SKS Improvements and Upgrades

The best thing I ever did with my SKS was to start cleaning it with boiling water and compressed air.
All the conventional cleaning supplies work great for removing copper and carbon fouling. None of them work well for flushing out potassium chloride salt. IIRC, that is the by-product of potassium chlorate priming compound.
Hot water RULES at this, and dries off quickly, especially if you let the metal get hot, and then chase it with compressed air.

Obviously, follow up with an appropriate rust preventative.
 
IMO, 'bore lights' are of little use unless you're checking for obstructions. The light washes out colours and you also cannot see pitting very well. I wouldn't GIVE one to a friend. The Teslong I noted at $76 gives 90* viewing and relatively accurate colours, like to ID 'rust' or Carbon.
 
TwinMustang said:
Good gentlemen of the forum, I am but a humble marksman, used to shooting rifles as they came to me. I have done very little modification or tuning, and have no idea where to even start with my SKS.

I've had a 1954r SKS for quite a while now, and I've put quite a lot of corrosive ammunition through it. I was a dumb kid, and didn't know better. I do now.

First, where should I start with improving performance? Let's say I threw 2000 corrosive surplus rounds through it and the gas piston and barrel are showing the wear and tear, what's the first thing I should do?

I have seen a few posts about improvements made to various parts, including bedding and trigger group. Would polishing the bolt, carrier, and firing pin do anything? Should I start, instead, with re-bedding? Should I bother to keep the crappy old soviet stock, or should I get something else? I would love to put either a scope or better iron sights on. Dual aperture would be my preference, but I'll settle for anything under $75.

I've been out of the shooting and firearm world for almost 10 years, so it's time to dive back in and clear the rust, both from my brain and my skills.

Thanks in Advance!
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Nyet.jpg
 
TwinMustang said:
Well, I'm not going to do that. That's also pretty reductionist, since I know there are threads here about sub-4" SKS rifles at 100m It can be done, but I don't know where to start. If you're not going to add to the discussion, I'm going to suggest that maybe you're not in the right thread.

Thanks!
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Nah, its amusing to watch people pour money into a POS only to discover they end up with an expensive POS and then voiciferously defend those bad choices from all the more rational people who point out that you can't polish a turd. 🤷‍♂️
 
I Dont Care About You said:
Nah, its amusing to watch people pour money into a POS only to discover they end up with an expensive POS and then voiciferously defend those bad choices from all the more rational people who point out that you can't polish a turd. 🤷‍♂️
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Here's the thing:
I want to have fun messing with the SKS. I don't especially care if it's a POS. Let people enjoy things. Actually, I would appreciate if you took your negativity somewhere else. I didn't ask your opinion on whether or not to upgrade, I asked for input on /what/ to upgrade. If you don't have something to add to THAT response, then please keep your opinions to yourself. There are plenty of other threads around for condescending.
 
TwinMustang said:
Cool story bruh. Do you have anything to add to the conversation or are you just here to rain on my parade? If you aren't going to be constructive, I would ask that you go elsewhere with your opinions.
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What would you like me to tell you? Since that's all you'll listen to without throwing a hissy fit. The Dutch uncle in me would tell you to wash the sand out of your v agina and get over yourself, but you're not going to want to hear that. Am I right?
 
Painkillers said:
What would you like me to tell you? Since that's all you'll listen to without throwing a hissy fit. The Dutch uncle in me would tell you to wash the sand out of your v agina and get over yourself, but you're not going to want to hear that. Am I right?
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I honestly don't give a flying f what you have to say.

Perhaps your education was lacking in the reading comprehension aspect. Allow me to clarify:
I don't care whether you think I /should/ modify my SKS. I asked what modification to start with. I'll simplify it for you: "If you ain't got nothing nice to say, don't say nothin at all" - Thumper


You're welcome to be constructive and add to the conversation! But life is too short to listen to crotchety buggers who want to ruin everyone else's fun.
 
TwinMustang said:
I honestly don't give a flying f what you have to say.

Perhaps your education was lacking in the reading comprehension aspect. Allow me to clarify:
I don't care whether you think I /should/ modify my SKS. I asked what modification to start with. I'll simplify it for you: "If you ain't got nothing nice to say, don't say nothin at all" - Thumper


You're welcome to be constructive and add to the conversation! But life is too short to listen to crotchety buggers who want to ruin everyone else's fun.
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Telling you the carbine is fine as is, is crotchety? :p Flip your pad around, you have the adhesive upside down.
 
The SKS is more effective than most give it credit for. I've been messing around with one recently, came in an ATI stock (terrible plastic pos) and with a Kodiak SKS-101 rail. With ####ty chicom corrosive surplus, it shoots 3-4 moa 5rnd groups. I even stretched it out to 625 yds on a 2/3 IPSC and managed to hit on my 5th round. A bit surprising, to be honest. With an Eotech and 6x magnifier, hits on 12" plates out to 400 are easy. You need to run detachable mags (like the Tapco 5/30s) with the top rail so I added an AK-style mag release so you can do easy mag changes like with an AK or Type-81. I'm going to drop it in one of those Hush Holsters stocks with a folding picatinny stock. I 3D printed a gas tube cover that has a pic rail on top and mlok slots on the side so I could mount a weapon light on the right, pressure switch up top and a qd sling socket on the left. I'm debating getting the barrel chopped, bayo pivot removed, front sight pushed back and barrel threaded (so I can install an A2 flash hider). Given that it's pretty much what we have for a semi and that with some work it can be quite effective even using the cheapest, ####tiest ammo there is, I've kinda become a fan. I got some dies, soft point .310 bullets and powder from a buddy, gonna order some brass and see how it shoots with handloads.
 
rugbydave said:
The SKS is more effective than most give it credit for. I've been messing around with one recently, came in an ATI stock (terrible plastic pos) and with a Kodiak SKS-101 rail. With ####ty chicom corrosive surplus, it shoots 3-4 moa 5rnd groups. I even stretched it out to 625 yds on a 2/3 IPSC and managed to hit on my 5th round. A bit surprising, to be honest. With an Eotech and 6x magnifier, hits on 12" plates out to 400 are easy. You need to run detachable mags (like the Tapco 5/30s) with the top rail so I added an AK-style mag release so you can do easy mag changes like with an AK or Type-81. I'm going to drop it in one of those Hush Holsters stocks with a folding picatinny stock. I 3D printed a gas tube cover that has a pic rail on top and mlok slots on the side so I could mount a weapon light on the right, pressure switch up top and a qd sling socket on the left. I'm debating getting the barrel chopped, bayo pivot removed, front sight pushed back and barrel threaded (so I can install an A2 flash hider). Given that it's pretty much what we have for a semi and that with some work it can be quite effective even using the cheapest, ####tiest ammo there is, I've kinda become a fan. I got some dies, soft point .310 bullets and powder from a buddy, gonna order some brass and see how it shoots with handloads.
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I would be very interested in your success with reloading and generally competing with this rifle. I won't be adding any AK style anything for a good long while, but I'm very curious to see the outcome of yours! What I might do is try to find a Kodiak rail.
 
TwinMustang said:
I would be very interested in your success with reloading and generally competing with this rifle. I won't be adding any AK style anything for a good long while, but I'm very curious to see the outcome of yours! What I might do is try to find a Kodiak rail.
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I don't really plan on competing with this rifle, although I may setup a course of fire specifically for SKS at the next match I run, I'll just have to get some bigger targets, haha.

As to the AK mag release, to me it just made sense. If you install a Kodiak or Magwedge rail you need to use detachable mags. If you stick with the factory mag release, you either need 2 hands to swap out mags or you need the mags that have a built in release paddle. Considering the AK mag release was <$100 and the mags with paddles are about $15 more a piece than those without, it just kinda made sense. Plus it's easy to revert to factory if I ever want to.

I'm also curious to see how it does with reloads. I honestly think 3-4 moa is about all that surplus chicom ammo is good for.
 
TwinMustang said:
I asked for input on /what/ to upgrade. If you don't have something to add to THAT response, then please keep your opinions to yourself.
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My response is to leave the fricken thing alone. 🤷‍♂️ Spending money on a POS is a waste of money and won't make the POS any better.

You asked for an opinion but you don't seem to like that opinion? Also, maybe consider my board name ...... 🤷‍♂️
 
rugbydave said:
I don't really plan on competing with this rifle, although I may setup a course of fire specifically for SKS at the next match I run, I'll just have to get some bigger targets, haha.

As to the AK mag release, to me it just made sense. If you install a Kodiak or Magwedge rail you need to use detachable mags. If you stick with the factory mag release, you either need 2 hands to swap out mags or you need the mags that have a built in release paddle. Considering the AK mag release was <$100 and the mags with paddles are about $15 more a piece than those without, it just kinda made sense. Plus it's easy to revert to factory if I ever want to.

I'm also curious to see how it does with reloads. I honestly think 3-4 moa is about all that surplus chicom ammo is good for.
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I'm sure I'll be fine with manually loading the stock magazine. I'm not too worried about fast reloads. Unless I can get some seriously good accuracy, I doubt I'll use it for anything competitive, but I would like to get it to a point where I /could/ if I chose to.
 
rugbydave said:
I don't really plan on competing with this rifle, although I may setup a course of fire specifically for SKS at the next match I run, I'll just have to get some bigger targets, haha.

As to the AK mag release, to me it just made sense. If you install a Kodiak or Magwedge rail you need to use detachable mags. If you stick with the factory mag release, you either need 2 hands to swap out mags or you need the mags that have a built in release paddle. Considering the AK mag release was <$100 and the mags with paddles are about $15 more a piece than those without, it just kinda made sense. Plus it's easy to revert to factory if I ever want to.

I'm also curious to see how it does with reloads. I honestly think 3-4 moa is about all that surplus chicom ammo is good for.
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On the SKS which has that nice trigger, I mentioned that before, it also has the AK mag release, it is nice, the only problem is that you have to modify the magazines too, I go it with 8 magazines, all of them have the tip of the pointy catch filed off. Otherwise it won't lock. Just so you know. I am not complaining, bought it dirt cheap and it shoots soooo nice, also has the bolt on close mod - that trigger is amazing. Will post some pics when I get to it.
 
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