolling BBs into the high cap mag well through. Top feed system is viable. It remains a bit bizarre however as there is so little room in the high cap mag wll once things have been shortened that you squeaze in 30 rounds then spin the high cap and fill that funnel and then squeaze in another 30 rounds. Onc fully spun the mag should shoot about 50 rounds or o then you put in 30 rounds or so, spin thm into the high cap and squeaze in 30 more, then pin. Frankly kind of a hassle. truthfully 60 rounds should be adequate for the role I intend to use this for. OPFOR weapon for my VC impression. namsofting.

[Mr. Spank]

What if the bolt is like reciprocating? So you can pull back the bolt which would retract the nozzle and open access to the BB feed. If the mock bolt slides over the top of the hop unit and you drill out the top of the hop.

But the bolt can't move when firing, or all the loaded BBs will fountain out.

So what I'm saying is the false bolt can be pulled back to expose a hop with a hole at the top to speed-load BBs in. Release the spring bolt forward to snap in when removing the speedloader.

[2nd Bat]

Interesting thought? I should perhaps revisit this build.

[hardslack]

2ndBat's springer SKS next to the base gun (and a cheap STG44 springer discussed elsewhere) 

[2ndbat2]

Thanks for the posted pictures. I ended up making 3 of the SKS to accomodate requesrs and sold them. I also lenthened the stocks on several of the little STG44s and extended the barrel and gas tube and slipped a modified AK 47 magazine over the little magazine to balance the overall look.

[2ndbat2]

The STGs once modified looked much much better as they were stretched significantly with length added to the barrel and rear stock. I also added weight and enlargened the magazine using donor AK magazine housings. Alas they still dont have much ooomph. I think since they look passable I might list them on EbY as poof poof props. Replica guns that I pour talc and ash down the barrel so when they shoot there is a sortof muzzle response. If you see them listed dont bid on them unless you'd be okay with that. Hooefully they will sell so I can fund other things.