SKS or AR-15? Which is better for defense?

[DiN_BLiX]

I thought it was the merits of the particular rifle, not the ammo that was the topic. Lets break it down.

SKS: heavy and reliable (stock is hard wood, parts are machined from heavy STEEL), super reliable 10 rd mag, lethal and accurate enough for 300 yards (3 footballfeilds for the distance impaired), doesnt need bi-daily cleaning in less than ideal conditions. looks vary, at best someone will mistake it for somekind of mutant deer rifle.

AR: light and handy (points very naturally!!) parts are made from t6 aluminum (and held togehter buy 2 roll pins), 30 rd mags (nuff said), accurate as hell (you will hit center mass in your sleep) needs cleaning often to prevent jams in less than ideal conditions( it even has a nifty knob for helping clear malfunctions!! ***?) looks super fu*&in cool.

Both have their merits, and will do the job. i just some of just perfer the sks, some dont. MY ideal SHTF rifle would a garand or m1a or some other semi-auto in 8mm (Hakim i think) i wish i was old enough to get in on that deal. Unfortunitly I own only 4 long guns, ruger 10/22, sks, no4 enfield, and a mossy 500 tactical.

 

[SoCalShooter]

I'll take an AR any day of the week. I can carry more ammo, load faster (unless sks mods are made) and accurately hit a target at 300 yards.

 

[ConfuseUs]

I pick the AR.

AR:
Accurate to 600 yds
Safety is easy to operate
superior trigger
superior sights
lighter (generally)
30 and 20 rd mags
tactical reloads are easy
Modular system so it's easy to customize with add on stuff.
Multicaliber capability, just stick on the right upper half.

SKS:
Cheap
Works with little to no maintenance
In stock configuration looks less politically incorrect
easier to field strip and reassemble in the dark.
20-30 rd mags are retrofits. They don't always work well either.
Swapping mags requires open bolt.

The SKS is reliable and tough but I like the AR-15 better. It is a little more complex and needs more maintenance but the benefits outweigh those minuses a lot.

 

[MHBushmaster]

AR15 all the way, the ballistics are better, you can actually hit targets at 400+ yards, you can carry more ammo, there are detachable mags from 5-100 rds available, and the modularity of the design lends itself to bear hunting to busting woodchuck to punching holes in paper at 500+ yards.

The sks shoots an underpowered bullet, it has a poor ballistics coefficient, and with stripper clip reloads and shoddy sights, you have yourself a reliable rifle that is only good out to about 150 yards, with only 10 rds on tap. Sure you could use the flimsy and unreliable after market tapco mags, but then you are substituting the rock steady reliability of the 10 rd internal mag for a cheappie hi cap mag of questionable reliability.

Bottom line, why go discount rockbottom price shopping when its you and your families life on the line. I like my Yugo SKS, but I would not feel comfortable being only armed with it when I could have choosen alot of better and more modern rifles capable of achieving reliable hits at greater distances with more follow up shot opportunities.
YMMV.

 

[elmerfudd]

If the SKS shoots an underpowered bullet, what does that say for the AR? Last I checked, 7.62x39 had about 20% more kinetic energy and 50% more momentum than the 5.56x45.

 

[Green Lantern]

I voted the SKS is better, cause for the price of one AR, I can buy 4 SKSs.

That makes it my four people armed with SKSs to your one guy with an AR.

hehehehe

As they say in the popular internet parlance these days, PWNT!

But if I recall, aren't SKS rifles getting more scarce these days - and thus more expen$ive?

I've shot both, and I can't decide which I'd choose in a "it's TEOTWAWKI, and you can only bring ONE rifle with you, bwaa-haaa-ha!" situation.

I wouldn't feel naked with 'just' an SKS and several loaded stripper clips, for sure...

But the weight would be a drag, compared to the lighter AR...

*thinks on it*

 

[DiN_BLiX]

If the SKS shoots an underpowered bullet, what does that say for the AR? Last I checked, 7.62x39 had about 20% more kinetic energy and 50% more momentum than the 5.56x45.

WHAT?

 

[AtticusThraxx]

Hate to go sideways on ya, but I keep and have much faith in a 12ga.pump loaded to the brim with 00. Don't have to worry about aiming, easy to operate, makes a big noise with a big hole and won't travel through multiple walls/doors. I know this isn't the specific question, but for home defense there is no better.

 

[Hunter0924]

This link should help (from the Carolina Shooters Forum)
http://www.mouseguns.com/compare.htm

 

[elmerfudd]

DiN_BLiX,

It depends a little on whose figures you use, what particular load they used and what barrel lengths they did the testing with, but generally a 5.56 puts out around 1250 fpe and a 7.62x39 puts out around 1500 fpe. An SKS has a 20.5" barrel, so it will tend to put out more energy than most quoted figures and unless you get an AR with a 20" barrel the AR will tend to put out less.

Kinetic energy is measured according to e=1/2mv^2, and if you're using English measurements you forget about the 1/2 and multiply it by a constant of 1/450240 to make the units work out right. Momentum is determined by the formula p=mv, so heavier and slower projectiles will tend to have much more momentum if they have equal kinetic energy.

 

[one-shot-one]

where is art? we are way past page 3 on this!
next week best bug-out vehicle: Hummer H1 or Corvett?

 

[RobZ71LM7]

Harbor Freight or Snap-On?

Which tools are better for a professional mechanic?

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

where is art? we are way past page 3 on this!

And Art's theory on that is holding true.

 

[mick470]

I love the SKS.It's perfect for my budget and I have no cycle problems.Even the cheap ammo goes through like butter.

 

[wyocarp]

Should have included the AK in the poll.

 

[benEzra]

Of the two, I would prefer the AR because in the OP's scenario, I would want optics. And SKS's are very, very hard to fit with scopes unless you go with a low-power scout setup on a forward rail or somesuch.

 

[BGlaze250]

This sure is a blast from the past.