I just picked up a nice chinese SKS today at a live auction, $320 with a new bushnell 3x-9x. 32 scope on a b-west scope mount that allows 3/8" up/down travel on the front of the scope with slight finger pressure. It feels as if I could pry it completely off the gun by hand. I'm going to scrap this mount, but what should I replace the mount with? I have seen a few different mounts, but never owned a scoped SKS before, so I need to know if there are any decent mounts on the market?
SKS Scope Mounts
2huge
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I just picked up a nice chinese SKS today at a live auction, $320 with a new bushnell 3x-9x. 32 scope on a b-west scope mount that allows 3/8" up/down travel on the front of the scope with slight finger pressure. It feels as if I could pry it completely off the gun by hand. I'm going to scrap this mount, but what should I replace the mount with? I have seen a few different mounts, but never owned a scoped SKS before, so I need to know if there are any decent mounts on the market?
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9,127 Posts
I tried everything, finally fitting a solid SVD sidemount to hold a 4X Romanian POS drilled and trapped onto my beater Yugo SKS (never would drill the collectible Tula, of course.) It looks cool and gets about as good performance out of an SKS as any scope and mount can ever give.
The single-piece scope mounts integral to a replacement rear cover are better than the others (about $25 on fleaBay), but still sloppy - the trick is to carefully line the thin upper edges of the receiver/cover joint with a small amount of JB Weld epoxy to bed the cover in, stopping some rattling around. This at least keeps the cover/scope from rattling around, but it still is a lousy setup. You can mount a short fixed 4X armored scope in one and be able to see well enough, but it ain't a Remington 700 so don't expect much!
The truth is that only a drilled, tapped, fixed mount works well on any rifle and you sure don't want to damage a collectible rifle. Honestly, an SKS is so intrinsically inaccurate (perhaps 3-5 MOA) that a scope is not really a big help. These are just not long range rifles and 300 yards is all you'll get even modest accuracy out of one, particularly with el cheapo milsurp ammo.
This loose accuracy just comes with the rifles and ammo - with top handloads I can get down to a consistent 3 MOA 5 shot group with the scope at 100 yards, but even that fades as the rifle heats up.
My Saiga AK was factory tested to about 4 MOA at 100 meters and the target came with it, a bit worse than the SKS but a realistic bench test of what can be expected - these were never tack drivers but were built for reliability - it is said that even a blacksmith can fix an SKS!
The single-piece scope mounts integral to a replacement rear cover are better than the others (about $25 on fleaBay), but still sloppy - the trick is to carefully line the thin upper edges of the receiver/cover joint with a small amount of JB Weld epoxy to bed the cover in, stopping some rattling around. This at least keeps the cover/scope from rattling around, but it still is a lousy setup. You can mount a short fixed 4X armored scope in one and be able to see well enough, but it ain't a Remington 700 so don't expect much!
The truth is that only a drilled, tapped, fixed mount works well on any rifle and you sure don't want to damage a collectible rifle. Honestly, an SKS is so intrinsically inaccurate (perhaps 3-5 MOA) that a scope is not really a big help. These are just not long range rifles and 300 yards is all you'll get even modest accuracy out of one, particularly with el cheapo milsurp ammo.
This loose accuracy just comes with the rifles and ammo - with top handloads I can get down to a consistent 3 MOA 5 shot group with the scope at 100 yards, but even that fades as the rifle heats up.
My Saiga AK was factory tested to about 4 MOA at 100 meters and the target came with it, a bit worse than the SKS but a realistic bench test of what can be expected - these were never tack drivers but were built for reliability - it is said that even a blacksmith can fix an SKS!
I'm starting to lean towards a Tech-Sight- I haven't had time to break this b-west junk off yet, and I'm afraid it's left a few ugly marks on the back of the receiver, and the tech sights will cover most of that by the looks of it. I think they have a through bolt instead of the cover latch on that too. I'll just save the Bushnell glass for trading stock, or even mount it on something more deserving- gives me an excuse to buy another long gun. Maybe that cz that shoots x39?
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Tech Sights will do you well. I have seen many SKS shooters improve dramatically once they put on Tech Sights.
They make sights for AK47 too...which will be my next set of Tech Sights
Stalins Ghost comments put a final coffin nail of my buying that SKS scope mount/ back cover assembly. Been reading for years none of them work but SG's comments end any thoughts on them forever.
They make sights for AK47 too...which will be my next set of Tech Sights
Stalins Ghost comments put a final coffin nail of my buying that SKS scope mount/ back cover assembly. Been reading for years none of them work but SG's comments end any thoughts on them forever.
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238 Posts
I machined my own drill and tap scope mount as I couldn't find one that did what I wanted. The Choate came closest but read some reviews that steered me away a bit, plus I wanted to use a full length scope so I would still have to put a shell deflector on it in addition to the mount, and those have some really bad reviews for the most part. I made one out of 6061 aluminum to test out the design, we've run over 1k rounds through it without a single problem with empty cases hitting the scope or jamming the bolt so about to make me a couple out of 1/8" steel angle with the same specs. These old eyes just have too hard of a time seeing a target at 100 yards let alone hitting it too!
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531 Posts
You should replace it with nothing as far as receiver mounts go. Sell the mount and the scope and get you a scout scope mount and a long eye relief pistol scope.
http://scoutscopes.com/sks-scope-mounts/sks-scope-mount-black-anodized/
This is the only one that will hold zero.
Sent from my mind using ninja telepathy.
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I have a long relief scout scope on my AK, set on a Weaver base sidemount that fits the AK-style rail that came on the rifle. This works very well as a very fast, two-eyes open set up but only on low power of 2X or 3X. it's a variable scope, but useless as a scout scope at higher magnification. I like it because I can easily target things and it works fine within the AKs limited capabilities at 2X or so. Interestingly, African "dangerous game" rifles are often fitted with 2X scopes.
If you could easily fit such a scout scope to an SKS, it should work fine. (Higher powers don't work on scout scopes because the field of view is so narrow you can't see a thing.)
If you could easily fit such a scout scope to an SKS, it should work fine. (Higher powers don't work on scout scopes because the field of view is so narrow you can't see a thing.)
I have and sometimes use a scope mount that replaces the receiver cover. Came from china. In maybe the 10 years I have owned it I needed to adjust it twice. Once was when I switched from 158gr sp to 122gr fmj of course and the 2nd time was when the wife was using it for offhand practice. I needed to click it 2 clicks left for her to move it just a hair but for me it was still on.And to be honest it was close enough as it was but 2 clicks made it better. I understand these should not work as well as mine does but that's how it is. Normally the sks has the factory cover on it as hows thats how I normally run it but when I put on the scope mount it's right where it needs to be.
I will say 2 things , the back inside of the cover gets beat bad by the recoil spring set up so a recoil buffer is used or else I'd probably have blown the back out of it by now and my cover also fits very tight , so tight it almost doesn't fit.
I will say 2 things , the back inside of the cover gets beat bad by the recoil spring set up so a recoil buffer is used or else I'd probably have blown the back out of it by now and my cover also fits very tight , so tight it almost doesn't fit.
Stay away from the leapers mount which stradles both sides of the lower receiver. Its held in place with 4 cone head set screws. After shooting it kept loosing zero and the set screws kept loosening up. Then when trying out the scope and turning one of the knobs the knob would not turn and the scope was basically useless. Frank
That is a high rise AK type mount. Similar to the SKS type but sits much higher off the receiver. The base is the same but the mount and rail were different. There were a couple of variations.
The single hole SKS type sits about 1/2 + lower than the AK type. Not super low but better than the AK style on an SKS.
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3,174 Posts
Years ago I bought a Norinco SKS with a cover type scope mount on it.
This one had 4 set screws on the side. Don't have the makers name anylonger.
The mount had the standard Weaver rail on top and a variety of scopes or red dot devices could be used.
The mount stayed solid for many years and countless rounds.
I think the difference was the set screws, since the regular top cover mounts were all unstable or would go unstable after use.
The type of optics used are a personal preference for folks.
I found a red dot to be adequate up to six hundred yds. No need for magnification.
SKSs are not precision target rifles, so over scoping is a common thing, usually done by novices. Shooters who have bad eyes, may need more powerful optics.
LER scout scopes were tested out on a variety of milsurps and all were rejected by our shooters. I know there a lot of shooters who like LER scout scopes.
LER mounts were mainly made for milsurp rifles that the owner did not want to alter. Not because they work well or were practical. There are a few shooters who use them, they were made so people who did not want to alter their milsurp could use a scope. None of our shooters in the club used them. For sure none of the serious target shooters.
If using the SKS for hunting. Fast target aqusition is a factor.
I have also shot SKSs with side mounts, and other type of mounts and found them to throw off the balance of the weapon. But that is subjective.
For me the red dot type small optics, were the most efective and user friendly with the cover mount held on with set screws.
About ten years ago. IO used to convert milsurps and add a side mount on a variety of milsurps.
They were all top heavy and bulky and required drilling and stock alterations. In short ruining the gun.
I remember picking up an M48 Yugo with one of these side mounts and laying it back down, didn't even bother to test it out, it was so poorly balanced.
I have never seen a side mount like the Chinese marked one above. it looks dooable, but I would have to pick it up to see how it feels.
This one had 4 set screws on the side. Don't have the makers name anylonger.
The mount had the standard Weaver rail on top and a variety of scopes or red dot devices could be used.
The mount stayed solid for many years and countless rounds.
I think the difference was the set screws, since the regular top cover mounts were all unstable or would go unstable after use.
The type of optics used are a personal preference for folks.
I found a red dot to be adequate up to six hundred yds. No need for magnification.
SKSs are not precision target rifles, so over scoping is a common thing, usually done by novices. Shooters who have bad eyes, may need more powerful optics.
LER scout scopes were tested out on a variety of milsurps and all were rejected by our shooters. I know there a lot of shooters who like LER scout scopes.
LER mounts were mainly made for milsurp rifles that the owner did not want to alter. Not because they work well or were practical. There are a few shooters who use them, they were made so people who did not want to alter their milsurp could use a scope. None of our shooters in the club used them. For sure none of the serious target shooters.
If using the SKS for hunting. Fast target aqusition is a factor.
I have also shot SKSs with side mounts, and other type of mounts and found them to throw off the balance of the weapon. But that is subjective.
For me the red dot type small optics, were the most efective and user friendly with the cover mount held on with set screws.
About ten years ago. IO used to convert milsurps and add a side mount on a variety of milsurps.
They were all top heavy and bulky and required drilling and stock alterations. In short ruining the gun.
I remember picking up an M48 Yugo with one of these side mounts and laying it back down, didn't even bother to test it out, it was so poorly balanced.
I have never seen a side mount like the Chinese marked one above. it looks dooable, but I would have to pick it up to see how it feels.
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3,174 Posts
Leapers makes junk everything. IMO I have a bin full of leapers crap that folks threw away.
While your experience seems different., in general the receiver cover mounts on the SKS were not reliable to hold zero. Some models because they were not secured except by the rear latch on the receiver. The ones you describe were better for stability but the screws required release each time the rifle was fired and disassembled for cleaning (unless one did not clean the internals etc. Re attaching requires tightening the screws. Virtually impossible to return to previous location tightening 4 screws etc.
The Chinese side mount receiver affixed assemblies worked pretty well. Of course the 1980's Chinese scopes were very basic and relatively crude but effective enough for compact 2.75 and 4 power scopes for the most part. There were 4 or 5 side mount varieties for the SKS.
a few detailed here>
http://forums.gunboards.com/showthr...thread.php?333750-SKS-Norinco-(New-To-Me)-Gun-Porn-Inside&p=2760496#post2760496
Actually the leapers screws were so soft that what ever points they had actually ended up being flat. Was suprised at the hardness of the sks receiver. Did not leave any marks on the receiver. And the front sight was in so tight that I had to use a crescent wrench on the adjustment tool to adjust it and sprung the tool. Every time I adjusted the sight you'd hear a loud click. Love shooting it though. Frank
For what it's worth, I love the SKS. I own a couple and I still love using the iron sights. My eyes aren't as good as they use to be, but I'm still hitting golf balls here and there 50-100 yards away. I've used several mounts such as the dust cover replacements, I was so frustrated with the lack of a decent SKS mount that we've decided to machine our own. A full length stable tactical rail for the SKS with a built in deflector. It's been a big hit up here in Canada and we're starting to get a lot of movement and orders from the United States so I decided to check up a couple forums to see where to start. It's just another option for the SKS shooter.
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Let me know your thoughts!
Let me know your thoughts!
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