The SKS deserves to be in anyone's gun collection. It is a fantastic plinker. It's stupendously easy to field strip and clean. It is more accurate than the AK47. With the ATI stock it is also quite light. The modularity of this rifle however is extremely limited. This rifle has never been used by special forces and as such there was no need to develop a precise optic mounting option. Only a scout mount (which deletes the iron sight) and bridge mount (which requires drilling and tapping) remain precise options for optics but are not ideal out-of-the-box solutions.
The VZ58 is the "AR15" of the 7.62x39 world. It has the highest modularity and modding capability of all 7.62x39 chambered rifles available to Canadians. You can easily spend $1000 on upgrades for a single rifle. This rifle is a current issue rifle used by several armies and was used by Czech special forces, as such it has several optic mounting options from a receiver rail, to a bridge mount, to a scout mount to a handguard mount - all of which can hold zero. Some mounting options cost up to $300. For cleaning, the VZ58 is slightly more finicky than the SKS, especially if you have aftermarket furniture, some of which make it very difficult to remove without a punch and hammer because of the tight fitting.
Now as a "modern" rifle, as in a rifle with a good variety of magazines, precise picatinny rails, and multiple stock options, the SKS definitely falls short of the VZ58. It just cannot be taken seriously as a modern rifle, whereas a modded VZ58 can.
The decision therefore comes down to whether you want to spend the time and expense modding your rifle. If you intend to mod your rifle then there's no question that the VZ58 is the only choice. If you don't intend to mod, and are happy just using iron sights, then it's hard to argue that an SKS is not good enough. When I sit back and look at my modded VZ58, I can't help feeling a little cheated that I had to spend so much to make it as functional as a modern rifle with solid mounting rails built in. I think the vz58 is not an $800-$1000 rifle, it's a $1600-$2000 rifle upgraded to modern standards, because if using iron sights alone it's not price competitive with an SKS. As such, a highly modded VZ58 also doesn't seem price-competitive with modern rifles with mounting options out of the box, such as the XCR, Tavor or RFB; you really have to be in love with the 7.62x39 round to upgrade the VZ58 rifle to modern standards.
If you wanted to use iron sights alone and wanted a bush whacking rifle, the SKS is perfect. For the price, it is far superior to a 10/22 for a plinker because it so easy to maintain and enjoyable to shoot. I have given up on any hope to mount optics on my SKS; the only option I'd entertain is a bridge mount and I'm not interested in spending money and effort drilling and tapping the receiver and buying a bridge mount; if I wanted to do that, again we're treading on VZ58 territory and the VZ58 is just the better rifle for mounting optics because you're not limited on where you want to put it, and how you want to do it.
For anyone who's concerned about the reliability issues on the VZ58: I believe if you're looking for a new rifle, wait for the 2014s - I'm pretty sure they will be trouble free. If you want to buy a 2013/2012 version, then check to see if the shells are being ejected more than 4m away - if they are, send them in for free warranty repair; it's as simple as that. It's not convenient, but it's not a deal killer either. For the trouble you get a better rifle that you can enjoy for 50,000 rounds or so.
Rolls Roycing the VZ58... the quick release receiver cover you see costs over $300 to bring into Canada. The quick release handguard mount costs over $200. Nevertheless this highly modded rifle sits proudly with any modern rifle, limited only by the 7.62x39 round itself. By contrast, an SKS will never look this good, but then again it doesn't have to.
The VZ58 is the "AR15" of the 7.62x39 world. It has the highest modularity and modding capability of all 7.62x39 chambered rifles available to Canadians. You can easily spend $1000 on upgrades for a single rifle. This rifle is a current issue rifle used by several armies and was used by Czech special forces, as such it has several optic mounting options from a receiver rail, to a bridge mount, to a scout mount to a handguard mount - all of which can hold zero. Some mounting options cost up to $300. For cleaning, the VZ58 is slightly more finicky than the SKS, especially if you have aftermarket furniture, some of which make it very difficult to remove without a punch and hammer because of the tight fitting.
Now as a "modern" rifle, as in a rifle with a good variety of magazines, precise picatinny rails, and multiple stock options, the SKS definitely falls short of the VZ58. It just cannot be taken seriously as a modern rifle, whereas a modded VZ58 can.
The decision therefore comes down to whether you want to spend the time and expense modding your rifle. If you intend to mod your rifle then there's no question that the VZ58 is the only choice. If you don't intend to mod, and are happy just using iron sights, then it's hard to argue that an SKS is not good enough. When I sit back and look at my modded VZ58, I can't help feeling a little cheated that I had to spend so much to make it as functional as a modern rifle with solid mounting rails built in. I think the vz58 is not an $800-$1000 rifle, it's a $1600-$2000 rifle upgraded to modern standards, because if using iron sights alone it's not price competitive with an SKS. As such, a highly modded VZ58 also doesn't seem price-competitive with modern rifles with mounting options out of the box, such as the XCR, Tavor or RFB; you really have to be in love with the 7.62x39 round to upgrade the VZ58 rifle to modern standards.
If you wanted to use iron sights alone and wanted a bush whacking rifle, the SKS is perfect. For the price, it is far superior to a 10/22 for a plinker because it so easy to maintain and enjoyable to shoot. I have given up on any hope to mount optics on my SKS; the only option I'd entertain is a bridge mount and I'm not interested in spending money and effort drilling and tapping the receiver and buying a bridge mount; if I wanted to do that, again we're treading on VZ58 territory and the VZ58 is just the better rifle for mounting optics because you're not limited on where you want to put it, and how you want to do it.
For anyone who's concerned about the reliability issues on the VZ58: I believe if you're looking for a new rifle, wait for the 2014s - I'm pretty sure they will be trouble free. If you want to buy a 2013/2012 version, then check to see if the shells are being ejected more than 4m away - if they are, send them in for free warranty repair; it's as simple as that. It's not convenient, but it's not a deal killer either. For the trouble you get a better rifle that you can enjoy for 50,000 rounds or so.
Rolls Roycing the VZ58... the quick release receiver cover you see costs over $300 to bring into Canada. The quick release handguard mount costs over $200. Nevertheless this highly modded rifle sits proudly with any modern rifle, limited only by the 7.62x39 round itself. By contrast, an SKS will never look this good, but then again it doesn't have to.
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