SKS: The Poor Man's EBR

[tahunua001]

hello all,
as many of you may know I gave into the pandemonium and bought a Chinese SKS for the simple reason that my LGS was selling them for their actual value rather than profiteering prices. after sneaking it into the house and hiding it under the bed I started doing a little research on them and found out mine is a 1959 manufacture from factory 26...wherever that is. now I've owned combloc rifles before and never cared for them. I own a pair of mosin nagants and even sporterized one to try and make it a little more user friendly but alas, that failed miserably. I used to own an AK clone and hated it so much that after 3 years of trying to adjust/adapt to it I finally sold it. now there I was, sneaking around with a gun that I never wanted and more than likely would not like.

once I got an opportunity to clean the grease out(there was more than an old Ford tractor) I found out that the stock had shrunk and is now so poorly fitted that it wobbles in place. the handguard looks like it's rotting in place and obviously does not match the stock. added was the fact that it had the same iron sights as my much hated AK47 so needless to say I was not very happy with myself for giving into panic buying and getting the scariest looking thing on the rack just because it was there. so then I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to try another one of my projects:
build a serviceable, affordable evil black rifle. the criteria I placed on myself were;
1. final budget must not exceed $400
2. must be able to be used for both home defense and hunting(my definition of hunting is able to kill a deer out to 150 yards).
3. must be able to to this with only commonly available tools so no lathes, drill presses, or other expensive equipment.

first order of business was the sights. iron sights are my Achilles Heal and combloc leaf sights are no exception so given some TFL member's suggestions I decided to go with a Tech-Sights TS200 aperture system(cost $59 dollars) as I tend to do better with peeps. next came stock, a poorly fitted stock is not only irritating but can be downright detrimental in more than one way so I decided to go with a tapco T6 stock with the ever so tacticool pistol grip and 6 position M4 stock.(price at Midway:$76). last was ammo capacity. though stripper clips are easy enough to use and work very well with this particular rifle I decided to upgrade to a higher yet still reasonable for hunting 20 round magazine also from tapco(price at midway $18).

the tapco parts are backordered into next week so hopefully I'll have them by the end of the month but the sights shipped right away. they aren't as simple as many people make them sound. removing the leaf sights is necessary as they will impede your sight picture as well as the existing take down pin and this is no easy task on a rifle filled with dirt and grime and a lot of parts brazed in place. it took me a couple hours to change between actually working and trying to find the proper tools. today I decided that rather than wait on the stock and mag I would take it out and at least get it hitting close.

my first shot was a shameful flinch as I was expecting a shoulder crushing kick like my AK but about slapped myself for the action as this thing barely kicks at all, comparable to an AR15. adjusting the TS200 is also a huge PITA but I accomplished this using an unspent bullet to offer adjustments and a bent staple to depress a retention detent. I only brought 2 stripper clips with me and spent 13 of my 20 rounds of russian surplus just getting to the bullseye at 25 yards. figuring that this was about as good as I was going to get on a cold day like this I decided to just waste my last 7 rounds seeing if it was possible to hit a standing oxygen tank at 200 yards.

First shot: Bang...looking for dust cloud... PING! a hit, ok lets try that again
second shot: Bang...looking for dust cloud... PING! a hit, shot after shot gave that satisfying ping telling you that it is doing what you want it to. only the last shot missed and quit narrowly to the left and just about inline from where I was aiming. for me with irons this is AMAZING accuracy for lack of a better word to to think it came from a cheap, beat up, Chinese piece of junk chambered in 7.62x39mm.

overall I am starting to eat my own words about this rifle and can't wait for the stock and mag to arrive so I can give a complete report but for now I am willing to say that for $239+59+18+76=$393 this gun may actually turn into a regularly used range toy, hunting gun and maybe even home defense if nothing else is within reach.

 

[nathan]

They are tack drivers for what they are. Once you get it zeroed and get adjusted to the sights, they are easy to hit target at 100 yds. The good thing is , ammo is cheaper and doesnt break the bank compared to 5.56 which can cost you two or three day's wages for a 1000 rds.

 

[litman252]

I loved my sks with tech sights. Damn boat accident....

Enjoy it!

Tony

 

[Havok7416]

I just took my '62 Type 56 (SKS) out for the first time today. I own many combloc weapons and love them all. I'm glad to hear yours shoots every bit as good as mine!

 

[Squeaky Wheel]

I saw a couple of SKS at LGS yesterday morning. Had a price tag of $795 on each one. They weren't even clad in 24K gold or anything. This model might be losing out on its 'poor man' appeal. I was able to score a very nice Mosin-Nagant boxed from CAI (with accessories) for $199. I guess the Mosin-Nagant still qualifies as 'poor man' (lucky me!).

 

[tahunua001]

They are tack drivers for what they are. Once you get it zeroed and get adjusted to the sights, they are easy to hit target at 100 yds. The good thing is , ammo is cheaper and doesnt break the bank compared to 5.56 which can cost you two or three day's wages for a 1000 rds.

this is based on what? x39 is just as expensive as 223 and before all this madness hit new production wolf ammo was even more expensive than lake city 5.56. both calibers are next to impossible to find anymore in bulk and where it is, it is nearly a dollar a round. once gauging ends and prices go back down I'm fairly certain that x39 will continue to increase as the cheap surplus decreases and demand for current production rises.

I saw a couple of SKS at LGS yesterday morning. Had a price tag of $795 on each one.This model might be losing out on its 'poor man' appeal.

this is profiteering, pure and simple. I am seeing SKS advertized for $500+ left and right and there are still morons willing to pay that. as stated in the OP, I bought mine 2 weeks ago for $239 and the same shop still has them for that price. you just have to know where to shop for the good deals. in any case $800 beats the hell out of $2500 for DPMS AR15s and $2700 for century arms WASR10/63s.

 

[bainter1212]

And another one is seduced by the SKS! Rifles are just like girls.....the pretty ones aren't necessarily always the best ones to know. The SKS is a "sleeper" battle rifle IMHO. They tend to be very handy, accurate, very forgiving to shoot, and they are still low priced because too many people think that you have to spend a lot of money to get something quality. My customers often spend ridiculous money on appliances thinking that the more expensive = better quality. Sometimes this couldn't be farther from the truth. The SKS is worth every penny of it's $300 cost.

 

[nathan]

Thats why i can confidently shoot back to back with an AR guy next to me at 100 yrds. Me and my lowly SKS with open sights and him with a fancy red dotted thousand dollar M4 . On sandbag i can put 2-3-4 inch groups with cheapo surplus. It doesnt need to be expensive to take out a mansized target.

 

[aubie515]

If you can find one without taking out a second mortgage...I say go for it. There is nothing wrong with an SKS.

 

[Davek1977]

this is based on what? x39 is just as expensive as 223 and before all this madness hit new production wolf ammo was even more expensive than lake city 5.56. both calibers are next to impossible to find anymore in bulk and where it is, it is nearly a dollar a round. once gauging ends and prices go back down I'm fairly certain that x39 will continue to increase as the cheap surplus decreases and demand for current production rises.

Other than the Yugo m67 surplus that flooded the market a couple years back, there hasn't been much surplus 7.62x39 ammo in quite awhile. Brands like Bear, Wolf, Golden Tiger, etc are not considered "surplus" as they were made for the civilian market. AS for cost, before the panic, 1000 rounds of wold could be had for $220, while a 1000 rds of lake city ran over $300. I'm not sure what you are basing your prices on, but they aren't an accurate representation of whats out there. While it didn't last long, even in this panic SGammo.com had 500 round cases of 7.62x39 Brown Bear HP's for $137 per 500. I don't think you have an accurate grasp of the 7.62x39 ammo situation. Aside from the vast amount of imported ammo available, there is domestic production as well, with Winchester, Horandy, Remington, and Federal all making ammo. If overseas supplies dry up, domestic companies will step up production to fill the void. There are far too many rifles chambered in the caliber for domestic companies not to fill the gaps if it becomes necessary. Granted domestic ammo isn't cheap, but its generally higher quality than much of the imported ammo

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

One of the most dependable firearms that I ever owned is an SKS. At 100 yards it can turn a cinderblock into small pieces in about three or four rounds. They have been long underrated for what they can do. The SKS is very good at what it does.

 

[greyling22]

my brother just sold his for $1k. just a regular norinco in a ramline stock. They're a fine gun but sheesh, prices are crazy. Glad you were able to find one in "good value" pricing.

 

[nathan]

The prices of SKS is now at an all time high bec of the situation right now. For those who think SKSs should be cheap are naive and trying to downplay the market forces. The SKS s have skyrocketed bec it follows high demand market forces. If a low end AR costing $600 pre panic price is now valued at $1700, then naturally the SKS prices are going to double or triple. Dont expect it to be low.

Even ammo prices went up. For example the norm right now is 500 rds of 7.62 x 39 is about $250 . 1000 rd bulk runs about $500 . They sure have gone up, you d be lucky to find pre Sandy Hook prices nowadays. If you want to own an AR or Ak or SKS , or any semi autos, then you have to shell the cash. Its no longer the normal prices, these are the new normal. The reason why i have to get back to .22 LRs to keep up my shooting skills and not burn by ammo cost.

 

[David E]

The reason why i have to get back to .22 LRs to keep up my shooting skills and not (be) burn(ed) by ammo cost.

Speaking of "market forces," it's near impossible to find .22 LR right now, probably for the same reasons you cite.

 

[Deer_Freak]

The prices of SKS is now at an all time high bec of the situation right now. For those who think SKSs should be cheap are naive and trying to downplay the market forces. The SKS s have skyrocketed bec it follows high demand market forces. If a low end AR costing $600 pre panic price is now valued at $1700, then naturally the SKS prices are going to double or triple. Dont expect it to be low.

Even ammo prices went up. For example the norm right now is 500 rds of 7.62 x 39 is about $250 . 1000 rd bulk runs about $500 . They sure have gone up, you d be lucky to find pre Sandy Hook prices nowadays. If you want to own an AR or Ak or SKS , or any semi autos, then you have to shell the cash. Its no longer the normal prices, these are the new normal. The reason why i have to get back to .22 LRs to keep up my shooting skills and not burn by ammo cost.

This is not the new normal. At some point the panic is going to end. Distributors are going to have orders at panic levels. They are going to deeply cut prices to recover their cash and wait for another panic. They will have all their little no name websites shouting doom and gloom until people believe it. The fact is congress has only passed 3% of the bills that have made it out of committee in the past 4 years. Given the fact congress can't get in the door without a free for all I will bet there are no sweeping gun laws passed. They might come up with more money for an enhanced background checks or something similar but no bans.

 

[tahunua001]

The prices of SKS is now at an all time high bec of the situation right now. For those who think SKSs should be cheap are naive and trying to downplay the market forces. The SKS s have skyrocketed bec it follows high demand market forces. If a low end AR costing $600 pre panic price is now valued at $1700, then naturally the SKS prices are going to double or triple. Dont expect it to be low.

unfortunately this is not an accurate representation of supply and demand. price increases due to supply and demand are because too many customers want it so manufacturers increase their productivity by buying more equipment and hiring more workers to run it. these prices are passed on to wholesalers who in turn slowly raise their prices to compensate so that retailers are not hit all at once, supply and demand increases take weeks and even months to actually be seen by the public. the SH scare prices were being jacked up the second that President Obama even hinted that he was goign to try and strengthen gun control, while pre SH inventories were still on the shelves. this is nothing but profiteering, especially in the case of the SKS where there is no increase in production cost because they are no longer produced. A Chinese warehouse worker has no idea that there is a pandemic buyers market in the US when he packs 30 crates of gun X and 50 crates of gun Y to be shipped to Century arms so obviously he is not jacking up prices to the importers so why are people Naively assuming that 300% price hikes over the course of a month is nothing more than econ 101 playing itself out?

there is a reason why I was able to get an SKS for normal price and I can still get 45 ACP ammo for normal price and when my LGS gets them in stock, magazines for a normal price... and why they now have mini 14s again for normal price....

because everything still is normal prices, greedy retailers are just trying to milk every last dollar then can before the public gets wise and they are forced to drop prices again to re-attract customers.

 

[Davek1977]

http://www.sgammo.com/product/tula/...ain-hollow-point-tula-ammo-1-case-limit-order
1000 rds/284.50 Thats pretty far off from a $1 a round, and its available right NOW, and at cheaper prices than Lake City 5.56 was prepanic. If a $1 a round is as good as you can do, you aren't looking very darn hard

 

[Deputy728]

Glad I joined this site. You guys are very infomative. I've previously owned two Sks's. Had to sell my last one due to my wife being ill. When she was well again and back on her feet, she bought me another. In this time of "panic" buying, I was able to score this one for $326. This was about $125 cheaper than my last one which I purchased about 2 1/2 years ago. My latest Sks was advertised in "fine" condition. I'm going to say it's in very fine condition. Shoots beautifully! I'm very pleased with everything except the current ammo prices. Shelves cleaned out. Went to WallyWorld and couldn't event find Federal or Winchester 500 count .22 bulk ammo. Finally found Remington 7.62 x 39 for $20.95 a box! There's your $1 per round freaking ammo. My friendly neighborhood WallyWorld manager is going to give me a courtesy call when he gets the next shipment of cheaper Russian made in.

 

[tahunua001]

thanks for the link Davek,
that is a decent deal and it's good to know that they are rationing to avoid hoarders buying all of it at once. however
JGsales.com
Luckygunner.com
Ammotogo.com
Grafs.com
Aimsurplus.com
Cabelas.com
Basspro.com
and all of the usual suspects for decently priced ammo are completely sold out of both calibers.

now let's try some places that actually have 7.62x39 in stock
cheaperthandirt over 50 cents a round after shipping.
well nope that's about all I can find.

the last cheaper than dirt catalog I looked at before I gave up on trying to find good deals from them had wolf 7.62x39 at 5 dollars more per thousand than 223 remington of the same stuff. 7.62x39 just isn't the cheaper alternative to 223 anymore.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Cheaper than dirt home the $80 WWB of .380
moto
we got it sukka, so if you want it pay up...

 

[Ignition Override]

tahunua001: It's always nice to see people who realize that the SKS, AK, Ruger10/22 etc are not limited to the original sights. Most people don't comprehend.
As for prices, three days ago on Gunboker most prices were not much higher than in March 2008.

nathan: GB had four pages of them, and a large number were listed or bid up to decent prices. There was a fraction whose sellers live in a state of naive delusion.

 

[hueyville]

When prices readjust once the panic wears off some folks are going to take a bath like on a house bought in 2006. That being said an SKS is what it is. Back in the day a local store sold Russian versions for 90 bucks w/bayonet, cleaning kit and a sealed 600 round can of steel core ammo. The detachable magazine versions were $125. Bought one a month for a year. Guess that was a good investment. May be time to cash out on a few.

 

[Kymasabe]

26 good build ! The 26 stamped chinese SKS's are considered by some to be the best made.

 

[justice06rr]

Speaking of "market forces," it's near impossible to find .22 LR right now, probably for the same reasons you cite.

There is still some 22lr and even 7.62 ammo if you just look around locally and be patient. They are hard to find online, but I have found them at small gun shops and even Gander Mountain and local shooting ranges. The gun show still had plenty of x39 and they were not nearly as expensive as 5.56/223 which was selling for about $1/round.

 

[tahunua001]

the same shop that I bought the SKS from had 4 PALLETs of CCI blazer on the floor to fill the gaps that had been occupied by 223, 5.45, 7.62x39, and 308, this last time I was in there I think they were down to 1 pallet but still not horrible prices, I think $16 or $17 a brick.