School me on the SKS

[1168]

Any import markings on it?

Left side of the barrel, aft of the front sight. “CAI ST AIRE VT SKS 762X39 NORINCO CHINA”

Tag says 1967 YOM.

Without taking it apart, I see matching SNs everywhere. The stock has most of a triangle with a 6 (I think) inside it. The left side of the receiver has three Chinese-looking characters on it, and another triangle with, I think, two sixes in it.

The finger grooves are not equidistant from the trigger guard….seems to have righty’s in mind. Are all SKSs like this?


After studying its exterior for a bit, I’ve gathered:

It spent a lot of time leaning in various corners, but not square against walls or trees. Most of the buttplate and front sight tower wear indicate this.

It was carried slung, garrison style, for part of its life. There is some, but not a ton of, wear on the top handguard cap. Interestingly, there is no corresponding wear on the bottom cap. The sling hardware doesn’t show a ton of wear.

Somebody boogered the screw that attaches the bayonet. I blame Clinton.

I don’t think it was ever issued to anyone named Snuffy, Joe, or Murphy. The sights and cleaning kit door show no signs of having been finger****ed repeatedly by bored kids on guard duty. The buttplate screws have not been boogered. The gouge from the disassembly lever is thin and light.

There is no cleaning kit, but the rod is present. There is still a bit of goop under the rear sight.

There is no wear on the trigger, safety, or buttplate edges to indicate frequent live or dry fire. Similarly, the mag and latch don’t show evidence of heavy use. The bolt face looks like it was made earlier today, and there is little finish wear inside the action. There is a bit of finish wear on the mag follower.

There’s some wear around the muzzle indicating that the bayonet has been fixed, but its light enough that that’s probably from Americans playing with it in its civilian life.

Here’s where it gets weird. So far, I’ve described a rifle that has not been neglected or beat on. Might have never fired issued commie corrosive ammo. Carried a bit, leaned in a corner a lot. Kept clean and oiled. Basically not a gun that was used heavily in the field. But the stock….. has dings and gouges and dents and scratches. Looks like a gun that was used heavily in the field. Quite a bit of contrast from the metal. Perhaps the metal finish is more durable than I thought, and the wood very soft.

I’d guess this rifle’s story is very boring, but it is fun to speculate. Its cool that the wood has character, but not the metal. Much better than the other way around.

[SteyrAUG]

Left side of the barrel, aft of the front sight. “CAI ST AIRE VT SKS 762X39 NORINCO CHINA”

So that's a Century Arms import mark, meaning imported AFTER 1986 by Century so the completely flushes the whole "Vietnam Bring Back" story.

Most Chinese imports came in through Kengs, but not being covered by the 89 import ban it probably came in during the 90s with all of the Russian and other former commie bloc small arms that CAI flooded in after the fall. Norinco would still be decent quality.

[1168]

So that's a Century Arms import mark, meaning imported AFTER 1986 by Century so the completely flushes the whole "Vietnam Bring Back" story.

Yeah, I really didn’t buy the VN story. This steel is in too good of condition.

[SteyrAUG]

Yeah, I really didn’t buy the VN story. This steel is in too good of condition.

So people generally consider Norinco the second best Chinese manufacturer behind Polytech, but depending upon what was made and when, sometimes the difference is negligible. The important thing is the Chinese rifles stopped coming in a long time ago and there won't be any more.

It's also an interesting firearm from a design and place in history standpoint. I just wish I grabbed a Russian laminate model back when they were $150.

[AndyLate]

So people generally consider Norinco the second best Chinese manufacturer behind Polytech, but depending upon what was made and when, sometimes the difference is negligible. The important thing is the Chinese rifles stopped coming in a long time ago and there won't be any more.

It's also an interesting firearm from a design and place in history standpoint. I just wish I grabbed a Russian laminate model back when they were $150.

I couldn't agree more, and I feel the SKS was/is a very good rifle that will always live in the shadow of the AK. Not sure if I would choose one over the more correct Ariska or Mosin-Nagant for shooting at 500 yards, but I would rather own an SKS (and did).

Andy

[1168]

Triggers are much worse than AK triggers.

I’m starting to think that I’m kinda insensitive to triggers. Like, I have favorites, but I don’t hate many triggers, including factory Glock and AK, which strike me as quite good for their intended purposes, as does this SKS, so far.

In almost every case they are substandard to AK rifles. I understand your thought process, but they aren't the Soviet block M14, they are the Soviet Block M1 carbine.

Thats what I meant when I said the SKS is a commie M14. Its an in-between generation gun, chambered in an in-between generation cartridge. Old-school design cues in the stock, poorly designed selector by modern standards, low mag capacity, long OAL, open-top action, wood and steel with no aluminum or plastic, and a bore diameter equal to what that nation’s bolt-guns had been using for half a century. They are both products of emerging “Great Powers” competition of the era, psychologically, philosophically, etc.

Both the M14 and SKS were designed in a period in which weapon technology and employment doctrine were evolving very rapidly. They had relatively limited adoption and short lives in service, not because of durability, but obsolescence. They were both fielded in a more limited fashion than their respective nations previous rifles, and they were both replaced by ahead-of-their-times superior weapons of more modern design philosophies very soon after adoption.

In a way, they were behind their times, but one must apply hindsight to see that as clearly as it is visible today. Its just like the dawn of bolt actions with smokeless and spitzers. Some of the nations that were early adopters of smokeless were late moving down in bore size or improving BC. Few had the vision to know where rifles were going to be in a decade or two. Some nations that were late enough adopters to have top-tier rifles going into WWI, also ended WWII with modified versions of those same rifles. The same thing happened with the revolutionary changes that happened in the 40s-70s. I’d say that the M16 and AK47 are also products of that time, but were able to be improved and had fewer limiting characteristics, thus more staying power into the current era.

I can see the comparison with the .30 Carbine, M1/2, though.

[1168]

I couldn't agree more, and I feel the SKS was/is a very good rifle that will always live in the shadow of the AK. Not sure if I would choose one over the more correct Ariska or Mosin-Nagant for shooting at 500 yards, but I would rather own an SKS (and did).

Andy

I do want an Arisaka 6.5 someday. That’ll be an interesting handloading rabbit-hole with its crazy rifling, and similar cartridge to the 6.5C. Carcano, too, with it weird bore diameter and similarities to 6.5C.

Edit: can someone take a look at the crown pic a few posts back and tell me if that is typical for a Chicom SKS? It looks flatter than expected…maybe its been cleaned up?

[Todd.K]

…the trigger isn’t bad at all. I actually would describe it as very good for a milsurp, but every few pulls it’ll give a much heavier break for some reason.

That is because the same Chinese company that made Hot Wheels also made SKS sears out of the same material.

[1168]

That is because the same Chinese company that made Hot Wheels also made SKS sears out of the same material.

Probably by the same filthy kids on the same filthy factory floor. At least those re-purposed mathletes knew how to use whatever chemicals were applied to the barrel.

[AndyLate]

I do want an Arisaka 6.5 someday. That’ll be an interesting handloading rabbit-hole with its crazy rifling, and similar cartridge to the 6.5C. Carcano, too, with it weird bore diameter and similarities to 6.5C.

Edit: can someone take a look at the crown pic a few posts back and tell me if that is typical for a Chicom SKS? It looks flatter than expected…maybe its been cleaned up?

The crown is almost certainly re-cut. I would call that a plus to be honest. Looks like a nice SKS.

Andy