SKS Scope Mount

LawrenceN

LawrenceN

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Toronto (West end)
I'm admittedly new to the SKS, but having one now, I'm in love. I've haunted the forums for information, and thanks to my fellow CGN'ers, I've gotten a wealth of good info. Given that my eyes aren't what they used to be, I've got glass on all my rifles. My plans were to do the same to the SKS, and so I did my reading on the forums. The general consensus seemed to be that the "no-machine" mounts weren't too highly regarded, and a mount fixed to the frame was the route to go. Being a do-it-yourself kind of guy, I looked at what was out there, and decided to make my own. I went to a local Rona, and picked up the 2" X 2" aluminum angle stock. From what I'd seen, and an examination of the rifle frame, a 4" mount seemed to be the best size. I cut the angle stock to 1-11/16" X 1-5/16" and filed down all the sharp edges. I did the cut-out on the stock with a hacksaw, and wood chisels, and smoothed out the result with a fine file. Next, I clamped the basic mount to the frame with locking pliers. I drilled 3 pilot holes, and then drilled them to a size that would accomodate a #8-32 tap. I'd have preferred #8-36, but I couldn't get the screws locally in the time frame I had to work in. I tapped each one in sequence, and threaded in pan head #8-1/4" stainless steel machine screws. Here's the part where I pat myself on the back. I had to find centre line on the top of the flat to mount the rail. Catch this! I took a fine thread, looped it around the foresight, pulled it taut through the rear sight notch. When it was centered in the notch, I laid it across the flat, and ran my girlfriends lipstick over the thread. When I pulled the thread away, I had a clear centre line. I put the rail on the line, and marked out the holes. Since I didn't have a tap to go with the supplied screws, I used #6-1/4" flat head machine screws. I had to dock them when they came through the mount so they wouldn't touch the top of the receiver. I wanted my mount as close to the bore axis as possible, and though I have to remove it everytime I break down the rifle, I can leave it on while I the clean the barrel and gas tube. Here's the pics. What do you think?
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Looks like some good ingenuity to me. Was it a Norinco? If not I suspect some folks might not like it, but looks like good work to me.
 
dieselkevb said:
Kind of topic here .. but what is the make of that stock ? I think it looks pretty sharp ! Would like to get one for myself !
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Check out the ATI Dragunov style stock for the SKS. I know Marstar is out of stock, but see who else carries them. They are what my best friend described, as a "feel-good"gun. Here's the problem with that particular style of stock, with the cheek piece on, you can't pick up the rear sight without mashing your cheek into the support. When you remove the adjustable cheek piece, you can pick up the rear sight, but it's hard on the face. Also, my buddy and I are both around the 6' tall mark, and the stock just fits. If you're taller, you may consider the recoil pad option to give you the proper length of pull, and if you're shorter, you maybe screwed!
 
LawrenceN,
That mount design is simply elegant and outstanding! Even your solution to aligning the weaver mount is sheer genius.

Did you locktite the screws? Looks like you could use the stripper clips too.

From a purely aesthetic point of view, I'm just wondering if it were possible to just cut a notch relief on the inside of the stock to clear the angle stock.
 
Thank you!

easyrider604 said:
LawrenceN,
That mount design is simply elegant and outstanding! Even your solution to aligning the weaver mount is sheer genius.

Did you locktite the screws? Looks like you could use the stripper clips too.

From a purely aesthetic point of view, I'm just wondering if it were possible to just cut a notch relief on the inside of the stock to clear the angle stock.
Click to expand...

For the nice input. I was kinda puffed with myself for thinking up that way of aligning the mount to centre line. I won't locktite the screws, even with the reversible stuff, since I have to remove the mount to do a full break down. If I have any loosening problems, I'll put lock washers between the screw heads and the mount. Mind you, the stainless steel bites into the aluminum nicely, so I don't think that'll be an issue. I tried to keep from having to cut into the stock, but it just wasn't doable. The stock tapers back to the grip, so it goes from about 3/16" showing at the front of the mount to zero and the back. Factor in the need to have the screw heads clear the cut out, and the only way to make the attachment points invisible behind the stock would have been to use counter sunk flat head screws. They would hold OK, but not as well as pan heads snugging the mount to the frame. Since the mount is only 1/8" aluminum, I didn't want to weaken the grip by counter sinking the screw heads. It was a very fun project.
 
As to the Choate

e123456 said:
My Choate mount sitting higher, but it allows disassembling the rifle without removing the scope mount. Do you have enough space there?
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Frankly, I used the choate pattern as the jumping off point for my design. It's always a "trade-off" when you undertake a project like this, and in my case I had to trade off ease of disassembly with the fact that I'm aligned closer to the bore of the rifle. As I'd mentioned in the original post, I can clean the barrel with a pull-thru from the breech end, and I can remove the gas tube, so field cleaning isn't affected. I only have to remove the mount when I do a full break down. I weighed all the factors, and settled on my design.
 
Well, here's "Part 2" of the scope mounting project. My eyes ain't what they used to be, and I wasn't too happy with the aimpoint (which is for sale cheap on EE by the way). I picked up a nice compact scope from a fellow CGN'er, and decided to go with that. Then I ran into a problem! The scope needed high rings to clear the mount. When I took to out to shoot, I was 9" low at 25 yds. and I couldn't raise the reticle any further. The only solution was to get low rings, and cut down the mount. I didn't want to compromise the fit to frame, so I cut the top back, shortened the mount, and re-mounted the scope with low rings. The pics show how it came out. I found with the compact scope with a short eye relief, I didn't have to worry about a shell deflector, as the ejected casings don't impact the bell of the scope. If anyone wants more info on how the build their own, I'd be more than happy to share what I learned doing this little project.
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You can see what it looked like with the red dot.
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2010 SKS Scope Mount Project

I really like your Scope mount project and it got me thinking. My big concern as the ability to remove the optic for break down and cleaning and putting it back on and holding zero or close to it. Also the ability to use the iron sights with the scope on. Here is what I found after reading several blogs.
It starts with a Weaver Convert-A-Mount system for a shotgun and mounts the same way as Choates mount but the optic comes off quick an easy. I hope the bits and pieces arrive in the next week or so.

Weaver Convert-A Mount
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Here is the working mount.
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Sweet!

As much as I enjoyed the project, had I known that the mount you've shown existed, I may have just bought & installed it. Not that making mine was any big deal, but the one you've shown is a very tidy piece of kit. Good on you!

bjs7293 said:
I really like your Scope mount project and it got me thinking. My big concern as the ability to remove the optic for break down and cleaning and putting it back on and holding zero or close to it. Also the ability to use the iron sights with the scope on. Here is what I found after reading several blogs.
It starts with a Weaver Convert-A-Mount system for a shotgun and mounts the same way as Choates mount but the optic comes off quick an easy. I hope the bits and pieces arrive in the next week or so.

Weaver Convert-A Mount
2f03bbl.jpg


Here is the working mount.
ztb0wz.jpg

2yowbus.jpg
Click to expand...
 
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