The next SKS project.......but,

[xtriggerman]

Well, I pulled the trigger on the first part to a new project. It was a Ebay buy of a Saiga factory 5 rounder 3" .410 magazine. Now that you can get 10, 15 sticks and even a 30 rd drum for the 3" shell, Im liking those options as a donor magazine. After doing a SKS with a VZ58 mag conversion, this .410 conversion would be a good brain teaser. I imagine I will have to open up the receiver nearly all the way back to the locking shoulder and ramp the hell out of the chamber mouth to get it to feed smoothly. Worst case is the mag feed lips may have to be trimmed back a bit but I'll do every thing possible to let the Saiga mags go un-molested. The rest of the conversion should not be too much of a problem.
  I still have to run 220V outlets for my Lathe, Lincoln stick welder and compressor to actualy have all my shop stuff workable and a few over head light fixtures to boot.
  Worst part is the folks I bought this home from were professed tree huggers and I have about 50-60 full size 75 foot or better Pines and Oaks staring down at my 2 story roof line! A looming threat of rafter and body crushing kind for sure. In this case my weapon of choice is a Husky 372XP but sadly missing my ol John Deer 500A backhoe..... God I could kick some saw log ass with that Ol girl and a set of 3/8ths chains. Now with just a saw in my hands its just one big PITA.....
  Well there it is, I have a dream..........!   

[Greatguns]

Sounds intriguing XT, what about just using 2 1/2" so you don't have to open it up so far back? Or do you have a purpose in wanting the 3"?

Ya know it really is too bad we don't live closer together. We would be like Frankenstein and Jekyll were neighbors. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA 

[Loose}{Cannon]

I cannot wait to see this happen!!!

I remember talking to you about this idea and making it a reality is going to be an impressive accomplishment. 

Can you use a saiga or vepr magazine for .410 in a similar fashion to the ak variant SKSs?

[xtriggerman]

Hi GG, yes, it would be fun handing off ideas on the same work bench, that n a cold tall neck of choice! The 410 is such a mediocre shell to begin with in 3" that the 2.5 is not only super limited in loads and availability but quite neutered in power also.
  Back when I was in 10th grade HS, I made a .410 double barreled pistol in metal shop. The shop teacher was pure jock and I just kept assuring him it was only for looks. The dual 9" barrels were made out of basic cold rolled bar stock and as far as specs, I just cut open a shell and drilled it to match the wad on the lathe. I only got a B+ because I never got around to making the wooden grip inserts. But I had it made to fire both barrels at a time with a T bar across the hammer. God knows how it didn't blow up with only brazing for welds. Now that 9 inch barrel was good out to about 10 feet at best as far as perforating cans but any farther it was pretty weak (bee bee's caught inside of a soda can) and that was with the 3" mags.
  Those new revolvers are ridiculously under powered with a short barrel and shotgun pressures. A good dog can about out run the shot coming out of a Judge! 
  I guess yah got me going on that subject..... On the other hand, Iv shot a mess of red squirrels with a good full choke 3" 410 and some clean kills out to 35 yards no problem. The 2.5" is pure disappointment unless you want a rat or snake shooter. Now maybe things have changed for that 2.5" load since I burned some all those decades ago..... maybe, but 3's are everywhere n pretty cheap.
  LC, That's pretty much the idea of the conversion. I sure would not ruin a good M or D SKS for the conversion tho. Iv got about 20 some rotten barreled Yugo receivers to play with so to the purist's all my projects are resurrections of the dead!
 I think its these odd ball wonders that may in the long run pull in a lot more google-ers to the sight.
   You see when admins get goin at it  and they are both still here.....    Life is good!
 

[xtriggerman]

Well, I got the Saiga mag in yesterday and now I'm not so sure about this conversion with this mag. Problem is the first shell in the mag sticks up about 3/8ths higher than the 4th and I tweeked it to take a 5th. So seeing how the shells differ so much in angling out of the mag, I had to see what a Saiga 410 chamber face looked like to handle such an anomaly. And what they did was put the tip of the shell just under the roof of the locking lug extension. This actualy funnels the high or low exiting shell tip into the chamber mouth.

 To make this happen on the SKS, I would have to fabricate a similar chamber hood extending out at least an inch or more and then mill the bottom of the carrier above the bolt head to slip over this chamber hood extension while in battery. It sort of seems doable, but all the extra work is making me think I should just made the barrel up for my DSA RPD receiver and play with that project next. Sorry to disappoint on this one but I still have that big chunk of aluminum that will someday be milled into a AR/FAL style lower for a SKS receiver. That will be XT#3 for sure! "I don't need no stinkin barrel hood" ....... for that one!

[Loose}{Cannon]

Bummer