rcmodel said it best. For reliabilty and ease of field stripping, it's hard to beat an SKS rifle. No little parts to get lost, no tricks, etc. They start developing problems with functioning and reliability with modifications. The more mods, the more issues they have. Plastic mags, improperly fitted stocks, receiver mounted scopes, etc. all lead to claims of "this thing is junk".
I have several and they're all slightly modified to suit me. They have our finish on them of course, twenty round fixed box mags and longer stocks. Be carefull with aftermarket stocks. If they're to long between the rear lock up and the front lock up area, the rifle can pop out of the stock during firing. If they're to thick in the trigger guard area, the trigger unit won't lock in properly and can pop out. That's why the original stock has the spring in it. They make them thin enough to make sure they ALL fit but have the spring to take up the slack.
Yes, mine all have shock buffers in them. All of my assorted non-politically correct rifles do. However, that will be something that gets removed in the even of (insert favorite bad scenario here). Yes, they absorb the shock of the bolt hitting the end of the travel. Yes, they quiet down the metallic rap. But they do eventually come apart and I don't want rubber/plastic parts floating around inside the action.
You can paint an SKS stock but will have a major job of getting all of the oil out of the wood first. I've heard of soaking them with oven cleaner, heating them, pressure washing them, etc. All of those can affect the size of the stock and cause fitting problems later on. It's easier to just buy a new stock. Choates usually fit pretty good but they're kind of heavy. If all you want to do is increases it's reliabilty, do a full take down and make sure all of the parts are clean and free of Cosmolene. Keep yer powder dry, Mac.
Tuff-Gun Finishes. The Name Says It All.
Mac's Shootin' Irons
http://www.shootiniron.com