Midwest Ordnance SKS-D

[Power Surge]

Picked up this Midwest Ordnance SKS-D recently. Been looking for one, but they made them in many different variations depending on customer request, and I really wanted one made in the original SKS-30 configuration.

There was an estimated 200-300 SKS-Ds made by MO. They were converted in house, by their own gunsmith. The conversions are impressively clean and nicely done. And this gun shoots every bit as well as the new production Chinese made SKS-30 that Midwest was trying to copy.

The one that I bought was made from a Chinese letter gun.







MO stamped mag release extension...



The MO mag release...almost looks like they used a sear for this part...



Beautifully made magwell and filler extension....





Here you can see the machined pocket for the AK mag to lock into under the chamber....



Underside view of the mag pocket with the bolt closed....note the drop free bolt as well...

[running-man]

Nice Sal. How awkward is the mag release to use?  I hear complaints when the mag release is the pull-to-release style rather than the push-to-release like an AK.  What are your thoughts?

[carls sks]

very nice, thanks for sharing. 

[Power Surge]

Nice Sal. How awkward is the mag release to use?  I hear complaints when the mag release is the pull-to-release style rather than the push-to-release like an AK.  What are your thoughts?

I just tried some mag drops comparing the MO SKS-D to the Chinese SKS-30.

Pros of the AK style release - you can drop the mag with either hand, and it only requires the one hand to release and pull the mag out.

Cons of the AK style release - it's a very awkward motion pulling an AK mag out of an SKS, and your thumb has to keep the release pulled through the entire motion of rocking the mag forward so it doesn't snag.

Pros of the MO style release - the release is very easily pulled simply by moving your shooting hand forward to that your  thumb is around the front of the trigger guard, and your trigger finger now pulls the release - just like pulling a trigger. It's a much quicker and smoother movement than having to swing your other hand up into position and find the AK release. Now you are free to pull the mag with your other hand and put in a new mag with your other hand while still having the release pulled. I also found I had a much better hold on the gun while changing mags, using my thumb around the trigger guard to hold it, instead of relying on having the butt tucked into my armpit to hold the gun using the AK latch.

Cons of the MO style release - don't really see any....  it does require the use of two hands to release and change the mag, but I feel that's an ADVANTAGE in this scenario.

BUT.... keep in mind that whether new production or rearsenaled production, the SKS wasn't designed for an AK mag and it's still a PITA to pop one in. There is much more of an extreme swing angle to lock the mag in than an AK47, and one of the biggest issues I have found is that it's not easy to get the mag tab into that little machined slot, and the area under the slot acts like a slot as well and sometimes you think the mag is locked but it's really in the lower "fake slot". So you're not doing rapid mag changes either way.

But the MO release feels much easier to change mags, IMO.

[Justin Hell]

What is going on with the gas tube? 

It seems like it has that uniform discoloration commonly seen with receiver covers...I haven't noticed that with gas tubes before.

[Power Surge]

What is going on with the gas tube? 

It seems like it has that uniform discoloration commonly seen with receiver covers...I haven't noticed that with gas tubes before.

It's definitely exaggerated by the camera flash. But....if I shine a flashlight on all my other SKSs, they have it as well to some degree.