30-round Magazine question

[magneticanomaly]

I have a Romanian SKS, 7.62x39.  It says "1960" on left side of receiver  after what looks like a S/N.  It is my "When things go bump in the night" gun, always goes "BANG" when I want it to.

Came IIRC with 5-round fixed mag, which I replaced with 30-round detachable.  Problem is that I can only detach or replace the mag by holding the bolt back against spring pressure.  Rather inconvenient.

Can this problem be fixed?  Opinions about making an adapter to use cheaper AK-47 mags?

THANKS!

[1mlt]

Yes it can. Search for the "SKS drop free bolt mod".
Marcus

[Phosphorus32]

It would have come with a 10 round fixed mag and the bolt will hold open upon firing the last round when using that original magazine. Your 1960 Romanian is worth the most in this configuration.

Yes, you have to grind metal off of the edges of the bolt (the lips) in order to allow the aftermarket duckbill magazines to be inserted or detached with the bolt closed, as noted by 1mlt.

If you want an SKS that specifically uses AK magazines, then buy one of the commercially converted models that take AK magazines:
https://sks-files.com/index.php?topic=216.0
Most cost close to or just a tad less than a NIB Romanian or Yugoslavian AK, but some cost more, depending on the rarity of the SKS model.

If you really have a desire to modify your current SKS to take magazines that don't have a duckbill, then use the following:
http://www.thesksmagadapter.com/

If you want to modify your current SKS to take AK magazines, that's a whole different level of gunsmithing. My advice in that case would be to just buy a WASR-10. It'll cost far less and function very well with AK magazines.

[Worm]

Buy a WASR. Personally I would never mod an SKS, let alone a Romanian.

[Matchka]

What they said. Get something else for a "bump in the night/go bang" long gun. 

[Justin Hell]

It sounds as if your bolt hold open isn't being affected by your magazine. Some metal magazines didn't have followers that would actuate it. Your simplest solution would be to just get a different magazine...anything currently available should work.   

This is assuming your bolt hold open is functioning properly....if it never was cleaned out of it's cosmoline, years of shooting with a mag that never touched it...could have it a little sticky....it's possible that might be the entire problem. The magazine exerts it's least amount of pressure when empty, if the follower doesn't have enough oomph to push up on the BHO....it would close over the feed lips and make mag changes difficult.  If it were functioning properly, the bolt would stay open on an empty mag, and you would be free to drop the mag. 

I would suggest leaving your Romanian alone, skip the bolt modification... you likely would regret it..or pass it on to someone who would regret you doing it.

You could look around for a new bolt, have it headspaced and do the mod to that....sparing the original from permanent harm.

You can train yourself to leave the gun unmodified, and do mag changes (with the BHO working for you) fairly easily...sure, it's not the smoothest...but it wasn't designed with removable mags in mind, so it's going to be a little wonky regardless. You can manually actuate the BHO with your finger, insert a mag, and while pushing down on the cartridges, pull back on the bolt, let the BHO drop, and carefully slide the bolt over the rounds as you slide your thumb out of the way without chambering a round.

Your truly best bet would be to go back to the fixed ten rounder...and getting proficient with stripper clips. If you need more than ten rounds for your nocturnal bumpage....you likely need a bigger gun anyway.

[Direct Connection]

And don't tell us that its an all numbers matching Romanian with the original sling or we'll all have strokes  ..I agree with all above. Romanians are Keepers these days. And who knows, One day when you pass it down to your kids you might make them all millionaires

[echo1]

What DC said. Don't mess with a Romy, but if you do, I have a bolt already modded. If you continue down that path and need a bolt, PM me. What you're wanting is a waste of time/money on that rifle. PAX

[Matchka]

And don't tell us that its an all numbers matching Romanian with the original sling or we'll all have strokes  ..I agree with all above. Romanians are Keepers these days. And who knows, One day when you pass it down to your kids you might make them all millionaires

Read on a post somewhere something like '401K'? Buy SKS's instead!   

[Direct Connection]

And don't tell us that its an all numbers matching Romanian with the original sling or we'll all have strokes  ..I agree with all above. Romanians are Keepers these days. And who knows, One day when you pass it down to your kids you might make them all millionaires

Read on a post somewhere something like '401K'? Buy SKS's instead!   

Matchka, Everytime I sold one of my SkS's I KICK myself ! : )

[Greasemonkey]

And don't tell us that its an all numbers matching Romanian with the original sling or we'll all have strokes  ..I agree with all above. Romanians are Keepers these days. And who knows, One day when you pass it down to your kids you might make them all millionaires

Read on a post somewhere something like '401K'? Buy SKS's instead!   

Matchka, Everytime I sold one of my SkS's I KICK myself ! : )

Everytime I've sold anything.... I've kicked myself, I mean ever seen a retard bodyslam himself in the back yard.  I absolutely have to hate or despise it now before it hits the chopping block. Crap has gotten too damn expensive to sell or trade off....then have regrets.. just an example..I traded a S&W 1006 off years ago, like a dumbarse..... I regreted it and walked that walk of shame, and decided to find another.... Holy crap, to get one back, it cost me over twice what I paid for my first one back in the late 90's.

Note to self..... Self.. don't sell, trade or pawn off unless you truly hate it or despise it.

Sell plasma, eat Ramen, give up Starbucks, even sell your left testical, drive for that Uber thing, collect beer cans, something....anything... Just don't sell guns..

[Direct Connection]

Dear Lord, When I die, Please don't let my wife sell my guns for what I told her they cost.

[Matchka]

I've got a two column list for my son: 'Sell if you want' and 'Sell if you're kids are starving'.

[firstchoice]

Dear Lord, When I die, Please don't let my wife sell my guns for what I told her they cost.

  DC, so true. SO TRUE!!

  firstchoice

[santaroga]

even with no possibility of a matching mag, i'd flat out trade you for a chinese commercial sks. then get your bolt modded up.

really. there's LOTs of pre bubbad stuff out there.