My SKS carbines

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Danny53

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I got my first SKS in 1991 (commercial Norinco model) and have since owned six of them. Today I have a Russian 1953 Tula and a Yugoslavian M59/66A1, my wife owns a Chinese Type 56. They are fun and inexpensive to shoot, we have stocked up on ammo anywhere from 17¢ to 21¢ per round. Each of them are in very good condition with great bores and all are good shooters. All of them have all matching numbers except for the Russian, it's wearing a force matched Izhevsk stock!

Chinese.Russian.Yugoslavian.jpg

The Russian.jpg

Yugo SKS II.jpg

The Yugo looks to be new, I believe it has not been used since going through refurb.
 
When SKS were still a fairly new thing on the US market a bud and I started calling them the "American Volks Gewahr" because so many were imported and sold. If the numbers of US Customs and ATF of the time were to be believed in just the first few years of importation more were bought by US citizens than there were people in the Armed Forces, including the one week end a month reserves and National Guard.

Ammo was dirt cheap and we joked about paving walkways at a local range with spent Berdan brass washed steel cases.

What seems odd to me is how few show up on the used gun market. It seems folks got them, shot them, and then just stashed them in a closet somewhere with a pile of ammo and forgot them.

During the first run at "Assault Weapons" laws you had to be fast to get ammo when it came in to local shops and the huge ammo mail order businesses did not exist then.

I considered putting together SKS specific classes at the time and mostly had a manual ready to print and bind (just in time for two others to beat me to market at less than I thought I could gamble on for a profit)

As I saw one at the Range a week or so back I realized I no longer keep my SKS sight adjustment tool in my range bag and so could not help the kid out. Think I will start carrying it again as young guys and gals are starting to get Dad or even Grandad's SKS.

I sure wish I could get Lapua ammo for what King's ( a major SKS distributor back in the day) was selling it for back then. I shot some up recently and felt like chasing every case like a Labrador Retriever after a tennis ball!

I have to be honest , I like the SKS far better than the AK or (sorry guys) even the CZ58.

My only mod was a one inch butt pad that just screwed down over the steel butt plate. For while I took off the cleaning rod and bayonet but put the bayonet back, it s a handy means of setting the rifle down with out laying it on the ground in the field. Extend bayonet, stick bayonet straight into the ground Viola'

SKS = Some Kind'a Special!

-kBob
 
When SKS were still a fairly new thing on the US market a bud and I started calling them the "American Volks Gewahr" because so many were imported and sold. If the numbers of US Customs and ATF of the time were to be believed in just the first few years of importation more were bought by US citizens than there were people in the Armed Forces, including the one week end a month reserves and National Guard.

Ammo was dirt cheap and we joked about paving walkways at a local range with spent Berdan brass washed steel cases.

What seems odd to me is how few show up on the used gun market. It seems folks got them, shot them, and then just stashed them in a closet somewhere with a pile of ammo and forgot them.

During the first run at "Assault Weapons" laws you had to be fast to get ammo when it came in to local shops and the huge ammo mail order businesses did not exist then.

I considered putting together SKS specific classes at the time and mostly had a manual ready to print and bind (just in time for two others to beat me to market at less than I thought I could gamble on for a profit)

As I saw one at the Range a week or so back I realized I no longer keep my SKS sight adjustment tool in my range bag and so could not help the kid out. Think I will start carrying it again as young guys and gals are starting to get Dad or even Grandad's SKS.

I sure wish I could get Lapua ammo for what King's ( a major SKS distributor back in the day) was selling it for back then. I shot some up recently and felt like chasing every case like a Labrador Retriever after a tennis ball!

I have to be honest , I like the SKS far better than the AK or (sorry guys) even the CZ58.

My only mod was a one inch butt pad that just screwed down over the steel butt plate. For while I took off the cleaning rod and bayonet but put the bayonet back, it s a handy means of setting the rifle down with out laying it on the ground in the field. Extend bayonet, stick bayonet straight into the ground Viola'

SKS = Some Kind'a Special!

-kBob

Those were the "good ol days" Bob, I bought my first SKS for $79. I had to laugh at what you said about using the bayonet in the field...I do that too!
 
Ive gone through many, mostly Norinco and Yugo, but the only one I have left is a really early Chicom with the plastic upper handguard and screwed barrel.

I refurbed this Yugo for my buddy awhile back, but hes not in love with it. I may just have to buy it off him.:)

View attachment 871465

That's a good looking Yugo, I hope you do buy it. It has a sharp looking stock!
 
Right there with you. My SKS doesn't see much action, but it's still in my safe whereas my AK's are long gone. Don't miss them one bit.

I wouldn't dare knock the AK, I have absolutely nothing against them, I simply have no use for one Wishoot. The wife loves them however, maybe I'll get her one some day.
 
I first handled an SKS at the Medina, OH Gun Show in the later '80s. They were being sold for, like, $69.

It failed to pair with my gun gene, so to speak.

In the "aughts", after acquiring my first of many C&R licenses, I bought a few SKSs over a few years in a vain (as it turned out) attempt to connect with them.

I still have a few, but the only one that ever managed to interest me at all (it has to do with its look compared to the others) is my Albanian.

I have always been a little bit jealous of those who feel such obvious affection for these unique rifles. :)

I have a few AKs, some "store bought" and some that I built. I enjoy the AKs.
 
I love the guns - while loathing Communists and Communism.....;)

I bought a passel of them one year to give to the boys in our shop for Christmas. I already had the one shown here on the bottom from a crusty old Vietnam Vet I knew in the day. The one on the top was in my Christmas buying splurge. It's a 1952, almost *Parade Grade* Russian and I'll likely keep it forever as part of my un-deliberate carbine collection. Too bad about the import stamp though it IS about the prettiest version I've ever seen applied.

I happily shoot only American commercial, Prvi or S&B and never bitch about the price since they shoot so damn well.

I've been through a couple rounds of "upgrades" including a disastrous flirtation with a bull pup stock and always find the original configuration to be the most satisfying.


Todd
IMG_1048.jpg IMG_1049.jpg IMG_1050.JPG
 
Never planned on owning 3 SKS's..... Just sort of happened over the years. SKS #1 is a Norinco that I bought brand new right out of the crate for $100. at a gun show circa 1992. Couldn't resist at that price. Plus the reputation of reliability and longevity that's deservedly enjoyed by them. Along with tons of dirt cheap, non-corrosive ammo available. What's not to like ? Got # 2 in 1995 for $225. also fresh out of the crate. This one's a Russian that was rebuilt at some point and then put into storage until they decided to sell a bunch of them. Got the threaded in barrel vs. the pinned in and a nice laminated stock. This one is still unfired and mint although it may be for sale as I downsize things in retirement. # 3 came from a gun show in early 2013. $450 bucks and it's used. It's now my official "beater" SKS and gets used whenever I occasionally feel like shooting an SKS. It was used when I got it, ( first used one I ever got ), and the only modification was an orange Tapco front sight blade for use with older eyes. Dug out the log book and looked up the round count for each one, also. Overall, they're fun, reliable, and neat to own.
IMG_5503.JPG #1..... Chinese Norinco with 454 rounds through it since 1992.... Brand new for $100. back then

IMG_4946.JPG #2.... Russian from 1995 .. $225. Arsenal rebuilt...... ZERO rounds through it since then. Why shoot it when there's two others here ?
IMG_1713_LI.jpg #3 ....Chinese from 2013..... Hey; these things are getting expensive. 503 rounds since 2013.
 
I sold a lot of SKS's back in the day (first Clinton term). Still have the one I bought for myself.

It still surprises me what they go for now when I see one at a show.
 
Can someone tell me why SKSs have bright "shinny" bayos while we paint Garand gas cylinders, they ran out of black paint?
 
... Along with tons of dirt cheap, non-corrosive ammo available. What's not to like?... Chinese Norinco with 454 rounds through it since 1992...... ZERO rounds through it since then... 503 rounds since 2013.

So these guns have only been to the range once since you bought them? LOL

Sounds basically unfired to me. So far as I've been concerned the whole point of cheap milsurps and cheap ammo is shooting them! Yes, yes people collect them blah blah blah. What fun is that? Crates of ammo for $60 - $ 125 means you can shoot a crate every couple weeks without going broke :) And yes, me and my fellow ammo wasters are why the stuff dried up. Y'all didn't want any back in the day when it was cheap anyways. You should thank us for creating the scarcity that drove up values. Yes, sir. You are welcome.

BTW - nice guns. Take 'em shooting and enjoy!
 
I've got a couple, and like them enough to where I would buy a third one if the price was nice enough.

For me, it was a good way to "get in the game" with something inexpensive that you can buy bulk ammo for easily. Of course this was well before the days of budget bolt guns in 7.62x39, which are a relatively recent development.


Yes, my .30-30s are much classier. But for a workhorse, beater and a cheap blaster it's hard to top the average SKS.
 
What seems odd to me is how few show up on the used gun market. It seems folks got them, shot them, and then just stashed them in a closet somewhere with a pile of ammo and forgot them.

I've got one of those. I think I paid about $200 for it back in 2000 or 2001 when I was 18. I also remember I got a 1000 rounds of wolf ammo for $100. I didn't realize when I bought it that it was all numbers matching minus the stock and I also thought it was odd it didn't have the receiver cover with the year or factory. Turned out to be a letter gun.

I also learned about what happens when the firing pin sticks when it's not clean the hard way. Fun gun but it hasn't been out of the safe in a long time.
 
I once shot a walnut tree about 2 feet thick in half with a sks.

back when sks rifles were really cheap and the ammo was around 1.50$ a box. I lived really rural and about 150 yds from my back porch, I hung a old plowshare off a bridge spike on a walnut tree and painted it silver.

at least once a day I would send at least 1 to 4 rounds at that plow share to watch it clang and jump around.

after about 2 years of this the tree just broke off rite where the plowshare hung.

with the same gun I could hit bricks easily at 100 yrds with the irons. once you master the super creepy gritty trigger and coarse sights they are usually a pretty accurate rifle.
 
So these guns have only been to the range once since you bought them? LOL
...... Occasional plinking and usually at the range. Once in a great while when I'm not shooting something else to test handloads or check zero or chronograph, etc. an SKS will come along for fun. Back around 2007 I was handloading 7.62x39 and had some decent loads. A few years ago I put a 5 round mag. and that hi-viz front sight on my "beater" SKS and considered deer hunting with some of my softpoint handloads. Never got around to it and realized I have too many other guns suitable for that. Swapped the original 10 round magazine back in but left the front sight on. The 5 round mag. ( from Numrich IIRC), hung out further below the stock than the original 10 rounder,.......( ???). Here's what that looked like: IMG_2691.JPG Overall I must admit to liking these things even if they don't get shot on a regular basis.
 
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