TacticalTeacher
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Georgian Bay, ON
I've had several PM's and registrations for my CQB clinics asking about running an SKS (factory condition) and I'm trying to save myself a lot of typing of the responses. I wanted to post my thoughts and see if we can answer any of your concerns before you show up at a local match or clinic and potentially embarass/ hurt/ cut/ yourself. 
I'm already phat enough, so that's embarrassing enough to begin with. 
SKS rifles and their ammo are very inexpensive and are a joy to shoot. Let's get that out of the way. For the matches in the standing position, they work well, but understand the reloading of another 5 rounds (observe the course of fire..... ) may be kinda goofy with a 5 round stack on the 10 round long stripper clip. How are you going to have these 10 round clips sorted out in your mag pouch? Remember that under (match) stress, yer small muscles (read: fingers) are not going to be working well, unless you practice this drill lots and lots (and lots).
You may want to have the strong hand turn the top of the mag port over to the support hand that's feeding the stripper clip. Yeah, turn it (I'm right handed) to the left hand to facilitate stripper clip feeding. Recall that under stress ONLY yer large muscles will be working so often people cut their thumbs on this stripper clip loading drill/process/stage.... especially you M14 lovers who insist on using stripper clips at the Service Rifle matches. Timk uses up his bandage supply for those who truly have to learn by doing this the hard way. I'm one of them. I just use magazines for the M14 reloading process with my M14 in Service Rifle matches (which I have not shot an M14 since 2005). When M14 fans ask what I use to compete at Service Rifle competitions; I just remind them that I shoot an AR with it's cheaper to feed .223 ammo. Enough said!
All of the CQB matches are set up to load 5 rounds from the magazine (KISS principle, duh) so keeping your SKS balanced with this pattern of load out can be goofy. The snap matches allow 5 exposures with TWO shots per exposure. Well if you are rocking 5 rounds in your initials stripper clip load, you will have to reload at exposure number 3 in order to get off that second shot. Some people load 6 and 4 rounds; 6 rounds in the first stripper clip and 4 rounds in the second stripper clip. It's been done before! I cannot recall if the Timfoo allows this but you ain't gonna be threatening the aggregate (top scores) anyways.
Okay, I have to get some things done around the house. I will come back and edit this post.
Our next topic is shooting the SKS in the modified prone.... yeeeha! This is where a match director like me gets to laugh at you....
In the meantime, grab your SKS at home (yeah, the one with the wooden stock) and try positioning a stipper clip in the feeding port.... ha ha ha ha
Here's what it looks like with a collapsing Magpul CTR stock and my Armalite M4 wannabe.....
That long stock of the SKS and the M14 (as it's issued or sold ) will be a PITA....
Okay, I'm back and like I read about comisar's input, I've seen him rock an SKS and he's having fun. That's all that matters.
I want to yak about the modified prone position and the SKS. When you are down laying on your strong side, that factory wood stock is too long (just like my USGI glass stock on the M14 shorty). I find that I want to collapse my AR stock by a couple of "Magpul" notches and then trigger with my middle finger (you know the one....).
So your cheek weld will be goofy, and quite a ways back from the small of the stock where you normally rest your cheek. Try that on your living room or bedroom carpet.
Reaching forward into the breech with a 5 rd or any rd stripper clip is gonna be hard like Ganderite says (down below in this thread). So that's my concern. I just want you nice SKS shooters to be aware of this. After all, I am a Religion Teacher. LOL That's another story for the sniper clinics.
So you realize that all of this difficulty can be overcome by repeated drills at your gun club (please do it safely) or dry run this with NO ammo, just the stripper clip on your carpet at home! The most important thing to remember is to have fun and lots of fun with us on Saturdays!
TTYL
Barney
I'm already phat enough, so that's embarrassing enough to begin with. SKS rifles and their ammo are very inexpensive and are a joy to shoot. Let's get that out of the way. For the matches in the standing position, they work well, but understand the reloading of another 5 rounds (observe the course of fire..... ) may be kinda goofy with a 5 round stack on the 10 round long stripper clip. How are you going to have these 10 round clips sorted out in your mag pouch? Remember that under (match) stress, yer small muscles (read: fingers) are not going to be working well, unless you practice this drill lots and lots (and lots).
You may want to have the strong hand turn the top of the mag port over to the support hand that's feeding the stripper clip. Yeah, turn it (I'm right handed) to the left hand to facilitate stripper clip feeding. Recall that under stress ONLY yer large muscles will be working so often people cut their thumbs on this stripper clip loading drill/process/stage.... especially you M14 lovers who insist on using stripper clips at the Service Rifle matches. Timk uses up his bandage supply for those who truly have to learn by doing this the hard way. I'm one of them. I just use magazines for the M14 reloading process with my M14 in Service Rifle matches (which I have not shot an M14 since 2005). When M14 fans ask what I use to compete at Service Rifle competitions; I just remind them that I shoot an AR with it's cheaper to feed .223 ammo. Enough said!
All of the CQB matches are set up to load 5 rounds from the magazine (KISS principle, duh) so keeping your SKS balanced with this pattern of load out can be goofy. The snap matches allow 5 exposures with TWO shots per exposure. Well if you are rocking 5 rounds in your initials stripper clip load, you will have to reload at exposure number 3 in order to get off that second shot. Some people load 6 and 4 rounds; 6 rounds in the first stripper clip and 4 rounds in the second stripper clip. It's been done before! I cannot recall if the Timfoo allows this but you ain't gonna be threatening the aggregate (top scores) anyways.
Okay, I have to get some things done around the house. I will come back and edit this post.
Our next topic is shooting the SKS in the modified prone.... yeeeha! This is where a match director like me gets to laugh at you....
In the meantime, grab your SKS at home (yeah, the one with the wooden stock) and try positioning a stipper clip in the feeding port.... ha ha ha ha
Here's what it looks like with a collapsing Magpul CTR stock and my Armalite M4 wannabe.....
That long stock of the SKS and the M14 (as it's issued or sold ) will be a PITA....
Okay, I'm back and like I read about comisar's input, I've seen him rock an SKS and he's having fun. That's all that matters.
I want to yak about the modified prone position and the SKS. When you are down laying on your strong side, that factory wood stock is too long (just like my USGI glass stock on the M14 shorty). I find that I want to collapse my AR stock by a couple of "Magpul" notches and then trigger with my middle finger (you know the one....).
So your cheek weld will be goofy, and quite a ways back from the small of the stock where you normally rest your cheek. Try that on your living room or bedroom carpet.
Reaching forward into the breech with a 5 rd or any rd stripper clip is gonna be hard like Ganderite says (down below in this thread). So that's my concern. I just want you nice SKS shooters to be aware of this. After all, I am a Religion Teacher. LOL That's another story for the sniper clinics.
So you realize that all of this difficulty can be overcome by repeated drills at your gun club (please do it safely) or dry run this with NO ammo, just the stripper clip on your carpet at home! The most important thing to remember is to have fun and lots of fun with us on Saturdays!
TTYL
Barney
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