Author Topic: AK-47 vs SKS - What would you choose and why? (Read 4868 times)

teddy12b · « **on:** October 25, 2007, 09:32:24 AM »

AK-47 vs SKS - What would you choose and why?

I'm just curious about what you all think of these two rifles. They're both chambered in the same round so how would you make your decision and what would you base it on.

I used to have an AK years ago and shot it right next to a SKS and the SKS was more accurate with softer recoil, but had a limited magazine compared to my ak with a drum.

What do you all think?

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #1 on:** October 25, 2007, 09:39:10 AM »

SKS , because i can have 2 for the price of an AK47 , no mag to loose , more accurate !

Old Syko · « **Reply #2 on:** October 26, 2007, 02:35:16 AM »

Depends on what you want to use it for. Let's face it, the AK is a high capacity machine gun with a semi auto feature. The SKS is a 10 round capacity semi auto general issue rifle. No collection is complete unless you own both.

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #3 on:** October 26, 2007, 12:36:54 PM »

Quote from: Old Syko on October 26, 2007, 02:35:16 AM

No collection is complete unless you own both.

AMEN BROTHER!

But to answer the question, I would take the ak over the sks if I had to choose, detachable high cap mags or a drum, many military furniture options, folding stocks and I like the looks better.

JimP. · « **Reply #4 on:** October 28, 2007, 09:03:09 AM »

This is my opinion having owned both. I prefer the SKS over the AK 47. Since I am not in the military any more and dont hunt human targets, I dont need the hi capacity the AK has. I choose the SKS. 10 rounds is plenty of ammo to load for hunting, I usually only load 5 and have never needed more than 1 round to take a deer. My Chineese SKS will shoot very well at 100 yds using Winchester soft point ammo. The Ak didnt shoot any load very well, I tried FMJ mil ammo and Commercial softpoint ammo and the AK only shot 3 to 4 inch groups. My SKS will regularly shoot inside of 2 inches at 100 yds with open sights using the Win soft point ammo. I did remove the bayonet and bayonet lug (cut it off even with barrel) and I also removed the cleaning rod. So the answer to your question is the SKS.

Old Syko · « **Reply #5 on:** October 28, 2007, 12:03:53 PM »

Quote

I am not in the military any more and dont hunt human targets, I dont need the hi capacity the AK has. I choose the SKS. 10 rounds is plenty of ammo to load for hunting,

If and when the bottom falls out of things like many forsee, you'll quickly change your mind.

Teddy, I hope you have an AR or 2 also for the AK and SKS to join.

teddy12b · « **Reply #6 on:** October 28, 2007, 07:27:06 PM »

I have an AR in 6.8 that is my favorite rifle of all.

rio grande · « **Reply #7 on:** November 01, 2007, 11:54:15 PM »

sks for sure.
When you buy an sks, you get the real deal, as issued, as designed. Keep it original - no rambo modifications.
The AK won't be original, as issued. The receiver is modified and newly made, by? and to what standards? Several internal parts likewise.
Assuming that's done right, and everything functions well, as semi-auto AKs generally do, the AK's cost is higher, the handling is not as good, the mags are heavy and get in the way and can be lost, they rattle like crazy, the safety is clumsy, and the accuracy is usually not as good.
The AK has its place - if I had extra money I'd buy one (but keep the SKS!), I'll grant you in some scenarios the extra ammo capacity would be nice, and a friend of mine even took an AK turkey hunting. Everybody laughed at him till he got his turkey - with a shot thru the neck, no less.
But I'm an SKS fan. Get an SKS and use the saved $ for ammo to practice with. And learn to use the stripper clips.

Old Syko · « **Reply #8 on:** November 02, 2007, 03:44:02 AM »

Quote from: rio grande on November 01, 2007, 11:54:15 PM

the mags are heavy and get in the way and can be lost learn to use the stripper clips.

I find it odd that anyone would have a hard time keeping track of loaded 7#magazines but could keep track of those little strippers.

Quote

the handling is not as good,

I must disagree here. The SKS is built for folks of small stature with their short buttstocks and limited drop at the comb which doesn't serve full sized Americans well.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #9 on:** November 02, 2007, 03:54:15 AM »

if you loose a stripper clip you can still load the weapon , if you loose a 7 mag you have a single shot and a not very good one ! LOL
in winter the SKS fits well and a short stock is not that hard to deal with in warm weather ! if a woman is to use it the the short stock may be the best anyway . besides a slip on pad is cheap ! LOL

Savage · « **Reply #10 on:** November 02, 2007, 11:20:11 AM »

I could probably find an example or two of both around here if I looked---------

If I had to choose between the two platforms, I'd for sure go with the AK. Having more ammo than you need in the gun has never been a handicap for me. The AK/SKS rifles I own are not "AR" accurate, but both have decent combat accuracy, with the edge going to the AK. The AK is still a first line battle rifle in most of the world, so parts and ammo will always be available. SKS parts are, well, not so available. The 7.62x39 is a moderately powered round suitable for hunting most anything in this part of the world, and is used frequently for that purpose. If, God Forbid, I had use of a rifle to defend my family, life, or country, the AK wins again over the SKS. It's detachable magazine, near total reliability, and parts availability makes it a clear winner. If for any reason I couldn't own an AK, then I'd make do just fine with the SKS. Thank God it hasn't come to that yet.
Savage

rio grande · « **Reply #11 on:** November 04, 2007, 12:35:12 AM »

"If for any reason I couldn't own an AK, then I'd make do just fine with the SKS. "
And vice-versa. They're both good.
And re: handling, that's an individual preference, but the AK sure seems awkward to me, doesn't come up the the shoulder as fast as an SKS. And about the stock being short, didn't Jeff Cooper say a shorter stock is better than one thats too long? I'm tall, and the short stock is good for me, and its true, the slip-on pad is easy to put on.
And the strippers, yeah you don't need 'em to load the rifle, but get used to 'em, they're fast. I dare say - if an ak started with one loaded 30 rd. mag and 70 extra loose rds, and i had 100 rds. on strippers, I could fire my 100 rds far faster than the guy w/ the AK could.
AND... The big mags do get in the way. If somebodys shooting at me and i need to hug Gods good earth while shooting back, I want to be as close to it as possible! Why, I'd have to dig a hole for that mag to fit into.
Reliability - I've shot MANY SKS rifles. I can honestly say I've had no trouble with any of them (even one that was TOTALLY mis-matched) as long as they were original configuration, no 20-rd. chinese or extended aftermarket mags, etc.)

( But I'd trade both the AK and the SKS for a nice #5 British .303 Jungle Carbine anyday - I'm old fashioned I guess.)

Swampman · « **Reply #12 on:** November 04, 2007, 01:59:17 AM »

"But I'd trade both the AK and the SKS for a nice #5 British .303 Jungle Carbine anyday"

Me too!

NONYA · « **Reply #13 on:** November 04, 2007, 01:08:33 AM »

SKS,WAy more accurate,cheaper,dont need a special permit to own one,did I say more accurate?You really think that"when the bottom falls out" the difference between and AK and a SKS is going to change anything?HA!

Swampman · « **Reply #14 on:** November 04, 2007, 01:53:10 AM »

When the bottom falls out, I'd rather have a .22, a single shot 20 gauge, or a Marlin .30-30. They will feed me and protect my family. They don't draw unwanted attention either.

Old Syko · « **Reply #15 on:** November 04, 2007, 09:34:44 AM »

Quote from: NONYA on November 04, 2007, 01:08:33 AM

don't need a special permit to own one,

I'm unaware of the need for any "special permit" for a legally configured AK or SKS either way. At least not in the non-communist states.

NONYA · « **Reply #16 on:** November 04, 2007, 04:40:34 PM »

A true AK is full auto.

Old Syko · « **Reply #17 on:** November 05, 2007, 02:54:09 AM »

I wonder what the proper designation is for an "untrue" AK47 or AK74 is then.

Close quarters defensive situation you're hard pressed to tell if it's full or semi.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #18 on:** November 05, 2007, 04:19:56 AM »

Don't have a clue about AK_47"S but with cattle they call them a steer !

Double 30 · « **Reply #19 on:** November 12, 2007, 02:58:58 AM »

Definately SKS.Longer sight radius, more accurate, in my experience, chargers allow you to carry more rounds as the mags are heavier and bulkier. 100 rounds clipped are lighter and smaller bundle than 100 in magazines.Having a bayonet attached and always there CAN be useful. Cover is a wonderful thing,you can get closer to mother earth without bipoding on the magazine. Both are durable, reliable , proven designs, but hit probability seems better with the SKS.With its 20 inch barrel, M-43 class rounds are more powerful( slightly) in the SKS.Most mil spec stuff chronos at about 2300 fps from a 16 inch AK and the same stuff exits my Type 56 at 2550 fps. More is better.The safety is certainy easier to operate on the SKS as it requires alot less hand movement.When carring it the SKS is also quieter than an AK.Pick them up ( with a mag in the AK) and give 'em a shake. Muzzle blast is ALITTLE less with the SKS too, Both are great rifles and you couldn't go far wrong with either.

rio grande · « **Reply #20 on:** November 12, 2007, 12:53:52 PM »

good points double30. more rounds, less weight!
BTW, I saw a nice Yugo at the gun show in Conroe, Tx saturday, about 135 out the door - good shape, too, except no number on the bolt. I should have bought it.
Saw one in a pawn shop last week, chinese, some pitting on the flat sides of the reciever below the cover, but good bore and all match, also had the scope thats fitted permanently to the cover.... very dirty, but $125.
But mostly these days I see 'em for $200 or so.
Its getting hard to find an AK for less than $400 - hillarybama fear I guess.
Somebody told me Blackwater in Iraq is buying new AKs from the chinese at $18 each - Good Lord. And I heard somewhere in Africa you could get an AK at one time for a chicken. Wonder what an SKS would have gone for?

EDELWEISS · « **Reply #21 on:** November 18, 2007, 10:28:53 AM »

SKS !!! Someone said it before me but I'll say again, the SKS you buy will be as designed and issued, an AK has been modified to make it US legal and at the very least semi-only. Id go to war with a SKS. It might not be my fist choice but it would be far from my last pick, and given whats happening now Id be happier with the 30 caliber versus a .22. Now picking a SKS over an Ak is still a easy choice, ever butt stroke with a pistol grip? ever try to get prone and have a jam because you put too much pressure on the mag? Neither the SKS or AK are pecision weapons, but the SKS is atleast machined not folded and rivited together.

Mikey · « **Reply #22 on:** November 20, 2007, 02:15:47 AM »

The Ak-47. The semiauto version of the AK is termed the AK-47S, or Avtomat Kalashnikov 47 - Semiavtomat. The SKS is the Siminov Karabiner (?) Semiavtomatica.

The SKS is older technology, the Ak not much newer in design but more functional for combat use, I feel, if you are using select fire.

A AK-47S with a long barrel like the SKS or the Norinco Hunting Models or the Saiga Hunting Models with the longer barrel are just as accurate if not more accurate than the SKS; The AK has a larger capacity without modification and more easily convertible to select fire.

The AR family is more accurate and has better battle sights than the SKS or the AK/AKS. Both cartridges will hurt you badly if not kill you out to their max effective ranges.

I have both. I would prefer the AK for it's ease of maintenance, larger magazine capacity and rate of fire. JMTCW. Mikey.

Chilachuck · « **Reply #23 on:** November 20, 2007, 02:35:03 AM »

I have not shot either one of them yet. I did see an SKS with a Hogue stock and had to look twice to see it was an SKS, and that's a good thing to keep in mind. Another SKS with a folding stock looked pretty handy for getting in and out of cars.

(Saw it shortly after a neighbor's son shot himself by pulling his rifle to him, out of a car. I'm all for "handy" now.)

An AK folder is likely to get cops and neighbors all bent out of shape. Getting shot at is not good for your health.

teddy12b · « **Reply #24 on:** November 20, 2007, 03:09:18 AM »

The Ak I used to have I had a folding stock. When it was folded, the stock would rub against my hand and it was very uncomfortable. I look at both of them as beater guns and not for any kind of serious target shooting. More like good old boys on the farm kind of target shooting.

Chilachuck · « **Reply #25 on:** November 21, 2007, 04:18:12 AM »

I'm not likely to shoot any of them folded except to learn how and if I had to. Ammo costs too much to just throw away.

Been hungry a time or two. Ammo is meat.

teddy12b · « **Reply #26 on:** November 21, 2007, 01:02:06 PM »

In either case, I'd probably only feed it Wolf ammo bought in bulk. I've never bought 7.62x39 with actual brass cases, I've always just used the cheapest stuff.

Old Syko · « **Reply #27 on:** November 22, 2007, 04:36:47 AM »

Stocked up on Wolf 2 or 3 years ago when I was able to get it for about a third or less of what it's going for now. Works good enough in the AKs with only a little problem in one of the SKSs. Of course it is a Yugo. I won't even waste my time with the stuff in the ARs though. Besides, I am still loading 5.56 for much less than you can buy 7.62 wolf for, just takes time.

six_gunz · « **Reply #28 on:** November 22, 2007, 05:00:39 AM »

I would take the ak over the sks if I had to choose, detachable high cap mags or a drum, many military furniture options, folding stocks and I like the looks better.
[/quote]

Not true, there's at least one company (Tapco.com) out there that makes furniture and detachable high capacity mags for the SKS. As for price, it's fairly inexpensive to do this and an SKS along with these options can be far less expensive than buying an AK-47. It looks just as good as the AK-47 IMO Check 'em out!
http://www.tapco.com/catalog.aspx?id=75
They also make tactical gear for other military rifles as well as the Ruger 10-22, mini 14 and mini 30

rio grande · « **Reply #29 on:** November 22, 2007, 11:05:07 PM »

Its not a good idea to rambo your SKS w/ aftermarket hi-cap mags. They tend not to work well. Best to stick with the original configuration 10 round mags and learn to use the stripper clips.
and RE: 'easy to modify to full-auto"... whats that rifle worth? About ten years in the slammer - don't even THINK about it.
Folding stocks? well, maybe, but they tend to be folded when needed unfolded, pinch your fingers, poor handling when extended. Both the SKS and AK have short stocks already - do you really need the folder?
Buy more ammo instead - save some, shoot a lot!