home defense: m1 carbine or sks paratrooper

While I generally prefer the M-1 carbine over the SKS I'd have to say the SKS because the ammo is cheaper and has better ballistics, so that adds up to more target practice.

Carbine would better compare to an SKS-D or M.

The M1 Carbine for weight, ballistics, and magazine capacity. If you are reloading the cost of ammo is probably in the M1 Carbines favor, if not the commie steel case imports for the 7.62 are in your favor.

I'll play! I pick the M-1 Carbine. Years ago I had an SKS and hated it but I've never owned an M-1. That's reason enough for me!

I've always liked the M1, never much of an SKS fan, so there you have it.

And in regard to weight, ease of reloadng options, the M1 takes the stage, IMO. I think it would be a more practical reloading option, and for me, the reloading option is always a first consideration.

GS

which i had the ability to practice with more. considering ammo price differences, the sks. ammo being equal, m1.

Carbine because at home defense ranges, it is a very powerful carbine. The original PDW, at defense ranges it will do what is needed (and not more than needed). As far as ammo price, I can get brass-cased 30 carbine for about $0.40 per round. 7.62x39 for about fifteen cents cheaper. That's not much of a price difference in ammo and the Carbine ammo will be higher quality at those two price points. A shooting session is not going to be a big difference in price.

7.62NATO vs 7.62x54r demonstrates a vastly different price comparison.

37% cheaper is 37% more practice

If on a tight budget the SKS due to cost of gun and ammo. Otherwise, for a short range defense gun, I'd pick the M1 Carbine every time.

Shotgun's my first choice....
but i voted M1 carbine. Ive only shot an SKS a few times, and i wasnt all that impressed.
The M1 is just so, well....nimble, is the word i guess im lookin for. Its one of my favorites, for sure.
I handload with a sierra soft point and 14.6 grains of H110. I wouldnt wanna get hit by it!

Dead men can't testify against you.

SKS Para loaded with Hornady SST Vmax.

M

I think the problem is, I prefer the M-1 Carbine, but mine is nice and becoming a collectable. I only shoot it a little. If I wanted to shoot it a lot, I would get a nice new clone like the new Inland or a Kahr.

Is "Both" a legitimate answer?

It's a tough choice really. I picked the SKS because I already have one and won't have to buy anything. When I got into carbines I paid right at $100 for that SKS (not actually a paratrooper) which made it the obvious choice. That choice is nowhere near obvious now. The M1 Carbine has better ergonomics for sure but then my SKS is do reliable that has to count for something. Plus there are the complaints of soldiers in Korea who thought it wasn't powerful enough to penetrate the winter gear of the enemy. The SKS is a little more powerful. It's a tough choice and again I only picked what I did because I have one already. I'd love to have a M1 Carbine though. Heck I'd like to have 2 of them.

Cee Zee said:

I picked the SKS because I already have one and won't have to buy anything.

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I have an SKS I got a couple decades ago. It is my experience with the SKS that I would choose an M1 Carbine for home defense.

Doesn't matter though, I go for a handgun for home defense as I feel the need to have one hand free. I've tried the carbine maneuver through the house practice many times with my AR when it had a collapsible stock. While it is worlds better than an SKS for turning corners, it is still a bit too bulky for my house's layout. Other homes are probably different.

There are so many reasons why the M1 carbine is the better home defense weapon, it'd take an hour for me to write about.

M1key said:

Dead men can't testify against you.

SKS Para loaded with Hornady SST Vmax.

M

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Read up on Jim Cirillos opinion of the .30 carbine with soft-point ammo.

It will stop someone very, very well.

Jim Cirillos opinion...was he given the SKS option?

Owned my share of them, including one my dad brought back from Korea that was won in a crap game. Most of them work okay, but a lot of the older ones are plum worn out.

SKS is a newer design, can a utilize 20+ mag count, and loaded with 123 Vmax, more explosive that any .30 Carbine.

It's what I would choose.

M

I've fired a lot of both. Both are dead reliable,and have plenty of terminal oomph. The M1 feels handier to me, easier to maneuver and quicker to shoulder. If a reload under fire is a consideration, I'll take the M1. If an SKS is all I can lay my hands on, I'll run soft-points in it and hope that 10 will do the job. I don't much care for stripper clips or those funky cantilevered SKS magazines.

M1key said:

Jim Cirillos opinion...was he given the SKS option?

Owned my share of them, including one my dad brought back from Korea that was won in a crap game. Most of them work okay, but a lot of the older ones are plum worn out.

SKS is a newer design, can a utilize 20+ mag count, and loaded with 123 Vmax, more explosive that any .30 Carbine.

It's what I would choose.

M

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Jim Cirillo actually shot people with an M1 carbine.
It wasn't just a flippant "opinion."
He liked it better than anything else for "stopping"...even the 12guage with buckshot.
It would be my choice as well.

M1key said:

Jim Cirillos opinion...was he given the SKS option?

Owned my share of them, including one my dad brought back from Korea that was won in a crap game. Most of them work okay, but a lot of the older ones are plum worn out.

SKS is a newer design, can a utilize 20+ mag count, and loaded with 123 Vmax, more explosive that any .30 Carbine.

It's what I would choose.

M

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Jim Cirillo was is over 20 police gunfights and personally killed at least 11 men. Yes, it was his opinion, backed up by working day in and day out in the NYPD stake out squad where he saw how effective first hand they were.

The M1 carbine started production in 1941. The SKS started production in 1945.

30 round magazines for M1 carbines are common, and were first used in the full-auto M2 variant.

It would really help to know what you're talking about if you want to be taken seriously.

Well then, I guess you win.

Too bad the SKS never killed anyone, despite the fact that they were made up until 1978.

M

The SKS reloads with stripper clips; the M-1 Carbine originally loaded with 15 rd. mags, later 30 rd. mags. I know I can load an 8 rd. clip in an M-1 Garand pretty quickly but I don't think I could put a 10 rd. stripper clip in an SKS as quickly and cleanly as I could load a 15 rd. mag in the Carbine or the 8 rd. clip in the Garand. I'm sure if I practiced with the SKS I could do better.