View Full Version : Any Love fo the SKS Here???
Long before I held my first AR/M16, I was putting 7.62 X 39's through paper and animals with the SKS. They were always the red headed stepchildren to all other types of semi-automatics being used. They were cheaply built, usually had ugly stocks and were incredibly inaccurate....or so we thought.
Today around the world they are as numerous as the sands in the desert. They are the only semi-auto rifle of choice of many countries in the world and held in high regard in those countries. They are chrome or nickle plated and given exotic wood stocks. They are displayed like treasures and held by children in some third world countries.
But are they really that popular here in the good ol'e USA......I believe they are and there is a website that I participate in that really promotes them and those that love them.: www.sksboards.com
I'll show ya mine if you show me yours,
tex45acp
It's a Chinese model that started out life as a behind the seat, carry to the ranch, bust a hog or coyote gun. Cost $65.00 NIB
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/mike_seale/SKSBefore-1.jpg
Then my sons decided to upgrade her for dear old Dad, for Christmas last year, and all I can say is, it won't go behind the seat anymore.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/mike_seale/sksmodified1.jpg
Nice! When I was at Ft. Devens MA, I had a buddy that had one. Don't know where it was made but we sure had a lot of fun with it! We used to drive up to a really big gun shop/sporting goods store just inside of Maine to buy ammo for it. We sure could shoot a lot for not much $.
I like them. I think the SKS is about impossible to beat in "bang for the buck". I'd like to pick up one of the Yugos and should have done so while they were still $200 at the shows. My local gun shop wants $400 for one now.
They're fun little carbines to shoot. I definitely think they're best suited to staying in wooden-stocked, fixed mag, stripper-fed natural state, but they make a pretty handy little gun like that.
i just picked one up that had the tapco stock and 2rd mag installed, it's a yugo. feel like i got a good deal as the seller also included the original wood stock that's in great shape and the 10 rd mag. all matching #'s
dwelling on what to do stock-wise. if i stay with the tapco i'm going to still put the 10rd box back on b/c strippers are cheap and it's not very easy to load 20 down into the plastic tapco mag. also with the tapco stock the gun feels very front heavy so i'll take off the bayo, grenade stuff and shorten the barrel.
or just go back to original mode and be happy to have one. it's a tack driver and will likely live in the truck. not as heartbreaking to loose something that cost a 1/4 of my AR (before all the extras!) should someone steal it. plus i'm finding ammo for it cheaper than .223 right now.
I like my Chinese one. Easy to shoot soda cans at 75-100 yards off hand with. I would keep then in their original clothes. Especially the 10r fixed mags. Much more reliable.
back before I got married I would occasionally take girls out shooting. They all like the SKS better than the AR. The shorter length of pull (think I had a fixed stock AR at the time) was more agreeable and they also thought it lighter.
I would like to have 10. They are easy to teach someone how to operate and in a SHTF scenario, you can outfit your family members or whatever as needed :-)
I got mine in 94 for $80.
Chad
I used to have 2 pretty nice ones. traded them for an M1 carbine. I wanted to just give the guy cash for it but he only wanted to trade for something. if I found a paratrooper for a good price I might get one, but aside from that I probably won't get another.
Like your's, mine is also a tackdriver and very reliable, even in the new clothes and shooting from the Tapco Mags. I probably would hav not done this conversion myself, but it was a gift from my sons and I will not change it back. Plus I really like unique things and I think it is very unique looking especially with the extended eye relief handgun scope of mine that they mounted scout rifle style. It works like a charm and I dont have to worry about a deflector to keep the ejected cases from hitting and possibly damaging the scope. I did like the iron sights that are on the gun, but my old eyes find it easier these days using crosshairs and not having to keep the front and rear sights aligned.
Alaskapopo
01-29-09, 05:41
I have two. I keep the SKS m as my truck gun. That way if it gets stolen I won't be crying like if one of my AR's got stolen.
Pat
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/355sigfan/Semi%20auto%20rifles/IM001149.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/355sigfan/Semi%20auto%20rifles/Guns004.jpg
John_Wayne777
01-29-09, 06:51
My personal opinion is that the SKS is one of the most under-rated rifles available in the US. They are usually very well made weapons and are more accurate than 90% of the people who will shoulder one.
I remember years ago the department store Roses used to have SKS rifles for 70 bucks. I could kick my own butt for not buying a bunch at that price.
I got mine when I was 14 from my dad to use as a deer rifle. Still love shooting it, just love to shoot the AR more.:D
They pretty much replaced the Winchester 94 and the Marlin 336 as "working man's guns" in the 80's and 90's.
Lighter than the AK & generally a better trigger than the AK, Chicom ones have the built in monopod/pigsticker on the front end... what's not to love?
I have two. I keep the SKS m as my truck gun. That way if it gets stolen I won't be crying like if one of my AR's got stolen.
Pat
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/355sigfan/Semi%20auto%20rifles/IM001149.jpg
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g299/355sigfan/Semi%20auto%20rifles/Guns004.jpg
I hope the D-model stays in the safe...........:D
Funny I was just looking at a very nice Russian built one yesterday. The only problem was they were smoking crack when they priced it at $699:rolleyes: I offered $375 which I thought was a fair price........ would pay 400+/- for one as nice as this one was. I think it was from 1954???
Funny I was just looking at a very nice Russian built one yesterday. The only problem was they were smoking crack when they priced it at $699:rolleyes: I offered $375 which I thought was a fair price........ would pay 400+/- for one as nice as this one was. I think it was from 1954???
I wish I could go back in time when you could pick uo a Russian or East German SKS for around $200. When my dad had his FFL most of his sales where SKS's and other verious eastern block weapons.
I like them.
I wish I had known I could have bought one for $100 back in the day. I would have.
Nice thing is, you can get a better trigger ifyou send off the FCG to Kivaari in TX, and you can get the springloaded FP if you want, from Murrays, also in TX.
Storydude,
If I'm not mistaken there aren't to many of those "D" models around that take the AK mags. I looked for one for a long time and couldn't find anyone willing to part with it when I did find one. I have a short what has been referred to as a Paratrooper SKS, and the only thing I don't like about them is you can only insert/remove the mag with the bolt open. But I think they have been underrated as well for what they were designed for.
M4tographer
01-30-09, 13:16
and the only thing I don't like about them is you can only insert/remove the mag with the bolt open.
That's easy to modify with a Dremel and some patience. The grooves on the bolt can be ground off, allowing you to insert/remove mag without pulling the bolt back. :) Did it to mine and it didn't have any impact on the stability of the magazine.
Jay Cunningham
01-30-09, 13:22
The typical SKS is a very capable general purpose long gun.
Storydude,
If I'm not mistaken there aren't to many of those "D" models around that take the AK mags. I looked for one for a long time and couldn't find anyone willing to part with it when I did find one. I have a short what has been referred to as a Paratrooper SKS, and the only thing I don't like about them is you can only insert/remove the mag with the bolt open. But I think they have been underrated as well for what they were designed for.
Only ones I'm aware of are the Norinco ones. And all those stopped coming in in the 90's (THANKS CLINTON!!!) Around here the Norinco-D bring in about $300 more than a standard Yugo 59/66 A1 Nothing wrong with the SKS design, keeping in mind it was designed as a battle rifle and not a carbine. Only problem I've seen with the design is the free-floating firing pin and what seems like the only close tolerance on the weapon. If the bolt is not clean, the firing pin can wedge itself forward(Tapered FP and tapered bore it rides in..) and lock there. Not fun releasing the bolt after loading a new stripper and getting slamfires.
I kinda regret selling the 3 Yugo 59/66A1's I had.......:(
I'm going to bring this one back from the dead. I just in inherited my brothers Russian SKS. Pictures to follow. Need less to say my Chinese SKS may be up for sale soon.:D
I'm going to bring this one back from the dead. I just in inherited my brothers Russian SKS. Pictures to follow. Need less to say my Chinese SKS may be up for sale soon.:D
Just remember. Two is one, and one is none...
:D
I consider the Chinese export SKS to count as exactly "zero".
pilotguyo540
08-31-10, 10:11
I consider the Chinese export SKS to count as exactly "zero".
Really??? Any particular reason?
I think the sks is a great little rifle. Its accuracy is plenty good enough. I have never had a hiccup with any sks. Chinese, russian, yugo, or egyptian. I did find that tthe chinese rifles prefer russian ammo and the russian rifles prefer chinese ammo :) I am not sure if you can still buy the chinese ammo. I don't think I would want to lug one around a carbine course all weekend but they are an excellent ranch gun. The worse part I have found with these is the damn cosmoline. You can chase that stuff for days when you first get one. Diesel or shop solvent work wonders for that.
The Chinese didn't properly harden a whole bunch of sears.
Because the safety only blocks the trigger the rifle can fire while you are carrying it loaded on safe, mine did. My brother has one that doubled and I checked the sear, FUBAR. I've pulled two more apart that have not malfunctioned yet and they also have excess wear on the sears.
From Navy Arms:
"Some of these rifles may have a manufacturing defect of the engaging surfaces in the trigger-hammer-sear assembly, which can cause intermittent failure of the sear to hold the hammer in a cocked position. This condition can result in the unexpected firing as a round is chambered, without pulling the trigger, or if the weapon is jarred or dropped. This condition may also result in sudden and unexpected automatic fire and loss of control of the firing weapon."
http://firearmsid.com/Recalls/FA_Recalls%202.htm
Daemonbane
08-31-10, 10:48
The Chinese didn't properly harden a whole bunch of sears.
Because the safety only blocks the trigger the rifle can fire while you are carrying it loaded on safe, mine did. My brother has one that doubled and I checked the sear, FUBAR. I've pulled two more apart that have not malfunctioned yet and they also have excess wear on the sears.
From Navy Arms:
"Some of these rifles may have a manufacturing defect of the engaging surfaces in the trigger-hammer-sear assembly, which can cause intermittent failure of the sear to hold the hammer in a cocked position. This condition can result in the unexpected firing as a round is chambered, without pulling the trigger, or if the weapon is jarred or dropped. This condition may also result in sudden and unexpected automatic fire and loss of control of the firing weapon."
http://firearmsid.com/Recalls/FA_Recalls%202.htm
My granddad has a norinco SKS, anything I should consider getting for it to make it up to snuff for him? Also, who would then be the best bet for quality SKS's?
pilotguyo540
08-31-10, 10:53
They discussed this on Mythbusters. The "expert" attributed the problem to the free float firing pin. I thought that was bogus. This same expert sold a spring kit for the firing pin.
Deemonbane, I think overall the russian gun is tthe standard to which the others are judged by. Its been a while since I was into sks's on that level but back in the day the russians were king shit.
I am not sure if my Chinese SKS is a commercial export or one of the earlier surplus ones but mine has always functioned fully correctly. I don't think all Chinese ones are crap, just (some) of the ones put together from surplus parts and exported commercially (versus complete surplus ones)
I believe the FP can get stuck but it will only fire when chambered or double when firing. Mine went off while I was carrying it and the sear was trashed when I took it apart.
If I ever decide to fix mine I will probably just replace the trigger group with a surplus unit or make my own sear.
Obviously not all the Chinese SKS's have this issue but I won't trust them...
I actually like them myself. Always thought of them as reliable beater type arms. Bought one from a fella @ the funshop one day after the dealer wasn't interested in buying and I cleared it with the dealer himself (didn't want to step on any toes).
I asked the fella how it ran and he said just fine. Got it to the house for a teardown and check. The thing was still full of cosmoline (the bore was punched clear but not clean) but you could clearly see where the grease had been moved/blown around during the firing process.
I guess that could be deemed reliable. :) Cleaned & lubed it and no problems ever.
Keith
GermanSynergy
08-31-10, 21:32
I've got a 1951 Soviet SKS I bought in 1995 for $90, with 120 rds of Norinco ammo, out the door. I'll never part with it.
carshooter
09-01-10, 10:15
It's unfortunate that current SKS pricing is so close to low end AK pricing. They were excellent sub $150 rifles.
I've recently seen a number of Yugo SKS's that frankly seem worn out. My theory on that is that many of the Yugo SKS's were actually used heavily with corrosive ammunition before they were ever imported, while the majority of other commonly encountered SKS's from other countries were fairly pristine by comparison.
It can be fairly difficult to locate some replacement small parts now.
I bought a Norinco in 2000 for just under $300, it is the paratrooper model. It has a shorter barrel and it takes actual AK mags. I still have it and it works very well.
____________________________________________________
A man's got to know his limitations. -Clint Eastwood
My brother has one that doubled and I checked the sear, FUBAR.
I had one that did the same thing, usually at the range. Man did that piss me off. :nono:
But it was an older, pretty well used Chinese model (I believe) when I bought it for about $150 back in the 90's. Sold it to someone who knew how to fix it up, that was that. Would buy one again due to the overall reliability, price and legality (I do live in NJ), but a better and also lesser used model this time would be mandatory.
I've recently seen a number of Yugo SKS's that frankly seem worn out. My theory on that is that many of the Yugo SKS's were actually used heavily with corrosive ammunition before they were ever imported, while the majority of other commonly encountered SKS's from other countries were fairly pristine by comparison.
All that ethnic cleansing will wear out your rifle if you don't clean it.....
And I'm only partly joking, not much at all in fact. During the civil wars there, the various militias didn't have small arms maintenance very high on the list of things to do. Combine that with non chrome lined bores and corrosive ammo, and yes, you get torn up barrels.
carshooter
09-01-10, 15:19
All that ethnic cleansing will wear out your rifle if you don't clean it.....
And I'm only partly joking, not much at all in fact. During the civil wars there, the various militias didn't have small arms maintenance very high on the list of things to do. Combine that with non chrome lined bores and corrosive ammo, and yes, you get torn up barrels.
Yes, exactly.
Then, they were imported here and sold for $89, and some continued to be used heavily with even more questionable maintenance.
I've seen two or three in the last year that are quite literally worn out from simple use. I'd caution anyone buying one to look at any Yugo quite closely, as many of the more worn looking models that actually saw service are now shot out.
GermanSynergy
09-01-10, 16:05
All that ethnic cleansing will wear out your rifle if you don't clean it.....
And I'm only partly joking, not much at all in fact. During the civil wars there, the various militias didn't have small arms maintenance very high on the list of things to do. Combine that with non chrome lined bores and corrosive ammo, and yes, you get torn up barrels.
I have two Yugo 59/66's, one is absolutely mint (1980 mfr) with logbook and accessories. Another was bought in the summer of 2003 for $79, with heavy finish wear and a carved up stock. The trigger is very nice, and it is a tack driver (for an SKS). Someone took care of it, because the bore and gas system were/are in great shape.
All of this SKS talk is making me nostalgic, and I need to take em to the range more often! :cool:
Great rifle, horrible ergonomics.
The military stock is like holding a 2x4 which is why I really don't shoot mine very often.
I have a nice Romanian SKS. It shoots prety well. It is not a target rifle, but was never intended to be one.
I've personally seen too many problems with the SKS platform to consider it as a fighting weapon... AK or bust =)
I had one that I had bought for under $100, a Yugo IIRC. When O got elected I sold it :D it was pretty useful for that.
GermanSynergy
09-02-10, 22:13
I've personally seen too many problems with the SKS platform to consider it as a fighting weapon... AK or bust =)
What problems?
What problems?
I think many of the problems originate from the massive amount of "economical" surplus SKS's out there that have literally been beat to shit. Had one myself.
Wish we could still get them for $100 I sure would pick one up ! :)
Quiet-Matt
09-03-10, 17:11
This one that my uncle sent me turned out to be a good one. Looked rough when I got it, but cleaned up nicely.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_5kA3JwNkBxc/TDD3ho-v-rI/AAAAAAAAGGc/_GiwfcS6haQ/s720/mms_picture.jpg
I love the platform...as like a 5th, 6th, 7th option. My Norinco's were bought new for a song and became great for playing with options, etc. My Yugo somehow was so ugly but worked so well, left it as it is. I have a beautiful Russian that just stays in the safe shot it a couple times and just love it for the nastalgia of it. You know the deal.
My favorite SKS is my Chinese "paratrooper" version, with a shorter 16" barrel and a fixed chinese 20 round mag. :)
fan of the sks, especially the chinese variants. as a matter of fact will be picking one up this week, a friend who has never fired his chinese sks since the late 90's.
my sino soviet
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y211/kadiindo/1014.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y211/kadiindo/367.jpg
platoonDaddy
09-12-10, 04:39
Love my Chinese paratrooper that I purchased back in the 80's for $100. Can't recall what I paid for the forty 30 round magazines, but they were cheap.
I put on a syn stock and adding the mod to hold open the bolt.
http://sailorcurt.blogspot.com/2007/05/sks-bolt-hold-open.html
Ammo was cheap for years and now it is way up there. But it just keeps on firing and NEVER had a problem.
SKS is a great general purpose weapon, it has decent balance and is pretty new user friendly.
I had a Chinese Paratroop er16" which was fixed magazine, but had the 20 round Chinese "star" fixed mag. If it weren't for the safety placement and the stripper clips (I've had round fall off the stripper clips on multiple occasions) I'd still have it.
For under $200 its a solid rifle capable of more than I was as a shooter.
Back in the day.......
My Dad won his Chinese SKS from a raffle board. The local fire department was having a tip board and there were two tickets left to finish out the lot. Since the rest of the department knew that my old man has his FOID card (IL gun laws are ridiculous), they bugged him to finish out the board. So my old man bought the last remaining tickets at $3.50 a piece.
Low and behold, my old man won the draw and took home a new Chinese SKS for $7.
Although not the finest piece of weaponry, I still had a lot of fun with it growing up and credit it with being a big part of why I'm into guns today.
Sad to say that I really started getting into guns after starting with a $7 Chinese SKS. :bad:
A Yugo SKS was my first repeating, center fire rifle. For what it is, it does it very well; it can consistently hit a 12" target at 100 yards shooting cheap, inconsistently manufactured ammunition reliably. I've since bought/sold/traded 5 other SKS rifles ending with my current '50 Tula.
It is now my girlfriend's rifle, she doesn't like my black rifles but thinks that the wood is pretty and worth her time. :p
My dad bought about a dozen SKS rifles in different variants when Clinton started talking about the ban. He still has a few and he gave me one last year. An SKS was the first semi automatic rifle I ever shot and really got me into guns. I had shot and liked bolt action rifles and some shotguns, but they just aren't the same as a semi automatic rifle.
The one I have is Chinese and is a pretty decent shooter. After reading this thread, I think tonight I'll have to check the sear to make sure it's not showing excessive wear.
another addition to my norinco collection
unfired late model sks, confirmed 1991 date of registration/bottom sks
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y211/kadiindo/231-3.jpg
Those 2 look exactly like mine! My "blade" is a 1950 Russian with a nice dark stock, and my "spike" is a chinese gun with the typical ugly orange/yellow varnish stock.
I can't believe what the prices on these guns have done in the last 15 years! I also miss the $100/1100 round corrosive steel-corred chicom ammo that would come preloaded on stripper clips!
I have one, a yugo, and it shoot's like it was intended.
I like the sks as a general purpose wep and with some of the mods that are out there for hi-cap mags without changing the configuration of the gun it is well suited to a budget minded individual.
The "marcus" adapter and mods to the tapco 20's will suit those who can't afford an AR at the moment.
The sks shoots way better than an AK for me and I really like AK's!
LJNoobicon
09-21-10, 13:48
I had a Yugo and got a practice grenade for it, it made for fun times. The over all rifle though not very ergonomic was a good shooter. I sold it a while back, if I ever find a deal on a nice Russian or Chinese one I would buy it.
yeah a russian or a nice chinese para would suit me just fine!:cool:
Just FYI. It is my understanding that the so-called "para" model with shorter barrel was never an issued or military SKS but are all commercial rebuilds or commercial first run models.
NavyDavy55
09-25-10, 07:24
A bandolier full of stripper clips and an SKS are a useful SHTF weapon.
NavyDavy55
09-25-10, 10:05
I'm going to try this again.
I think a bandolier full of clipper strips and an SKS would be a good realiable SHTF weapon.
I have my old $99 SKS and the original chest rig loaded with stripper clips. Not my first or maybe second choice but still a viable option. It's simple, ultra-reliable, tough as nails and would be a great choice for loaning to a friend in a bad situation.
A bandolier full of stripper clips and an SKS are a useful SHTF weapon.
lethal dose
09-25-10, 11:00
We have two noricos... great shape... paid $100... FOR BOTH! And that was just last summer. :)
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.