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No Gunsmith Required SKS Muzzle Brake and
Bipod |
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| Article by
Jamie Mangrum |
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Adobe PDF
Downloadable Version of Article |
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I was recently skimming through
rifle parts on
eBay and came upon a gentleman
that sold muzzle brakes and bipods for both the
SKS as well as Mosin Nagant rifles. One
thing in common all of the parts have is that
they are all of the "no gunsmith required"
persuasion. This
means that you do not have to make any permanent
alteration such as drilling and tapping to the
firearm and as a result you are not destroying
the collectible value. This is a good thing.
I get a lot of emails asking about what brakes
and bipods are available for the typical SKS
carbine. I asked Ron Hartmann to please let me
take a look at a set and he promptly sent them
out to me. |
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Vendor Supplied Muzzle
Brake Specifications |
- Fits all SKS Carbines without muzzle
attachments (All excluding Yugo 59/66 and
variants)
- Folding bayonets should be removed as
they will not fully open with muzzle brake
attached
- Three inches long
- All steel construction – no plastic or
alloy parts
- No drilling or tapping required
- New longer front sight pin (included)
replaces original short pin to secure brake
- Easy installation * – fits over front
sight.
* Minor fitting may be required. On our demo
carbine we had to polish a small amount of metal
from inside the muzzle brake to fit over the
barrel and front sight. |
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Price: $18.95 + S&H |
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Ronald Hartmann
Ronhart Distributors
3835 Blazingwood Way
Colorado Springs, CO
80918
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http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZronhart88 |
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The SKS muzzle brake will work
on all SKS carbines except for the Yugo 59/66
and variants that have the threaded grenade
launcher. I chose a Chinese SKS as my test
platform for both the muzzle brake and the
bipod. The muzzle brake was a little tight when
I first tried to install it. This
is a good because it means that you can
stone or file away just enough on the
inside-rear of the brake to get a custom
fit on your SKS carbine. After I made the adjustment I was able to
slide the brake over the muzzle and around the
front sight. |
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It was still a snug fit but the
brake could be easily removed if I desired and
it would not leave any marks on the muzzle end
of the barrel. I then drifted out the pin
at the base of the SKS front sight (figure 2).
This step could be accomplished prior to
installing the brake. The brake comes with a longer
replacement pin that holds both the front sight as well as
the brake in place (figure 3). After I tapped in
the replacement pin I was finished with the
installation of the brake. |
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Vendor Supplied Bipod Specifications |
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Bolt attaches bipod directly
to SKS bayonet lug
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Each leg extendable from 9"
to 14" in ¾" increments
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Folds forward or under stock
for easy carry and storage
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Bipod design allows
insertion or removal of cleaning rod
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Quality steel construction -
no plastic or alloy parts
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Price: $32.95 + S&H |
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Ronald Hartmann
Ronhart Distributors
3835 Blazingwood Way
Colorado Springs, CO
80918
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http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZronhart88 |
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The bipod replaces the bayonet
and will work on all SKS carbines, including the
Yugo 59/66 and variants.
I did not have a bayonet already installed on
mine. If your SKS has a bayonet installed then remove it first.
I slid the bipod between the lugs as shown in figure 4.
The bipod comes with a longer replacement screw than you
removed with the bayonet. This is so you can
thread the screw and then there will be a small
amount of the screw exposed on the left hand
side that you then place a supplied nut on to lock
the screw in place. |
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Using a wrench, I then tightened the
nut. |
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Figure 6 shows the completed installations of both the
muzzle brake and the bipod.
The brake looks as though it is an original
component of the carbine.
The bipod is designed for use
while in the prone position (laying down). I was
lucky as the benches at my range are somewhat
deep and allowed for me to shoot while sitting.
Figure 7 represents my average target at
fifty
yards using Russian made commercial ammo. |
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I test shot the SKS prior to the installation of
the brake to get a feel for muzzle climb. This way I
would have a baseline to compare to. After
installing the brake I shot again and found that there
was not as much muzzle climb. I realize this statement
is somewhat subjective because I did not have video
cameras set up to capture the muzzle climb before
installation and after. Even so the difference to me was
noticeable. It is not that the SKS is a "recoil beast"
to begin with. I found after installing the
brake I could take a shot and then when I was ready to
take another shot I found that I my sight picture was
closer to my desired point of aim and as a result I was able to reacquire my target
quicker. This is what a brake is supposed to do.
The bipod is well made and very adjustable to
different heights. When you don't want to use the bipod
it folds up nicely under the barrel of the carbine. I
have tried several bipods on the SKS and I found I
really like this unit. I like the fact that is does not
clip around the barrel which can easily mar the finish.
After shooting I removed the bipod because I am more
prone (pun intended) to shoot offhand while
standing or from the bench. When I have a need for the
bipod I can quickly add it back on. The muzzle brake I
am leaving on permanently. I really like the look of it
and it does enhance the performance of the carbine. |
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Adobe PDF
Downloadable Version of Article |
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| Article by
Jamie Mangrum |
