Help identify this side rail....

[raccoonrough]

Hello,
I have been working on a SKS restoration project on the side.  I picked up a 1967 Chinese SKS that has had the barrel cut and the front sight/bayonet lugs removed among other mods. 

The previous owner also installed some sort of side scope mount on the left side of the receiver, but it was missing when I got it.  However, three tapped holes are left on the receiver, and uneven at that.

So, I have been looking for a side rail to install on the left side of the receover in order to cover up the damage.  I was hoping to find something original. 

I have located this rail that was sold to me as a factory installed either for NA or another importer.  I was hoping someone here could identify it for me and let me know some information about it.  I looked in the reference section, but did not see any rail that looks exactly like mine.

Thanks

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[firstchoice]

Hello raccoonrough! Welcome to the board!

Without seeing the receiver/stock that you're speaking of, I would guess you that may have the early Navy Arms Cowboy Companion that used a mid-mounted/mid-receiver, dovetail rail with a fixed scope mount and a Type 86 scope. There's a few pics listed in the Chinese SKS Guide, under Navy Arms C.C.;

http://chinesesks.weebly.com/navy-c-c.html

It doesn't have a pic of the actual rail, but if yours has the 3 tapped holes, it may be that one. Most C.C. rails that I've seen used rivets for installation of the rail, however. Power Surge may have more info and help on this.

I don't recognize the rail that you have pictured. The Type 89 C.C. rail is a shorter rail and used 2 rivets for installation. The Farmer's Friend and the Sharpshooter also had rails that were connected by 2 Phillip's head screws. As many models and options that came through during the late 1980's, it's hard to say whether your rail is, or is not, a Navy Arms rail. Again, Power Surge or someone else may have better info for you.

It will help to post pictures of your rifle, your stock, and the specific areas that you are asking about. Does your stock have the cutout for the scope mount, as shown in the various pics in the Chinese SKS Guide?

Thanks for posting!

firstchoice

[Justin Hell]

Call me nuts, but that rail looks like someone took a section of picatinny rail, ground off the mounting business just to the proper dimensions for a mount to work over.  You could probably do the same if you could get a section without holes drilled, long enough to put holes where your receiver already has them.  Then you could just pick out a mount, and design a base to work with what you already have.

[running-man]

You might also look at the Navy Arms Scopes, Mounts, and Rails page: http://chinesesks.weebly.com/navy-smr.html

The rail you show doesn't look familiar to me at all, the proportions of the rail length vs. the hole size and positioning is just wrong.  Perhaps it started out life on a NA gun, but who's to say.   

I think Justin is right with respect to making the rail fit the gun and not the other way around, otherwise you'll wind up with a receiver that looks like swiss cheese.  Of course that's easier said then done, especially if the original mount was simply match drilled by someone who wasn't terribly precise.  Good luck with the restoration.  May sure to post up some photos of your progress, I hope it turns out well!