Choosing My First "Big" Rifle - Soviet Style

I own all three. Here's how I would rank them:

Practicality
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1) SKS
2) Mosin
3) SVT

Fun
===
1) SVT
2) Mosin
3) SKS

Cost (both buy and run) Cheapest first
============================
1) SKS
2) Mosin
3) SVT

Coolness factor/collectability
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1) SVT
2) Mosin
3) SKS

Shrinking Availability/Growing Cost (least available first)
=========================================
1) SVT
2) Mosin
3) SKS

I think most people would say get all three (as would I). But if you have to choose just one then your purpose will determine what to get. If you want to plink get an SKS. If you want something different and fun get an SVT-40. If you want something different and fun but not as expensive get a Mosin.
 
Two of my good buddies just went out and picked up an SVT each.

I think that's a good enough reason to do SKS and then eventually a Mosin (We get to play with all three!)
 
I was a "black powder flintlock 69 calibre kinda guy" for 10 years before I got my first "modern" rifle... a 1934 91/30 Mosin Nagant... because I wanted something cleaner to shoot and a cheap deer rifle to boot. I quickly added an SVT-40 which 1) takes the same ammo as the Mosin and 2) is a "hoot to shoot" and easy to take apart and clean coming from the black powder world where things get messy fast !!

So... IMHO... start with a Mosin and move on from there.

Happy shooting !!
 
For my two cents worth , I would go with the SKS , it is a semi auto carbine , so it is fairly compact , and the ammo is cheap and plentyful . Plus they are simple , cheap , tough as nails and has limited recoil......alot of rifle for the money.....I like to think of them as the poor mans AK-47.....lol
 
Get all 3 of them... for sure. All are affordable. The SVT's are fun, but they fire a full power cartridge, and your shoulder will remind you of it. They can also be a bit finicky, until you dial in the gas system. Mosins, are, well, Mosins... cheap and fun. I am not really a fan of them, but others seem to love them. The SKS is the best option of the lot. The most reliable, durable, and cheap to the shoot. Think "bullet hose".
 
Azurite said:
My question is, if your sole purpose is to shoot at a range, which one would you buy?
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Range only use? A Norinco/Dominion Arms AR for $650. It is a vastly better rifle than any of the ones on your list.

That said, I would take the SKS from your list. It shoots decently well, is easy to clean and shoots the cheapest ammo. It also has the least recoil, which is the best way to avoid developing a flinch as you move up to centerfire from the .22LR.


Mark
 
For a first gun I would pick a SKS for a second SVT for a third a mosin nagant. They're all fun to shoot but the SKS is easy to clean and fun to shoot the svt is also fun to shoot but a pain to clean the mosin is easy to clean but bolt sometimes gets old and sometimes it's fun to go back to it.

The SVT is a big clunker fun to shoot packs a punch but the sks just fits better. The mosin is fun but my pick would be sks first svt 2 and mosin 3.
 
Suther said:
SKS.

If your only going to get one, get the semi-auto with the cheap-ass ammo.

Its not a match grade tack driver, but it sure is fun.



I dont have personal experience with the other two, but from what I hear/read, Mosins kick pretty hard, and the SVTs are not nearly as user-friendly when it comes to take-down/reassembly. Also the SVT accuracy diminishes when it heats up - that was a major reason the soviets dropped the rifle all together....

I'll let others chime in on them beyond that.
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My SVT-40 starts shooting well after 10 rounds rapid fire, when it is hot 5 of 5 on the 200 yd gong. ran about 140 rds tru it last sunday in 2 hours so not much cooling time. ymmv
 
The SKS is a good starter gun to get into heavier calibres, and it's cheap, the ammo's cheap, and it is a lot of fun for what it is. It's semi-auto which is cool, and the clean up on it is pretty straight forward. I, like many others on this thread, have all three, but I must say my favorite is the Nagant, but maybe that's because I have a PU.
 
the sks is a fun rifle to shoot and the ammo is cheap and plentiful. svt is fun to shoot, harder on the shoulder, not a lot, and ammo is a little more and may not be as easy to find in the future (I don't see any Chinese ammo around for it yet). Nagants are a fun rifle in 91/30 but you can't stop there, m38 and m44.

get your sks first buy ammo for that. pick up some ammo for the other rifles and when you got a couple cases pick up a 91/30 or svt. if you are in Ottawa and want to try any of them pm me.
 
I started with a .22 too (Ruger 10/22 & CZ 452 American). Then I tried my buddy's SKS ... now I own 4 (two are safe queens; one with red dot and one with iron sight for plinking/hunting). They are fun and very addictive.
 
I am interested in a 9130 for it's undeniable history am just taking my time to get the one i want
That being said i have a SKS and it is absolutely a great time a great rifle and a steal of a deal
you will never own a more versatile low cost piece of history,.
and if your not into history how about a powerful rifle good to 200 yards with reasonable accuracy that you can shoot all day without a pain in your pocket.
every firearm enthusiast should have at least one you will not be sorry ever
 
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SKS its the best step up from .22
If I take someone to the range we start with the .22 and then up to the sks as an introduction to center fire rifles

Mosin is a dead simple bolt action and I love it but you feel it in your shoulder.
Svt-40 not as much kick because of the muzzle brake but its more finicky.

You will also want to look into the m38 and m44 variants
 
sharpsway said:
The SKS is a good starter gun to get into heavier calibres, and it's cheap, the ammo's cheap, and it is a lot of fun for what it is. It's semi-auto which is cool, and the clean up on it is pretty straight forward. I, like many others on this thread, have all three, but I must say my favorite is the Nagant, but maybe that's because I have a PU.
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It's getting to the point of which has the most available ammo and for how long...
 
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