SKS
- Thread starter jay43
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Excellent rifles for the price. Very reliable, but with somewhat mediocre accuracy. They're good enough to hit a deer though out to about 200 yards. They're chambered in 7.62x39 and are pleasant guns to shoot. If you want to "upgrade" it, hold on to the original stock and any scopes you put on should be mounted scout style. The rifle loads and ejects through the top, and although there are top cover mounts, they are not stable enough for decent accuracy and every time you clean it your zero will shift.
jlpskydive
Member
Everything you ever wanted to know about a SKS can be found over at the sksboards.com I have three and they are great. One is unissued and unfired Yugo, one a refurb Russian, and the last is a Norinco that has every part made by Tapco on it to make it the ultimate "Tackti-Kweeeell" Zombie slayer on the block (I can still take the Norinco back to stock in 10 minutes so no actual rifle was permanently harmed by Bubba in this transformation) With that being said they are climbing in price quickly I paid 175 for my Yugo last year and see them going in new condition for well over 300 these days. They are pretty accurate, better than my AK not as good as my AR, cheap to shoot and pretty well indestructible. I like mine to plink with and one almost always goes to the range with me no matter what else goes.
jpwilly
Member
...a good SKS is 2-4 MOA and a few can do better. The sights are okay. They are reliable if you get all the cosmoline out of all the parts and shoot decent ammo. They are long at about 44" and heavy at around 10lbs. They are imported as C&R meaning you cannot simply slap on an aftermarket stock and be legal you must comply with the same regulations as building an american made rifle by replacing the appropriate number of foreign parts. A nice Yugo SKS will not cost much and is an excellent rifle. My Yugo had a cracked stock but excellent bore I picked it up for $75 and added all the american parts to it to be legal... It's not an AK so if that's what you want get the AK...here she is:
kingpin008
Member
I've had mine for...two days, and I can tell you - get one. I've wanted one forever, and they're only going to go up in price. Under $200 sounds like a good deal, and provided you take care of it you'll be shooting it for a long, long time.
FieroCDSP
Member
Reliable, easy to work on, fun to shoot, passable accuracy, as well as that wonderful cosmoline scent....what's not to love?
Limeyfellow
Member
The accuracy on some SKS can be made really good if you are willing to do the work on them. sum moa to 1.5moa type of range. In their stock form, with a lack of bedding and standard sights you are looking more at 4-5MOA. Not too bad. The M16 only requires 4MOA to pass spec.
Bed the action properly to take out the slack in the stock, stick on a tech-sight ts200 peep sight and clean up the trigger group and the accuracy of the SKS really starts going up. Thats going to start adding money to the cost.
There are also plenty of other modifications. Rails and scope mounts, other rear or front sights, replacement trigger action springs, modified firing pins with a return spring, a buffer for the recoil spring, plenty of different gas tubes to avoid it touching the rest of the rifle, plenty of different stocks.
The SKS makes a fun project gun, or a truck gun, or when you want something as reliable as they come to pull out when its needed.
Bed the action properly to take out the slack in the stock, stick on a tech-sight ts200 peep sight and clean up the trigger group and the accuracy of the SKS really starts going up. Thats going to start adding money to the cost.
There are also plenty of other modifications. Rails and scope mounts, other rear or front sights, replacement trigger action springs, modified firing pins with a return spring, a buffer for the recoil spring, plenty of different gas tubes to avoid it touching the rest of the rifle, plenty of different stocks.
The SKS makes a fun project gun, or a truck gun, or when you want something as reliable as they come to pull out when its needed.
MCgunner
Member
My two SKSs will generally hold 3 MOA, better than an AK, but nothing to really write home about. Inside 150 yards, though, with a good load, makes a decent brush rifle. To me, a brush rifle is a fast shooting rifle that's too inaccurate to be called a general purpose hunting rifle. LOL They are quite reliable and make for a really good choice in a ranch gun, beater farm truck gun. I got carried away dressing up a couple of Norincos 15 or 20 years ago. They're fun to play with and dress up, the Barbie doll of the gun world. 
Well, maybe more of a Ken doll. They ain't too pretty. I'd rather have one in a ranch truck than a much more expensive Ruger ranch rifle, though, personally.
My Norinco paratrooper, like new condition and 16" barrel cost me $115 back then. I picked up the VG condition rifle for $75. I mean, at those prices, they were good deals even if I don't have much use for either of 'em. They're fun to play with at the range and that's justification enough to have 'em way I see things. I reload the caliber, but have bought a lot of surplus cheap ammo in the past, still have about 1500 rounds of the stuff.
Well, maybe more of a Ken doll. They ain't too pretty. I'd rather have one in a ranch truck than a much more expensive Ruger ranch rifle, though, personally.My Norinco paratrooper, like new condition and 16" barrel cost me $115 back then. I picked up the VG condition rifle for $75. I mean, at those prices, they were good deals even if I don't have much use for either of 'em. They're fun to play with at the range and that's justification enough to have 'em way I see things. I reload the caliber, but have bought a lot of surplus cheap ammo in the past, still have about 1500 rounds of the stuff.
Full Clip
Member
I have 7 SKSs, from old-school 1950 Russian to bling Albanian to Yugo TAPCO tacti-cool.... best semi-auto rifle out there for the money.
RockyMtnTactical
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- Oct 21, 2006
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- 3,539
I love the SKS.
If you get one, just buy it stock, keep it stock. Many guys have bought the SKS and tried to make it an AK, and it just doesn't work.
If you get one, just buy it stock, keep it stock. Many guys have bought the SKS and tried to make it an AK, and it just doesn't work.
They are fun to shoot but i'd rather have reliable 30 round mags and a pistol grip any day. The last one I shot had a messed up mag latch and the magazine would unlatch at the last round of every mag. I also had one fall apart the the first bullet I shot out of it. Searching the lawn with a magnet is not fun.
MCgunner
Member
This one works pretty good for a dress up play like AK....
To my non-tacticool butt, this sporter is more fun, though.
Don't try to go with removable mags. The 20 round Chinese issue fixed mag took some work to get reliable, but now it's 100 percent.
To my non-tacticool butt, this sporter is more fun, though.
Don't try to go with removable mags. The 20 round Chinese issue fixed mag took some work to get reliable, but now it's 100 percent.
chris in va
Member
I had one, skip it. Get a Saiga for <$300.
My friend agrees. She enjoyed the SKS with Wilson FireSights while I had it, but realizes how much better the Saiga is and won't give it back to me.
BTW the Saiga is NEW. Chrome lined barrel, and you can put a real sight on it vs an iffy version on the SKS. Also can be converted to AK platform if you so desire for about $200.
My friend agrees. She enjoyed the SKS with Wilson FireSights while I had it, but realizes how much better the Saiga is and won't give it back to me.
BTW the Saiga is NEW. Chrome lined barrel, and you can put a real sight on it vs an iffy version on the SKS. Also can be converted to AK platform if you so desire for about $200.
jlpskydive
Member
The new Tapco mags are flawless I have put a 1,000 rounds through my Norinco without a hiccup and many report the same results over on the SKS boards.
mljdeckard
Member
I haven't done it to mine yet, but the stock has to go. I read another opinion that they were designed fo rmuppet pygmies. They REALLY suck. It's tough to imagine ANY stock being worse to fit the average size American male. (As the others have said, watch compliance. This is the main reason I haven't gotten around to it yet.)
MCgunner
Member
There used to be 1" spacers you could add to the stock, rubber and rather ugly, not like a recoil pad. I bought one before I changed stocks. That camo stock was a little short, not as bad as the stock that came on it, but I added a slip on pad to give me a little more pull length. It also helps with the scope since I can't get it anymore forward mounted than that.
kingpin008
Member
I have to add to Chris In VA's post, about a Saiga Vs SKS.
Yea, a Saiga may be "new", but so is my SKS. It's still possible to find unissued SKS's in shops and gun shows, and they're "new" as well. The bore on mine is bright and shiny, the metal is prefect, and the wood is great (minus two dings, but they're small)
Now, I agree - Saiga's are great, and I fully intend to get one (ok, more than one) but the argument that an SKS is somehow a "used" or beat-up gun compared to others isn't really accurate.
Yea, a Saiga may be "new", but so is my SKS. It's still possible to find unissued SKS's in shops and gun shows, and they're "new" as well. The bore on mine is bright and shiny, the metal is prefect, and the wood is great (minus two dings, but they're small)
Now, I agree - Saiga's are great, and I fully intend to get one (ok, more than one) but the argument that an SKS is somehow a "used" or beat-up gun compared to others isn't really accurate.
kingpin008
Member
Also - If you find a Yugo SKS that you like, the sights they come with are larger than the other variants. Both the dots on the rear sight, and on the front post of my rifle are pretty darn big, and easy to see. I may replace them down the line regardless, but for now they're plenty useable.
And another good thing about Yugo's - they have a rubber butt-pad already, so the length-of-pull issues may be a non-issue compared to other variants.
And another good thing about Yugo's - they have a rubber butt-pad already, so the length-of-pull issues may be a non-issue compared to other variants.
Never No More
Member
Sorry JP, but that stock sux. I got one on my wife's SKS. Its in the closet now. When with the T-6 in fil clips bottom picture. Buy one, you wont regret it. Mine didnt come with wood, so I had to do something.
If your thinking of getting an SKS, call the SKSman (he is on the web). He can tell you what works and what does not. My stock 10 rd mag was beat to hell. I installed a Tapco 20 rounder. I feed it thru the top. So far its works. When Im done modifing the action and barrel, Ill go blow out a few 100 rounds and post pics.
If your thinking of getting an SKS, call the SKSman (he is on the web). He can tell you what works and what does not. My stock 10 rd mag was beat to hell. I installed a Tapco 20 rounder. I feed it thru the top. So far its works. When Im done modifing the action and barrel, Ill go blow out a few 100 rounds and post pics.
TheGunslinger
Member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2007
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- 12
I second http:///www.sksboards.com
Yugoslavian 59/66's are very common right now, and priced right. Just be sure to check the bore and the gas shut off valve. The 59/66's are the ones with the NATO grenade launcher and ladder sight on them.
My Russian is by far the best shooting SKS I have or have shot.
Yugos can be had for $150-200 while Russian's can run upwards of 400.
One of the most fun carbines to shoot. Although the Yugo's do not really feel like a carbine.
Here are mine.
1955 tula
And a Yugo 59/66 made in 70
Yugoslavian 59/66's are very common right now, and priced right. Just be sure to check the bore and the gas shut off valve. The 59/66's are the ones with the NATO grenade launcher and ladder sight on them.
My Russian is by far the best shooting SKS I have or have shot.
Yugos can be had for $150-200 while Russian's can run upwards of 400.
One of the most fun carbines to shoot. Although the Yugo's do not really feel like a carbine.
Here are mine.
1955 tula
And a Yugo 59/66 made in 70
esmith
Member
Very fun guns. Accuracy can be a gamble though so if you are looking for an accurate rifle this may not be your match. I love the look of them too. Some people suggest you dont modifiy it by like slapping a scope on it as it wont mount properly or something. Ill try and find the article where i read that.
Frog48
Member
They're alot of fun. For the price, you cant go wrong.
Fitment of a scope mount can be hit-or-miss, though. But actually I think they're more fun using the iron sights, and have since removed the scope and mount.
Fitment of a scope mount can be hit-or-miss, though. But actually I think they're more fun using the iron sights, and have since removed the scope and mount.
Bartkowski
Member
Other than chrome-lined barrels, I do not see how a saiga is better. An SKS is cheaper, reliable, and is much nicer looking to me.
If you want to get a more modern look and have a little extra money, the Saiga's are by no means bad, I just like SKS's more.
I read not to put a scope on it that replaces the replaces the reciever cover, because the bolt carrier just beats it up and the scope will never hold zero. If you want to go ahead, I would not recomend it though.
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