SKS a good starter rifle - or is it?
- Thread starter Ancalagon
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Get an SKS, you will love it. Dirt cheap and reliable. Cleaning all that cosmoline out will teach you how it works, if you are mechanically inclined. A revised firing pin kit is availble that is simple to install or a smith will do it for reasonable fee. I refinished my stock in 4 hours and for $20. PM me for pictures and a quick tutorial, I will post it if there is interest.
It was my first gun too and I still have it and love it. Fun, cheap to buy and shoot,cool looking, and most importantly-- fun fun fun.
It was my first gun too and I still have it and love it. Fun, cheap to buy and shoot,cool looking, and most importantly-- fun fun fun.
Again, thank you everyone for your input. I must admit that while I still think that the SKS would be a very cool rifle to own, I'm not sure I want to start my riffle ownership with an epic battle with cosmoline... that and the realization what while I am going to get a .22 from my dad eventually, there is no time-line, perhaps I should start with the .22
That being said... is it possible/advisable to buy one and "leave it alone" for a while until I feel ready to deal with it? I know a *lot* were made, but the good deals won't last forever.
That being said... is it possible/advisable to buy one and "leave it alone" for a while until I feel ready to deal with it? I know a *lot* were made, but the good deals won't last forever.
Yes, it is. I had to leave my SKS in the box covered in cosmoline for a while before I had the time to clean it off. But seriously bro, cosmoline is nothing to worry about.
They were left alone in some stockpile for 50 years. Their feelings weren't hurt. If you aren't in a rush to buy one that's a good thing. That way you can browes around for a good deal on one.
I got my PAL last september and my first gun was an SKS. Cost of ammunition was a concern but i still wanted something with a little more bang for my first gun, so it was an obvious choice.
Its actually really easy to take apart, lots of videos on youtube to help you. the bolt is easy to take apart as well, check youtube! BUT....big BUT here, If your like me, you will get sick of cleaning it EVERY time you take it out with corrosive ammo, and it does get to the point where you almost don't want to take it out because, if your like me, you make sure its absolutely spotless when your done with it. That being said, for a little extra you can get non-corrosive ammo from lever arms and not have to worry about the rust as much!
My second rifle was a .22 LR semi-auto and thats fun too, but if I were you I would get an sks simply for the fact that in the future these rifles are probably gonna get more expensive due to lack of supply; from what i hear some places in the states are paying more than 400 for these rifles!
Its actually really easy to take apart, lots of videos on youtube to help you. the bolt is easy to take apart as well, check youtube! BUT....big BUT here, If your like me, you will get sick of cleaning it EVERY time you take it out with corrosive ammo, and it does get to the point where you almost don't want to take it out because, if your like me, you make sure its absolutely spotless when your done with it. That being said, for a little extra you can get non-corrosive ammo from lever arms and not have to worry about the rust as much!
My second rifle was a .22 LR semi-auto and thats fun too, but if I were you I would get an sks simply for the fact that in the future these rifles are probably gonna get more expensive due to lack of supply; from what i hear some places in the states are paying more than 400 for these rifles!
I got my pal a few months ago. My brother has a Ruger mini 30 so he was already firing 7.62X39 ammo so I wanted something that would shoot the same so we could buy cases and share the cost. The SKS was, IMO the best choice when price and parts support was factored in. I bought the gun and a case of ammo from marstar (after buying the ammo the gun, a brand new chinese SKS UNFIRED with a stainless bore) was only $75 more. I figured, how can I go wrong. I spend the $$ I saved on a Tapco stock and some Tapco mags and I LOVE this gun.
The day I got it I stripped it down completely. i think no matter what gun you get this should be step one. Even with a .22 you should take the gun all apart so you know whats going on when your firing. It helps you understand what to do if something goes wrong.
Then i watched about 20 videos on youtube on how to clean cosmoline. Since I wasn't using the stock I didnt even both with that. I used the Mineral sprits soaking method and it worked GREAT. About 20 minutes of soaking, sprayed the parts with gun cleaner, then some spray lube stuff I got at the gun shop... re-assembled it all into the tapco stock and I was good to go. It was NOT as big a deal as I had expected and I liked getting to know the internals of the gun.
First day shooting went great. The gun performed perfectly. I think if a larger calibre gun is what your after, the SKS is a great choice. My brothers Mini 30 cost nearly $1000... I have less than $200 into my SKS and it does exactly what his does.
My 2nd gun was a Ruger 10/22. Which I also love. Im upgrading the stock on it as well because its just plain TINY. Its a really fun gun to shoot of tons of rounds and not feel guilty but its no replacement for the power of the SKS.
As for the corrosive ammo. Ive decided that for $75 I'm not going to stress about it. I keep the gun clean and in good repair but I'm not going to go nuts and freak out about the corrosive ammo clean up. If the gun lasts me a few years ill be happy with my $75 and buy another one. Im not hunting. Just target shooting... but thats just me.
The day I got it I stripped it down completely. i think no matter what gun you get this should be step one. Even with a .22 you should take the gun all apart so you know whats going on when your firing. It helps you understand what to do if something goes wrong.
Then i watched about 20 videos on youtube on how to clean cosmoline. Since I wasn't using the stock I didnt even both with that. I used the Mineral sprits soaking method and it worked GREAT. About 20 minutes of soaking, sprayed the parts with gun cleaner, then some spray lube stuff I got at the gun shop... re-assembled it all into the tapco stock and I was good to go. It was NOT as big a deal as I had expected and I liked getting to know the internals of the gun.
First day shooting went great. The gun performed perfectly. I think if a larger calibre gun is what your after, the SKS is a great choice. My brothers Mini 30 cost nearly $1000... I have less than $200 into my SKS and it does exactly what his does.
My 2nd gun was a Ruger 10/22. Which I also love. Im upgrading the stock on it as well because its just plain TINY. Its a really fun gun to shoot of tons of rounds and not feel guilty but its no replacement for the power of the SKS.
As for the corrosive ammo. Ive decided that for $75 I'm not going to stress about it. I keep the gun clean and in good repair but I'm not going to go nuts and freak out about the corrosive ammo clean up. If the gun lasts me a few years ill be happy with my $75 and buy another one. Im not hunting. Just target shooting... but thats just me.
I just bought a Russian SKS myself. My first impression is that this a very high quality rifle. I'm not sure why they call it a carbine, because it's too big to be one. It's a full-sized rifle, and quite heavy (8.7lbs unloaded), especially on the front end.
This is a genuine WWII era semiautomatic. The design, build, etc. all scream 1940s. I don't find it very ergonomic. Modern guns blow it away from that standpoint. I haven't shot it yet. With its length I find it hard to believe this thing isn't accurate to 300 yards, but not with the crude stock sight. I bet with a scope it's damn accurate. Nowhere to mount a scope though, so I guess I'll look aftermarket.
By modern standards I consider this thing more of a hunting gun than anything. It's in the same league as the M1 Garand. Is it worth buying? If you want a tough, hardwearing gun that is simple and easy to clean this is it. I can't see getting anything else at the price. In 10-15 years people will be fighting for pristine specimens of these at gun shows, like the Enfields today. The price can only go up. A great looking piece of cold war history that you can use for practically anything. And I love wood grain guns. I'm not sure if mine is oak or beech, but it's laquered, dark and very good looking.
This is a genuine WWII era semiautomatic. The design, build, etc. all scream 1940s. I don't find it very ergonomic. Modern guns blow it away from that standpoint. I haven't shot it yet. With its length I find it hard to believe this thing isn't accurate to 300 yards, but not with the crude stock sight. I bet with a scope it's damn accurate. Nowhere to mount a scope though, so I guess I'll look aftermarket.
By modern standards I consider this thing more of a hunting gun than anything. It's in the same league as the M1 Garand. Is it worth buying? If you want a tough, hardwearing gun that is simple and easy to clean this is it. I can't see getting anything else at the price. In 10-15 years people will be fighting for pristine specimens of these at gun shows, like the Enfields today. The price can only go up. A great looking piece of cold war history that you can use for practically anything. And I love wood grain guns. I'm not sure if mine is oak or beech, but it's laquered, dark and very good looking.
Right now, sks are very cheap. You CAN get norinco surplus for 149$ and russian for 169$. You must buy one in the next few years. Thé price will only go up just like Lee Enfield, garand, 1911 in the 70 all theses models were everywhere and really cheap. Now it's an other story.
For the price you can't go wrong. A solid and reliable semi auto under 200$ is a real deal......
For the price you can't go wrong. A solid and reliable semi auto under 200$ is a real deal......
I'd say 'no' to the SKS as a 'good' first rifle. But it might might make a great second or third rifle. Someone starting out into shooting should probably go with a .22, which is a great way to go. Then move up into the larger calibers. If .22s were good enough for military rifle training, they should be good enough for our purposes as well.
When it comes to spending lots of time at the range, you want something that is ultra cheap to fire. Although the SKS is relatively cheap, it doesn't beat a .22 in that category. Get both!
When it comes to spending lots of time at the range, you want something that is ultra cheap to fire. Although the SKS is relatively cheap, it doesn't beat a .22 in that category. Get both!
I disagree with the .22 for a first rifle, I've only started shooting about 4 months ago and my first gun was an SKS. I now own 3 of them including my Yugo. It's a great gun even for newbies, it's simple and reliable, the ammo is dirt cheap and you can shoot 200 rounds without worrying about recoil.
Some people try to make a big deal out of corrosive ammo but you should be giving your firearms a cleaning anyways, you don't have to strip it down but a few patches. After all these were built to used, abused, muddy etc. What you do at the range doesn't come close to what they were designed for or been through.
Some people try to make a big deal out of corrosive ammo but you should be giving your firearms a cleaning anyways, you don't have to strip it down but a few patches. After all these were built to used, abused, muddy etc. What you do at the range doesn't come close to what they were designed for or been through.
I'd be interested to hear your reasons for thinking that a .22 wouldn't be a good first rifle.
As for the SKS... the ammo isn't as cheap as .22. Also, if they are firing cheap dirty milsurp ammon its a gun that requires way more maintenance to keep clean, and if they don't do that, they risk a very dangerous slam fire. None of those things are great for the average gun newbie. The fact that an SKS is built for more than it will encounter at the range is also just another reason its not something essential to the range. Sure, they are fun to shoot. But there are WAY better first guns out there.
You could use a pellet gun for shooting and learn almost as much as you would learn with a .22 An SKS will teach you how to clean a gun, what slamfire is and how to avoid it (by cleaning your freefloating pin) and what it's like to shoot a real serious gun. The 7.62x39mm ammo is hard to beat at $205 for 1300 rounds. It's just a great, unbeatable deal especially for a beginner.
And you get a really mild recoil for bonus that increase our accuracy if you shot a .22 just after
