New to sks

[Vciferni]

Just picked up a Chinese sks. I know nothing about to really. Not sure if it’s military or commercial. Just wanted to know anything about it I can. Also what is the bracket or rail on the side of the receiver. Thanks!

[Justin Hell]

Welcome to the Files!

Nice SKS you have there.  What you have is an 11 million series factory /26\...1966.

It looks to have been one converted for the US, but seems to have had some help along the way.
I can't see the whole mount, but those were added for guns meant to reach the US market. This makes it fall into the commercial heading, despite it being made with a surplus gun.  That mount may be one that gained the moniker 'The Rail To Nowhere' as it never had an actual mount manufactured for the base.

Your stock lacks the notch usually cut out around it that would allow the mount to slide on, so if your stock has a mismatched serial number on the butt, or no serial at all...it is a replacement.  Additionally, by 11 million, the blade bayonet had been gone for over a year....and it should be equipped with a spike bayonet.  Check the stock ferrule (where the front of the stock tucks into the barreled receiver) Where the bayonet meets the gun when folded, there is a notch... if it is U shaped, it is for a spike, if it is a pronounced V shape...at some point someone converted it to accept a blade. Your stock appears to be for a blade, and the bayonet seems to not quite be fully closed...so it may have the U shaped ferrule still.

That is a very nice looking gun regardless.  Do all/any of the numbers match? A number of features were changing on the SKS right around the time yours was originally made...so just eyeballing a few things in that regard, its tough to be sure.

[Phosphorus32]

Welcome to The Files! 

Good looking commercial SKS, converted as discussed by JH

It has a Type 89 scope rail with a broken rear clip. More info about them in this sticky topic.

https://sks-files.com/index.php?topic=1882.0

[Matchka]

Welcome aboard! Nice SKS too. Did it come with the buttpad? Commercial import from milsurp parts makes sense.

[Vciferni]

Thanks for the info guys! Yes I came with the buttpad but that was from the guy I got it from. Also all the numbers that I can find match. But couldn’t find anything on the stock. Justin, Here is a picture of the “U” I think you mentioned

[Vciferni]

Also i guess it’s useless to replace the broken rail if there’s no mount for it?

[Boris Badinov]

I may be mistaken, but the rail and tab look to be intact.
No?


If so, youd just need to cut the stock to accommodate a mount. And then find a Type 89 mount for it and a scope.

Ver Nice catch.

Congrats!

[Vciferni]

Pretty sure it’s suppose to be the mount on the bottom of the one picture. The rear of the mount is broken off

[Boris Badinov]

Oh, yeah. The tab is missing.

You can always put a different rail on it. NC star makes a PU replica (rail, mount and scope) that sells for 150-200 iirc.

And Accumounts makes an all metal PU replica that is higher quality. I have one that I have yet to mount. I think the package set me back $250-299.

[carls sks]

hi VC and welcome. good to have you here. good looking sks, have fun with it. 

[Justin Hell]

Thanks for the info guys! Yes I came with the buttpad but that was from the guy I got it from. Also all the numbers that I can find match. But couldn’t find anything on the stock. Justin, Here is a picture of the “U” I think you mentioned

Yep, that's a U shaped ferrule for a spike. Although it does appear your blade goes in farther than they usually do....probably because it does have a blade stock. Often the tip won't clear the surface in a spike stock with a spike ferrule.....something you could easily avoid when shooting calmly...but I would hate to grab it in haste. Luckily the blade stocks are thicker in the forend, so yours seems safe.

Blank blade stocks are pretty hard to find, if you feel like getting it back to it's almost normal state...you likely could get a great price for it, it certainly doesn't hurt that it is a pretty gorgeous stock.  It would be a shame to have to cut into it for the scope mount should you end up getting one.  I actually have a blank stock, with the cutout already...I think it might work with your barrel lug, and the crosspin placement...but it is from a 78-79 that had another notch for an inverted takedown lever. They also changed the barrel lugs slightly so I am not positive it would fit...I would have to check on my 65 which has the same lug as yours.

Before I knew better...I changed a spike to a blade, and cut my own V into a U....it works, but kind of looks tacky the way I did it...and I nearly cut through to the cleaning rod hole.  You could likely do it much better with patience and a file....BUT, if you are feeling industrious, and have access to the tools required....plus a bit of patience.  I also have a bunch of blade ferrules I likely will never need....removing the front sight, the gas block, and the preexisting ferrule will not be a picnic though.  Hence the reason I still have my bubba butchered ferrule on the aforementioned gun.    I bought those ferrules nearly a year ago to replace it....(it was a bulk lot deal) but haven't brought myself to go to the trouble and every combination of expletive in the book, to replace it...yet.
I am pretty good at cussin'.

It kind of would be a faux pas to do so on a gun that hadn't already been altered (with the scope mount)....I kind of walk the tightrope between fastidious purist and mall rat bubba...so others might chime in as to whether it is wrong to alter it further, my opinion is a bit confused.

I think it looks rad just as it is, but if it were mine...it would get in line behind the other for the ferrule replacement, after 'learning' what can go wrong replacing the one I already buggered up...which isn't nearly as nice as yours.

When do you plan on getting another SKS?  They are highly addictive, and breed like rabbits infused with cockroach DNA...fair warning.

[Justin Hell]

BTW...if you do leave her as is....be very careful when closing the blade, or where it makes contact it will end up with a ding and/or chip eventually.

[Vciferni]

If I was gonna do anything I’d like to put the spike or blade that belongs on it. And the correct stock to do so. Because it’s not like this stock is original. And iron sights are cool I am not dead set on putting a scope on it. But I guess the correct stock should have the cut out since the receiver had a rail.

[Direct Connection]

Nice to hear your going to put it back to its original configuration. A blade cut stock won't be hard to find either. Clearview Investments had a bunch of them in the past. Or ebay. IMO id first try to find one with no stamped number on it first.  Nice SkS and Work bench 

[Justin Hell]

I would say for the prices that blades are getting these days, selling that off to fund a spike and a spike stock would probably cover it...or darn close. The sexy blade blank stock would be gravy (aka fundage towards the next one) 

One fun little problem in replacing the stock, will be getting a matching handguard. The colors and tones are all over the place on Chinese stocks. If you can find one as a set, jump on it.  The difficulty in removing the handguard from a factory pinned handguard ferrule often either leaves the person with a broken handguard, or ferrule...or both. If you can find a stock that matches your handguard, that would be the best situation...occasionally photos online are kinda close to reality.  Usually they are not....which is why I have a few spare handguards in a recent trial and error mess trying to match one to a stock.   Also, you have to make sure to get a stock with the crosspin in the correct location. There are a few types out there. The long lugged blade type, the very hard to find short lug blade type, which yours might be...and then for spike stocks, you will find long lug spkes (very rarely) short lug spikes....and pinned barrel spikes.   It takes a pretty keen eye to spot them, and 90% of the time the seller doesn't post  a pic of the area you need to see.  About as frequently the seller is clueless.

So...not to discourage you from restoring it...just be aware there might be some trial and error involved.

Does your action move at all from front to rear inside the stock? It looks as if it isn't fully seated into the stock ferrule, so it makes me wonder if the crosspin is in the wrong spot for the gun.  If the lug and the receiver mate snugly on yours....that stock is one uncommon bird. It would have been a replacement on a 64. Sometime during that year they made the transition to spikes....also sometime in there, they made the change from long lugged barrels to short lug barrels...a blank replacement stock that fits into that niche is difficult to find.  I tried...for a long time before somehow getting a Russian hardwood stock which is long lugged, to fit my short lugged spike to blade conversion.

Most folks refer to the stocks as threaded or pinned, but after much trial and error on my part...I am pretty sure the short lugs are different enough that they are their own beast.

If you plan on going forward, posting a want to buy post might not hurt to avoid the mystery of what you are getting.

[Vciferni]

So based on the fact that it has a blade on it now do you think that it’s oroginal? Or at least suppose to be a blade? It seems like it’s a lot to change from one to the other. Also the action is very snug in the stock. But the upper hand guard has quite a bit of plate side to side.

[Vciferni]

Maybe it was converted to the dull blade and new, blank, blade style stock when it was converted to go into commercial market?

[running-man]

Navy arms likely changed out that stock when they riveted the rail in place. Very odd that they attached the mount so high they didn't need to make the typical cut in the stock, you don't often see that.

That gun started life as a spike bayo in a serialized stock.  Nice little shooter you have there. 

[Justin Hell]

One way to tell if the hands of a previous owner had anything to do with it's current configuration might be to look at the handguard ferrule to see if it has been unpinned and repinned. This would indicate a possible stock replacement by someone other than an expert with proper tools (if there really even is a proper tool)   I don't think I have ever had an easy time or a pretty result trying to remove and change out a handguard. It could be as simple as a previous owner preferring a blade, and changing out almost everything needed to swap that feature in.  Changing out that ferrule is a couple of degrees higher in shadetree gunsmithing than changing a stock, bayonet and even the handguard.

RM:  Being a person who hasn't messed with these scope mounts, I just assumed the relief was for the mount to slide under and over the base from the rear...would one be able to mount it with the stock not cut?

[running-man]

Duh, Justin I didn't even think of that. Yes there needs to be clearance below the rail to slide the mount in.  That gun in that configuration didn't come from NA (with the intention that a mount would fit).