Re-Barreling SKS possible
- Thread starter Teapot
- Start date
I purchased a used remington 700 barrel and sent it to my buddy along with the rifle. As of now he has the barrel pressed and pinned, muzzle threaded 1/2x28, front sight base, gas block and rear sight base all installed. Chamber needs to be reamed and headspace checked as it was shortened slightly to make it fit the SKS receiver. Next, the bolt needs a small ring installed to compensate for the smaller case diameter and a mag housing needs to be built using the original stamped 10 round mag shell. Barrel is sitting at 18.5" long. Project has been going since about Feb and should be done sometime in September. I will have to ask him if he has any pics at all, have not seen any of the work myself as he is quite a ways away from me (around 900km away). His shop consists of a mill/drill lathe combo, mig welder and a 20 ton press.
For safety's sake I will be installing a spring loaded firing pin and test firing from a distance with a string...
For safety's sake I will be installing a spring loaded firing pin and test firing from a distance with a string...
Well, the SKS cost me 100 bucks, the .223 barrel was 100 bucks. Labour will be a few hundred dollars. Will be getting scoped with a Molot side rail mount (70 USD)and a Kalinka 5x scope with bullet drop compensator for the 55 grain load (189 USD). The rifle also wears a Techsights rear sight. Lets say around 800 all done for a scoped 10 round mag fed .223 sks. Should be able to recoup some money selling the stock SKS barrel and bayonet...
DAR 701 I like the way you just thought it up and did it. Your idea went from the realm of idea to reality. Post a picture of the finished product as I will be very interested in seeing it.
Bit concerned about the different preasures from the 7.62 x 39 to the 5.56 x 45. The 7.62 is a lot lower than the 5.56, are you worried about overpreasure in that SKS reciever? I've thought about doing this for a while as well but could never come up with a way to convert the bolt face for the smaller cartridge head, how did you solve this little problem?
Scott
Scott
All of my ideas seem to occur to me at 3am while sitting on the great white throne. I keep paper and a pen in the bathroom now... I had kind of shuffled the idea off to the side until I was cleaning a SKS and noticed that the AR15 magazine fits in the empty mag well and also activates the bolt hold open device. The I realized that the ,223 casehead is only a little bit smaller than the 7.62x39mm one, and that could be changed by putting a small ring in the bolt face and making the extractor reach a little farther in. The ejector should not need any mods to it. It would be much easier to use a threaded barrel, project would most likely be done by now if I had sent a SKS like a Factory 26 or one of the other ones with the threaded barrels. I found it tough to stomache the thought up bubba'ing one of those so I sent a crappy el cheapo SKS.
This is the scope I will use: http://w ww.kalinkaoptics.com/detail.aspx?ID=642
This is the rail mount: http://w ww.kalinkaoptics.com/detail.aspx?ID=177
This is the scope mount: http://w ww.kalinkaoptics.com/detail.aspx?ID=664
Before the inevitable person comes on and states the obvious, that for that amount of money and time I could have bought a Armalite AR180B or a Norinco Type 97A, I do realize this. If this project works I will have a one of a kind rifle and be able to look at it and feel warm and fuzzy about seeing an idea become reality.
This is the scope I will use: http://w ww.kalinkaoptics.com/detail.aspx?ID=642
This is the rail mount: http://w ww.kalinkaoptics.com/detail.aspx?ID=177
This is the scope mount: http://w ww.kalinkaoptics.com/detail.aspx?ID=664
Before the inevitable person comes on and states the obvious, that for that amount of money and time I could have bought a Armalite AR180B or a Norinco Type 97A, I do realize this. If this project works I will have a one of a kind rifle and be able to look at it and feel warm and fuzzy about seeing an idea become reality.
As far as pressures are concerned - the chamber walls are certainly thick enough that containment would not be an issue. Backthrust is determined by the area of the area of the inside of the base of the cartridge case. .223 pressure is higher, but the area is smaller. Could be calculated easily enough, but I suspect that the difference in backthrust between 7.62x39 and .223 would not be significant.
Not worried about the pressure at all. If an AK front trunion designed for the 7.62x39mm can take the pressure of 5.56, SKS will handle it with no problem. For the bolt face, take a small ring, insert in bolt face, MIG, grind a bit, relieve extractor slightly to grab on. The ring of course needs a slot in it for the extractor to grab the case rim.
I will also be remotely test firing the rifle for the first few rounds... if anything goes wrong I shall be about 20 feet away.
There will be lots of pictures when it is done and even some video of the LAR15 mags getting a workout, assuming the rifle will work!
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I asked this question a while back and got a lot of why bother you still have a crappy rifle. Which i dis agree with and if i had the money would do it on a6.5 grendal no need to mod bolt face and closer to the 7.62x39 and the sks mag might still work or use 6.5 A.Rmags this is just an idea i had after reading about the 6.5 G.
The SKS is a fine rifle, and methinks well suited to such a project.
Remember it's action is directly based on a Russian anti tank rifle.
If someone starts doing these conversation I'd consider converting one of my SKS rifles over.
Clobbersauras
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Waaay out west.
I have a factory 16.5 inch 7.62x39 barrel I've been waiting to put n the right rifle...yes I know it would make it restricted but I have an e-mail from a CFC tech saying it's legal to do so. Don't see many 16.5 SKS's in Canuck land
