SKS Thumbs up or down?

[MCgunner]

The Saiga with the sporting stock is nice. It wasn't around in the late 80s when I got my SKSs, the rifle for 75 bucks. Those SKSs have gotten more expensive. I don't like the Yugos with that GAWD awful thing on the barrel and it's the cheapest one seems like. I shoulda bought a boat load of the Norincos at the time. Heck, the Paratrooper was spankin' new and only 115 bucks. I "personalized it" for about 80 bucks more. It's a tacticool range fun gun, my 75 dollar rifle is actually useful for hog hunting.

In today's market, I'd have to give good thought to the Saiga, though. I like the sporting stock versions. Only thing I don't really care for on 'em is the location of the safety. And, the removable mag is desirable to some folks.

 

[spiroxlii]

I have a Yugo and a Norinco (Chinese). Love both. The Yugo looks cooler, but it's bigger and heavier. The Chinese ones are smaller and handier, and they have chrome lined bores, which the Yugo does not have.

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

Smartest money I ever spent IMHO. Shoots great for the buck and stock up on the Ammo.

 

[elmerfudd]

The Yugo's might be heavy and have a lot of crap hanging off of them, but in my experience they shoot much better than the Chinese guns do. My buddy has a Chinese SKS and I have a Yugo and when we go to the range my Yugo shoots groups of about 1 to 1.5 inches at 50 yards while his Chinese SKS shoots groups of around 2.5".

 

[jad0110]

The Yugo's might be heavy and have a lot of crap hanging off of them, but in my experience they shoot much better than the Chinese guns do. My buddy has a Chinese SKS and I have a Yugo and when we go to the range my Yugo shoots groups of about 1 to 1.5 inches at 50 yards while his Chinese SKS shoots groups of around 2.5".

I have yet to try them side-by-side, but on different dates my Yugo M70 (AK variant) grouped tighter than my father's Chinese SKS. I would still describe his SKS' accuracy as "good" though.

Funny, I've never seen anyone that calls the SKS crap volunteer to stand in front of one.

 

[Ohio Rifleman]

I just headed out to the range the other day with my Yugo M59/66 with cheap Golden Tiger and some brass-cased ammo and hit a pie plate sized target at 100 yards several times, and was hitting an area about the size of a man's torso all day long. What more do you want from an old Soviet, semi-auto military rifle?