Are magazine fed SKS rifles reliable?

[Starslinger]

I used to have a fixed magazine SKS. It was great and I should not have sold it. I'm thinking about buying another one before they become completely unaffordable. I much prefer traditional stocked rifles over pistol grip rifles, else I'd just buy an AK. So, these magazine fed SKS rifles I sometimes see, are these as reliable as the fixed magazine original SKS rifles? Some of the SKS magazines look strange, and some apparently take regular AK mags. What's the deal?

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[Starslinger]

Me too.

 

[bcp]

Factory model:

D

RECEIVERS ARE NOT STAMPED D

chinesesks.weebly.com

There are probably some conversions out there that could be less or more reliable.

Bruce

 

[Cavedweller]

I'm assuming that by "strange looking" magazines, you mean the duck-bills. They are designed so they can be used just by removing the original magazine without further modification of the gun.

It really depends on the SKS and the magazine. There were many different manufacturers of the SKS, and several different makers of aftermarket magazines. Some work well together and some don't. I have a Russian SKS that functions flawlessly with Tapco duckbill magazines, but a Yugo I bought for my son-in-law did not like them at all. However, his would work fine with a metal duck-bill magazine of unknown manufacture that a friend of his had.

I have no experience with SKSs modified to take AK mags, so can't advise you on that.

 

[ma96782]

Most (if not all) of the manufactured SKS that uses an AK magazine (that I've run across anyway) were Chinese. Either, Model Ds or Model Ms. I actually owned one, a long ways back. It came with a thumb hole stock and no bayonet lug or bayonet. I switched out the stock to a Monte Carlo style stock, soon after I got it. BTW, I didn't shoot it. I figured that it was a "collectable". When I sold it, I got good money for it. Actually, it was more than I remember paying for it's upgrade/replacement (a Romanian AK). Speaking of AKs.....my Chinese Legend AK was also sold for "crazy money". Wink, wink.

I've also heard of SKS gunsmith conversions (using AK mags). But, I've never run across them.

The "duck bill" ones are IMHO....."freaky". But whatever.

Aloha, Mark

PS....overview of the family.

 

[Barfly]

like mentioned above, depends on the rifle and the make of mags. Some work very well together and some don't. I personally haven't ever had any luck with the metal duckbill mags, but have had pretty decent luck with Tapco mags on some of my previous SKS's.

 

[BillM]

Regular SKS with "duckbill" mags are generally problematic.
SKS built for AK mags--Sporter, D and M models--seem to run fine. I've got
an old Sporter model that has run 100% with a wide variety of 30 rd AK
steel mags through several thousand rounds of whatever was cheap ammo.

 

[railrunner33]

I have been using ProMag duckbill mags in my 50"s era Norinco SKS. prefer the twenty round over the thirties and have had no problems at all.
I did modify the bolt so the mags can be removed when the bolt is closed. Only problem I with the duckbill is a carry. They take up more room than an AK mag.

 

[Duneblaster]

There's a bullpup conversion kit that accepts modified duckbill mags. You have to trim off the bill from polymer duckbill mags. Then they'll work like regular AK magazines.

Link to their website:

SKS Archives - CBRPS

cbrps.com

&

Conversion kit that takes 7.62x39 AR magazines:

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