My 1000th Post!!,poll and some SKS love.

[Ruger1022]

For my 1000th post, I would like to celebrate by sharing a project with you AO's. I've had a few project Sks's I have been working on since Christmas..

Which one do you like the most??, use the poll.



We will start with the Red Family Pic..





This one is the OG..






The Socom semi-tactical..







The full-tactical Tapco Special..



Use the poll to vote for your favorite !!

[Hogie135]

I love the full tactical tapco one. Think this is gonna be my next gun. Exactly that. Whenever I can get my hands on one!

[Okotokian]

I'm partial to the Original. Why dress it up to look like something it isn't? I guess so it matches a guy's tactical scope, his tactical camo, his tactical underwear, his tactical..... LOL

Anyway, gonna go out and let loose a couple rounds with my tactical flintlock....

Ps, they're all very nice.

[Hogie135]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

I'm partial to the Original. Why dress it up to look like something it isn't? I guess so it matches a guy's tactical scope, his tactical camo, his tactical underwear, his tactical..... LOL

Anyway, gonna go out and let loose a couple rounds with my tactical flintlock....

It's all personal preference I suppose. I like the way it looks. Don't have my restricted so maybe the closest I can get to a "black gun" for cheap.

[Ruger1022]

Originally Posted by Hogie135

I love the full tactical tapco one. Think this is gonna be my next gun. Exactly that. Whenever I can get my hands on one!

Originally Posted by Okotokian

I'm partial to the Original. Why dress it up to look like something it isn't? I guess so it matches a guy's tactical scope, his tactical camo, his tactical underwear, his tactical..... LOL

Anyway, gonna go out and let loose a couple rounds with my tactical flintlock....

Ps, they're all very nice.

I concur with you Oko, I am also partial to the Original. I am always looking to sell and Tactical SELLS..

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by Ruger1022

I am always looking to sell and Tactical SELLS..

I have no doubt! And I guess it's fun to tinker. I sold a buddy a Ruger 10/22 and a Remington 870 and both are almost unrecognizable now. Looks like the SWAT team is using his basement for storage. LOL

[Comstar]

On your original on, where did you get the thing to replace the top wood hand cover thing.

I like the metal/holes look.

Thanks

[ShawnM]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

I'm partial to the Original. Why dress it up to look like something it isn't? I guess so it matches a guy's tactical scope, his tactical camo, his tactical underwear, his tactical..... LOL

Anyway, gonna go out and let loose a couple rounds with my tactical flintlock....

Ps, they're all very nice.

Don't forget tactical bacon.

I voted OG partly because I knew what OG meant and felt superior saying so and partly because the black rifle fad is starting to get a little old for me.

[Ruger1022]

Originally Posted by Comstar

On your original on, where did you get the thing to replace the top wood hand cover thing.

I like the metal/holes look.

Thanks

It's called a vented SKS handgaurd (google it), I bought it from the SKS man.

[tango71]

Love all of them! I myself have three SKS rifles. Two OG's and a Tapco tactical one with a Meprolight M21 reflex sight. I also refinished my stocks for the other two in Sedona red stain with an amber shellac over it.
What process did you use for your stocks? They look really well done. Did you use oil rub or a shellac after staining?

[Metalmike123]

I don't like those greasy things, but those pics and configs actually made them look, I dare say... sexy.

[Ruger1022]

Originally Posted by Metalmike123

I don't like those greasy things, but those pics and configs actually made them look, I dare say... sexy.

Yep, no grease on these babies, except for the internals.

Originally Posted by tango71

Love all of them! I myself have three SKS rifles. Two OG's and a Tapco tactical one with a Meprolight M21 reflex sight. I also refinished my stocks for the other two in Sedona red stain with an amber shellac over it.
What process did you use for your stocks? They look really well done. Did you use oil rub or a shellac after staining?

Thx Tango,
I field stripped all Sks's down to the firing pin and cleaned and buffed for what seemed forever!!

The stocks were then stripped as blonde as I could get'em (Varsol).
Then I sanded, sanded,sanded,and keeped sanding smoooooth.
I don't like to spend alot so I used a few stains I already had laying around.

The Socom I used one coat of ebony stain, and a couple spraycoats of shallac.

The OG I used a coat of Mahogany red stain, and a couple spray coats of shallac.

I was thinking of letting the two stocks sit for a week the apply a rub of oil.

Again thx for the positive response, worked hard on these puppies and loved every minute of it!!.

[vinegar]

Originally Posted by Ruger1022

Yep, no grease on these babies, except for the internals.



Thx Tango,
I field stripped all Sks's down to the firing pin and cleaned and buffed for what seemed forever!!

The stocks were then stripped as blonde as I could get'em (Varsol).
Then I sanded, sanded,sanded,and keeped sanding smoooooth.
I don't like to spend alot so I used a few stains I already had laying around.

The Socom I used one coat of ebony stain, and a couple spraycoats of shallac.

The OG I used a coat of Mahogany red stain, and a couple spray coats of shallac.

I was thinking of letting the two stocks sit for a week the apply a rub of oil.

Again thx for the positive response, worked hard on these puppies and loved every minute of it!!.

Can u explain more about the sanding? Which grit? Power or hand? Wet or dry? I am always afraid to strip too much.

Ps. They look great

[Comstar]

Originally Posted by Ruger1022

It's called a vented SKS handgaurd (google it), I bought it from the SKS man.

Thanks, ill check it out.

[Ruger1022]

Originally Posted by vinegar

Can u explain more about the sanding? Which grit? Power or hand? Wet or dry? I am always afraid to strip too much.

Ps. They look great

Hey Thx,
The sanding consisted of a power mouse sander with three different gradual grits. I did use the coarse grit twice. I believe its in the pre sanding, I went over with plenty of coats of varsol. I used 3/4 of a 1ltr of gel varsol, over and over again until the rags were pretty much clean. I was never concerned of stripping too much as I had a few backup stocks. As long as I didn't touch to much of the inside of the stock I felt good. Its alot of work but the finnished goods turned out great.

Now the metal parts were a whole other story!!lol that Cosmoline can be a real biznatch!!

[Hat in the Cat]

Wether it's in the original wood or a tactical masterpiece, the one thing I love about the SKS is the same thing I hate... the cosmoline.

It forces a new owner to become intimately familiar with the workings of the rifle. To know that the effort he puts in will determine the outcome in the end. For a $200 firearm you will find nothing better.

Reminds me of the old MG kit cars people would build, by no means the prettiest or best performing auto on the block but it was all yours and you worked hard to make it that way.

[tango71]

Don't mean to jack your thread but it's better than making a new SKS thread when one already exists.
Here is a couple from when I did mine. The one stock I have to redo. I used a brush on shellac and even after it sitting for a week once I started to handle the rifle I could see palm prints show up on the foregrip if light hit it at the right angle. I think I went too heavy on the stuff and will try a spray on next time. The sedona red is very nice and the closest thing to the Russian AK red if you go heavy enough.





The metal recievers and barrels were stripped of all parts then cleaned and cleaned and cleaned again. Then dipped in acetone to get at the final cosmeline. I then cleaned them in hot water in the tub and wiped/blew them dry. Once dry I hung them in the oven and further dried them on low heat for at least an hour (SKS jerky ) Once all the moisture was gone I cranked the temp to heat the metal then hung them up in the basement and sprayed them with VHT high heat flat black exhaust paint from Canadian tire. Once the paint cured I moved the parts in to the oven again...if your wife loves you enough, you can get away with this too

Just make sure you follow the directions on the back of the can exactly as they say. Before starting this make sure your oven will reach these temperatures.
This process makes the parts come out with a very hard finish that is scratch, heat and weather resistant. I also rubbed the parts down with oil after the final curing step. So far I've shot in the snow a couple times and got the gun cold and wet and only cleaned the inside of the barrel. I have yet to see any rust form on the outside.

Note: I did not bother taping off the bolt carrier and only plugged off the barrel from both ends. You will have a tighter fit of the bolt at first but after a couple rounds down range the bolt will wear the finish where it needs to and things will smooth out again.

You do not need to do a heavy coat or a whole bunch of light ones. Two light coats will suffice before the part head in to the oven.

The heat from the oven will not damage the temper of the barrel. The heat of constant shooting actually gets the barrel hotter than what your oven can go up to.

[Hagalaz]

The OG, but without the bipod.

[Ruger1022]

Originally Posted by tango71

Don't mean to jack your thread but it's better than making a new SKS thread when one already exists.

The more info the better, jack away!!..nice work