Originally Posted By shotar: If they were thoroughly removed, this would probably be legal, but again, since none of those mags are really worth a damn, its sort of a waste. I like to enjoy these historical firearms for what they are, not turn them into something they are not and were not made to be. Besides, with a little practice you can get real fast with stripper clips.

Ditto. 2 of the 3 SKS carbines I have were abused in this manner. Luckily the previous bubba owner only lost the original fixed 10rnd mag & didn't do any butchery to the metal (30rnd POS duckbill pulled off poste-haste & pitched). It sucks having an all # matching rifle except for the mag (one is a circa '57 Sino-Soviet ) because some dufus tried to make his SKS into something it's not.

IMNSHO:If you want an AK, buy one, don't fubar a SKS into a halfassed AK wannabe.

Ok, here's the problem.

There are two major federal laws that impact the SKS. The first is the 1994 AW Ban that says any gun with a detachable magazine cannot have more than one other "evil" feature.

The second is the more difficult. That is the 922(r) prohibition on assembling from more than 10 of certain specified imported parts a rifle prohibited from importation.

SKS's with detachable magazines are prohibited from importatin.

Ergo, the BATF has said that if you reconfigure an otherwise legal SKS rifle into one that will accept detachable magaines (including by removing the original magazine so as to allow use of a duckbill), then you have unlawfully assembled a rifle "banned from import", the total parts content of which exceeds the 10 or less specified in the law.

Right now, there are not enough "US made" replacement parts to allow one to get around this problem. So, don't do it.

EDITED TO ADD: With the cheap and plentiful SAR1's available, this really shouldn't be an issue anymore. SKS rifles are fun, functional and reliable with the fixed 10 round mag. They are finicky, illegal, and unreliable with duckbills. Seems to me that if detachable hi-cap is your goal, there's an SAR1 in your future.

Even though I have a strong dislike for butchered SKS's why would a detatchable mag SKS be prohibited from import while the thumbhole AK style (ROMAK-1, 2 & 3, etc)& the Saiga are OK? The only issue I can see is the bayonet lug. A SKS that took detatchable mags that didn't have a bayonet lug should be just as legal to import as a ROMAK, Saiga or the neutered SVD clone (no bayonet lug or FH).

Thanks again guys for the input...I have informed him of the implications of altering his SKS and he is aware of his pending doom and a lifetime in hell for doing so....Hopefully the Feds won't raid his secluded cabin in the boondocks...course who knows about that...sounds like something the feds might waste a rediculously huge amount of tax payer money doing. Although I would never risk losing MY right to gun ownership inforcing a law regarding adding a terrifying high capacity mag.to a 50 Y.O. military curio rifle (of which there are millions)ranks right up there with fudging on a Salvation Army donation voucher for your taxes and etc... May God save him....he's been warned.

Even though I have a strong dislike for butchered SKS's why would a detatchable mag SKS be prohibited from import while the thumbhole AK style (ROMAK-1, 2 & 3, etc)& the Saiga are OK? The only issue I can see is the bayonet lug. A SKS that took detatchable mags that didn't have a bayonet lug should be just as legal to import as a ROMAK, Saiga or the neutered SVD clone (no bayonet lug or FH).

Two reasons the rifles you mention are "ok," I would suspect. First, the Siaga's do not "accept" large capacity ammo feeding devices. They accept those lame 5 round mags. Second, as to the others, they have "won" the 10 or less game. In other words, just like the SAR-1 AK clones, those rifles are assembled stateside with enough US-made duplicate parts (fire control, furniture, etc.) so as to allow compliance with Section 922(r).

I spoke with ATF this morning. The 20 round fixed magazines are fine. The key to them is that the magazine larger than 10 rounds must be fixed to the rifle in the same manner as the original. That is, you must have to remove the trigger gaurd in order to remove the magazine. The duckbill mags are in fact illegal to fit to a rifle that was not importable with a removeable mag, as a guide, that would be any rifle that did not have the bayo lug ground off or those after the 1994 law. In short, if your rifle did not come with a duckbill mag and you can't prove it had one prior to the import restrictions, don't add one now.

I gotta say...this whole thread is depressing. I was pretty happy that after making several modifications to my Russian SKS, I took it to the range and had a very pleasant experience. I even found the crock of gold--30 round detach mags that WORKED. As in two failure to feeds in 500 rounds fired.

Now I get back to my computer and read this thread to find out that I've got an illegal gun? Jeez. I may be guilty of Frankensteining an SKS (I still have the original everythings except the bayonet lug), but now I've gotta keep a reliable and functional rifle buried in a closet (or change it back to its fixed 10-round mag--not what I want right now).

Oh well, at least I got it to shoot straight. The Williams peep sight is nice on the eyes.

So is my1951 Russian SKS legal? I have duckbill SKS mags. I removed the bayonet lug, bought a "Made in the USA" Tapco gas piston, Tapco operating rod, Choate stock and handguard, and Fl. Precision trigger and hammer. I've beat the "ten or less game" with these "Made in the USA" installed parts. I also have a model D or M bolt that allows the mags to be remove when the bolt is closed. And I'm using USA brand mags supposedly made in the USA. Dont want to take a chance on breaking the law. I have all the orginal rifle parts and paper work, and the rifle was purchased in '93. I got all my info reading BATF letter from others posted on "Survivors SKS Board." A great site for SKS owners.

Ok I just got a Yugo....it came with a book that shows the fireing group from when it was built. It is also date(the book) in 2 spot's. One is the shoot group the other is a line in the begining saying it was manufactured on 12 vi 1989. So my question..... this would be a preban right? so I can add a feature or two?

Originally Posted By FNMI_Rifleman: I'm assuming when you say "duckbill" magazines you're referring to detachable mags, what about those fixed 20's with the star mark, chinese made? Non-detachable........legal?

The Fixed 20s are legal or so I was told by some sources I trust , the only problem is that they suck .
I bought a star branded 20's for a Chinese . The follower in the 20 took some creative tweaking to get it not to scrape , when I finally got it working right the spring broke . After some searching I found a suitable replacement and it worked fine for a month before a feed lip cracked and it puked 15 rounds into the air when I tried to clear what I thought was a double feed .

So I did the only thing I could do ............ I popped the trigger group , removed the 20 and threw it downrange and hand fed singles to shoot the shit out of it

Originally Posted By chrome1: [So I did the only thing I could do ............ I popped the trigger group , removed the 20 and threw it downrange and hand fed singles to shoot the shit out of it

I had the same experience with the one that I tried. Just about the time I got it to work reliably the follower broke in half. I understand it's a crap shoot with these. Some people have no problems with them at all.

Ok so no one in here likes the Duck bill mags?Heck I have shot many of them and all worked great except the Cobray plastic 30rd ones.Just about everyone I have seen looked fairly well made and they seem to work better in chinese sks more than others.
Just about everyone I have seen in Pawn shops and gun shows had a 30rd mag with it.I would venture to say that the federal goverment doesnt really care about them.That said I stiil wouldnt be out on the range with a bunch of cops or federal boys and jerk one out to show it off!

For anyone with an SKS with a folding stock and a detachable mag from before the ban you must have proof you bought the rifle, the stock and the mags and had it assembled that way before the 94 ban went into effect to be grandfathered. Do you have all the receipts dated before 9/94? and a picture of you holding the assembled rifle with a newpaper showing the date before the 94 ban?Or maybe you know a notary who could stamp something saying it was assembled that way before 9/94. I think that would be the only way around the 922r ban. And I still haven't gotten a definite conformation on that from the BATF, there might not be a grandfather clause for it at all. Just be smart, buy and install the US parts like I did.