Chinese SKS

[FL-NC]

By today's standards, that's a good deal. I see them regularly selling for much more. Its just hard for me to accept that a gun that was $75 when it was first offered costs as much or more than a decent AR today. I would love to have a para for a "truck gun", but to me, part of the point of that application is the gun being cheap, and not caring if it gets beat up. In this aspect, the SKS fails.

 

[dh1633pm]

I went with the Murray spring almost 10 years ago, still using it. You can always put it back the way it was later. I did some trigger work myself. Better, but not great by any means. A good rifle that will last a long time.

 

[Reloadron]

During the early 90s I made a good business selling the SKS as well as just about accessory one could hang on the rifle. Today of the hundreds my wife and I built a business selling one remains in my safe. I always liked the little rifles, they did exactly what they were designed and built to do. They are, as many have said, just plain fun to shoot. I still have several parts and tools for them and every now and then take mine out and run a few rounds through it but it is seldom shot much. While I have no desire to start a collection of them I have always enjoyed shooting my remaining rifle from all of those we sold.

Ron

 

[cowboy77845]

Thanks for the info concerning the Murray firing pin assembly. I had been considering one.

 

[22250Rem]

Got three SKS's.... Two of which are Chinese; third one's Russian. Got the first one in 1992 at a gun show for 100 bucks & tax. A new Norinco from a guy who was selling them right out of the crates they came in. Brand new with no cosmoline on them. Picked up a used Norinco in 2013 for a beater gun and its proven to be a good, reliable shooter, even though I don't shoot SKS's very often. Put a 5 round mag on it to make it legal for hunting and a Tapco high visibility front sight post. Might even take it into the deer woods in a rifle zone, seeing as how I have a bunch of 7.62x39 handloads with 123 gr. soft points. Not sure if I will yet but it's available if needed... would make a good back-up woods gun.

 

[theotherwaldo]

I'm up to four now. One Yugo M59, three Chinese in three different configurations.
One is bone stock, one in black plastic with all of the bells and whistles and one SKS-M with the Monte Carlo stock.
It's hard to pick between them.
I'd jump on a Russian model if it were to pop up in front of me, though. I've heard a lot of good stuff about them.

 

[popeye]

Thanks for all advice, info, comments and pics. Using test drives in post #7's explanation and some stuff off the interweb, it looks like my gun doesn't have the cut down barrel and was probably built for export. There's a #3 rollmarked on the rear sight which is supposed to confirm it was built as an export. Spent some time this morning loading stripper clips, hope to shoot it soon.

Thanks again, Jim

 

[Speedo66]

I have a 7.62 hole in my kitchen ceiling from when my son chambered a round in his new to him SKS.

WHAT DID YOU SAY? Oh man, that must have been loud!

 

[ontarget]

Indeed. That muzzle was about head height and 3 feet away. We all just stood there silently for a full minute trying to process what just happened.

 

[greyling22]

I had a norinco and my brother had one. mine was new and never gave me problems. his was a pawn shop gun and had a firing pin issue. long story short, the firing pin floats in the bolt and is held in place by a big cross pin. there are bumps on either side of the firing pin that straddle the cross pin and limit travel when they contact the cross pin. But the firing pin and the cross pin are soft steel and eventually wore down until they frequently jammed in the firing pin protrudes from the bolt face position, resulting in doubles, the occasional slam fire, and assorted jamming. replacement parts weren't super expensive, but it was annoying to have to deal with. If/when I buy another sks, I'm going to have a spare set on hand. https://www.ebay.com/itm/SKS-FIRING...EE-SHIPPING-BLUED-STEEL-7-62X39-/391786437401
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SKS-59-66-...m=152555775211&_trksid=p2047675.c100008.m2219

but honestly, before I dropped $500 on an sks I'd be looking real hard at a nice 30/30, a vz58, or an AK. (mostly for a vz58. in fact, if anybody has a vz58 they will sell for $500, I'll paypal you money tonight.)

 

[ThomasT]

I have two SKS rifles. Both Norinco. One is the Paratrooper model with 16" barrel and the second a NIB I bought of GB a few years ago for $225 or there abouts. The para came to me when my dad passed away. We bought two of them and his was never fired. Both have had 80 rounds fired through them. I am saving them for my two sons. The para was bought in the early 1990s for around $90 IIRC.

I like them both but I like shooting the longer gun better. The Para is cool but louder. Call me weird. One of my very first post here was asking about how well the Chinese guns were built. If I can find the response I will post it.

 

[ThomasT]

I found it. Read post #5 to gain a better insight on the Norinco rifles. I am never selling mine.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/has-anyone-wore-out-an-sks.318230/#post-3918428

 

[gsbuickman]

Hell yeahyeah, nice score . For $400 these days you practically stole that thing. On another note I'm really glad you didn't get suckered by some douchebag trying to pass off a POS norinco B or norinco sks-m sporter as a "paratrooper" . Unfortunately I've seen that scam several times lately and I'm glad you got the genuine article . Around here a genuine Surplus Norinco SKS averages $350 S & A Yugo SKS goes for $400 - $450. I recently traded a Yugo SKS & flipped that deal into a Century arms VZ2008 / VZ58 AK varient, but I still have my stunningly beautiful 1952 Chinese (pre norinco) SKS ...