Advanced Soviet Tactical Entry Carbine

[Desertscout]

I guess everything has to be named something so this is what we named our newest brainchild.

The A.S.T.E.C. is an SKS with features added to make it an affordable, viable alternative to the M-4 with considerably more energy than the .223.

* We have shortened the barrel to 16.5" for lighter weight and fast-handling in close-quarters.

* We have moved the bolt handle to left side for speed, ease of operation and easy loading and malfunction clearing. This is where it should have been to start with.

* Includes an American-made 20-round, detachable magazine which adds 3 parts towards 18 USC 922(r) compliancy.

* Accepts any detachable magazine WITHOUT having to open bolt which unmodified SKS's will not do.

* Rugged Tech Sights added for faster acquisition. Greatly improves accuracy by adding 11" to the sight radius.

* Collapsible, folding or Dragunov stock.

* American-made gas piston and operating rod added to complete 18 USC 922(r) compliancy.

Flash Suppressor, Parkerizing and night sights also available for additional charge.

This is a dynamite little carbine! We've been working on them for a few weeks trying to figure out exactly what we wanted to offer and we started building them about 3 weeks ago. We took a couple of them to a gun show last week and got orders for 7 of them the first day.
If all goes well, we're going to put a couple of them through the paces at Front Sight on 2,3,4,5 March. I'm REALLY anxious to see if they perform as well I think they will.

These pics are not too good but you can kind of get the idea.

Complete gun with collapsible stock and flash suppressor.


Left side of receiver showing bolt handle and Tech Sights.


A view of the top of the receiver


Closer view of bolt handle


SKS with shortened barrel and modified bolt.


2 20-round magazines clamped together. Limited usefulness but the "cool" factor sells a few of them.

 

[Heavy Metal Hero]

So basically it is an SKS with a bunch of Tapco goods on it?

 

[I LIKE IT!]

FUGLY

 

[Desertscout]

If you disregard the shortened barrel, modified bolt and Tech Sights, yes.
And it wasn't made with looks in mind.

 

[I LIKE IT!]

Both FUGLY

 

[Heavy Metal Hero]

So you trimmed the barrel down 4" and put the bolt handle on the left side?

I am not trying to nerf your thread I am just getting the facts.

 

[Desertscout]

So you trimmed the barrel down 4" and put the bolt handle on the left side?

I am not trying to nerf your thread I am just getting the facts.

As noted in the post, the bolt handle was moved to the left side and the bolt itself was modified to allow detachable mags to be inserted/removed with bot closed.
I don't think everything that is included in shortening the barrel can hardly be called trimming but, yeah. I'm sure we are not the first to this by any means and anyone that has actually done it knows what is involved.

I'm not worried about "nerfing" the thread. It seems that there is pretty much always a couple ....
It won't affect sales any.

 

[rbernie]

Interesting project.

We have moved the bolt handle to left side for speed, ease of operation and easy loading and malfunction clearing. This is where it should have been to start with.

Can you please describe why this is considered an advantage? I've little experience with left-side charging handles, but what little I've used 'em didn't endear me to them.

 

[Desertscout]

The bolt handle on the left allows right-handers to charge the gun, clear malfuntions and top off the mag quite a bit easier and faster without changing your firing grip. I'm sure everyone doesn't like it or don't realize the advantages but FN's, HK's a bunch of others already have their charging handles on the left and we always firgured that the SKS and AK should be too. We'll have modified AK's out in late March.

 

[Bopleo]

LAME

 

[Kor]

I now have some questions:

- How much will these cost? I tried to find info on your website, but no joy...

- Which SKS's are you using to build these? I'm guessing Yugo M59/66 as the base rifle...

- Will the bolt still hold open on an empty 20-rd US magazine? And, if so, can you leave the magazine in and load with stripper clips as on the original SKS design?

 

[Desertscout]

- How much will these cost? I tried to find info on your website, but no joy...

- Which SKS's are you using to build these? I'm guessing Yugo M59/66 as the base rifle...

- Will the bolt still hold open on an empty 20-rd US magazine? And, if so, can you leave the magazine in and load with stripper clips as on the original SKS design?

The complete rifle is $595. I'll get the info on the website sometime next week.
We can do it to any SKS and so far have done 5 Yugos and 4 Chinese. Sometimes the Yugos require additional mods to the gas system to get reliable cycling. The Choate Dragunov stock model is a little cheaper because 922(r) compliancy is not an issue so those parts are left out unless requested.

Yes, the bolt locks back as normal on any mag that will engage the stop and yes, you can still load with stripper clips if you want.

 

[blackhawk2000]

I liked the handle where it was, but then I shoot rifles lefty Just curious, but can you keep the handle on the right side?

 

[pipboy]

how is this not a cheaper ak alternative? more over its not even cheaper than an ak or an ar!

 

[Desertscout]

I liked the handle where it was, but then I shoot rifles lefty Just curious, but can you keep the handle on the right side?

Sure, you can leave it on the right and it knocks about 50 bucks off the price.

 

[rustymaggot]

do you sell the modified bolt carriers individually?

 

[Don't Tread On Me]

I'm all for new ideas and progress on existing platforms or older systems...but,

This is too little too late.

What does this do that an AK doesn't?

AK is lighter, just as short, more reliable than an SKS, and can be built upon a modern Saiga - which has the bolt/carrier and improvements found in the AK 100 series.

 

[Koobuh]

I suppose the greatest utility of this rifle will be that it is likely California legal, and not a mini-30.

It -should- be more inherently accurate than an AK, though certainly heavier. The mag-swap without open bolt is a very nice feature.

Well... how much do they cost with original wood? Not that I'd buy one (cruffler), but there's a finite number of people willing to pay an AR price for a highly polished SKS- built on Tapco parts.... yech.

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

I'm shocked by the negative sentiments in this thread. My first impressions were that they improved the weapon (theoretically at least) by a large margin. And I like the SKS.

This looks way more user friendly than an AK.

 

[Wedcopan]

Somebody asked what this will do that an AK won't. While I will agree the price tag would have me passing it by at the fun-show in pursuit of similar priced AKs and ARs, I do see a few of advantages over an AK.

Left-hand bolt, As described above it tends to be a more intuitive place to put the bolt handle (for right handed shoots anyways).

A solid BHO device, something I wish I had on my AK. You buy an AK because it goes boom every time you pull the trigger only to discover that it goes click every 20 to 30 rounds if you loose track of your shots fired.

Rear mounted peep sights, I, personally, hate the forward mounted peep sights so I'm stuck with notch and post with my AK.

Accuracy, SKS's tend to skew a tad more accurate then AKs

A safety that doesn't require taking you hand away from the trigger

Stripper clip charging option

All that being said, for that price you at least ought to have a solid scope mount where the rear sight used to be and offer a package deal with a red dot that will co-witness with your peeps.

Either way, best of luck with your enterprise.

PS: When you start modifying the Aks, try to get some of the things I listed fixed in the AK design, and we might be ready to talk turkey.

 

[db_tanker]

one thing right off...I would definately like the LOP change over the old Norinco I had...my big, redneck arse didn't adapt well to the firearm.


Second is the charging handle location. Having a love of FAL's, well, I would naturally gravitate towards this application.


Only critique I have is....how hard would it be to say mount a standard AK or similar scope/sight QR mount on the side? Most would, if they went this far with a Simonov would want some type of optic instead of the iron sights...the side mount would allow the BIUS to remain, and still have the benny's of having a QR optic mount in case there was damage to the rifle/optic.

MTCW
D

 

[Eleven Mike]

I like it. Put the modified piece back into the old stock, though.

Who wants a scope on an SKS? It's not that kind of gun.

 

[Heavy Metal Hero]

I like it, and for $600 it isn't priced that bad. Many people would rather save time and frustration and just buy this instead of cutting down the SKS barrel (Or finding a para version) and the other misc mods.

There is a market for this.

 

[Ian]

Looks like a pretty cool idea to me.

 

[rbernie]

The bolt handle on the left allows right-handers to charge the gun, clear malfuntions and top off the mag quite a bit easier and faster without changing your firing grip. I'm sure everyone doesn't like it or don't realize the advantages but FN's, HK's a bunch of others already have their charging handles on the left and we always firgured that the SKS and AK should be too.

I've tried that on my FAL and my CETMEs, and those rifles are too muzzle heavy for me to keep properly shouldered using only the pistol grip. The only way for me to clear 'em is to use the extra leverage that the left arm has (being way out on the forearm) to support the rifle while I use the right hand to work the action. That's one of the reasons that I like the AK action; it works for spindly people.

Overall, it's an interesting idea that will allow folks in AK-banned states to have an updated carbine. Butyou'd better move fast before CalDoJ decides to add this to the list of evil rifles.