Short Barrel Chinese SKS Rifle

[sweetgrass]

I have a SKS rifle / carbine with a 16.25" barrel and a folding stock.   It is Norinco mfg. with import marks and some mismatched numbers so is not a collector grade piece, just a shooter.    There is a standard bayonet locking lug on the underside of the barrel about 2 1/2" behind the front sight and just ahead of the gas tube.   The bayonet lug is attached to the barrel with a ring completely around the barrel.   No bayonet is on the gun. There is no cleaning rod on the gun but there is an attachment under the front sight for a rod and a hole in the stock for a rod.   The bayonet lug has clearance for a cleaning rod.  My question is, was this "carbine" SKS built this way at the Norinco factory or has it been modified into the carbine configuration after leaving the factory?    I can see no evidence to indicate any work was done to the barrel, bayonet lug, front sight or anywhere else on the gun after leaving the factory.    Would this be an uncommon model if it left the factory this way ?           

[Greatguns]

All 16" barreled SKSs are commercial variants of the Type 56 standard SKS The Chinese never made a short barreled 'Paratrooper' SKS for their military.

The Paratrooper models were modified in China from regular SKSs for export to the US. Some of the AK mag variants were new builds along with the SKS-S, but some of the AK variants such as the MC-5D were modified from regular SKSs.

[PAX]

Technically not rare BUT the factory modified short-barreled rifles are in a collector's niche of their own, and some were modified not to accept a bayo. A lot of factors come into play but your folding stock could have been importer installed. At one time there were many options available by the different importers. Here's a few examples of the various set-ups that could have been had. PAX

[sweetgrass]

PAX     Thanks for the reply and the good pics.    The top three SKS's in the pics appear much like my short barrel SKS except for the folding stock on mine.    I realize the stock on my SKS is an add on after import into the US.   It is made of some kind of resin material and is quite stable in the extended position, I like it.   
I have a Russian SKS with a blade bayonet that I'd like to install on the short barrel Chinese SKS.   The bayonet lug on the Russian gun appears just like the bayonet lug on the Chinese gun.   Do you believe a swap of the bayo. from the Russian to the Chinese is possible?    Thanks   

[PAX]

With the SKS platform almost anything is possible but myself, I wouldn't start cannibalizing a Russian rifle for a Para. Just wait until you can source out a blade or put a spiker on it in the meantime. The front sight base, rod guides and bayo lugs are one-piece. Even though it's straight forward, Para bayos are shorter. requiring a permanent mod to the donor bayo. Additionally, the folder should be cut for the correct type of bayo, a narrow cut (blade) or an equally wide channel (spiker). Do you really need a bayonet? The blade units I've shown were importer installed options, from when you could have ordered them that way, but they're not on originally built blade chassis, they're pinned barrels on pot-bellied stocks. No pinned rifles had blades. They're also scrubbed of numbers. The early Ramline side folders have a bad habit of breaking at the hinge, they're very brittle plastic that's not durable. Get some picts up of your iron. BTW, the short rifles are called Paratroopers. PAX

[sweetgrass]

Thanks PAX     I appreciate your informative reply above.   The folding stock on my "para" appears to be quite strong and has very little wiggle when extended.    I think the groove in the lower side of the stock could easily take a blade bayo. if the groove is long enough.    I'd like to post some picts of my SKS & folding stock but my camara isn't a high quality type and the picts. it produces aren't good either.   In the past I've been criticized for posting such inferior picts.  Thanks for asking for picts. but it is better I not try.     

[PAX]

Borrow somebody's phone or take crappy picts, we don't care and won't beat you with a sling  ...this time, PAX

[Greatguns]

FYI sweetgrass, the bayonet lug is an integral part of the front sight assembly

[sweetgrass]

Greatguns  Thanks for your comment above.    On my short barrel SKS the bayonet lug is positioned well behind the front sight by at least 1 1/2" and there is no connection between the two except for the barrel of the gun.    I don't mean to be stubborn in any way but I can't see how the bayo. lug could be or effect any part of the front sight.    Could you be a little more specific ?   Thanks

[Greatguns]

Below are 2 images of a standard front sight base (left and right sides). all front sight assemblies except the Yugo M59/66 look like this. Any that don't look like this have been modified by bubba, or at the request of the importers for commercial variants of the Chinese type 56 SKS. Modification done on commercial variants of the Chinese SKS usually have totally eliminated the bayonet lug or have cut the lug off leaving the hole for the cleaning rod.

[Greatguns]

To elaborate, the FSB is like a sleeve that is press fit over the front of the barrel which is turned down accordingly. IIRC from .590" (15mm) to .551" (14mm)

To give more exact and complete explanation beyond that I would need to see pics of your SKS to see if there has been any modification post importation.

[PAX]

Some KSI Paras have a front site globe only, and some commercial short barreled guns are cut to18.5" like this one, with the globe only as well. PAX

[Greatguns]

But since the OP stated he has a bayonet lug on his it would have to be either a standard configuration Paratrooper or an SKS-S.

[sweetgrass]

Greatguns     Thanks for your reply and comments.    I'm attempting to post a couple older photos of the SKS with folding stock in this email but no luck.    I'll try once more but if no luck I'll just sed this as is.    NO LUCK