I just received an SKS-15 Scorpio. Set me back $580 Canadian. It utilizes a 1952 Tula receiver, but has a completely new aluminium chassis. The chassis has a full picatinny rail on the top, and keymod on the sides and bottom of the hand guard. The front sight and the bayonet have been removed, the barrel shortened and threaded with a muzzle brake installed. The mag well is compatible with the 10 round AR-15 pistol magazines and has a quick drop release. The hold open on empty still works.
The rifle kind of filles a weird nich. It is NOT an AR-15, and AR-15 users will hate it. It is also not anything like a traditional SKS, so a lot of SKS users will also hate it. This may be why Kodiak doesn't make them anymore. They must have sold well enough though because most retailers are sold out. In Canada It is by far the lowest cost Non Restricted semi-auto that is compatible with the AR magazine. The next lowest is over twice the price.
I haven't shot it yet, but my first thoughts:
-For an SKS, it has a very nice trigger. Not sure if Kodiak did any work to that, or it is just the fact that it is the first Russian SKS I have used.
-The magazine release works excellent. The release button is not in the best location, but that is a result of the SKS receiver.
-The safety is quite stiff. I have read that this is somewhat typical for older russian SKSs?
-It is fairly heavy, I weighed it in at 9.1 lbs empty. Others claim theirs are lighter, so I don't know what to tell you. It is about 1lbs heavier than my Chinese SKS.
-It is kind of a pain to field strip now. There are 11 hex bolts that have to be removed using three different hex key sizes, one pin that has to be punched out, and to get the dust cover off, you have to punch out a female threaded dowel. Now that I have done it once, I suspect it would add an extra 10 minutes to cleaning the rifle. I am planning to use non corrosive ammo if I don't have quite a bit of time for cleaning after shooting (I stocked up last time Cabela's had it on sale).
Being a older russian SKS, it has the older style firing pin retainer pin which is strange to me (my first time seeing it), and has the spring loaded firing pin. It has what I think you call 'forced matching' numbers. The numbers on the bolt look scratched in rather than stamped.
In order to do this 'upgrade' Kodiak Defence did some significant modifications to the receiver. I'm not sure it could be put back to 'stock' if one wanted to; I don't think the original magazine would work, and I believe the front stock ferrule is removed.
