Is it legal to modify an original stock?

[Comanchejoe]

Hello everybody it’s been awhile since I posted on the boards.  I hope 2020 hasn’t been to rough on you. So I recently purchased my second sks for 300 bucks.  It currently sits in a tapco stock with a tapco magazine and has the tech sights rear peep sight on it.  To my understanding right now it is 922r compliant. However it came with all the original parts(stock,handguard, and magazine).  What I would like to do is put the original parts back on and cut about a 1/2 inch off the back of the stock and add a grind to fit recoil pad with a 3/8” aluminum spacer and stain the stock with a darker(almost ebony)wood stain.  I just wasn’t sure if modifying an original stock like that would make it non compliant.

[LESchwartz]

2020  . . .  I recently purchased my second sks for 300 bucks.

Screaming deal.

What I would like to do is put the original parts back on and cut about a 1/2 inch off the back of the stock and add a grind to fit recoil pad with a 3/8” aluminum spacer and stain the stock with a darker(almost ebony)wood stain.  I just wasn’t sure if modifying an original stock like that would make it non compliant.

I'm not sure it would matter here, as with the original parts back on there would be not any features that would prohibit your SKS from import.  For more information, see the section on "non-importable" in the following post:  http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=111918.0.

Keep an eye on the portions of that post which talk about bayonets and C&R eligibility, should those apply.  I'm you have additional question, feel free to reply here.

Larry

[LESchwartz]

It may not be illegal to destroy an original stock but it should be. 

Numrich sells replacement stocks for like $25 and the original "matching numbers" stock is already gone.  See: http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=150702.0.

If your comment is about the previous owner, then I agree that too many people destroy the collectability of mil-surplus rifles without giving it a second though.  But that's not the case here.

Larry

[Rocketvapor]

However it came with all the original parts(stock,handguard, and magazine).

Numrich sells replacement stocks for like $25 and the original "matching numbers" stock is already gone.

If your comment is about the previous owner, then I agree that too many people destroy the collectability of mil-surplus rifles without giving it a second though.
But that's not the case here.
Larry

What I would like to do is put the original parts back on and cut about a 1/2 inch off the back of the stock and add a grind to fit recoil pad with a 3/8” aluminum spacer and stain the stock with a darker(almost ebony)wood stain.  I just wasn’t sure if modifying an original stock like that would make it non compliant.

IF the end of the ORIGINAL stock were slightly damaged and would not accept the original butt plate then some minor REPAIRS would not affect compliance.  Import was not with the Tapco stock, and MIGHT have been with the wood stock you have.
If your repair allowed an extension pad (many put extensions on the SKS stock) that was made from Rubber, or Anodized Aluminium Alloy, or Plastic to be attached with screws and did not allow ADJUSTMENT in LOP, I don't see anything that would impact compliance. 

Sanding and applying a coating, Clear, Green, Blue, Camo or EBONY stain should not impact the function of the stock. 
But, cutting it unnecessarily does permanently destroy alter the ORIGINALITY of a war relic, war ERA relic, or a Commercial War Era Clone.  I would evaluate the Historical value, then proceed.

Now, a replacement stock would allow you to keep the ORIGINAL stock intact if you wanted.  It might be far fetched but maybe it would need to be a Chinese stock for a Chinese rifle, Russian for a Russian, but some have been imported with parts from mixed countries, so who knows.  I not being a lawyer and all.   

So,
You got a SKS, Tapco stock, wood stock, and Tech Sights for $300.
Yup, that be a deal. 

Welcome back after your absence.
I hope the stain goes on even


 

[LESchwartz]

 

I missed the part about the OP having the original stock.  I mistakenly assumed he had purchased replacement OEM parts, but his post does say "it came with all the original parts".  My mistake.

If the original stock is matching numbers to the rifle or rare (Russian, Romanian, etc., etc.), then he could purchase an unnumbered Chinese one from Numrich for his project.

Larry

[Rocketvapor]

Agree.
The wife bought one of the letter guns from ? don't remember and the stock had some trench art and marks from riding in a gravel truck across several borders .
She wanted to keep the original in it's less than pristine condition so I got a stock, handguard with gas tube and piston in the classified section here.  We have a couple of 'history stocks' stored and cheap substitutes installed. 

[Greatguns]

And FYI, if anyone is thinking about the Numrich stocks, they are all for pinned barrels. I was checking into them and that is the info they gave. They are also stripped so you'd have to find all the hardware as needed.

[LESchwartz]

And FYI, if anyone is thinking about the Numrich stocks, they are all for pinned barrels. I was checking into them and that is the info they gave. They are also stripped so you'd have to find all the hardware as needed.

The stripped part isn't too bad, as you can just swap parts.  The pinned versus screwed thing can be handled getting a new cross bolt and with a modifying it.  I had to do this exact thing a couple times recently.  For more info, see: http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=150759.0.

Larry