SKS Choice? Russia or China?

traveller

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Have been unable to find a thread on russian vs chinese sks's. Any words of wisdom? Owned an earlier norinco and a Yugo 59. Found the norinco to be a better performer. How do they measure up to the Russians? Any one received the Russian order of sks yet?
 
Nonsense! How you define a "better performer"? Are you use it as a paddle?:)

while i couldnt really say which is a better performer , but i can tell you the early chinese is better made (except for the wood, yugo wood are great ) .
 
Russian is better made rifle in my opinion, however Norinko is cheaper and more readily available.
If you are going to buy a Chinese one, then try to get threaded and not pinned barrel.

Regards.
 
Have been unable to find a thread on russian vs chinese sks's.

Really?

I have no experience with Russians(thanks to the shipping delays!), but theres only one thing I don't like about my Norc, the stock. Oh and the fact it's pinned to 5rds, but everyone is in that boat.

Course I'm not looking for a rifle that shoots MOA, just one that goes bang when I pull the trigger.
 
Better Performer

I listed my norc as a better performer due to the reason it shot tighter groups, hands down. Plus, the stock would not swell when the temp dropped below -20C causing mag and trigger assembly quirks like the Yugo. Stripped and finished the Yugo stock twice to no avails.
Further, the Norc could run dry (no oil) for weeks in the cold without showing any signs of corrosion or rust. Tried it with the Yugo and she showed rust in a matter of days. Of course, maintainence would remedy this; but I would rather spend time being and shooting in the field than practically stripping an sks every night in camp. Plus the chrome bore on the Norc held up better to berden primers. Sorry, again, the Yugo falls short.
The Yugo was a beutiful rifle and I meant to keep it short as not too offend. It is merely an opinion of my experience with the Yugo, which is why I sold it.
Lets look at it like this. The Norc is the ugly girl that can cook and puts out, alot. The Yugo looks great but she will likely poison you by accident and snores in her sleep. I'm hoping the Russian will be somewhere in between.
 
I own an early-ish Chinese SKS. The thing is a beauty.

With surplus ammo, a friend and I were able to put 37/40 rounds on a washing machine lid at about 225+ yards in rapid fire.

We are not yet hardcore riflemen by a long shot. I did that my first time ever shooting past 50 yards. If we took our time, no doubt we could have tightened up the grouping and made every shot hit.

I would say, unless you desire a Russian, I would just get an early Chinese. My example has been mechanically perfect, and accurate (all things considered.) Good luck trying to find either type of SKS though. Since I bought mine, I haven't seen them again in a gunstore yet.
 
It appears to me that there are very few Russian manufactured SKS's in Canada. Those that are here currently were imported in the late 1980's, were refurbished (black bolt carriers). They have Arabic numbering on the butt stocks, usually in white paint. All the ones I've seen are in laminate stocks and all matching numbers. Most likely they came from Syria.

The Chinese SKS's are the most numerous, can be any date or factory, in either refurbished or original condition (as new to fair). Stocks are either wood with light shellac or "chocolate brown" finish. A few have original synthetic "jungle" stocks.

The Yugoslavian SKS's are well built, but have had occaisional issues with the gas piston.

There is no difference in overall quality of these rifles. There is no difference in quality between a pinned barrel versus a threaded barrel. Just reference the strength of any pinned barrel AK. Like any surplus rifle, accuracy can vary. Most of these rifles have suffered modifications and misuse since surplussed to civilian hands.
 
It appears to me that there are very few Russian manufactured SKS's in Canada. Those that are here currently were imported in the late 1980's, were refurbished (black bolt carriers). They have Arabic numbering on the butt stocks, usually in white paint. All the ones I've seen are in laminate stocks and all matching numbers. Most likely they came from Syria.

mine has US import stamp so no arabic writting , i wonder how many canadians have the arabic writting ?

The Chinese SKS's are the most numerous, can be any date or factory, in either refurbished or original condition (as new to fair). Stocks are either wood with light shellac or "chocolate brown" finish. A few have original synthetic "jungle" stocks.

The Yugoslavian SKS's are well built, but have had occaisional issues with the gas piston.

There is no difference in overall quality of these rifles. .

i would have to disagree with your overall quality statement , when it comes to chinese made , the quality ranges from night to day , i have owned late norinco model that are not well made and currectly i own an early chinese which is the best i seen and own , and i own a russian and a yugo .
 
Thanks for the info..

Thanks for the threads. I'll have to keep my eyes open for a Russian when they finally come in. I wish I did'nt sell the earlier Norc but oh well. I currently have the Vz858 Tactical. It's been great. But, there is still something original and rugged about the sks that holds great appeal.
Plus, I got less looks and used less ball ammo with my sks when running into Fish n game officers or the like along the trails during hunting season. Last season almost every officer or camp visitor asked to shoot the 858. It was good education for most telling them it's NOT AN AK. But I should've charged admission for the rounds. Because the first five are never enough. Thanks again.
 
I saw a nice looking Chinces SKS for sale on the EE for 300 bucks. It has a blade bayo, so would that be an early Chinese one? or a "modern" Norinco one?
 
I have a $99 Chinese. Shot it this weekend at 300 yards at a figue 12. 10 out of 10 in the head. Rifle has a peep sight. I was shooting prone off a rest.

I really like this crap rifle. Works perfectly.
 
Prior to 2002, there was a fair bit of cross border trading among firearms owners. That is one possible reason why your SKS bears US importation stamps.

The Russian SKS's brought in by Century were most likely from Syria. Many of the stocks had minor repairs done to them, often with beech wood, at the heel and toe. It looked like the armourers had British training, as the repairs were identical to those done to Lee-Enfields.

The quality of any and all military surplussed rifles range from night to day. Many have been rearsenaled, used and abused. Never mind the "home gunsmithing" that occurs in the hands of civilians. Just recall the wonderful M-1 Garands that came to Canada via Vietnam. Most should have been scrapped. All the Chinese Type 56 carbines that I've owned functioned flawlessly, and grouped 6" or less at 100m, according to Soviet military standards. There is no difference in quality between a screwed barrel or a pinned barrel. Millions of Kalashnikovs can't be wrong.

Norinco is North China Arms is Factory 26, etc....It is all owned by the People's Liberation Army.

Unless some miracle happens, I don't foresee the government allowing the mass importation of Soviet-Chinese-Romanian-Albanian-North Korean-Yugo-DDR SKS's any time soon. They've already stopped further importation of deactivated military firearms. Get them while you can, and don't bubba them.
 
I saw a nice looking Chinces SKS for sale on the EE for 300 bucks. It has a blade bayo, so would that be an early Chinese one? or a "modern" Norinco one?

bayo is definitely a sign of early chinese but unfortunately that could easily be changed so you cant rely on that alone.

The quality of any and all military surplussed rifles range from night to day. Many have been rearsenaled, used and abused. Never mind the "home gunsmithing" that occurs in the hands of civilians. Just recall the wonderful M-1 Garands that came to Canada via Vietnam. Most should have been scrapped. All the Chinese Type 56 carbines that I've owned functioned flawlessly, and grouped 6" or less at 100m, according to Soviet military standards. There is no difference in quality between a screwed barrel or a pinned barrel. Millions of Kalashnikovs can't be wrong. .

im saying that my military surplus early chinese is better quality than my new late model chinese and also my new yugo .
 
Yugo's are nice guns. Nobody has any right now, though. :( Also lack of chrome barrels on the M59/66 but that's ok... just spray her down after shooting corrosive stuff.
 
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