I heard the 30 round magazines have feeding problems on SKS rifles. Can anyone confirm this. I'm looking at a Norinco SKS that has the 30 round magazine, but I'm hesitant buying because of what I heard regarding the feeding problems. I'm just looking for first hand experience using the 30 round magazines.
Quick SKS Question
- Thread starter Dynasty
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Husker1911
Member
The SKS was designed with a fixed 10-rd. magazine. The "detachable" larger capacity magazines are notorious for numerous malfunctions. Often, one can judiciously file or smooth parts of the magazine, or sometimes the wood from the stock's magazine area, to make things better.
Or, you can learn to utilize the fairly excellent and reusable 10-round stripper clips and probably be in better shape than worrying about the "detachable" magazine to fail on you.
Good luck.
Or, you can learn to utilize the fairly excellent and reusable 10-round stripper clips and probably be in better shape than worrying about the "detachable" magazine to fail on you.
Good luck.
mudslinging79
Member
i have a 40 and a 50 round magazine collecting dust. jams and misfeeds, glad i didnt pay for them as they were given to me. im much happier with the stripper clips and the 10 rd mag, as its a lot easier than trying to fill the extended mags.
dispatch55126
Member
Some Chicoms were built using AK mags. If this is the case, don't worry about it. If its an aftermarket add-on, you'll have problems.
The Ruckus
Member
Yes, the thirty round magazines are terrible because no good manufacturers make them. Tapco makes a polymer twenty round magazine that I use on my own CJA SKS all the time. They work great, haven't had a malfunction with it yet. Still, I'm thinking about refinishing the wood stock, and putting the 10 round magazine to keep it original.
Mojo-jo-jo
Member
All of the SKS stripper clips I have used work well. As long as they are not bent or deformed, they will feed the rifle. However, it does take some practice to gain proficiency in using them correctly.
As others have said, the aftermarket detachable 30rd mags are junk. I have a Zytel one that I had to file the feed lips so thin to get it to feed at all, they eventually broke off.
As others have said, the aftermarket detachable 30rd mags are junk. I have a Zytel one that I had to file the feed lips so thin to get it to feed at all, they eventually broke off.
mudslinging79
Member
ive picked up mine at the local surplus store, but cheaperthan dirt.com and sportsmansguide.com sell them, im sure other people have more links.
Husker1911
Member
Here's a link to Midway:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=774917&t=11082005
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=774917&t=11082005
mudslinging79
Member
can you post a picture?
Ok, well I have a Norinco Paratrooper that was put in an ATI stock....and it feeds incredibly from both zytel 30rd mags and USA brand metal mags. I have heard horror stories, so maybe I'm the lucky one. If you like the idea of a detachable mag, go for it. Try one or two, and if they work...great. If they don't, you can always put the fixed mag back on in seconds. Then just sell the mags at a gunshow or to a buddy.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
The SKS has no bolt hold-open device.
And the bolt has to be open to lock in a duck-bill mag.
I found out it took me, and somebody else helping me, to do a fast mag change with the duck-bill magazines.
I could sustain a higher rate of fire with the 10-round box and stripper clips then I could wrestling with the jam-O-matic magazines that took three hands to change out!
rcmodel
And the bolt has to be open to lock in a duck-bill mag.
I found out it took me, and somebody else helping me, to do a fast mag change with the duck-bill magazines.
I could sustain a higher rate of fire with the 10-round box and stripper clips then I could wrestling with the jam-O-matic magazines that took three hands to change out!
rcmodel
We can machine your bolt to SKS-M specs then you can put the mag in with one hand with the bolt open or closed. Trying to put a duckbill mag in on a regular SKS is a PITA
BTW, the SKS has a BHO and if the mag is of good quality it will trip the BHO when the last round is fired.
dispatch55126
Member
ebay
mudslinging79
Member
buymilsurp.com, pretyty good, standard shipping, fast return, or try
[email protected] e-mail him as hes still working on his site, fairly good price, shipping included on most items, though a lil slow on sending items out. works 40 hour weeks like the rest of us, but good prices.
[email protected] e-mail him as hes still working on his site, fairly good price, shipping included on most items, though a lil slow on sending items out. works 40 hour weeks like the rest of us, but good prices.
Buzzbox
Member
I have an all original Russian SKS.
I have no use for the excuses of detachable magazines. I did my own personal test, and frankly, stripper clips are damn fast, and 100% reliable.
I've pwned a few SKSs. All of them, including this one, are failure free.
I haven't cleaned it yet, by the way.
I have no use for the excuses of detachable magazines. I did my own personal test, and frankly, stripper clips are damn fast, and 100% reliable.
I've pwned a few SKSs. All of them, including this one, are failure free.
I haven't cleaned it yet, by the way.
mudslinging79
Member
i tried the detachable mags that were given to me also.... found the springs have problems, or the mag has to be modified to work, its a pain to load ammo in, both manually and with strippers, they are a hassle to switch out also, dont forget the mis-feeds and jamming... though they look cool, i prefer function in this case.
QUICK_DRAW_McGRAW
Member
i got a tapco complaience kit for my norinco. the tapco 20round mags fit great and work better. they make 5rnd detachable as well as 10, 15, and 20. if i remember right they are comming out with a fixed series of mags as well.
UberAmerican
Member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
- Messages
- 24
SKS magazines... depends on your use...
Hello all!
I personally like the SKS for what it is. Rugged, inexpensive, and reliable. I have a tricked out one with detachable magazines. it was a time consuming pain to get it to feed reliably most every time, and I still don't trust it 100 percent. Therefore, it's relegated to plinking. I have a stock one that's 100 percent original. It's mainly for the "collection" although I shoot it from time to time. It has fed and fired 100 percent of the time. My third is a "paratrooper". Fixed 10 round magazine. It's my hunting-work-"SHTF"- Home Defense carbine. I sanded the hideous orange Commie shellac gunk off long ago. I then primed, and lovingly recoated the stock with an off-the-shelf black pickup truck bed coating (use thin coats and be patient). Looks and feels like an overmolded stock, which is sorta what it is. It's been 100 percent reliable so far, feeding and firing 800+ rounds in rain, snow and heat, and suffering the hard knocks in the truck and brush. It asks only regular cleaning and oiling which I gladly give it.. why kick a willing horse?
Long winded point is : Stock magazine was engineered by some old clever Commie to be battle reliable in cruddy conditions. He would've been executed if it wasn't. It works really well. 10 rounds in .30 caliber is nothing to sneeze at! If confronted with 30 attackers which ones want to be the first 10? (If you cant hold'em off with 10 rounds, maybe you should run -- I would). Also: Stripper clips are not so bad! Wars have been fought and won with them. With a little practice,a reload is pretty quick, and always faster than fumbling around trying to engage an ill-engineered abortion of a "duckbill" adapter in some groove way up in a stock hole that was never meant to be a magazine well. Practice stripper clip reloading, maybe practice shooting (1 aimed round beats 30 sprayed rounds), and a SKS will do ya just fine as it is. Have you ever noticed that most complaints about SKS carbines concern those that have been modified?
But back to the point: Dynasty, I'd pass on the 30 round mag setup unless it's a really good price, and then I'd plan on putting a fixed 10 round mag back in it if it hasn't been butchered to install the 30 rounder.
Thanks and take care!
Hello all!
I personally like the SKS for what it is. Rugged, inexpensive, and reliable. I have a tricked out one with detachable magazines. it was a time consuming pain to get it to feed reliably most every time, and I still don't trust it 100 percent. Therefore, it's relegated to plinking. I have a stock one that's 100 percent original. It's mainly for the "collection" although I shoot it from time to time. It has fed and fired 100 percent of the time. My third is a "paratrooper". Fixed 10 round magazine. It's my hunting-work-"SHTF"- Home Defense carbine. I sanded the hideous orange Commie shellac gunk off long ago. I then primed, and lovingly recoated the stock with an off-the-shelf black pickup truck bed coating (use thin coats and be patient). Looks and feels like an overmolded stock, which is sorta what it is. It's been 100 percent reliable so far, feeding and firing 800+ rounds in rain, snow and heat, and suffering the hard knocks in the truck and brush. It asks only regular cleaning and oiling which I gladly give it.. why kick a willing horse?
Long winded point is : Stock magazine was engineered by some old clever Commie to be battle reliable in cruddy conditions. He would've been executed if it wasn't. It works really well. 10 rounds in .30 caliber is nothing to sneeze at! If confronted with 30 attackers which ones want to be the first 10? (If you cant hold'em off with 10 rounds, maybe you should run -- I would). Also: Stripper clips are not so bad! Wars have been fought and won with them. With a little practice,a reload is pretty quick, and always faster than fumbling around trying to engage an ill-engineered abortion of a "duckbill" adapter in some groove way up in a stock hole that was never meant to be a magazine well. Practice stripper clip reloading, maybe practice shooting (1 aimed round beats 30 sprayed rounds), and a SKS will do ya just fine as it is. Have you ever noticed that most complaints about SKS carbines concern those that have been modified?
But back to the point: Dynasty, I'd pass on the 30 round mag setup unless it's a really good price, and then I'd plan on putting a fixed 10 round mag back in it if it hasn't been butchered to install the 30 rounder.
Thanks and take care!
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UberAmerican
Member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
- Messages
- 24
damn!
:banghead
amn! double posted .. sorry
:banghead
amn! double posted .. sorryIgnition Override
Member
UberAmerican:
Sehr interessant (Bescheid...).
Where was your SKS built?
I'm considering creating a "married guy's" piggy bank (ATM 'siphoning'), in order to buy an SKS. She sees all the credit card bills etc. Today, she did not recognize any similarity between Mini 14 and 30.
Know what I mean? Will probably think that an SKS is one of my Mosins.
As for a typical SKS, would a Chinese or Yugo be the most reliable (trusting the built-in magazines), using the lower-priced Wolf, Silver bear, Golden Tiger etc ammo? Not as many Russian makes are seen on auction sites.
There must be about forty SKS rifles on GunBroker.com. What is the price for a good SKS wooden stock in case a local guy is ready to sell a folding-stock version? No idea what a gunsmith would charge to change stocks.
So far I've got two Mosins, a Mini 14 and 30. These guns are for shooting fun, not accuracy.
Sehr interessant (Bescheid...).
Where was your SKS built?
I'm considering creating a "married guy's" piggy bank (ATM 'siphoning'), in order to buy an SKS. She sees all the credit card bills etc. Today, she did not recognize any similarity between Mini 14 and 30.
Know what I mean? Will probably think that an SKS is one of my Mosins.
As for a typical SKS, would a Chinese or Yugo be the most reliable (trusting the built-in magazines), using the lower-priced Wolf, Silver bear, Golden Tiger etc ammo? Not as many Russian makes are seen on auction sites.
There must be about forty SKS rifles on GunBroker.com. What is the price for a good SKS wooden stock in case a local guy is ready to sell a folding-stock version? No idea what a gunsmith would charge to change stocks.
So far I've got two Mosins, a Mini 14 and 30. These guns are for shooting fun, not accuracy.
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