Looking to buy an SKS

[R1pper]

There is a local show coming up this weekend and if i dont buy a small carry pistol I am thinking about buying an SKS. I know nothing about these rifles except they shoot 7.62 and I can run steel cased ammo through them with no issues. What are some things I should look to stay away from and what are some things that I should look for the rifle to have.


TIA
-DM-

[Cold Zero]

Why not just buy an A.K.?

[R1pper]

Why not just buy an A.K.?

Some how I knew that was coming! IDK mainly b/c I can get a decent (looking) sks for like $180 around here and AK's start at $500. Id rather use that money to buy ammo to feed my AR.

-DM-

[Cold Zero]

Sorry Dick, had to ask the obvious. Enjoy your purchase.

[TOrrock]

Most of them on the market are Yugoslavian surplus.

Some run from never issued to absolutely trashed.

The Yugoslavian rifles are the only SKS's that don't have chrome lined barrels. Make sure that the rifle you're getting has a decent barrel, the Yugoslavians used corrosive ammo and some times the cleaning regimen wasn't what it should have been.

Most are also covered in cosmoline, be sure to clean it ALL out, especially the gas tube and the bolt.

[bspring]

From what I have seen/worked on:

1. Yugo, Russian, other East Euro versions
2. Chinese these vary alot depending on when it was made.
3. Albanian, nice heat treated parts, machining is ruff.

My $.02,

Bill