$500 SKS

[MMcfpd]

Well, I got my cosmoline queen SKS a little while ago ($170 M59/66 at a gun show) and cleaned it up. After putting, by now, about 250 rounds through it (my first rifle) I've decided I really do like it.

So, I just packed up my trigger for a trip to kivaari, and sent the breech block off for a firing pin spring from Murray. There's $115 more into it. A friend gave me a Combat exchange folding stock he had lying around, but it had no handguard. I purchased a ventilated metal handguard and gas tube from Rifletech for another $50.

Once I'd tried it, I decided I don't like the CE stock as much as I do the wood. But the wood on this rifle is a bit rough. That led me to researching refinishing the stock, as I've never fooled with any wood finishing, and I encountered various inputs from the military/historical preservationists that persuaded me to stash the original stock and spend $10 (+$5 for shipping) for a new hardwood stock that I'll experiment on (presently thinking I might try for that AK blonde - who knows?).

Several examples I've seen look great with the bolt carrier polished and buffed, but some cautionary tales made me decide to spring for a new bolt carrier for $20 (+$5 for shipping) with which to experiment.

OK, so I've got $50 in likely superfluous parts (stock and bolt carrier), but throw in about $25 for refinishing stuff and some Perma-Blue and...YIKES! This has become a $400 rifle!

That's without really doing much to change it. If you start looking at a muzzle brake, sights or a scope, detachable magazine (and thus compliance parts) and what have you, the rifle could easily hit the $500-600 area.

So how much do y'all regularly put in these things?

*****

Fortunately, I spent only $1 on the butt pad extension at a gun show - the thing looks like a tumor installed and will probably begin a new career as a doorstop.

 

[oneshooter]

I don't. For that much money I could get a CMP Garand. Better riflw, more accurate, longer range. And HISTORY!

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas

 

[cracked butt]

You can dump a ton of money into a SKS and it will probably still shoot the same in the end (except the trigger job, a trigger job certainly helps).

 

[benelli12]

SKS's are fun to mess with, I really consider doing that to mine, poly furniture stock, detachible magazines, side folding stock etc. But then I think about it, and If I want something like that I'll just get an AK-47, but the poly furniture with the detachable mag capability is looking REALLY attractive.

 

[kfranz]

$99 for the rifle, nothing for the old t-shirt to clean it. Little bit for the mineral spirits I suppose, but otherwise not a dime.

 

[aaronrkelly]

My Yugo is a $90 shooters grade that I lucked out with. Its flawless, numbers matching with a perfect bore. I added a sling and the butt stock cleaning kit as it didnt have them when I got it. Thats all I "added" - cost me about $10.



My Russian SKS actually came with a second dust cover and scope. I promptly got rid of it and put the original back on. I have sprayed the stock with truck bed liner - cost me $10 for a can and I used maybe 1/3 of the can on the gun. I added a sling and butt stock cleaning kit, again the rifle didnt come with them - again cost $10.

 

[CU74]

29% Rule

Unless the rifle is something special, (an SKS doesn't qualify) my rule of thumb is not to spend more than 20% of the rifle's cost on "improvements". (Scopes do NOT come under the 20% rule - you don't put a cheap scope on a good rifle.)

The M1 Garand I just got from CMP may be a rule buster. So far I have found rust on the barrel under the front handguard and the gas tube isn't straight. The stock looks like it was used to drive tent pegs at every bivouac since 1941 and the front handguard has a crack in it. Moreover, the stock is black, the front handguard is brown and the rear handguard is blonde. If it turns out to be a real shooter, I expect I can forget about my 20% rule...............

 

[roscoe]

I don't know about that calculation. The SKS is so cheap, you could hardly buy a sling if you followed that formula. I would put a Tech-Sight on it and do the trigger work. At that point, the rifle will basically perform as well as it could. But, it is an undervalued rifle, and that will change when the surplus runs out. If it is a keeper, do whatever you want to it, and just know that you have made a damn fine rifle better.

 

[The Grand Inquisitor]

Good on you for putting some effort into your rifle. It's your rifle, and its not like your ruining a classic mil-surp, in fact, you're improving an already good rifle.

I don't know why there is so much Garand worship, but there is no reason that everyone should be berated for not spending their money on the Garand.

 

[pipboy]

the sks is the perfect project gun for all the reasons the garand people want you to buy a garand for! No it may not be the tack driver a garand can become, but its a great rifle at a great price! and parts are cheap and readily availible better yet when you mess with an sks its not like you are the changing the configuration of a historic relatively expensive rifle. im looking into getting those peep sights for my yugo, and maybe an extra wooden stock (i really enjoyed the truckbed liner idea and am considering doing the same)-ps garand people im 20 in college and broke and as soon as i can afford a garand ill get one!

 

[TimboKhan]

You know, I have spent about 350 bucks on a 10/22 recently, plus another 90bucks on my SKS. As it happens, I am pretty fond of both guns, so I figure "why not?". I mean, I am not going to be trying to sell either gun, and I am not doing permanent modifications to either gun, so whats the big deal? Money comes and goes, guns are forever.

 

[rockstar.esq]

I have to say that I always wish two things.

1. Somebody'd make the "perfect rifle" (by my standards of course)

2. I could afford it.


Sadly, conditions one and two haven't been met too often.

The simple truth is that once you've got a good rifle all the others are an extension of a collection, a hobby, and a toolbox. Since I like the idea of a diverse collection I seek the most efficient means to my ends. That often leads to modifications. I do try to keep things relative and when I was contemplating what I'd do to a Browning Buckmark I decided the least expensive way to "fix" everything would be to sell it and buy a Beretta 87 target! For the SKS, putting a Tapco T-6 stock on it make the length of pull spot on, allowed me to mount an old scout scope I had standing by and in my opinion made the rifle look decidely better. All that for $90.00 out the door on a $156.00 rifle leaves me nearly six hundred ahead of the next most affordable rifle I'd buy.

 

[rugerdude]

Total cost is about 285 dollars (the gun was 150) and I have aperature sights, a detachable 10 round magazine, and a stock that fits. I still need a muzzle brake though.

 

[Eightball]

So how much do y'all regularly put in these things?

About 10 rounds.

You went off the deep end, man.

 

[gm]

Not a dime more unless its something that will make it shoot better.My russian sks shoots fine, the only thing I'd like to add would be an original simonov side mount and a russian made scope with the lighted recticle.Typically, this item costs more than I originally paid for the gun but it would be a perfect little coyote getter.The gun can shoot much better with improved sights and a decent trigger job.

 

[Limeyfellow]

Those tech-sights do a wonderful job. Well worth the money. A good bedding job also helps and its something you can do yourself. Kivarri does a great trigger job though with a set of wolff springs you could always do it yourself.

 

[Plink]

I have a bunch of SKSes that I've picked up over the years. I've been known to turn them into rooney guns occasionally, then laugh at myself for trying to turn it into something that it isn't. I mean I already have AK-47's. I've found that the best investment on these guns is a better trigger (which I do myself, so that's a money saver) and either a solid optics mount (no cover mounts) and optics, or better sights. You can't beat Tech Sights or Choate's receiver mounted scope mount. Without good ammo, these guns aren't going to be very accurate anyway.

 

[Rexrider]

Stuff costs money. Simple as that.

If it is stuff you want, can afford the stuff, and the stuff does the job you want it to, then it does not really matter what the final price tag is. If that $150 dollar rifle works better and/or looks better as a $500 rifle, then it was money well spent, IMHO.

Nobody asks that question after turning a $800 AR15 into a $2,000 AR15.

Now, having said that. Personally, I think the SKS works best in stock form. The only after-market part I would recommend is the Tech-Sight. But this has nothing to do with the price of the rifle or accessories. Just my personal experience with SKSs

It's your rifle and money. Enjoy it. Make it shiny, dull, light, heavy, long, short, ugly, or beautiful . Make it yours (within all boundaries of the law, of course).

 

[MMcfpd]

Thanks for the comments, all.

This sorta reminds me of hotrodding days. I'm really just enjoying the experience, but still...

Well, if I go ahead and put the Tech-Sight on, I'll probably have it technically optimized and slide in under $500. Unless, of course, a muzzle brake might contribute something.

And I'd still like to do something about a butt pad extension.

But wait! I can stop any time I want to.

Really I can.

 

[DWARREN123]

Go with what you like. You only get one life so enjoy what you do.

 

[tinygnat219]

Do what you like with your gun.

Just make sure you don't turn Stalin's personal SKS into a Truck gun or something like that by accident.

 

[byf43]

Several years ago, in the day of the CHEAP Chinese SKS ($76.00) and the relatively inexpensive ($159.00) Russian (all matching) SKS rifles, I bought the Russian.

The only thing that I've done to this rifle is clean it, oil it, and it has never been fired, since I bought it.
Sure, I've got a few cases of ammo for it, but, the SKS just doesn't really 'float my boat'.
The AK or MAK 90 doesn't, either. I bought a MAK 90 for $159.00 the same day, and it hasnt' been fired by me. A friend wanted it, and offered me an obscene amount for it.
It quickly went home with him.


So, the ultimate bottom line is, I've spent $00.00 on the rifle, since I bought it.

Thanks for reading.