Does anyone here still use stripper clips?

[Guns&Religion]

I have several handguns, but only one high powered rifle. It's a Norinco SKS, I bought around '91 brand new for $79. (They had them by the crateload at this gunshow, each of them coated in that sticky cosmolene stuff).

A couple of years back, I thought I would upgrade the rifle. I purchased a black Tapco stock and several 20 round clips. I didn't like the feel of the rifle though, it had too much weight up front, so I switched it back to the original stock. (I also tried installing one of those aftermarket 20 round box magazines with the communist star on the front, but it didn't feed reliably, so I switched it back to the original 10 round box mag.)

I decided that since I wanted to leave the rifle in it's original configuration (with that mean looking spike bayonet on it as well), I would stick to using stripper clips. At first it annoyed me that they would bind up so much, but I found that, with a little practice, and and a little work on the clips with a file and a pair of pliers, that I could make them work well.

I suppose that if I were ever defending my life with that rifle, I will probably wish I had kept the tapco stock and 20 round clips arrangement. Still, it handles well, has low recoil, and is a fun rifle to shoot, (and it has reasonable accuracy with that "Tech Sights" aperture sight I installed, though at $79, the sight cost as much as the rifle )

 

[1KPerDay]

I do.

 

[Col. Plink]

Yes, in my Yugo Simonov M59 (getting better at it...)

 

[BADUNAME37]

I don't "still" use them, however I have some loaded ready to go, should I NEED them.

In my mind, using and needing are kind of two different things.

I hope I never NEED to USE them!

As for binding, if the cartridges have been cocked either way in the clips, it tends to bend the lips of the clips which serve to hold the rim of the casing, thus creating the binding-effect!

 

[GCBurner]

Yep. I've got a Mauser pistol that uses 10-round stripper clips, too.

 

[Col. Plink]

My VZ-24 uses 'em, but danged if I can plunge them off the clip into the well...

 

[BADUNAME37]

I had to check the two lips on them, and on some, I needed to carefully press the lips back together with a small pair of pliers so the lips are uniform and not bent wide and narrow, wide and narrow.

I think I also sprayed just a bit of dry lubricant on the clips which I noticed made the cartridges slide a lot easier (Borden, the makers of Elmer's Glue, has a dry lubricant for sticky window sashes and things like that, which is what I used).

 

[jiminhobesound]

I bought twenty stripper clips for my Russioan SKS. I discarded one and use the other 19. I bought these after reading articles saying that the box magazine was not a way to go.

 

[Nico Testosteros]

I use stripper clips in my Lee Enfield. Works well enough . Haven't tried them for my Finn Mosin. I understand they're tougher to use for a Mosin.

 

[joeq]

I use stripper clips for my SKS and M44. They are very handy and it's nice having all my ammo ready to go with the clips.

 

[henschman]

Heck yeah I use stripper clips. I used them all the time with my M1A before I put the scope mount on it... it was the handiest way of prepping a mag since I had a bunch of British ammo that came on strippers. Nice to be able to top off that way, too.

I have shot a M1903A3, Nagant, K98, and SKS with them, too, and I really like them. I don't feel too handicapped against semi autos if I have a smooth running bolt gun like a 1903 with a stack of stripper clips.

 

[nathan]

I got some for my

SKS
Mosin
Lee Enfield
M96 Swede Mauser

THe Swiss K 31 has a different style and quite hard to find nowadays.

 

[Mikee Loxxer]

Yes, I use them for my FAL, SKS, MAS 36, K-31, and Mosin Nagant.

 

[Cosmoline]

I use Tikka strippers for my Mosins. They're not perfect, but they work well enough.

 

[Dr.Rob]

1903 A3 and Kar 98k, have multiple strippers for both.

 

[jawn]

I bought a case (1120 rounds, 112 clips) of Yugo M67 on strippers for my SKS. So yes, I use stripper clips.

 

[bigfatdave]

I use them for loading the SKS internal mag and for prepping M1 carbine detachable mags.

And the SKS strippers are plenty fast, practice and toss the junkers, they're too cheap to be putting up with crappy ones. And I can carry three strippers in the space a 15 round magazine takes up in the carbine, or at least 2-1 for the SKS.

 

[Kalashnikov47]

I use mine all the time for my Yugo M59/66 and love them! Heck most of the time it's just as cheap (or maybe a tad-little bit more expensive, sometimes) to go ahead and buy the ammo ON stripper clips.

If you do buy some that have cosmoline on them just be sure to wipe them down but keep a little on them(obvious reasons). I've even bought some of the NC Star clips and they work perfect.

 

[Quiet]

I use stripper clips for my SKS and Enfields.
Also use stripper clips to load my AR15/M16 magazines and M1 Carbine magazines.

Wish someone would make a reliable stripper clip guide for 7.62x39mm AK magazines.

 

[jawn]

I use mine all the time for my Yugo M59/66 and love them! Heck most of the time it's just as cheap (or maybe a tad-little bit more expensive, sometimes) to go ahead and buy the ammo ON stripper clips.

I paid 10 dollars more than a case of 1000 rounds of Wolf for 1120 rounds of Yugo ammo already on strippers in a sweet milsurp sealed crate. Sure the ammo is corrosive, but that's what the cleaning is for.

 

[A Historian]

I have, and regularly use, them for my Mausers. I try to limit of use of them with my Lee-Enfield; they're a bit tough on the brass and tend to scrap it up.

 

[juk]

I use stripper clips for my SKS. I've got about 30 of them that I keep loaded up in the ammo can. It does take a little bit of practice to learn how to use them efficiently. I could use more practice myself.

 

[isc]

First off, an SKS isn't a high powered rifle. It is an intermediate power rifle. The difference is the effective range and the added recoil needed to achieve that range. spend a day shooting a Mosin and you'll understand the difference.

Stripper clips are OK, I have alot of my 7.62x39 on them, as well as 5.56 x45 and 8 mauser.

The 8 mauser is the most problematic, but I think that is because of it'e origin (Turkey) more than the caliber.

I've found that the secret to using them is to keep your thumb as close to the clip as possible. For the 5.56, a wood shelf/counter top makes it pretty easy. Of course for the 5.5 you're using the clips to load the magazines, not the rifle.

 

[4570Tom]

Still use them in my SKS.

 

[Robert]

Yup, I use my Chargers every time I load my No1 MkIII.