Author Topic: Getting the bug for a SKS? (Read 1517 times)

Jal5 · « **on:** March 03, 2009, 05:43:04 PM »

Here is my idea-
know I cannot afford the AR or AK rifles and with Obama a ban may be on the way and I will be out of luck. But the SKS would be affordable for me, and serve a similar purpose. I would use it for target, maybe coyote, and just to have kind of weapon. I used my friends Yugo at the range it was a fun gun to shoot.

What are the pros and cons? Any feedback is welcome.

JOe

mrbgt · « **Reply #1 on:** March 03, 2009, 06:11:16 PM »

there isn't really any cons except you'll use alot of ammo !! most have chrome lined barrels with the exception of the yugo, the yugo's might have some pitting in the barrel and you have to watch the grenade shut off valve , these sometimes need replaced . that's pretty much it . buy what ever you like

Terry C. · « **Reply #2 on:** March 04, 2009, 12:57:54 AM »

While nowhere near AR levels, prices have been creeping up on SKS rifles, at least around here.

Ak variants are still quite a bit less than the typical AR.

In local shops right now you may save $100-150 choosing an SKS over an AK.

I was in a shop a couple of days ago and he just got in four AK rifles ($500-550) and two DPMS ARs ($800-950). In a few days, they'll probaly all be gone. Ironically, it's SKS that isn't moving, prices are too high.

That said, the SKS is a great rifle. One thing I did learn about them is that if you have one that shoots, leave it alone. Yeah, I know, it's hard to do with so many aftermarket goodies available.

I have two friends with almost identical SKS rifles. One of them put an aftermarket synth stock on his and now it won't feed three rounds in a row. I think something's binding somewhere, it was 100% with the original stock.

Jal5 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 04, 2009, 04:47:40 AM »

thanks for the input.

Here the ARs are going for around 1000-1200 depending on model and extras, which is why I knew the SKS would be in line with my price range. Yet they are still way higher than they were just a few years ago.

any ideas on places I should check for them? I would prefer to do a FTF buy in Ohio, or I think I could get one in WVA or PA since i have purchased rifles over the counter there too as Ohio resident and we border those states along the Ohio River.

Joe

bluecow · « **Reply #4 on:** March 05, 2009, 03:22:16 AM »

sks is a fun gun plus it goes bang every time till someone starts trying to turn it into something it aint. it wont shoot as small a pattern as the ar, an the ar is a hoot to shoot, but the sks gos bang and can be abused and still go bang. i know ar fans ive heard all the stories, after 29 yrs of use ive yet to find an ar platform that i trust. all told for duty use ill keep my 870. but then i would still rather have my modle 65 and they can keep the 4006

jlwilliams · « **Reply #5 on:** March 06, 2009, 02:21:23 PM »

I just posted a lengthy post on the SKS in a thread titled "will the SKS shoot". I don't want to repeat myself but I wrote some things you may want to read. I have put some time into the SKS and there are a couple of little things that you can do to them that improve their performance. They are good guns that sometimes need a little tuning to reach their potential.

mrbgt · « **Reply #6 on:** March 07, 2009, 03:25:04 AM »

most beaters are usually around 2-300 now , if you want to find a good deal on one, ask your buddies if anyone they know has one they want to sell ,word of mouth is the best way to find a good deal . sks's are all over but with dealers not being able to get ar's-ak's it seems like the next rifle of choice is the sks ,this is driving up the prices at the dealers . my first chinese i paid $120 new back in 1993 , i have an unissued yugo i paid $150 for 3 years ago and a shooter grade yugo i paid $75 for 2 years ago , to bad these are starting to dry up .

Jal5 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 12, 2009, 09:38:07 PM »

I have offered $300 for a Norinco SKS that comes with the wooden stock and a black synthetic stock otherwise standard features. Guy is asking 350. How does that price sound?

targshooter · « **Reply #8 on:** March 13, 2009, 02:21:58 AM »

Jal5,
You are handling the rifle and know what you expect from the rifle/cartridge; so apparently $300 is a fair deal now. I owned three Norinco SKS rifles in the 1980s. One was a fairly decent rifle, and it held 3-4 MOA to the same point of impact at 200 yards even after removing the action from the stock for cleaning. One of the other two shifted point of impact wildly after removal of the action from stock, whereas the other held 4-5 MOA at 100 yards. For me, the SKS handled fairly well. All delivered best accuracy after the removal of the bayonet. I switched to the AK because none of those suffered from point of impact drift following a thorough cleaning. Ultimately I switched to Mini-30 for 7.62x39 due to its superior handling qualities for me as well as its ease of scoping.

kitchawan kid · « **Reply #9 on:** March 13, 2009, 02:38:33 AM »

I realy feel old I picked up mine years ago for $100.00,unfired with all accessorys and they threw in a box of ammo,back then they couldn't sell them.I did put a after market stock,to change length of pull.One thng to stay away from is the cheap scope mounts.

jlwilliams · « **Reply #10 on:** March 15, 2009, 01:45:50 AM »

Quote from: targshooter on March 13, 2009, 02:21:58 AM

Ultimately I switched to Mini-30 for 7.62x39 due to its superior handling qualities for me as well as its ease of scoping.

I too had many SKS over the years but have sold all but one (Russian refurb with the two recoil lugs, best of the SKS) after buying a mini30. It cost me twice as much as the most expensive SKS I ever bought (350 for the Russian) but the sights are so much better and the optics mount is head and shoulders above the better SKS scope mounts. Add in the stainless option and it got me, I had to have.

I think the SKS is one of the best values, bang for the buck, in shooting. The mini is a better rifle, but the price is a whole different bracket.

targshooter · « **Reply #11 on:** March 15, 2009, 05:46:08 AM »

I had one of the Russian SKS rifles briefly in the 1980s. I had given up on the Norincos. Even though it cost twice what a Norinco did, I have to agree that for the money that rifle was one of the best buys on the market. The workmanship was superb, and mine had a laminated stock that fit the rifle action perfectly, no change of point of impact after cleaning the firearm. The scoping issue and the aperture sight on the Ruger were the reasons the rifle was dumped in favor of the Mini-30.

Terry C. · « **Reply #12 on:** March 15, 2009, 07:25:52 AM »

Quote from: kitchawan kid on March 13, 2009, 02:38:33 AM

One thng to stay away from is the cheap scope mounts.

One of the SKS rifles mentioned in my first post, the one with the synth stock, also has a scope railed top cover.

No notches in the rail!

After three or four shots (he finally kept whittling on the stock until it will shoot most of the time), the front ring will start to slide off the end of the rail!

Doesn't seem to matter how tight they are clamped, they won't sit still. I think that the clamp is bottoming out and it will only get so tight (not quite tight enough).

He's tightening the knurled nuts on the clamping screws with pliers, sooner or later one of them is going to strip or snap. I suggested drilling and tapping a hole in the top of the rail, and cranking a setscrew into the bottom of the front ring from underneath.

My other suggestion that he dump all that crap and put his original stock and parts back on was not so well received...

jdwolf · « **Reply #13 on:** March 17, 2009, 12:09:36 PM »

I bought a Norinco SKS 4 weeks ago at a local gun shop for $235.00. It will shoot 3 inch groups at 100 yards, not great, but not bad. At 50 yards it's dead center accurate. Someone else on this thread mentioned removing the bayonet for better accuracy, I'll have to try that.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #14 on:** March 17, 2009, 12:32:58 PM »

i have a Yugo and just bught one 6 months ago and Paid 300 for it. Once I tore it apart and fully cleaned it it cycles a lot better.
What is kind of cool about the SKS is there are all kinds of after market parts that wil allow you to change the gun into what ever you want.
Before California banned the add on items and made it a fellony I had a chineese model that had a Dragonov stock, scope and an AK style trigger guard, that would allow mw to use AK mags. and I had a floding bipod in place of the Bayonet. With the AK mags i could have a real scope on mine as I did not have to worry about feeding it with a stripper clip. I remember it getting pretty good accuracy at 100 yards. Off the pods prone It would group about 2.5". Or minute of Coyote. The scope got beat to crap. A little rubber tape wrapped around the scope fixed it. The cool thing about the scope mount was it was a dust cover that was pinned in place and if i wanted open sights I took the rifle apart and put in the stock dust cover. yes i know it's more than just a dust cover but best way to describe it.
I sold it, two Russian SKS, a redo 96 mauser pistol, a painted cowboy gun, and an FN-49 for a Ruger Red label, and a Remington 1900 SBS and some ammo.
Good Luck

Tunaman · « **Reply #15 on:** March 17, 2009, 03:09:47 PM »

I have seen SKS sold for as much as 700 down here in tnhe last few weeks. The way that I see it is that SKS are selling for what AK's were selling for a year ago. Ak's are selling for AR money and AR's are selling for what ever you have in your pocket and then some. It is out of control.

v-man · « **Reply #16 on:** March 17, 2009, 04:01:41 PM »

I had 2 AK's and 2 SKS's for years. Paid between $90 and $200 for each of them .They never quit firing but accuracy was very suspect. Last year, I took all 4 to range for 1 final chance to find a keeper. The Norinco with the Sythetic folding stock held 4 inches at 100yds. The other 3 couldn't hold 12". I sold 3 and kept the best one and now focus on feeding my AR habit. I preferred the shorter paratrooper model but it couldn't hold 6 inches at 50 yards. They will work for you unless you want tight long range groups.

mannyrock · « **Reply #17 on:** March 20, 2009, 04:23:13 AM »

If you have a burning craze to get an SKS, then my advice is to take two aspirin, and go to bed until the bug passes. :-)

The vast majoriy of folks I know that bought an SKS were originally thrilled with its reliability, simplicity, chrome bore, and low maintenance, but eventually got very bored with its poor accuracy and poor sights. Most spent lots of money on high mounts, tap mounts, and every other type of mount, trying to get good and practical sights, before selling it off, at a loss.

The SKS simply is what it is. It's like a six-inch cresent wrench. You can't really make it into something else or make it much better than it is.

Regards,

Mannyrock

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #18 on:** March 20, 2009, 07:07:36 AM »

Poor sights?
My Yugo has flip up day glow night sights.
And if he wants a beater rifle let him get excited about his beater rifle.
For what the SKS is it is a good military style rifle.
With that said My AR is a great military style rifle.
My friends kid wanted to shoot all of my rifles and I let him. He really wanted to shoot the AK, SKS, and the AR.
All three of mine wear factory sights. He started out with the AR and was hitting all the steel gongs all over the range out to 200 yards.
he moved to the AK and was not happy that at 150 yards he could only hit the 20" steel plate 1/3 shots where he was able to just hammer it with the AR. He was using a sand bag as a rest at the standing bench for both rifles.
He did shoot the SKS but was not thrilled with it either. Had he never shot the AR he would have been a pig in poop with either and hammering the 20" plate at 100 yards with either the AK or the SKS.
Most of the problems i have had with the SKS rifles I have owned have been the short stock. Adding a butt pad extention or using one of the plastic stocks help.

chopermech · « **Reply #19 on:** June 05, 2009, 03:42:13 AM »

I just had my Norinco barrel off at the gunsmith and found it was drilled off center and slightly bent. He said it was a common problem...

chopermech · « **Reply #20 on:** June 05, 2009, 03:42:57 AM »

What is the best quality scope mount
?

jlwilliams · « **Reply #21 on:** June 05, 2009, 03:58:51 AM »

None of the "no gunsmithing" mounts are worth a damn. I saw one that had a Rem 870 shotgun scope mount on it, and it was good. The mount screws onto the side of the receiver and lines up over the bore. Needs to have the receiver drilled and tapped, and the stock releaved.

I gave up on scoping the SKS. Just not a gun designed for it. I got a Mini 30 ranch. Much better sights and scope mounts.

mrbgt · « **Reply #22 on:** June 05, 2009, 06:42:20 PM »

choate machine and tool , is a good 1 but you'll have to drill and tap the reciever , if you dont want to drill look into a scout mount to replace the rear sight

Default · « **Reply #23 on:** June 06, 2009, 09:10:28 AM »

Personally after owning 4 and now my 5th SKS I am happy as can be with the SKS for the tool it was meant to be and is. I have had two of the short barreled SKS variants ,one the AK mag using variant and presently I picked up a paratrooper model 10 fixed mag 16" SKS from my brothers buddy for $100 about two months ago ( and NO I didnt kiss him when it was over

)
AK reliable and accuracy is within the limitations one would place on a simlilarly powered 30-30 lever gun. My first SKS took my first buck so i will always have a biast opinion of them i guess but it is warrantied with all the virtues they have going for a gunnie..

First thier magazinse are far cheaper then any other combat repeating rifles .. Including the Garand

.. They are "the sun will rise in the east and set in the west" reliable..
They work better as a club ( if ever needed) And have always worked with only one failure in probably close to a combined 10k rounds down range ( the one failure was a crappy rusted round my brother accidently picked up and it loaded , fired and ejected just happened to slow it down enough to catch the edge of the case between the action and the bolt)
So no frills tuff and reliable is the very nature of an SKS And one that i think every person should have in thier aresenal.. For less then then a AK will run you and to me a better suited all around rifle for hunting , varminting and self defense ...

Another interesting thing about the SKS that i have read recently is that it is replacing on alot of indian reservations the old 30-30 winchester as the more popular gun due to price of rifle ,price of ammo and it fitting in the saddle scabbered and also being a little more handy then the 30-30 94 in a home defense situation which are sadly common in the rural reservation areas.

Default

prairiedog555 · « **Reply #24 on:** June 06, 2009, 12:10:39 PM »

I have 2. both Norinco. One is scoped with fixed mount on dust cover. It is solid as a rock. This one has a plastic $40 stock, that helped accuracy by 50%.
the other thing I found to help was use the 154gr. Wolf ammo and not the 123gr. It does not shoot as flat but another 50% accuracy gain. I bought Rem 123 gr. ammo and it was not much better than Wolf. The heaver bullit brings group with the 5x scope to around 2". And of course never a jam.
Killed 2 big Kansas deer with it, one I had to shoot 3 times with the 123gr. (one shot grazed the heart at 10yd)
The other was a 1 shot kill at about 60yd. with the 154gr.
And you are right about the popularity with the local indians, they poach deer and shoot each other with it.
I'm serious, they list it in the paper.

44 Man · « **Reply #25 on:** June 19, 2009, 07:40:34 AM »

I owned an SKS for a while. And it was a good shooter as it would put 5 shots in 3" at 100 yds. That is remarkable with my old eyes and open sights and using the cheapest wolf ammo I could buy! I sold it totally because of the way it felt. It was awkward to shoulder and everything seemed to be in the wrong place. The 'ergonomics' were terrible. I know the price difference is significant, but my Bushmaster AR15 fits like a dream and handles wonderfully. SKS's are still cheap to buy and to shoot, at least until Mr Obama stops the importation of military style ammo just like they stopped allowing Black Hills from being able to buy brass from the military. Now they send it overseas as scrap brass (for less money!). So much for encouraging small business and helping to make more jobs. 44 Man