SKS as a battle rifle?

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Lakonian

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So I have an SKS-D with a tapco T6 stock sitting on my "workbench", and I'm wondering... Just how effective can an SKS be in a "SHTF" scenario?

Would it be able to quasi-accurately engage targets at range?
Would I need to replace parts; If so, which?
Would a wood stock be better in the long run?

All info is appreciated. Thanks :)
 
fat tony said:
not much of a battle rifle with the magazines neutered to 5 rounds.
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Bah.. not much of an issue if armageddon was knocking at our doors. The magazines can be converted back, barrels can be sawed off, bolts/receivers can be made FA.

The cap limit is just a BS liberal thing that makes soccer mom feel safer... but it's fully reversible in times where it'd be needed.

As for the SKS being a survivalist's favorite, I could very well see that to some extent, especially in a country where AKs are prohibited. :jerkit:
The SKS is easy to completely strip with no tools, easy to maintain and it's built freakin tough. Ammo is fairly cheap and common (found worldwide), so that's another big plus.

Personally, if I were to go with only 1 rifle, I'd pick something like a 'black' .22LR Ruger 10/22... cheap ammo, thousands of rounds, plenty of possibilities and still very lethal when aimed properly. The SKS would be a close second and a good dissuasive weapon, as no one in their right mind would want to mess with it.
 
762mm said:
Bah.. not much of an issue if armageddon was knocking at our doors. The magazines can be converted back, barrels can be sawed off, bolts/receivers can be made FA.

The cap limit is just a BS liberal thing that makes soccer mom feel safer... but it's fully reversible in times where it'd be needed.

As for the SKS being a survivalist's favorite, I could very well see that to some extent, especially in a country where AKs are prohibited. :jerkit:
The SKS is easy to completely strip with no tools, easy to maintain and it's built freakin tough. Ammo is fairly cheap and common (found worldwide), so that's another big plus.

Personally, if I were to go with only 1 rifle, I'd pick something like a 'black' .22LR Ruger 10/22... cheap ammo, thousands of rounds, plenty of possibilities and still very lethal when aimed properly. The SKS would be a close second and a good dissuasive weapon, as no one in their right mind would want to mess with it.
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.22 is out of the question. I'd never rely on a .22 as a home defense, or SHTF gun given it's ballistics.
 
Lakonian said:
.22 is out of the question. I'd never rely on a .22 as a home defense, or SHTF gun given it's ballistics.
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Yeah, well that's what I thought too some time ago... but think about it... in a real SHTF situation (as in 'no coming back to a civilized world'), how long do you think the 7.62x39 ammo would last locally? Where would you get more if you ran out? Don't forget that ammo would be the first thing to disappear off the shelves. Plus we have those f*cktarded mag cap limits on centerfires in this wonderful socialist land of ours... so suppressing fire capabilities will be very limited (short) and VERY costly.

.22LR is so freakin popular that you'd be able to get some anywhere, even in the ruins of households or shopping centers (it's the only caliber you're guaranteed to find eventually, no matter what the situation is). Obviously it's not perfect for piercing body armor, sniping or taking out enemy helicopters flying overhead (or alien spacecraft, lol), but it will do the job against the common mortal land creature.

Personally, I happen to have a brick of Stingers put aside and untouched, just for the SHTF occasion, lol! :D

I also have 3 SKS's...
 
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762mm said:
Yeah, well that's what I thought too some time ago... but think about it... in a real SHTF situation (as in 'no coming back to a civilized world'), how long do you think the 7.62x39 ammo would last locally? Where would you get more if you ran out?
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How long would your ammo last in a SHTF scenario??? Hopefully long enough for you to "get your hands" on a rifle that takes one of the military calibers, 308/7.62x51 OR 223/5.56...

Where would you get more ammo in a TRUE SHTF scenario??? Off dead bodies... You only need to watch a couple dozen video's posted on the net from insurgencies going on around the world... They ambush & then scavange the bodies for supplies... The world is NOT a pretty place sometimes.

Cheers
Jay
P.S. I get a kick out of these threads for two reasons. First, you do need a supply of ammo, but guys talk about ammo hoarding by the case or 1000's of rounds... Keep in mind the battle load that troops carry... Second, how we tippy toe around the topic, ie "where would you get more ammo"... You ALL know where you would get more ammo IF your lucky & skilled enough to survive...
 
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Jay said:
P.S. I get a kick out of these threads for two reasons. First, you do need a supply of ammo, but guys talk about ammo hoarding by the case or 1000's of rounds... Keep in mind the battle load that troops carry... Second, how we tippy toe around the topic, ie "where would you get more ammo"... You ALL know where you would get more ammo IF your lucky & skilled enough to survive...
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Yeah, you're right... but we were talking about one survival gun and the SKS's capability to fulfill that role. Let me reverse the question now... how many thousands of rounds of 7.62x39 (or another military caliber) do people have lying around in their personal stocks at any given time? and how many .22LR's do they have, usually? It's simply a question of ratios (popularity & cost), that's all. Plus they're not too hard to carry around either... you could easily load up a few bricks in your backpack if you're on the move.

I trust my .22's... they're an underappreciated breed, especially when used properly and with the right type of ammo.
:D
 
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22 is usefull but as far as a man stopper? many people have taken multiple rnds of 22 and live to tell about it. Even the lowest of body armor will stop it, even flack jackets, lots of armor floating around out there.
 
josey wales said:
22 is usefull but as far as a man stopper? many people have taken multiple rnds of 22 and live to tell about it. Even the lowest of body armor will stop it, even flack jackets, lots of armor floating around out there.
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True, in a life or death serious social encounter if you only have a .22LR it would be better to do a Friendly Giant if you have the time and/or skill:

Look up,,,,,,,,,,,,,look waaaaaaaaay up!.

I wouldn't want to be hit with a .22LR, they are nasty in terms of penetration and can travel a fair ways in the human body until they hit a bone. My buddy's wife got shot by a street thief in Costa Rica with a short barrel .22LR pistol. It hit her on the underside of her upper arm and then travelled along the arm and into her torso where it clipped her spleen and stopped. It didn't drop her instantly but it sure fcuked up her entire day.

I agree that they wouldn't have the kinetic energy of a more powerful CF cartridge but in a Mad Max world where civilians would need a battle rifle, a .22LR would be better than a pointed stick or your fingernails.
 
Couple of quick points

- Yes, the SKS makes an excellent battle rifle. It was after all built as a battle rifle. Hell some of you still have your bayonets on them and if that doesn't say battle rifle, what does? Easy field maintenance and reloadable via stripper clips are a big advantage.

- I still find it hilarious that people malign the lethal properties of the lowly 22LR. Anyone willing to take a couple to the melon at 50 yrds to prove they are right about it being worthless as a man-stopper? I don't give a rat's ass if you are firing a 50 cal or a slingshot, shot placement is the most important variable in the equation and since most engagements occur at very short ranges, the 22LR has a place in my arsenal as both a hunting tool and defensive rifle. Discount it at your peril.

- The point made about ammo availability is dead-on. It's going to be a lot tougher to lay my hands on some additional 7.62 than it will 22LR so I had better damn well become proficient with what is most widely available.
 
Just my two cents worth. Any weapon that you can shoot accurately consistently is the one you go to when it hits. I have a Russian SKS and would not be afraid to shoot at targets to 150 yards. Beyond that, out comes the M14 and beyond that I don't worry about it. My ability to hit anything beyond 300 yards is questionable and I wouldn't try to draw attention to myself.

The idea of 22 cal being so easy to acquire is interesting but my ability to reload, and cast my own bullets, is what I would count on more.
 
shots to the head ....sure, but in real life those targets fire back, this is one of those debates that could go on forever lol, to each his own. A 22 pistol may make a nice companion, with a rifle cal. could still use the abundance of 22 ammo. like i said each to his own, the amout of armor out there is hard to overlook. Just a question have you taken your sks out to the range and shot targets at 150? How did that go?
 
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curtton said:
im not comfortable of talks about mag conversion and so on , lets keep it legal .
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Yup. you're right... neither am I. That's why I said that it'd be feasible in a world where laws exist no longer. In a situation like that anything is possible and will go unpunished. It's all about the 'options' one would have.

If you think about it, there are things unrelated to firearms that are illegal and that we don't do today just because there are laws in place (molotovs, pipe bombs, flame throwers, etc), even though they'Re just eas easy or easier to make. Those things would have their place in a post-apocalyptic world, but we don't build them today because there are regulations imposed by the democratic society that we live in... and since we accept to be a part of it, we also accept to follow it's guidelines.

Once it's all gone however, it's everyone for themselves... the cops and whatever will be left of the military will scram off with their service firearms to protect their own families and there will be no one left to impose any kind of order. Government officials will be the first to arm themselves to the teeth (probably in part with all the stuff the government has seized over the years - or with government-paid ordnance) and even Wendy will be guarding her possessions with a 12 GA, shooting at hungry unarmed people trying to break into her tax-funded mansion. In a world like that, respecting archaic mag cap limits will be your last concern, trust me. ;)
 
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