SKS or AK question

[BiXLL]

I have decided to try a venture into the cheaper semi auto rifle world.At 1 shop There are some new looking Chinese SKS with 10 x 40 scopes on them for $250.00, and some new Romanian AK 47 with sling and 10 rd,30 rd mag for $350.00. At another shop is some nice looking Yugoslovian SKS for $169.00.

In my ideal world, I would like gun to shoot man size target at 200 yards. I have no real experiance with rifles, so simple operation is of some importance. (why staying away from cetme) What would be my best bet here? The more I try to research this, the bigger headache I get. Help PLEASE!

--------------------
Bill

 

[BillyTheMountain]

I own 2 russian sks.. 1 bulgarian AK...I prefer the AK because of the ease of the 30rd mags. With the SKS, you need stripper clips to put 10rds in. Just much easier to attach the external 30rd magazine in the AK. They both probably shoot with same accuratecies. just my $.02 worth

 

[Redlg155]

From a comfort standpoint the SKS will be a bit more comfortable to shoot and would be the better choice for long range shooting. The AK recoils a tad bit more and many shooters don't find them as comfortable due to the shorter stock length.

The AK however is a bit more "evil" looking and have the advantage of 30rd magazines.

I would look for a better price on the SKS if you decide to get one. The AK price seems pretty good.

Good Shooting
RED

 

[BillyTheMountain]

Yo Redlg155,BiXLL!

The SKS might be more comfortable and a better long range shooter, but if the current trends continue from the ANTI's, you may not be able to purchase the AK variant in the near future.

I'd get the AK 1st and save for a purchase of the SKS, on a latter date.

I always try to look ahead and see which way the wind blows on these matters, that way I have all the hi-caps, and pre-ban stuff I need, IMHO.

 

[Sir Galahad]

Get the AK. Yes, it will hit a man sized target at 200 yards. The mags are cheap---both 30 and 40 rounders. And 75 round drums are also available. The Romanian AK (it's called a SAR-1) will have a scope rail mounted on the side. You can mount the Dragunov style illuminated reticle rangefinding scope on it just for fun. CDNN Investments has that scope. It comes with the mount and all and clamps right on the rail. From AIM Surplus, Hungarian 30 round mags cost about $6 each and 40 rounders are something like $15 each. How can you beat that price??? And these are STEEL mags that are rugged and last forever. Ammo is cheap and you can really afford to shoot this weapon. If the stock is too short for you, get the U.S.-made polymer stock from K-Var Corp. It adds an inch-and-a-half of pull to the stock. Believe me, you will have lots of fun with an AK. Insert mag, rack charging handle, aim at target, pull trigger, and GRIN!!!!

 

[GLOCKT]

I went the SKS route

The AK for all intent and purpouses was designed to put 30 rounds down range really quick and keep the enemy at bay.
It can accurately hit a 200 yard target,but after 15 thru 20 rounds your tired of pulling the trigger or beaten the shoulder into a tender bruised state.
The SKS was the way I went,I dont mess with the stripper clips.10 rounds to load is slow, but it's not a speed function rifle either,it's my deer popper,backyard plinker,show and teller,SKS.
A thousand rounds for $100,scope mount combo $40,rifle case $20,Yugo SKS unissued $170.
Just my .02 cents, decisions,decisions!

 

[BiXLL]

After more research, I am told you can take the 10 rounder off the SKS, and use the same 30, 40, 50 round mags as the AK! I really like the looks and feel of the SKS, so I am leaning that way.
GLOCKT- where can I purchase the scope mount combo for $40.00?

 

[GLOCKT]

Tapco

Look at;
www.tapco.com
they specialize in FAL,L1A1,SKS and AK items.

 

[Matt1911]

I went with the sks.Got a dragonov stock at the gun show,and scope mount/scope.Am REALLY enjoying it! I dont think you can go wrong either way.

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Not a good idea putting a detachable mag on a Yugo SKS-----you'll be making an illegal assault rifle if you do.

The grenade launcher and the threads on the barrel would have to be removed----you want a pistol grip stock too???? You'll need to remove the bayonet and grind off the lug.

More trouble than its worth.


Edit:
Just use stripper clips and you'll fine----loads quickly and easily with them. You can get 100 strippers from CDNN for like $13.

 

[Oleg Volk]

It can accurately hit a 200 yard target,but after 15 thru 20 rounds your tired of pulling the trigger or beaten the shoulder into a tender bruised state.

SKS uses piston impingement design (piston strikes the bolt carrier extension), AK uses one-piece piston/carrier extension. AK has far more mild recoil and and I can't imagine what has to happen to produce the "tender bruised state).

AK, to me, seems like a more refined design, easier to maintain and to shoot. The "paratrooper" (short) SKS does handle very nicely but the 10rd stripper clips don't always retain the ammo reliably during loading.

For scoping, AK side rail is more secure than the dust cover mounts used by the SKS.

 

[SodaPop]

For scoping, AK side rail is more secure than the dust cover mounts used by the SKS.

There is no bigger scam in the gun market than the SKS scope mount thing. 99% of the mounts out there don't hold up. 99% don't hold zero after cleaning. 99% have to be removed to clean the rifle.

The only reliable mounts are the forward mounted or the mounts welded to the receiver. I've got a stack of wasted parts laying around for my SKS. Lots and lots of junk. I keep my Russian SKS with the fixed 10rd magazine and iron sights.

 

[RON in PA]

Have owned both and have kept the AK(SAR-1). Several reasons: SKS trigger really sucks compared to AK, field stripping either is easy, but AK easier, accuracy is slightly better with SKS, but not by that much, AK mag system is superior and last, current Aks have sight rail on receiver that allows use of ridgidly mounted scope or red dot sights.

 

[cwalker3]

I have the SAR-1 and -2, as well as two Yugo's and a Romanian SKS. I love all of them and would have a hard time selling any. They're both fun and cheap to shoot, fairly accurate, and easy to maintain.

The solution is simple. Buy 'em both!

 

[BHP9]

Have owned both and have kept the AK(SAR-1). Several reasons: SKS trigger really sucks compared to AK, field stripping either is easy, but AK easier, accuracy is slightly better with SKS, but not by that much, AK mag system is superior and last, current Aks have sight rail on receiver that allows use of ridgidly mounted scope or red dot sights

After owning over half a dozen of each I have found the opposite to be true The only AK that I have owned with a half ways decent trigger pull was a Chinese Poly Tech which had a few slight modifications compared to the standard AK and even that trigger pull was long and mushy.

The SKS trigger pulls have a lot of creep (The Yugo's being one of the worst) but they can be modified in about 1/2 hour at home into a very light and creep free trigger. I did a home trigger job on my Yugo after reading about how to do it on the SKS web site.

Believe it or not out of all the SKS guns I have owned, examined or fired a Chinese original military gun had the best workmanship. And a Chinese commercial Norinco was one of the worst.

I would give high ratings to the Romanian guns but many have seen heavy use.

The Yugo guns can be found in very good condition but beware the Yugo's were one of the few SKS rifles that did not have chrome lined bores Cleaning these guns is often a real chore because all of them that I have examined had some bore damage due to the use of corosive ammo. Even the ones that had bright shiny bores had some roughness inside the bore that picked up copper fouling like crazy. Workmanship was good but inferior to most of the other AK military rifles I have owned but it was a great deal better than the commercial Norinco's which I consider border line junk.

Russian rifles were very outstanding.

For target shooting the SKS is the better way to go. Its longer length sighting radius and better balance and with a modified trigger make it a much easier gun to hit with.

 

[telewinz]

I own several of each also and I like them both but I find the SKS to be more comfortable to shoot and maybe a little more accurate. The 10 round magazine is not an issue with me but if it were I'd just install one of those 20-30 magazines. Have put a scope on both, results are not worth the accuracy gain (if any). At this point in time and pricing its still wise to get both.

 

[curt]

Lot of good responses here, at the risk of some redundancy i'll put in my $.02.

My Yugo SKS has the worst bore i've ever seen. It looked pretty from the outside and i just thought it was cosmo and dirt in the bore, nope. I wouldn't get one unless i could get a good return policy or clean and inspect the bore before buying. Plus they are heavier than the chinese version. I am thinking about getting a chinese version with a chrome bore. My trigger is horrible, i would normally work on the trigger but that bore would just make me feel silly.

The AK is a better design for a defensive weapon i think due to its removable mag and better trigger. I know that you can convert the SKS to removable mags but its not really an SKS after you do it, i look askance at any firearm using converted mags and then there is that whole legal thing.

BTW my Mak-90 AK has proven itself to be a jamomatic. Apparently i have the only AK in the world that jams

I think that with the proliferation of AK kits and domestic manufacture that the AK will be a stable market item for at least the near term. The SKSs appear in waves and who knows when the supply will dry up?

 

[Texas Gunman]

Talk about beating a dead horse, dont get me wrong, I like the sks rifles, but to be honest, ak's kick butt.

Names one army that still use's sks's rifles? ok, how many army's still use ak's?

Ak rifles, are the best.

TG

 

[dude]

A good chi comm or russian SKS in stock condition is a higher quality weapon than any AK that I have owned. The fixed 10 round mag is flawless and will make you a better shooter as you will not get into the 'spray and pray' mode that all AK only shooters I know are heavy into. Your will shoot less ammo and the end of the day and had just as much fun while actually hitting more targets. The hi-cap mags for the SKS are a bit complicated but work pretty well. They will never work as well as the factory 10 rounder though.

Get the AK if you are into the RAMBO thing, but if you want higher quality and a much more solid weapon, get yourself a good chicom or russinan 'threaded and milled' SKS

 

[Soap]

I think both of them are great choices for first rifles. Myself, I shoot SKSs better but yet I own an AK-type I would probably go with whatever one feels better when you handle it.

 

[Bainx]

dude has it right.

SKS in stock form is very good. AK is good but only for the magazine swapping thing.
SKS has it in terms of accuracy.

However, BillyThe Mountain has it right in terms of economics...get the AK while you still can.

Get both but the AK first!

 

[J-Man]

Vepr?

Just getting into the whole 7.62x39 thing. Have extensively shot a 16" Chinese SKS and have been quite impressed. Stock is too short and the accuracy of the round/gun makes for iron-sight shooting only in my opinion. Thinking about a new Yugo as the price really can't be beat and the bore should be fine. What I was wondering about was the Vepr? Looks like an excellent stock, brand new Russian manufacture, heavier duty construction with beefier trunnion for better accuracy, and an improved trigger. Still not bad at $500 street price. Couple all that with removable mags and choice of barrel length (16 or 20") and seems like you've got a reliable, inexpensive to shoot and own battle rifle. Any thoughts?