Looking To Buy An SKS

[rlm2007x]

I'm looking to buy an SKS, and would appreciate any info you might have on them.  Robert

[Zcarp2]

The yugos are everywhere.  Expect to pay between $180 to $250 depending on how greedy the seller is.  Check the internet for importer's pricing.  The yugo's that have the grenade launcher on them are heavier.  I don't care for them.  They have the advantage of being able to turn the gas operating system off and using them like a straight pull bolt action.  Depending on your interpretation of the BATF laws, removing the grande launcher removes Curio and Relic status of the firearm making it illegal - I am still researching this, so don't take this as gospel.  If you want a lighter weight gun, get one with out the granade launcher.

Chinese Norinco's are nice.  The ones with the chrome lined bores are abundant.  Without the chrome, check for bore condition.  Learn disassembly and check the operating rod for damage and cosmoline.  Most vendors won't mind you taking them apart to inspect.  Check the firing pin for gobs of cosmoline also before shooting.

The Russians are generally thought of as "better" made.  They all work the same.  Collectors pay more for the Russians, so watch pricing.  I've seen them advertised for $400.  Not sold, just advertised.

Good luck and enjoy the show!  zcarp2

[1911crazy]

Any sks that shoots good will last forever.  I rated the quality of the sks's as follows;

1. Chinese sks & Russian sks tied for first.

 Russian SKS
They have always been number 1 in quality and reliability/dependabilty, fit and finish. Chromed line bore & chamber. These were offered in unissued condition and reworked condition.(refurbed)

 Chinese Norinco SKS
The chinese has passed the russians in manufacturing a quailty sks.  They worked very hard at it too. Its very accurate, good fit and finish and its reliable and dependable too. Chromed line bore and chamber.  These were offered in unissued condition/rearsenalled condition  too.  The chinese have manufactured many different models of the sks just for the US market.  I think they manufactured the most when it comes to different models too.

2. Romanian SKS
Its another good quality sks and its the samey same as above too only its a romanian sks.  It has a chrome lined bore and chamber.  I don't believe these were offered in unissued condition.  Once these have dried up but they seem to be available every so often.

3. Albanian SKS
These came in coated with cement type cosmoline either it was hard to get off or you had to sand the stock to get it off.  These also had chrome lined bores and chambers too.  These were imported in very low numbers and they have become rare and hard to find at times too.

4. Yugo SKS

Yup its cheap for a shooter but checkout the bores very closely.  These have no chrome lining in the bores and some were used with corrosive ammo and are pitted.  I have found some M59's that had residue in the bores from shooting rubber or plastic bullets too.  If you let the orginal G.I. Rifle bore cleaner soak in the bore it will slowly loosen up this residue and you'll see a shootable bore too.  The yugo 59/66 had a gernade launcher and the yugo 59 didn't.  These came in shooter grades (very cheap) and in excellent/unissued grades too.  The only drawback is there is no chrome lined bore so make sure you clean it good after every outing with it.

Any of these sks's will serve you well and last way beyond our lifetimes too if we take care of them. If it shoots and cycles ok it will serve you well.

I paid $250 for a nib russian refurb.  I have seem the russian sks selling for as much as $475 too. These were around a few years back at gun shows they seem to be many of them too. I guess most who had them were cashing in on them.  You still can see the chinese sks in excellent condition too these run around $175 to $225 price wise.  The Romanian sks will cost around $200 to $250.  The albanian sks will cost around $325 to $400 depending on the year it was  manufactured and the condition because there more rare than the others.

The import of the cheap yugo's is keeping the prices down on the other sks's for right now.  Its been said that this is the last batch of the yugo sks to be imported there are no more too.  If there right and the yugo sks's dryup just watch the prices on the other ones then.

[30-30man]

I just love the sks and I have bought more than I'd admit to the wife.  The Chinese is not that great in my book, it has stamped cheap sheet metal parts.  Some are good shooters though.  The Russian and Yugo are made with  milled steel. The Russians I've seen at gun shows are crazy in price. $450-500. The Albanian is about as rare as hen's teeth right now so I won't even comment on it. The Yugo is great if you can find a like new one.  The ones I've seen are now $230-250 in my parts. The Yugo is the better buy. Many people will tell you I paid $99 for mine but that was seven + years ago. The price has gone up as quick as gasoline. Out of all my guns , I like the Russian and Yugo the best.  They just feel like they are made better to me. The weight of the Yugo is no big deal.  The extra weight of the Yugo makes the recoil feel like a 22lr---It just ain't there.   The C&R thing is no big deal if you don't purchase it as a C&R gun. What ever you buy, you better do it soon.  When Bill Clinton....I mean Billary ah..Hillary gets elected, you can say goodbye to the SKS.  It will be just a memory.

[1911crazy]

There were some sheetmetal stamped versions of the chinese norinco sks too besides the solid steel milled receivers which all of mine are.  Sorry i forgot about the sheetmetal stamped receivers which I believe are very rare.

Another thing about the chinese norinco sks is some have a screwed in barrel and some are pressed in with a pin to loc it in position.  I have heard from the guys who own both the pinned barrel seems to be a tad more accurate over the screwed in barrel.

The Yugo sks seems to be a lot heavier when compared to the other sks's too.

Don't passup or overlook one of the best semi's in 7,62x39 too its the egyptian rasheed its a swedish design and a copy of the swedish ljungman 6,5mm and the egyptian hakim 8mm the rasheed is there little brother. I like the adjustable gas system on the 7,62x39 & the 8mm.  Some are drilling and tapping there ljungmans making them have an adjustable gas system too.   The ljungman is very ammo finiky. My point is if you see a rasheed thats priced affordable grab it.

I'm not sure if a new gun bill is passed if what we own will be grandfathered in or not.  My guess is as good as yours i guess.  Were screwed anyway we look at it.  I think i'll get heavy into the blackpowder stuff if that happens.

[rlm2007x]

I saw the Yugos for $150.00 at the last gun show I went to.  Robert

[prairiedog555]

I have a C&R license and see Yugo's advertised at centerfire systems for shooters grade with cracked stock for $99, VG condition $148 and unissued for $199.
I was planning on getting a shooters grade and cutting down barrel to 18.5in. and putting on a fiberforce stock.
I did that to my Chinese SKS (stock only) and it cut my groups in half.
I did not know you could not cut down barrel on YUGO.