Hi Point Carbine or SKS

[mljdeckard]

Exactly. I keep an SKS because they are sheap enough that you don't mind dragging them through the sagebrush a little.

I look at it this way. A sidearm is backup. The reason we carry pistols everywhere is that long-guns aren't practical. When confronted with a life/death situation, one should ALWAYS get a long gun if you have time to do so. (This is why police keep the sidearm, but they also have a long gun in the trunk. Utah County deputies used to keep M-14s in the trunk, I'm not sure if they still do.) SO, why grab a long gun with the same power range as a sidearm? If you want a little carbine chambered for a pistol round, that's fine, but I would keep it as a close-range varmint and rodent gun. If I was REALLY wanting to put someone down, I would want a more powerful round.

My own exception to this is my M-1 carbine. I think the round is appropriately powered for HD when fired through a long barrel. (I have seen some Ruger and Taurus revolvers chambered for it over the years.) While this round is small for a rifle, when used in this weapon, it's close to .357 in power range. But if I hadn't inherited this rifle, I doubt I would get around to buying one. They are a bit pricey, and the ammo is over-priced. For pure economy, an SKS is tough to beat.

 

[KINGMAX]

Yeah = BIG BOY'S 10/22 = SKS

Yeah a big boys 10/22. I like that

 

[Live Free Or Die]

I can't argue with the reasons given for choosing the SKS over the Hi Point for the purpose mentioned. However, I do wonder about two claims I've seen stated here:

1) Hi Point Carbine 9mm recoil/slap? In my experience this is absolutely not the case. The 995 seems fairly gentle to me. Certainly less recoil than any 9mm pistol I've shot, none of which have been that bad.

2) 7.62x39 ammo cheap? I guess the current prices are OK, but it seems awfully hard to find vendors who have it in stock reliably.

 

[Beren]

SKS for me. I'm too much of a coward to tell anyone I bought a Hi-Point.

To be fair, one member brought his Hi-Point carbine to our Portage shoot last year. It functioned fine. No real kick, accurate enough, no jams. Seemed fine.

 

[Lonestar]

Gun for the Wood??? If your wood got Predators like Mountain Lions or Bears a SKS is 100% better than a 9mm carbine.

Hey everyone showing Chinese Soldier thrusting their Bayoneted SKS...you know those were taken during China "Great Experiment" or "Great leap Forward" eras (50's and 60's) they were all stabbing pretend American Soldier screaming kill and death to America. Just though you should know.

 

[bakert]

This is one of the Chinese guns that was exported for the American civilian trade before being banned. Been told it's junk, soft, not a desirable model etc. but the little sucker just keeps on ticking and is accurate. Only complaint is the trigger is gritty and a bit rough. It stays handy at home with a couple of stripper clips of ammo. A good gun for the money.

 

[Doug S]

I can't argue with the reasons given for choosing the SKS over the Hi Point for the purpose mentioned. However, I do wonder about two claims I've seen stated here:

1) Hi Point Carbine 9mm recoil/slap? In my experience this is absolutely not the case. The 995 seems fairly gentle to me. Certainly less recoil than any 9mm pistol I've shot, none of which have been that bad.

Honestly, I think this has to do with the individual shooter. For instance, my friend swears that my Kel-Tec Sub 2000 stings his face when he shoots it. I have never felt such a sting when shooting the Kel-tec. On the other hand, I always felt a very distinct sting to my cheek when shooting the Hi-Point, while others who shot it did not seem to notice.

 

[Eightball]

Welcome to the USA!!!

THe SKS is the way to go for SHTF. Hi point would be a nifty range plinker---you can't dissassemble them really well (in fact, manufacturer advises you not to); and an SKS has 6 pieces when field-stripped. And, it's nifty.

 

[Srigs]

Welcome to the forum.

I would suggest getting both but I like and have a 995 and 4095. Both work great, fun to shoot, reliable, easy to shoot and in expensive. If you have a 40 handgun already, I would get the 4095 to keep the ammo the same. You will always find 40 around but AK ammo is hard to find now.

 

[AJAX22]

Welcome!

I'm a big fan of the sks.

Its the most sturdily constructed weapon I know of. (except maby a milled AK)

mine cost 241 after tax and dros fees. came with a drugonov style choate stock and a scope rail.

You'd be hard put to find any decent autoloading rifle for that amount of money.

The sks is a combat weapon, the hi point is a range toy.

 

[Doug S]

I think it's safe to say that the SKS is the winner here . Personally, I like the Chinese the best. I've owned a pretty Russian refurb, two Yugoslavian rifles with the grenade launchers, a Paratrooper Chinese SKS, and a regular milsurp Chinese carbine. The Russian was the only one that wasn't reliable for some reason. The Chinese is much more "handy" than the Yugo models in my opinion. The Paratrooper is ideal if you'd like a little shorter length, but I find the regular Chinese most to my linking. I actually got rid of the Paratrooper the day before yesterday because I wanted to put the money toward my Yugoslavian AK purchase. I had to choose between it and the regular Chinese, and after shooting both together, the Chinese milsurp was the one I liked best. The Russian and the two Yugo rifles were all traded off. I have no plans of getting rid of my Chicom, and if I would have had to choose between it and any of the others that I mentioned, I would pick the Chinese over any of them. The Chinese SKS is probably the least "pretty" of all them all.

 

[jjohnson]

AMMO - Cheap. Well, it's a Value Thing.

I guess whether the SKS ammo is cheap is a relative term. Same goes for distributors who don't always have it in stock. Soooooo..... when I buy ammo, I buy, um..... let's say "quantities." I never come home empty handed from a gun show, either. I put "inventory stickies" on ammo when I buy it with a month and year on the sticky, and I rotate my way through old stock to new. I also reload my ammo in "quantities." If I'm loading fewer than 500 of anything, it's something that I'm experimenting with or hardly ever shoot, like .22-250. I reload when the weather's crappy so I can spend nice days at the range.

And yeah, I never paid more than $200 for any SKS and I've had a few, so I am not at all bashful dragging one around (ever see somebody at the range babying the damned things like they were Weatherbys? Gawd) And, if it's your truck gun, well, if it gets stolen you're not going to die over it. You can get more.

Oh by the way, I put a Tasco Propoint on one of mine, using a receiver mount that (by quirk of fate, didn't buy it for that specific requirement) puts the scope just above the irons, so when the stupid red dot goes away, and Murphy does visit me, I can still shoot. The scope's short enough it doesn't interfere with strippers or brass ejection. Accurate? Not really a target gun, but then, it wasn't designed to be. I can hit the 3" bull at 100 yards all day long with old eyes, crappy sights, and old Commie ammo... so it'll do.

 

[dfaugh]

Well, I have a 995 carbine, and 2 SKSs, including an SKS-M (which takes AK mags), and an unissued Yugo.

For SHTF, the SKS definitely wins.

However, I also have a Mossberg 12 gauge "Special Purpose" 20" barrel, 7+1.

If I could keep only one, it would be the shotgun. All kinds of ammo versatility from defence (00 buck or slugs) to hunting (birdshot or slugs). I got mine on sale for $209.

But, I wouldn't feel "undergunned" in most situations, with any of 'em. I keep the 995 loaded with +P+ Black Talons. I have 240 rounds loaded in magazines for the SKS-M (hey, I have the magazines, might as well keep 'em stocked) and a few stripper clips loaded for the Yugo SKS.

1) Hi Point Carbine 9mm recoil/slap? In my experience this is absolutely not the case. The 995 seems fairly gentle to me. Certainly less recoil than any 9mm pistol I've shot, none of which have been that bad.

Huh? Agreed. Recoil from a 995? There isn't any. I've taught a bunch of people to shoot with mine, because there's hardly more recoil than the .22 I start them out with.

As far as reliability, both my 995 and SKS-M have over 5000 rounds through them. No malfunctions ever. None. Nada. Zip.

So, my advice would be: start with the SKS, if that's what you want (although I would personally start w/ the shotgun)...Then get a Hi-Point....then a Shotgun. You could purchase all 3 for about $600.

 

[trueblue1776]

SKS

a good SKS can be had for usually around 120$ down here, Hi-Point I have never seen less than 160$. A good condition SKS using a magazine intended to go with the particular gun is fantastically reliable.

 

[UKTN]

Again thank you for the replys.
I do have 2 shot guns and a 30/30 Marlin as well as the 40SW handgun, so I think I will now look for an SKS.
I know realize you can't have too many guns or too much ammo!

 

[dfaugh]

I do have 2 shot guns and a 30/30 Marlin as well as the 40SW handgun, so I think I will now look for an SKS

.

Well, in that case, you're already fairly well covered. At the gun shows here, you can buy a "New in Wrap" (and LOTS of cosmoline) SKS for $159... Every one should own one. However, since the SKS closely approximates the power/utility of the 30/30, maybe the Hi-Point in .40 (to match the handgun) is also a good choice. I'm still very impressed with the reliability of my Hi-Point (5000 rounds and its never been disassembled for cleaning!) It may be ugly, but like a Timex, it takes a lickein' and keeps on tickin'.