Is SKS still a good buy?

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Jestersage

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No, I am not talking about its performance, which will always be lacking compared to m14. I am asking if it's a good buy. (It's performance is between .308 and 5.56 AFAIK)

My experience with SKS is during the practical for PAL, which made doing the PROVE difficult. Then I heard that ammo is only cheap when you buy in bulk and may not be readily available in comparison to .308.

That being said, SKS in theory is easier to maintain due to its Soviet nature, and suppose to be robust like the AK, in comparison to US-type system that is good for precision but harder to maintain?

So school me on whether I should go SKS, or save up for a Norinco m14.
 
Everybody should have a sks , it's a functional semi in a caliber that will put most game down. For around $200 you can't go wrong
 
Jestersage said:
No, I am not talking about its performance, which will always be lacking compared to m14. I am asking if it's a good buy. (It's performance is between .308 and 5.56 AFAIK)

My experience with SKS is during the practical for PAL, which made doing the PROVE difficult. Then I heard that ammo is only cheap when you buy in bulk and may not be readily available in comparison to .308.

That being said, SKS in theory is easier to maintain due to its Soviet nature, and suppose to be robust like the AK, in comparison to US-type system that is good for precision but harder to maintain?

So school me on whether I should go SKS, or save up for a Norinco m14.
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The SKS is ridiculously easy to PROVE.

SKS > Norc M14 any day, all day.

That being said, for 200 dollars you get a functional rifle that will take any game in North America with commercial soft points, and is insanely cheap to plink with using surplus military.

Recoil is hardly noticeable, and if you want to dress it up you can.

+ Bayonet. You can't forget the bayonet.
 
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Go get one now, before liberals ban them.

Ruger mini 14 is in the same class with SKS. Compared with SKS, mini 14 is expensive, heavy, and easily get jammed. Ruger was in the danger of going out of business after Chinese and Russian firearms entered US market back in 90s. The solution? Ruger lobbied congress to ban all the imports from China and Russia.

SKS is the cheapest semi-auto rifle you can get on the market, and it is of good quality and very reliable. Get one before too late.
 
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Great semis, they're overbuilt and the 7.62x39 is a great cartridge under 300m, great tapered body for reliable feeding in a semi. Buy one. For account for my monkey arms, I've put the rifle in a tapco intrafuse stock and installed a magwedge rail. It's more accurate than you think. 24 inch barrel with a milled steel receiver with a chrome lined bore, quite nice. It will outlive you. My only advice is keep the gas system clean and you're golden. I've owned chicom and Soviet made SKS.
 
SKS is a simple to use, intermediate military firearm. I wouldn't say a main battle rifle like the FN C1A1 and such with a standard full power/size rifle cartridge but more like it's little brother. It's handy, nimble, hardy and cheap to feed. Hunting ammo is available or use surplus for plinking and practice. Nay sayers just don't like cleaning their firearms as one does when shooting corrosive ammo. Or they think it can't be good if you don't have to use synthetic lubricants and it's build tolerances are grater then .1% of spec etc.

They aren't a tack driver unless you have big tacks. They don't have mirrored blue finishes. They are a purpose built, functional and simple rifle. So everyone needs to have one.
 
You can buy 4-5 for the same price as a Mini-30. All of them will be more accurate and reliable than the Mini-30, and not picky about the ammo you run in them.

So... Yah, good deal.
 
pertain said:
...Compared with SKS, mini 14 is expensive, heavy...
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I agree with 90% of what you wrote, but the SKS is no lightweight, either.

Mini14 is obviously more expensive, but it's a proven platform as well, evolving from the 44 Carbine into the 10/22.

I'm not sure why you hate the Mini14 so much, but side-by-side with an SKS, if a person were to only have one rifle then then the SKS definitely has its merits (cheap to buy, cheap to feed, reliable, etc).
 
Fine, now I want one. Where's the best place in Calgary to get one as I'd rather avoid embarrassing questions and awkward explanations about shipping notifications to the Mrs.
 
I have three, never paid over $200 for any and one was $149, hard to beat. Ammo even in non corrosive is plentiful and if you want to buy bulk surplus you can find deals as low as .16 cents a round.

So yep, still a good buy
 
The SKS is about the most bang for the buck that you can find . Are there better rifles out there.....sure , but not for 200 bucks or less....
 
The SKS is a proven design,inexpensive,very functionnal. Want to hunt deer sized game at short range? no problem plenty of soft point ammo available. Want to have fun plinking? Surplus can be found pretty much everywhere. They are extremely reliable, so reliable that you can lube them with sand and they wont mind:p All that for $200 or less! If you ever break it? Keep it for parts and buy another one. The SKS is a too good deal to pass on:d

Joce
 
dirtybarry said:
Fine, now I want one. Where's the best place in Calgary to get one as I'd rather avoid embarrassing questions and awkward explanations about shipping notifications to the Mrs.
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Wait for Black Friday. Someone's going to have them on for under $200 somewhere.
 
Prices are creeping up, for sure there are still good deals and SKS rifles in good shape around, but I would say the days of easily picking up a quality SKS from just about anywhere are done. The bulk of what is out there on the market seems to be the BBQ paint and rougher examples. You have to look around for the gems IMO where as two years ago there were still quality examples from the Ukraine to be found without much effort.

I second all the positive comments made by other posters about the attributes of the SKS. Surplus by it's nature is not something that's going to be available forever so if you want one get it. I say get a couple and you may want to get some Mosins too, another underrated rifle that is relatively cheap and available right now. Keep your guns in good condition, don't alter/bubba them and they will hold their value and appreciate over time.
 
Canada Ammo, especially if they still have the gun+ammo special. Can't beat 1200 rounds of white box 7.62x39..

Just checked and it's a 1000 rnd deal now. Still pretty good.
 
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