Rebuild a Russian SKS rifle to .308 Winchester OR....???

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bryan.14

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Could this be done?

I've always thought the SKS rifle's could be a lot more effective at long range if they were chambered in a different caliber.

I was thinking in .308 Winchester or closer to the 7.62x39mm's size the 6.5 Grendel (6.5x38mm).

The Torkarev SVT-40 rifle has a similar design, and handles the pressure 7.62x54r Cartridge. And even the Soviet PTRS-41 looks similar to the Simonov SKS design.

Could the Simonov SKS rifle and the Torkarev SVT-40 be Forged into a .308 Winchester rifle? Or any cartridge with better ballistics than the 7.62X39mm.

I just had a Vision of an SKS Receiver with an SVT 40's barrel and gas system.

With unlimited funds, what would be involved in an SKS rifle Built like this?

(Yes, I know I could just buy an M-14 and SVT-40 rifle already) Looking more at the design, not a purchase.
 
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I think that the issues would be that the magazine and action are too short to accomodate the 2.800" loaded length of the 308.

Bolt faces can be opened, and bore size is not an issue, but you'd likely want to load 0.310" bullets instead of 0.308"

As for 308 pressures, they are higher than 7.62X39 (62K psi vs. 45K psi), but that doesn't mean that "IT'S DANGEROUS!". All guns are overbuilt, and the SKS might well handle that without problems.

Let's get a second opinion from the "CGN Safety Computer":

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SKS receiver is not designed for a long cartridge or high pressures, and the bore slugs out much larger on a SKS than does a rifle cut for .308 cal.

Odds of success = 0%

Odds of failure and injury = 100%
 
The question was not "should I..." It was "could I?"

I doubt that the pressures of the two rounds are much different. A 308 chamber could be cut with a generous throat so pressures would not be too high.

the limiting factor is the stroke length of the bolt. is there enough room to lengthen the magwell enough for the loaded round and be picked up by the bolt?

If the object is something different, with more horsepower, the solution might be to cut an improved chamber, with less taper on the case and the shoulder moved forward 0.1". This would allow more of a slower powder. I did not look in the JGS reamer catalog, but I bet the reamer already exists.
 
If funds are unlimited you sure could pour thousands of dollars to increase the range of a short range rifle. Its made of steel which means you can do a hell of alot with it provided you or the person youre paying has the necessary skills. Ganderite's observation of bolt stroke is a good one, but to expand on it there is little room to extend the back of the mag without some serious snipping in there. Heres an idea: .220 Russian. Parent case is X39 and its a very succesful cartridge in competition.
 
fiddler said:
SKS receiver is not designed for a long cartridge or high pressures, and the bore slugs out much larger on a SKS than does a rifle cut for .308 cal.

Odds of success = 0%

Odds of failure and injury = 100%
Click to expand...

This ^^^^

The receiver on a SKS can't handle the length of the .308 Win cartridge.

Compare the length of the 7.62x39 and 7.62x51 (aka .308 Win) and you'll see what we mean.
 
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