Problems with long rails:
speaking about
magwedge/ kwik/ Kodiak rail and other similar constructions:
pin is better than screw in terms of servicing, but if you'd like to hold zero.... then pin may be not as good?
my friend today has discovered that all such constructions still allow some freedom of movements in the back of the receiver where the pin/ screw goes in.
but even if you use the screw, it is not holding in the hole, it is used with the counter-nut ... so.. both pin and crew for such constructions still allow 0.1-0.3 mm freedom of movement, otherwise you'd not stick it through the hole in the dust cover. Or you have to thread the hole, to make the screw completely functional.. but then again-it is painful to remove every time you wanna clean the rifle.
now, it is individual, but that 0.1-0.3mm play in the back of dust cover may cost you 1-2 MOA at 50-100 m, which doesn't matter for a tactical rifle... but still it matters.... because with time 0.1-0.3mm will become 0.3-0.5mm etc.. 'coz a significant portion of the shot energy ends up exactly at that rear pin/ screw that goes through the dust cover... besides.... when you clean your rifle.. what do you do? yup: pin in-pin out-additional wear and tear.
If you'd really like to construct a good rail, then sure replace the front sights, but then the rear end of the rail must be screwed into the receiver, NOT TO BE HOLD BY PINS/ SCREWS through the dust cover!
How the ideal SKS rail will look like?
I would think the ideal rail would be something like a
hybrid of FRONT of Magwedge rail (front portion of it), and the BACK of the rail below, which screws in into the receiver body (magwedge front part + extended choate/ promag rail rear part):
if to make it available at a reasonable price I would install it on half of my tactical SKSes: cut the front sight, make it really legally short/ shorter... have a long steady rail with red dot/ magnifier and back up sights.... it will always hold zero and it will be easy to field strip, no pins subject to wear/ tear. Sure, it will require some elementary gunsmithing
Such a hybrid rail will bit all rails available: steady, serviceable. it will change a whole game of tacticality of SKS.
What to do now until Magwedge manufacturers the dream hybrid rail?
For now, I do not believe in long rails because of : see above and yes... it has a potential: see above
For now I believe (tested with >2500 rounds and still holding 100% ZERO) only in a steady rail system like this and/ or similar:
