Missed a SKS in the EE

Proutfoo

Proutfoo

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Yesterday I almost bought my first SKS after seeing one in the EE for a good price. So it got me thinking about them and now I got to get one. I don't own any semis yet and this could be my first one.

The Factory26 (aka Norinco?) SKSs, are they any good? I was at P&S a while back and looked at one and could not get over how FUGLY they are in orange. This one in the EE had been sanded and re-finished and did not look so bad, so I figure I could do the same. How would you go about getting that orange shellac off the stock?

As for ammo, what do you recommend for surplus?

Also I see marstar sells a bunch of weaver rails and various types of scope mounts that are attached by changing the receiver cover. Is there any hope of hitting paper more than once in nearly the same place with one of these? I also recall a recommendation of getting a rubber bumper for the recoil mechanism, but can't find that info anymore?
 
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buy one shoot it as is , its not a MOA rifle the irons are fine as for a bolt/carrier buffer why? the sks has been used in countless conflicts and never had a buffer your plinking one does not need it
 
Factory 26 models are widely considered to be the "best" of the chicom manufactured rifles, but that doesn't really mean much. As long as you get one with a threaded barrel and the fixed 5-round mag, you won't have any problems with it. There's lots of info on chu wood stock refinishing on www.surplusrifle.com, the shellac either has to be sanded off or chemically stripped off (stripping is easier, if you ask me), but either way it comes off no problem.

The reciever cover is not the best place to mount a scope due to all the movement, so they have a bad reputation. I'm working on a way to tighten up the cover style mount on my SKS, but mine's a Leapers model with the set screws that cinch it against the sides of the reciever. So far it works pretty good, look for pics and a writeup around here in the near future. The best and most effective option is the drill-n-tap style mount, like the Choate or Kalinka mounts. The next best place to mount a scope is the rear sight, with a scout style mount (made by Millet and available for the low low price of only $99 from Marstar), but this requires an extended eye relief scope, or a red dot w/unlimited eye relief.

Recoil buffers are a bit of a grey area. They won't make any difference to the operation of the rifle, but they may help a reciever cover scope mount hold zero better and extend the life of the rifle's moving parts by preventing impact damage. I suspect you'd have to shoot many many thousands of rounds to see any signs of impending breakage, so take anything you hear about recoil buffers with a grain of salt. I've heard that a couple thick garden hose washers work pretty good, as opposed to paying $10 US for a molded urethane one, so it's at least worth a try. I'm planning on trying it myself :D

As far as ammo goes, I haven't noticed any difference in accuracy or performance between different types, but most of the surplus stuff tends to be corrosive so good cleaning habits are essential. Remember to clean the gas system as well, not just the bore!!! Surplus 7.62x39 also REEKS when you shoot it, smells like somebody's burning a pile of dead skunks, so be prepared for that :D

Overall, it's a fun rifle to play with, shoots straight and ammo's cheap, so you'll probably be happy with it. Good luck!
 
thanks for the info. Regarding corrosive ammo I am aware of the cleaning regimen required, however I was wondering if there were any known issues since most of it is steel cased and not brass. Are there any extraction problems with one versus the other?

the scope is because my eyes are crap. I think I will forget about a scope mount and see an optometrist instead ;)
 
poweredbybeer said:
I've heard that a couple thick garden hose washers work pretty good, as opposed to paying $10 US for a molded urethane one, so it's at least worth a try. I'm planning on trying it myself :D
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Interesting, as I was just thinking about this possibility the other day as I stood in the Garden Hose section of Canadian Tire buying replacement hose washers...thinking Hmmm why wouldn't this work as a bolt buffer?

Now I wonder if Heat is going to be an issue?
Not sure if the Rubber could stand up to it, as I'm sure things get mighty toasty in that reciver. :eek:

And just where the heck is the best place on the bolt to attach it to anyway?

I'm going to try one on my .22 semi auto, and see how it hold up. :)
 
I dont think that the rear of an SKS reciever would get overly hot durink normal operation. All of the hot gas is moving foreward.
 
For stock refinishing, I had great luck stripping it off with "poly strippa". After a sanding, some tung oil, more sanding and more oil, it looked great! That SKS is gone now, and the new one I got has a decent finish so I haven't touched it. SIR has some now that are quite nice, too...
 
Guilty as charged...

I picked up said gun. I waffled on an SKS last week from another member and missed it. So I flashed on this one quick. I have a line on another one, waiting on pictures. SKS are infectious...
 
I'd be happy with just one SKS, but I ain't paying $300.00+ for it! :D
I'd also be happy with a CaRpPy stock, as I'm repainting it anyway.

I'm thinking Blaze Orange Tiger stripes on Black are in order... Booyahkasha! :D
 
It was from another member that posted in this thread. I am now looking for a Yugo version or any other Euro version. The 26 Asian unit is already on it's way. Any Euro SKS out there? I am shaking the tree ;>)
 
Yeah, I think a Yugo or a Russkyat a fair price will be my next purchase.

And if anyone wants to know, P&D has a Nork SKS for $160. I didn't see the one on their site until after I bought mine :p
 
Calum said:
Now I wonder if Heat is going to be an issue?
Not sure if the Rubber could stand up to it, as I'm sure things get mighty toasty in that reciver. :eek:
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Heat will not be an issue. Skippy is right, all the heat is concentrated forward in the gun, in the chamber/barrel and gas system. If in doubt, get some high-temp washers for hot water tanks, they're usually made of Viton which will withstand higher temperatures.
Calum said:
And just where the heck is the best place on the bolt to attach it to anyway?
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Bring your recoil spring assembly (the spring & guide rod that always launches the reciever cover across the room when you remove the cover pin) to the hardware store with you and find a washer or two that fits around it, probably about 3/8" to 1/2" ID. A short (1/2" or so) length of 5/8" OD heater hose may also work, and it's reinforced with nylon fibre so it would last longer. When you reassemble the rifle, cram the two washers into the back end of the reciever cover. They'll probably need some trimming to fit, in order to retain them between the bolt guide rails and to keep the hole for the recoil spring centered.

When you fire the rifle, the bolt carrier is pushed backwards by the gas piston/operating rod, and normally would slam into the back of the reciever and reciever cover (putting large shear stresses on the reciever cover pin as well). With the rubber washers there, they act like the bump-stop on your car's suspension, absorbing the remaining energy at the end of the spring's travel.

The only reason I think this would be beneficial is if you have a reciever cover scope mount installed and wish to prevent your scope from rattling around. It would also be beneficial if you've replaced the reciever cover pin with a bolt, particularly if the bolt is of unknown grade/quality (I've replaced my cover pin with a Grade 5 1/4" stainless bolt, which has TONS more shear strength than the old cover pin). Then there's the simple fact that if I can prevent the components in my rifle from banging together like two ball-peen hammers, I will :D
 
I've had one in for about a year and it still in one piece, I started out with 1/2" then trimmed it down. It doesn't make as much noise as my other ones
 
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