TactiSMART 025: Say YES to SKS for Home Defense, Part 1

Fx G.I. Clothespin Bipod Closure

After the initial firefight contact, if you don't win the firefight with your in-the-gun ammunition supply, you'll have to reload and keep firing until you do. We recommend starting firefights with the a Maximum Rounds Start (MRS) using a drum if you can, described in TactiSMART 008. 

Russian Weaponry Development with Magazine Capacities

Generally speaking, a drum is more compact than a long box magazine so as to not prevent prone firing whose magazine under-extension limit is 7". The new ProMag ARCHANGEL 35-rounder SKS magazine with Quick-Release (QR) lever sticks out 9" below the gun so much that it prevents prone firing unless helped by a bipod to raise it a bit. There is a 100-round SKS magazine that curves upwards that tries to preserve prone firing capabilities. 

https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/49204

After initial contact, you'll want to get as low as possible to avoid enemy fire--the prone firing position. Prone firing stability and function is greatly helped by a bipod which can raise the SKS high enough for the 35-rounder magazine to clear. For the SKS, we recommend a grip that becomes a bipod with left/right swiveling capability clipped to a bottom Picatinny rail. If you don't have a Pic rail under your SKS, the very strong spring tension, metal G.I. "clothespin" bipod will work nicely clamping on to the barrel without interfering with the folding bayonet vital to CQB. Yes, you can fold down the bayonet and use it as a loose monopod--but a bipod is more stable. 

combatreform.org/bayonets.htm

Meet the G.I. Clothespin Bipod's Pouch

Be sure to get the U.S. pouch for the G.I. bipod with outer pouchette for a small can of WD40 lubrication/cleaning oil with cleaning rod side pouchette; replace the loose ALICE metal clip with a wider short MALICE clip for secure retention to your Load Bearing Equipment (LBE). 

BEST WE CAN DO with the G.I. Clothespin Bipod Pouch: MALICE Clip-It!

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/103170B
https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/103180B

Use a Field eXpedient (Fx) technique to close it without relying on its pouch to do so. 

We used trouser blousing band elastic for our 1st Fx technique but will come up with an easier, non-sewing 2nd technique using velcro. Here is another Fx technique: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3uLQ9rYnow

Economical Prepper 4 years ago

Nothing like being 7 years late to the party, but what we used to do was take the small chain that attached the second dog tag to the main chain and slide it over the top of the bipod and allow it to slide down the legs until it reached the lower curve. They were free and readily available, required zero effort to create, and you didn't give a crap if you lost it.

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NEW! 2nd Field eXpedient Clothespin Bipod Closure Device

This technqiue is complete stick-on, "Velcro engineering" with no sewing required. Yahhh!

Cut a 2" and a 5" long piece of SOFT black 2" industrial-strength stick-on Velcro.

Cut 2x 5" long piece of HARD Velcro. 

Ms. Peel (Diana Rigg of the TV Avengers) the backing and attach the 2" square of SOFT Velcro around the bottom (just when the curve stops) of one clothespin bipod leg and press down tightly. 

SOFT Velcro Receiver Piece on One Bipod Leg

Take the 5" HARD Velcro and press it against the other side of the SOFT Velcro--this is one of your closure tabs. 

Close the bipod and peel from there and meticulously press this inner "C" piece into the opposite bipod legs following its squarish contours. With the bipod closed, press the opposite HARD Velcro tab into the other side of the SOFT Velcro piece on the opposite bipod leg. 

You would be done except there is 2x areas of exposed sticky HARD Velcro in-between the two closure tabs. 

Sticky! Cover this!

We are going to cover this with an inner "C" piece and make the closure tabs stronger by covering them with the 5" piece of SOFT Velcro. 

Starting from a closure tab, pell/stick the SOFT Velcro around it and all around that bipod's leg. 

Cover the Bipod Leg with the inner "C" of HARD Velcro with an outer "C" of Soft Velcro

Scissors cut to fit. Trim everything to make nice-looking squarish tabs etc. 

VOILA!  

G.I. Clothespin Bipod with Velcro Closures 

Make sure you KRYLON or RUSTOLEUM paint your bipod TAN for good camouflage or leave as-is BLACK if you're into night operations. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QShRqg8FqGU

PART 2 is not ready to publish--we are still waiting on a SKS PRELM loader that works. 

Semper Airborne!

James Bond is REAL.