Upgrading the SKS

A few years back I purchased my first semi-automatic rifle in the form of a Yugoslavian SKS. I managed to pick it up for much cheaper than its brother, the AK-47 and I've been pleased with the way the rifle has operated.

It wasn't until recently that I decided the old rifle needed a facelift. I was having difficulty aquiring a sight picture in low-light conditions or at night. The rifle was also a little awkward to carry around in the truck. I wanted quick target aquisition and the ability to sling more than 10 rounds for wild pigs. After doing a bit of research, I found several different after market stocks that are available for the SKS. There were three different things I was looking for in a new stock: The ability to accept detachable magazines, rails for a holographic sight, and rails for a foregrip.

The TAPCO Intrafuse 6-position SKS stock seemed to fit all of my requirements.

In addition to my own spec requirements, I also didn't want to spend an arm and a leg. It would have been VERY easy to spend upwards of $500 upgrading this $250 rifle. I set my price limit at $150 and started shopping around.

It wasn't long before I had everything I wanted picked out.
-TAPCO Intrafuse 6-position SKS Stock
-TAPCO Intrafuse 20rd Detachable SKS Mag
-TAPCO Intrafuse Vertical Foregrip 4.5"
-Sightmark Sure Shot Reflex Holographic Sight

I was relatively surprised at how easy it was to install the new stock. One must first disassemble the rifle.

After this comes the only slightly difficult part of the installation process; removing the old wood covering on the gas chamber. There is a small pin that holds the wood into place. This must be removed. It's slightly tapered so it is important to push it out from the skinnier end. The difficult part (at least for me) was actually removing the pin. It took a hammer, driving pin, lubricant, and quite a bit of force to finally knock the pin out.

Once out, it's a simple process of of putting the plastic polymer cover in the wood cover's place. Chances are the it won't fit at first, so take a small file and file away some of the excess plastic until the fit becomes snug. From there, just reassemble the rifle into the new stock, saving the pistol grip for the end. The pistol grip is hollow and has one master screw that should be tightened at the end of assembly. Attach the foregrip and holographic sight and "ta-da". Modernized SKS.

Gear reviews on individual parts soon to come. Stay tuned!