I am considering one of the two: but which one?
I do not envisage a lot of use for whichever I pick.
As I see it, the SKS is a very reasonable serviceable weapon with ample (what price) ammo available, but not reloadable. But what happens to them if the ammo is no longer available?
As for the M-14, should I not be able to relaod .308 brass with small base dies as long as I have components, which I do?
Your advice is solicited.
Thanks in advance,
SOF
Depends on "why" you want these rifles.
If you're looking just to have one and to shoot it at the range and for plinking/accuracy improvement, the SKS is the best choice. You can get them extremely cheap (just got a fixer upper for $155.00) and they are abundant. You can have a few of them for spare parts and to dress up for different uses. (hunting, stock, tactical, etc.) Surplus ammo is 17.8 cents a round approximately. Ammo being used in 2008 was stamped between 1968 and 1973, so there is almost a 40 year backlog of surplus ammo in circulation. Hunting ammo in 7.62X39mm is approximately $1.00 per round, and 7.62X39mm is JUST BARELY the right size of bullet and powder charge to take down a deer within 100 yards. A lot of people would say it's not adequate. Others will say they have gotten a deer. That's always open to debate.
For the M14S, again this is a semi-abundant rifle here in Canada, however most of the dealers have indicated that the last batch of Chinese made ones has come and gone, so if you want to guarantee you have at least one working one for a long time, it's best to have 2 or 3 for backup and parts. Same as the SKS; having more than one guarantees different rig setups. (hunting, plinking, tactical) There are some amazing rigs out there for the M14S, and there are tonnes of photos and rigs for sale on CGN for the M14S. One always seems to go up for sale around the retail price once a week here on CGN, almost as many times as the SKS's do, however they are almost triple the price. The good news is almost none of them are abused. The 7.62X51mm round is more powerful than the 7.62X39mm, and it's totally feasible to hit a deer well over 200m with one. Lots of CGN'ers here have done it, and there is a whole photo thread of hunters with their rigs and take downs. Ammo though is much more expensive and very hard to come by at times in surplus quantities. Right now almost all the dealers are out. You're looking around 51.2 cents per surplus round, and almost all surplus ammo is non-re loadable. Hunting ammo in .308 is about 75 cents a round during hunting season, and that brass is re-loadable.
If you're looking for a TSHTF scenario where you think you'll need to fight off the Zombie Hordes and protect the Doomstead, both rifles have their purpose and place. Some CGN'ers here will tell you "no amount of ammo is enough" and some have stockpiled their favorite caliber to the legal carrying limit for where they live because they are concerned like you "it will run out." In the case of .308 surplus, for right now that has already happened. I go by the adage "one bullet to shoot, one bullet to keep, one bullet to barter," so I buy accordingly. Since I love shooting my SKS's, I buy surplus ammo whenever I can when I can afford it. When I am broke, I go back to 2 cent .22 ammo. For my M14S, I buy it when I can and when I can afford it but not as often; I simply cannot afford $700.00 cases of .308 surplus ammo all the time. Some CGN'ers here will hold onto surplus ammo and not shoot it until they can get another case to back it up for later on. Seems like a good opinion to me.
The SKS in a TSHTF scenario will be good for personal protection, and for hunting small game. Ammo seems extremely abundant, and if things unwind, hopefully you'll be setup for ammo before that happens. The M14S will reach out and touch someone from 2+ football fields away, is much more accurate. and will bring home the big game for supper. However ammo is not so abundant, and it's expensive. Both have their pros and cons. In my opinion, you should have one/some of each.
Hope this helps.
