SKS... Tactical or traditional? Pros, cons, and what's your preference?

mikeystew

mikeystew

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I'm looking to get into a low cost semi centrefire platform and the SKS seems the obvious choice. The two I'm considering are a tactical version for sale at Canadian tire, which is in a newer type ATI stock and has a 5/30 Rd steel mag and bayo lug removed.

Or, I'm thinking of going with a traditional stock, and upgrading the sights to tech sights and installing a Tapco mag for aesthetics. I just like the look of them more than the stock 10 Rd metal box mag. This option would cost me about the same as the tactical version, which is about the limit of my budget.

However, should I go the tactical route, I would like to upgrade the sight to tech sights eventually someday.
My concern is the durability of the ATI stock. I like the thought of the sks primarily because it is like a brick. It seems like a bombproof platform. I'm not sure how the stock "upgrade" may compromise that. Although it will make it lighter and easier to handle I suppose...

Thoughts? Comments?
 
I would purchase a SKS if you want a SKS, as it is, for what it is. It wasn't designed to have any of the features you want. Nothing that is added is actually an upgrade and if you check the EE you'll see that it is flooded with this bubba SKS rifles.

If you want a "modern" semi-automatic rifle with a detachable magazine there are lots and lots of options out there. vz. 58 is my recommendation.
 
Go traditional the stock mag works perfect sometimes the steel mag I was using seems to not feed sometimes
 
bp2626 said:
I would purchase a SKS if you want a SKS, as it is, for what it is. It wasn't designed to have any of the features you want. Nothing that is added is actually an upgrade and if you check the EE you'll see that it is flooded with this bubba SKS rifles.

If you want a "modern" semi-automatic rifle with a detachable magazine there are lots and lots of options out there. vz. 58 is my recommendation.
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Don't get me wrong, I would love to own a VZ 58. But you must have missed the part where I said I'm looking for a budget semi, and my limit is about the cost of the tactical sks (~$400). I don't have a spare grand for a VZ 58.
 
If I wanted a practical shooter SKS I would only do a couple of things.

I would give it better sights. HiCals aperture sight looks excellent and simple so I would go that route. Or if I wanted s scope I would put a Wartak or mag wedge rail on it and a small/ average size scope.

I might install an aftermarket stock that was a bit longer in the butt. A stock that resembles the original one, not a pistol grip stock.

Magazines would be whatever. Tasco ones are easiest to load you use a scope/rail system.
 
I have both options you are considering. Tactical is fun as you can modify the rifle to include things you may want or use (optics/flashlights etc) for shooting though, i just prefer the good ol stock model. The SKS gets alot of hate but its a fun gun to shoot and it works fine for me in the bush when i go hiking. Just spend some time on this forum and see what people are saying and make your choice. You can always get a stock on and change things you dont want..

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Gatehouse said:
If I wanted a practical shooter SKS I would only do a couple of things.

I would give it better sights. HiCals aperture sight looks excellent and simple so I would go that route. Or if I wanted s scope I would put a Wartak or mag wedge rail on it and a small/ average size scope.

I might install an aftermarket stock that was a bit longer in the butt. A stock that resembles the original one, not a pistol grip stock.

Magazines would be whatever. Tasco ones are easiest to load you use a scope/rail system.
Click to expand...

This is sort of the direction I'm leaning. I know I want tech sights at some point regardless as I want to keep it open sighted... and the stock leaf rear sucks. I can live with the stocks they come with, but that mag is just fugly. I owned an sks for a brief period of time and the mag annoyed the hell outta me. I've heard the tapco is pretty reliable too.
 
Ok, so next question. Saying I buy a traditional Russian sks, what am I looking for? The place I'll likely buy from has quite a few and will let me pick through them. Is there anything I should be looking for? Or are they all basically the same?
 
In my view you should consider getting a stock SKS and then adding stocks/detachable mags etc. That way if you want to sell it you will have all the original furniture (bayonet etc) rather than paying more for a "tacticool" model without.
 
Buy two. One to keep original, one to tinker with.

I did, but the only real "change" I made to the tinker gun was to add a MagWedge rail and scope it, swap out for short detachable mags (can't do stripper clips with the rail), and shim the action for accuracy (it cut group sizes in half for the cost of some folded cooking parchment).

Kept all the parts, can return it to original in about an hour, if I want. But it's a good practical deer gun/coyote gun the way it's set up now.
 
I had a "tacticool" SKS in an ATI stock. I called it the rattle-trap. While I didn't like the look right off, it did shoot pretty good. But, it did nothing that the untouched version did. I sold it in quick order. I'm a traditionalist....Go wood or go home!
 
mikeystew said:
This is sort of the direction I'm leaning. I know I want tech sights at some point regardless as I want to keep it open sighted... and the stock leaf rear sucks. I can live with the stocks they come with, but that mag is just fugly. I owned an sks for a brief period of time and the mag annoyed the hell outta me. I've heard the tapco is pretty reliable too.
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If you are happy with the issued stock, then done deal. Install some good sights, but a few Tapco magazines and you now have a handy rifle with detachable magazines that you can hit stuff with because the sights don't suck.
 
Gatehouse said:
If you are happy with the issued stock, then done deal. Install some good sights, but a few Tapco magazines and you now have a handy rifle with detachable magazines that you can hit stuff with because the sights don't suck.
Click to expand...

Lol, now I didn't say I was happy with it, said I could live with it haha. I'd much prefer the Tapco Monte Carlo to be honest... But the gun itself is such a pig. Not sure how much cash if war to spend prettying it up. I'm Definately more of a function over form kinda guy.

Can you still use stripper clips with the Tapco mags?
 
Something like this would be pretty sweet. I don't think I'd bother with a flash hider, but the timber smith stock looks pretty nice with the 5/20 mag.

 
mikeystew said:
I'm looking to get into a low cost semi centrefire platform and the SKS seems the obvious choice. The two I'm considering are a tactical version for sale at Canadian tire, which is in a newer type ATI stock and has a 5/30 Rd steel mag and bayo lug removed.

Or, I'm thinking of going with a traditional stock, and upgrading the sights to tech sights and installing a Tapco mag for aesthetics. I just like the look of them more than the stock 10 Rd metal box mag. This option would cost me about the same as the tactical version, which is about the limit of my budget.

However, should I go the tactical route, I would like to upgrade the sight to tech sights eventually someday.
My concern is the durability of the ATI stock. I like the thought of the sks primarily because it is like a brick. It seems like a bombproof platform. I'm not sure how the stock "upgrade" may compromise that. Although it will make it lighter and easier to handle I suppose...

Thoughts? Comments?
Click to expand...

If you want a budget plinker and feel the need to be "Tactical" then purchase the ATIed version. It's cheap and ammo affordable that will give you joy. That's what it is all about.
 
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