I just want to make sure I am understanding this.... compliance with SKS D

I want to change some things about my SKS D and use Eastern block 30 round mags. I went to the 922 calcualtor and it appears that I will only need 4 US parts to be GTG. Can it really be this simple? It seems that there is a lot of debate about using hi-cap mags (duckbill?). Is this because most hi-cap SKS mags are not reliable? In the past, I owned SKSs that didn't use AK mags and the 30 rounders were a nightmare. I could make them run a little better, but they were nowhere near 100% reliable. With my last SKS, I just used the box mag and all was good. I have steered clear of the SKS for nearly 15 years because of the mag issue and the inability to find a decent D or M model FTF. I only buy certain weapons FTF because they are more likely to have been bubba'smithed. SKS is one of them.

US parts that I want to use are....
Gas piston
Hammer
Sear
Trigger

I do not want to thread the barrel, so muzzle device doesn't matter. I want to fab my bullpup own stock, so it will be a "US" part and will actually give me one US part more than I really need. Am I mistaken?

ETA: I want to use an Aimpoint Comp ML3 with Larue 129 mount on this SKS. I was under the inpression that Ultimak made a railed gas tube for the SKS, but they apparently do not. Are the Tapco units stable enough to condone the use of a decent optic?

When I total the countable parts in a standard SKS using the fixed 10 shot magazine I get 15.
Receiver, barrel, bolt, bolt carrier, operating rod, gas piston, trigger housing, trigger, hammer, sear, disconnector, buttstock, handguard, magazine body, follower

The only SKS 10 rd. fixed magazine rifle that has 15 imported parts is the Yugo M59/66 A1 that has the grenade launcher/muzzle device as it appears on the imported parts list concerning those type rifles,all other 10 rd. fixed mag SKS rifle only have 14 imported parts that you have to deal with.

Actually, there is no official rifle as an SKS‑D. Since the SKS‑D has no specific markings on the receiver, dealers coined this term in order to differentiate these rifles from the fixed magazine ones. Some people continue to use the term “SKS‑D” to refer to any SKS that uses an AK magazine.

You stated that you have a SKS D and want to modify it to take AK Mags. the SKS D already take 30 rd. AK magazines so no modification is necessary,since you not adding a detachable magazine because the rifle already has one so you want be violating 922.

SKS D




The operating rod is not an imported part according to several letter received from the ATF.

Perhaps, but the Operating Rod is a listed part [27 CFR 478.39 (c)] and letters from BATFE only bind that agency to the specific person to whom the letter is addressed. BATFE can alter it's interpretation of the statute without notice to anyone who does not posess a letter addressed to them determining that a SKS operating rod is not a countable part. Seeing one addressed to someone else posted on the innernet (or reading an innernet post from someone about the existence of such a letter) does not constitue a defense to prosecution in the event of a change of interpretation, which change in interpretation by BATFE is hardly without precedent.
I do not posess such a letter such a letter. Therfore, if I were to alter a SKS into a configuration which is prohibited from importation, I would count the Operating Rod as a countable part for purposes of determing compliance with 18 USC 922 (r) and 27 CFR 478.39.
Others may proceed as they see fit, at their own risk, unless they posess a letter from BATFE addressed to them specificlaly stating that it is not a countable part.

Ok lets say for the sake of discussion that the Operating Rod is counted as an imported part on the list of 15 imported parts as it appears on the list form the ATF that affects the 10 rd. fixed mag SKS rifle,that would mean that the Yugo M59/66A1 now has 16 imports parts,but it doesn't it only has 15 imported parts. You will find no discussion when it states that you have to remove 6 imported parts and replace than with 6 US MADE parts on the Yugo rifle to get your parts count down to 10 or less. Why is that because the Operating Rod is not a counted part.

Here is the Letter http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=27678.0 if you have any questions you can contact Mr. LESchwartz

A note from the TAPCO site

Just to use 30rd AK mags, you are already good to go, it is when you change the stock that you run into the 922r bull.

The pic above is not a SKS-D or any AK mag SKS, it is a regular Chinese SKS with a duckbill mag.

Sorry about that,I grabbed the wrong pic.

The main thing that I am wanting to do is change the stock. I understand that I am already GTG with the Eastern bloc mags. I don't want to change the stock and be forced to use US mags, so I am asking is it really as simple as adding 4 US parts elsewhere? I am used to making AKs or Saiga 12s compliant and they require 6 parts if the muzzle is threaded. The SKS compliance things is foreign to me, that's all. It sounds like I will be fine with 4 US parts. Thank you Gentlemen.

I don't want to modify to take AK mags. I want to "use Eastern block 30 round mags". In other words, I do not want to "use US mags" as compliance parts. Sorry for the confusion.

I don't understand what you want to do? Are you changing the stock to a bull pup? It already has lots of compliance. US made but stock, US made trigger, US made forearm. Get a cheap US made piston and call it a day.

Let me rewind. I was awestruck that 922r compliance with an SKS can be as simple as adding 4 US parts. It just didn't seem right, hence the title of this thread. I completely get it now. I am building a custom bullpup, most likely from sheetmetall. It will be US made, by me. I will probably go with a US piston or possibly a US hammer, sear, and trigger.

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