Tell me about the SKS...

In my opinion, one of the most underrated rifles in common discussion/use.

Accuracy I keep hearing won't win any benchrest competitions, but my SKS (Type 56 actually, Chinese) is accurate enough to pop a clay pidgeon at 100 yards every time, if I do my part, which is good enough for me. Especially considering that I'm not a good enough shot to shoot beyond 1.5 MOA most days, even with my 4X equipped AR15.


Only things I really dislike about the rifle is the rather tricky disassembly, and the fact that it can slamfire on soft primers (To be fair though, most any free floated firing pin equipped auto can...).

Picked up a new-condition 59/66 Yugo to see what they were about a while back. Essentially a very well made specimen of Soviet weaponry--pretty unsophisticated but stout and apparently reliable. The ctg. is basically a .30-30 spitzer and with one thing and another (long, heavy trigger, somewhat crude, short radiused open sights) it is a 150--200 yard rifle. Most people call it a 4 MOA rifle and that seems about right to me. The Yugos are quite heavy for the ctg (9 pounds, 4 oz., so I understand) so recoil is extremely mild.

I shoot M1 Garand quite a lot and it totally outclasses an SKS on all counts. The SKS is at its best as a utility truck gun and the ammo of course is very cheap. It does the same job as a Mini-14 in 7.62 x 39 with less fuss and expense...

I can only comment on the Yugos. They're built like a tank and the accuracy is perfectly acceptable at 100 yards. If you get an "excellent" or "unissued" one, it will probably be in the advertised condition. Get one. Given a choice, I'd choose the Garand every time, but that's really an unfair comparison given the price differential.

The SKS is a fantastic rifle...it would be a bargain at twice the going rate. It's exceedingly reliable, simple, sturdy as a tank, and very cheap to feed. While not as accurate as an AR-15 or a good bolt gun, they tend to be more accurate than the AK, and sport four inches more barrel length to boot.

I have a Yugo M59/66, the biggest and heaviest SKS variant. They are still readily available for a song and a dance. For around $150, you get a solid and reliable gun made of milled steel and real wood. Think of it as a Russian-designed Mini-14 that works.

Only things I really dislike about the rifle is the rather tricky disassembly

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I find the SKS to be one of the easiest rifles to disassemble. Even a detail strip is easily done in under a minute.

Like all Russian gun designs, they are blunt instruments. Crude, inexpensive, simple to operate, and utterly reliable. At $100-$150 or so, they are a true bargain.

I find the SKS to be one of the easiest rifles to disassemble. Even a detail strip is easily done in under a minute.

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Agreed. Not counting the trigger group, there are what... two switches to turn?

SurplusRifle.com has a dissasembly video for the SKS...I watched it out of curiosity and it looks exceedingly simple, with the exception of the gas system where you kind of have to use some force.

It's a great gun...



look around and you might be able to find a chinese 'paratrooper' model. It's sorta the carbine of sks's. It's a little more expensive than the standard lenght models. It's cheap to shoot and more accurate than I am. I think (no, I know), I shoot it better than my AK.

BTW, it's easy to takedown.

SKS = cheap priced reliable rifle shooting cheap ammo.

$65 per 1000 rounds is sweet. Problems is, you will go thru that 1000 rounds in a hurry and be smiling the whole way thru. Fun stuff!!

Where are you getting your ammo so cheap? My gunshop charges as much for 1000 Silver Bear as I could get it shipped from ammoman to my door! ($119)

I have a yugo and chinese and put thousands of rounds through the chinese one, Never jammed. No problems. The yugo is better. about two hundred rounds so far. NO problems, Get one. the yugo is an intimidating HD peice. Big bayonet. For what they cost. I would buy one at twice the price. Theres my 2cents

Norinco's have chrome barrels

I just love my two Chinese Norincos.
I put an Advanced Technology dragnov stock and compact scope on one; nice gun but the stock hinders disassembly of the rear slide cover (on which the dang scope is mounted!) so cleaning is more difficult.
Keep yours stock IMHO.
The triggers are stiff, and you can modify them with peril of making them inoperable. I did learn the trigger assembly very well. Leave it stock as well.
If you want a small 30-30 power rifle with a light flat bullet trajectory, easy packing of lots of rounds, robust, and simple design, you too will love SKS's.

At or under $200 they are a bargain even if you overpay.

If the AWB sunsets I'll buy two more and attach a chinese 20 round fixed mags ( assuming that is legal ) to each. They hold 19+1 rounds and reload with strippers, if you are going to be in an extended firefight.

Their handling is more fluid than an AK's. They tend to be more accurate than AK's. They will function and keep functioning in preposterous conditions though not to the rediculous extent an AK does. If you leave it in the truck and it gets scratched up or dinged or stolen, you don't need to cry over it ( though you may end up loving it so much you do weep at it's loss ).

And as we are periodically reminded, your first gun only has to be good enough to get you your second gun. The sks is good enough to keep it even after getting a so-called better gun. God I wish I still had those SKS - D models that took AK mags.

Here's my "California legal" Yugo. Note the big muzzlebreak welded on the end of the barrel preventing me from launching grenades.



I was regularly banging the 12" gong @ 120 yds yesterday at the range.

I really like my Russian SKS. Mine has been rearsenaled and is as good as new.

A good Chinese or Yugo will serve you just as well. To me it's just kinda neat to have a Russian. I'm looking for an Albanian one next before I pick up a Yugo.

Good Shooting
Red

I love mine...it's a Yugo 59/66 that was in 'unissued' condition. Very accurate, ammo is cheap ($85/1000 for Wolf), and cleaning is pretty easy. Recoil is almost non-existent.

You also get a generous amount of free cosmoline with your first purchase

Once you've taken the cosmo off and detail stripped it a few times it's very easy to take apart/put together. The first few times removing the trigger group can be a little tough until it loosens up a bit.

Get one...you won't regret it!

It's a lightweight, gas operated, magazine fed rifle capable of being fired in semi-automatic and 3 round burst.....errr wait, that's the M16A2......damned board questions that you never forget......




There's only one thing you need to know about the SKS.......they're like those damned potato chips....betcha' can't buy just one.

A great bargain. My Yugo has has zero hiccups, it's pretty darn accurate and the $75.00/case Wolf if awesome.

Mine came with "Cosomline Faeries" that come at night and replace at the cosmo that I've cleaned out of the gun & stock...

Just to provide a -tiny- bit of criticism: I actually -have- had problems with my Yugo. I had some function problems when I first took it out (bolt not locking back, etc.) which I attribute to leftover cosmoline. It was then flawless for a while, until it pierced a primer, which blew the firing pin out of the bolt (makes me happy for that steel on the back of the receiver!) and jammed it up pretty good--but didn't result in any sort of damage to me, or permanent damage to the gun, for that matter. It's still out of commisson, as I've not gotten around to replacing the firing pin and that little pin that holds the firing pin in. And finally, I've still not gotten all the cosmoline out of the stock.

All that said--I'd still heartily recommend one to anybody that asked...

Be aware, that bolt is PACKED with cosmo, and you need to get it all out. The firing pin should rattle when you shake the bolt, otherwise you could get doubles, triples or even go full auto.

EVERYTHING is packed with cosmo. I took a picture of the glob that came out of the barrel of mine--it was impressive. I could've lubed my Garand for years with the grease that came off that gun. It's true about the bolt, though--clean it well. Knock the retaining pin out, take the firing pin out, and clean it up good w/ Gun Scrubber or the like.

Where are you getting your ammo so cheap?

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Gunshow in Tucson had it for that price, a supplier in Mesquite Texas (info below)$65 at the place of business or + $10 or so shipping., and Cheaperthandirt had it for $74 on premises.

All 3 were Wolf Ammo.

Southwest Ammuntion Supply Co.
(972) 285-3644
206 W. Davis St
Mesquite, TX 75149
Wed-Fri 10 AM - 6 PM
Sat 10 AM - 3 PM

I guess you could call them a middle of the road gun.
By that, I mean that you are unlikely to ever find one that is a real tack driver of incredably beautiful.
At the same time you are also unlikey to ever find one that doesn't work, even when you forget to clean it or that can't hold a 4-5 inch circle at one hundred yards.
They were intended to be reliable and cheap to mass produce.
I think they are everything they were intended to be...and fun.

If you get a Yugo, make sure you dont get an Interordinance rifle. Those guns are mostly parts guns, and the gas tubes have a sloppy fit with the gas valve. This leads to lots of jams. So avoid Interordinance.