? About a possibles SKS purchase

[SJgunguy24]

I got mine configured where I can legally have detachable magazines (lots of aftermarket). If its just plain illegal I am disassembling it now.

If this rifle is in California and marked "SKS" it's illegal, unless it's registered AW. Outside of California where there is no AW laws, perfectlly legit.
The only way a "SKS" type can have a detachable mag is a Yugo 59/66. That would take it out of C&R status and 922r would need to be satisfied.
AFAIK most after market detachable mags don't work 100% and the bolt needs to be pulled to the rear just to load the mag. There is a bolt mod that can be done or you can get the TAPCO after market bolt which has the mods (SKS type D/M) done already.

[Gigan]

Ok an update of sorts, Saw the gun again and it's a Yugo 59/66 NOT Russian. Is this still in violation with the detachable mags? Does it need something to make it compliant? Also if he has 30 round mags , Im guessing he need a bullet button to use those?

[rogdigity]

When I seen him use the 30 rounders the gun had a lot of miss fires. I been hearing that its fairly common when the mags are changed out.

my dad has a 20 rounder in his romanian outta state. thing jams almost every shot with the 20 installed

i had some 10 rounders for a while that felt like they had rhino lining on the outside. they didnt fit into my stock good and i would have had to enlarge the magwell a little to make it work. i didnt want to open up the mag well and i got sick of having to manhandle them to get them out. i also had a couple 37 rounders. they didnt feed very well and i had to fit them to my rifle. i had to file the magazine catch tab down a little and bend the ears in a littl. got rid of them as well. i dont recommend detatchable mags on an SKS but if someone does want them you can make them work.

Hey Fellas, I agree with all your statements regarding the Foolishness,Stupidity of my friends gun practices. I've told him to get that gun legal before I consider buying it from him. That is why I'm asking if he REPLACES the 30 round with the original mag would I be legally safe to buy it. Again I want NOTHING to do with the 30 round mags. Thanks for all your good advice and Im glad we are on the same page with the owners lack of gun law knowledge or disregard of it. I have been trying to educate him on these and other matters.

despite popular arguement, you CAN make your SKS legal with detatchable mags. i know most people here flip out at the thought of it (knowing what it entails). to make it legal you pretty much need to cut off the bayonet lug. if thats really what you want to do then go ahead. i have fired a couple which have been cut and re-stocked with those nice tapco colapsable stocks and tapco mags. they seemed to work pretty good. i do however agree with knucklehead below though. it all depends on hopw much you are willing to pay, how badly they want to get rid of it, and also how stubborn they are in negotiating! i bought my chinese unfired for $300. about 2 weeks later the same dealer had a russian for $400. it didnt sell for quite a long time so he dropped the price a little. i think it got all the way down to $325 before it sold.

i would say offer him $250. thats a bit low, but dont let him know. tell him you checked gunbroker and they go for about $250-350 depending on condition. tell him you saw some with numbers matching bayonets and in brand new/unfired condition for $350. it might work

yes it is just plain illegal to have an SKS converted to detachable mags. that aside, what this poor guy is asking for is advice, not for he and his friend to be flamed. he asked a simple question, with the original 10rd mag in it, is it legal and what's a fair price? in answer to that, yes, it is legal with the original-style fixed, 10rd mag. a fair price is 250-sky's the limit really. if it's a matching Tula or Izhevsk in nice shape, 4-600, but i hate to inflate them too much. i got my 52 for 200 bucks, and a 54 that i gave to my dad for even cheaper, i won't say how much. basically price comes down to this, how bad somebody wants to get rid of it, versus how badly you want to get your grubby little hands on it. usually the balance almost strikes itself. good luck and i hope it works out for ya. SKS's are fun to shoot and collect.

[knucklehead0202]

didn't know that rod, but thanks for the concurrence. i love SKS's but some people have gone a bit crazy with them. i mean, like everything else, when supply starts drying up, they get ridiculous expensive, but it doesn't necessarily mean they're worth it. as it stands though, these are a relative deal when you compare them to AR's and junk like that. SKS's work better and in my opinion, are prettier and outright better guns for a bargain compared to building a stupid, fixed 10 rd plastic piece of crap that fires an inferior round. even with all the bullet button and various accessories i'm confident i can reload my SKS quicker with a stripper clip than any AR. enough ranting though, the choice is simple, buy an SKS, love it, shoot it, enjoy it. a lot!!!!

[Mssr. Eleganté]

Ok an update of sorts, Saw the gun again and it's a Yugo 59/66 NOT Russian. Is this still in violation with the detachable mags?

Since everybody thinks that Yugo M59/66 rifles are SKS's he could get busted for having an "SKS" with detachable magazines, which is an "assault weapon" under California law. If he gets a good lawyer then he has a very good chance of getting off, since the Yugo M59/66 doesn't have "SKS" stamped anywhere on it. He is also is in violation of the Federal 922(r) thing, since he has "manufactured" from imported parts a semi-auto rifle that is banned from importation. But I don't think the Feds have ever busted an individual for such violations of Federal law.

Also if he has 30 round mags , Im guessing he need a bullet button to use those?

The bullet button is a way of creating a fixed magazine. If you use any magazine with more than 10 rounds capacity with a bullet button on a semi-auto centerfire rifle, then you have created an "assault weapon" in California.

[rogdigity]

and outright better guns for a bargain compared to building a stupid, fixed 10 rd plastic piece of crap that fires an inferior round.


i can reload my SKS quicker with a stripper clip than any AR. enough

first; i have done 50 rounds through my ruger mini-14 and 50 rounds through my SKS. 10 round strippers for the SKS vs. 10 round mags for the mini. everyone should know how simple it is to swap mini-14 mags. both times were very similar, but i believe the SKS was faster. i am not a rookie with the SKS stripper clips though. not like they are hard to use anyways... i think in the right hands both could be all too deadly.

as far as inferior rounds though, i respectfully disagree... i think the 5.56 is better suited to most applications then a 308 or 30-06. at the same time, the russians have gone from a 7.62x54, to a 7.62x39, and now to a 5.45, right? and the ballistics are better on the 5.45 and the 5.56 then both of their predicesors, right?

just my opinions though. i actually have my eye on a 5.45 rifle right now. i like the round and i like the price of it too!