Ridiculous Custom SKS Project

[wschoate3]

I have a yugo sks at home with some messed up bluing I need to fix and a crappy stock I had to float in bondo and reshape just to make shootable. It actually turned out pretty nice once I painted it, but I digress. I got it from Big 5 a while back, before I knew where to go to get a decent deal on one.
I have rifles. Reasonable, purposeful, useful, attractive rifles. I have enough of them. Thing is, I don't really like too many conventional SKS accessories, and I've got some really goofy ideas on what I want. Carbines are nice, but what I'd really like is a long-barreled (26" or more?) autoloading rifle chambered in the 7.62x39 cartridge that has a fixed magazine and an AR-style buttstock and grip, or maybe something that looks more like a PSG-1 if I get really audacious. I realize that the stock issue can be taken care of with a Tapco stock for the time being. I can handle getting it 922r compliant, that's easy enough. The trick is the barrel. I know there are .30 cal barrel blanks available, and what I want to know is:
1) After being chambered for 7.62x39, can the aforementioned barrels have gas ports drilled in them for use with surplus 7.62x39 ammunition?
2) Can the gas block from the existing yugo barrel--which seems to in good shape--be pressed off and reused, or would a new one need to be fabricated?
3) would it be possible to take the barrel from an old infantry-length Mosin Nagant barrel for this?
I saw a guy's AK build on here at some point, one that was set up as a straight pull single action with a long barrel, and I thought it was neat. I'd had an idea like that before, but dismissed it. Now I figure, why not?
I'd have to hire a gunsmith, but i still want to do this. Thoughts?

[Brendan Sullivan]

I don't have much helpful to say. This looks like a ridiculous and great project, if you have the funds, determination, and cajones to pull it off.

I do know from reading some Tabuk build logs that tapping your own gas port hole is possible and do-able, so no reason the same couldn't be true for an SKS. I know nothing about the lockup of the SKS bolt, but if it uses lugs mated to a trunnion or the receiver rather than inside the chamber, an appropriately-bored barrel from another arm could always be adapted. There are aftermarket AK barrels, and blanks you could ream to x39 dimensions.

[jlmurphy]

I have used a surplus Lewis machine gun barrel for an SKS project, that was before Shilen made .310" barrels, which I have also used. Yes the gas blocks can be reused. Drilling the gas port is no big deal, with a little bit of planning, you can make sure it ends up in the groove. I spent a great deal of time trying to make a really accurate SKS, and have two that will consistently place five shots into 1" to 1 1/4" all day. What I did find is that the 7.62x39 mm, while related to the 6 mm PPC by case history, is not a particularly accurate cartridge. Combined with the fact that the bolt locks at the back of the receiver, making the whole action flex, means the SKS will never beat the AR series for accuracy or the M1A for long range.

[wschoate3]

wow, I haven't been free to check in in a while, but thanks for the information. I think I'll actually do this now, and combine it with an SGWorks bullpup stock if/when they become available.