Educate me on the SKS

Polar_Hunter

Polar_Hunter

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From the reading I have done the SKS has several variants. Not looking at this from a collectible point of view, looking at it with regards to function. Is one model better or worse than the others?
 
There all all kinds of stickies at the top of the red rifle forum that will tell you all you need to know. Any sks you would buy from a dealer here is likely to be in perfect working order. Some are prettier or
More
Collectible than others but they all function the same.

Read the stickies
 
The SKS has to be one of the most reliable rifles ever built. If you stay away from aftermarket parts and clean it properly, it will never have a problem. I keep one at the cabin that I've shot regularly since the early eighties. Probably have ten thousand rounds through it. Still shoots as good as the day I got it.
 
Buy Russian (Izzy if you can find it 'cause it's cooler) keep it stock, shoot it often, clean it more often, buy crates of surplus ammo and you will be happy. {after a short test and the ability to prove you own an sks you will be eligible for Canadian Citizenship...welcome:)}
 
cheapest semi-milsurp-rifle to buy and feed at this point, robust rifle that can take a beating, pain to strip and clean all the little parts after shooting corrosive ammo, sights are very basic and suck, optic mounting options also suck. You need to enjoy them as is, for what they are and what they represent.....if your plans are scopes and rails, pistol grips etc, save your cash. All the aftermarket SKS stuff is pretty much junk.
 
All work just fine and are of decent quality except for the Norinco commercial models that were imported in past years. Not to be confused with the Norinco military surplus rifles that are currently available from some site sponsors, those are actually quite decent. Never held one myself, but the workmanship on the Yugoslavian rifles is supposed to be a bit higher quality possibly justifying the higher price they command. For the ruskies, Izzy arsenal finishes are slightly nicer than the Tula stuff. Better blueing mostly. The more collectible stuff seems to be anything that hasn't been arsenal refurbished (no x'd out serial number on the stock, lack of refurb stampings all over the receiver, matching part numbers) and early years of manufacture (started about '45?). And the better Yugo's go for more money as mentioned. There's also a couple other commie makers that you don't see much of in Canada.
 
Hitzy said:
cheapest semi-milsurp-rifle to buy and feed at this point, robust rifle that can take a beating, pain to strip and clean all the little parts after shooting corrosive ammo, sights are very basic and suck, optic mounting options also suck. You need to enjoy them as is, for what they are and what they represent.....if your plans are scopes and rails, pistol grips etc, save your cash. All the aftermarket SKS stuff is pretty much junk.
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Side mount scope mounts work pretty good with the flat receiver. Try Choate or Pro Mag. The dust cover mounting rails are mostly crap. An aftermarket stock can be nice, length of pull on the SKS is for underfed conscripts, not 6'2" prairie boys. I have one with a folding stock and Pro Mag rail and one I left bone stock after cleaning the cosmoline off. Both are fun, can hit a dinner plate at 200 yards every time and go bang when the trigger is pulled.
 
Hitzy said:
if your plans are scopes and rails, pistol grips etc, save your cash. All the aftermarket SKS stuff is pretty much junk.
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I almost completely agree. There's a few good quality parts but they are few and far between and may not serve a purpose that suits everybody. The majority of SKS accessories are complete and utter crap. Absolute junk. They are also the leading cause of SKS function and accuracy problems. Ive never owned a bone stock SKS that didnt go bang every time without fail. I used to have a friend that i would joke "could jam an AK in less than 3 seconds". Cause he friggin could. I can hand him any firearm and he would have it jammed often before firing the first round. Outside of that my SKS's dont fail. Parts that cause failures usually dont make it off the bench before failing a function test and getting tossed. Tapco magazines would be a glaring example. Keep it stock and it will crap out mountains of spent casings no matter how violent and abusive you get with it. In Russia, SKS jams you!
 
In my opinion its one of the simplest most rugged reliable self contained weapons systems ever invented...you need nothing but a cartridge point to dissasemble it, it has a built in bayonet/cleaning rod and cleaning kit in the but. Can withstand filthy/cold/rough conditions. Lasts forever with minimal maintenance a good say...max 100yrd (ethically) medium size game round (somewhat similar in ballistics to the 30 30 ) .
If not for the timing of its invention (mere years before the AK) I do believe that it would be have become the most popular weapon system of all time.

Just leave it and feed it...or change and love it ...its priced cheap enough to do as you please ...though most goodies ...not everything but most (unless you can find a drill and tap scope mount or are concerned about l.o.p. etc) are just for fun (and thats good too) but not so much function.
I have six..love em all
And don't overlook the deal to be had with the military type 56 chinese surplus (not the civilian model)
Mine actual shoots better than my russian ones, ymmv?

Not to mention if you run out of ammo (which is readily available almost anywhere on earth) just use it as a club till you find more
 
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I've used three, two Russians and a Chinese. I personally liked the Chinese one better than the Russians (like the history behind all them though). Reliable, moderately accurate, and simple to use. My father used to consider all communist manufactured firearms junk, until he tried the SKS. First firearm he bought in over 15 years. Good price for a good solid gun.
 
I dont get why there is so much hate for aftermarket bolt ons? YES the SKS is an amazing rifle, its why it was my very first firearm purchase. buy one, buy two or three they are that good! but really if you want the rifle to fit you better, for me im 6ft and the factory stock was wayyyyyy too short, then there is nuthing wrong with a tapco stock. Man you purists just feel the need to influence everyone that owns an SKS. If he wants to keep it untouched thats awesome, if he wants to change something on it great its his rifle dont tell him that ALL the upgrades for the SKS are crap cause thats a load of BS.
 
One of my Russians is a 1950 Tula with a Laminate stock, non-chrome lined barrel, and a return spring firing pin. The other is a 1954 Tula, chrome lined barrel, and a free floating firing pin. I also have a second 1950 Tula, with a regular stock and a shot out barrel that I'm using as a parts rifle. It also has a return spring firing pin.

Most people like my 1950 Tula the most because of the Laminate stock looks amazing. It feels slightly heavier than my 1954 with just a regular wood stock. They both work flawless. I want a Chinese Type 56 with the pig sticker spike bayonet.
 
Several users report their Chinese models shoot more accurately than their Russian ones. I have three Chinese and can't really find fault with any of them. They're not as nicely finished as the Russians but you are not buying a safe queen here. As long as your expectations regarding ballistics are reasonable, all will do what you ask of them.
 
I know I have at least one Russian and one Chinese but I've lost count of everything milsurps tend to reproduce lol anyway I like them both shoot the Russian more I don't really shoot surplus ammo since I reload but I've shot countless rounds through them like oher have said stay away from aftermarket stuff it tends to make things not work as they should
 
"The SKS is horribly inaccurate and should never have any aftermarket parts"....:rolleyes:....unless :stirthepot2: , of course, someone actually cares enough to use $60 Tech-Sights and non-bulk ammo....:wave:


Because - somehow, acc. to some :nest: - the SKS is the only milsurp rifle that doesn't benefit from even slight tweaks to its sights and the ammo it's fed.....f:P:


(Sigh)
 
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