SKS are fun to collect

[atblis]

They're cheap
They're fun
They're plentiful
There are tons of variations.

With the Yugos pushing down the prices on the Chinese and Russian SKSs it's a good time to buy. I can get Russians for under 200 bucks easy, and Chinese closing in on 100.

I've got a 54 Tula that is a fine fine weapon. I've got a line on an Izvhesk.

I just picked up a Chinese one that is intriguing me. Parts of it appear Russian (They share the same proof marks as my Tula). Other parts are probably Chinese. It is made as well (perhaps even better) than my Russian. I don't think it is one of the early early Chinese ones (made by Russians) as the serial doesn't seem quite right for that.

 

[dolanp]

If you can get a Russian under 200 easy you are lucky. Where exactly are you getting them?

 

[DMK]

I agree

They're cheap
They're fun
They're plentiful
There are tons of variations.

They're tough
They shoot cheap and common ammo
They're simple and easy to repair/maintain
They have interesting history.

And they are better than AKs.

...that last one is just my opinion of course.


atblis, that interesting Chinese, might be a "sino-soviet": http://www.simonov.net/ubertypes.htm

Of course, I've seen some really nice SKS that were restored from "bubba projects" with different parts of various makes as the restorer could find them. Some of these look very original at a casual glance. Norincos seem to be second only to Yugo 59/66 as targets of "wishIhadanAKorSniperRifle".

 

[atblis]

Prices dropped around me

Gun show marked prices fell to around 200 bucks on Russians. Prices were artificially high (IMO). Plenty of supply and pretty much steady demand. I still think the Yugos are bringing the prices back down.

 

[Kurt]

And they are better than AKs. . .

...that last one is just my opinion of course.

Easy there. While arguably just opinion, many impressionable members here may actually start believing such things.

 

[Moonclip]

You won't think they are fun to colect when you decide you need to find a North Korean and East German SKS to complete the collection!

Or if you get crazy and start collecting different Chinese arsenal codes and all the years and arsenals or the Russian ones. Certain types are hard to find however you never know as at one time Yugo 59/66's were very rare on the US market. Now we have enough of them around to butcher for the CA market!(grenade launcher must be removed)

 

[atblis]

Because I can't own the real deal

the SKS for my purposes is better. They are truly great little rifles.


Anyways, the Chinese one I think is a 1960's production and not quite a true Sino-Soviet SKS. The barrel I think is Russian.

 

[albanian]

I love SKS for all the reasons mentioned. I think of them as poor man's M-1 Garands. The Yugos are very similar in size and weight to a Garand but unlike a "Garand" they don't cost a "Grand". 7.62x39mm is the cheapest non-corrosive ammo you can buy so you can shoot it all day without breaking the bank. I know they are not as accurate as most Garands and the power is not the same but $100 compared to $1000, they are pretty good.

I started to collect them but when all of a sudden I had about 10 of them, I backed off. I like them but they are addicting. If you get one of all the common ones, Russian, Romanian, Yugo and Chinese, then you want variations of the type and then you want a mint one of each type and so on. It is something that takes over your hobby fast. I don't want to be consumed by it.

 

[albanian]

Rank SKSs by order of quality.

From best to worst here is what I think it looks like.

1. Russian

2. Yugo

3. Albanian

4. Romanian

5. Chinese

I really think the Yugos are some of the best SKSs but most people equate price with quality. If all SKSs cost the same, I think more people would think better of the Yugos.