SKS

[CTW]

The SKS for me has been a great bang for the buck rifle. I have a Norinco Para and a Yugo. I love the Norinco Para being short it is just a handy carbine to have around. The Yugo shoots great for a 140 dollar rifle and I have never had any issues with either. When I bought the Para it was bubba'd up with a folding stock and 30 round mag. I put a red chinese jungle stock on and a ten rounder and I love the thing now. Here is a pic of them with Kitty!

 

[Storm]

BTW, if you want to learn about the SKS go here: http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php With just a bit of reading I now know that my Norinco is a 1959 from Factory 26, and all milled. All serial numbers match, which is always nice.

Of course, what really matters is how it will shoot. The trigger has a good amount of creep, which might lead to a trigger job (or not).

 

[Noxx]

The SKS is a fantastic carbine, and they've been cheap as dirt for ages. Their elevated price ATM is unfortunate, but it does illustrate the value of foresight.

I have several of em, the best being a matched Tula, and that one ran me $200. I see similar examples going around $500 these days.

The only work I really recommend right away on any SKS is an aftermarket firing pin which will take care of any slamfire worries.

The SKS is classic Russian design. Simple to operate and clean, and very hardy. Everybody should have one. Or six.

 

[foghornl]

I have a Yugo 59/66...yes the one with all the 'grenade launcher' stuff on it. (similar to CTW's pic on the left)

Fun gun, reasonably accurate, and fairly fast to reload with the 10-round stripper clips. Almost as fast as reloading my US Rifle Cal .30 M1 with the 8-round en-bloc clip.

 

[Storm]

The only work I really recommend right away on any SKS is an aftermarket firing pin which will take care of any slamfire worries.

Are slamfires more common on one SKS than another? I've put thousands of rounds through a Norinco and never had a problem.

Having asked that, I will be acquiring one of the recommended firing pins. No sense in taking chances when there is a simple $35 prevention.

 

[Limeyfellow]

Slam fires aren't as common as made out on the SKS. If the channel is really dirty, or you install the bolt backwards it is possible. Then again it possible on just about any semi automatic rifle with a floating firing pin such as the M1 Garand.

The spring and modified firing pin though I guess is a good just in case you get one of those unlikely events to happen.

 

[Noxx]

Are slamfires more common on one SKS than another? I've put thousands of rounds through a Norinco and never had a problem

Not that I'm aware of, although there are others on this board with a lot more experience with the rifle than I have. From my personal experience with a couple of russians, one Yugo, and one Norinco, it's been the Russians that have doubled on me most frequently, although I have seen a Yugo burn an entire mag when the owner dropped the bolt after a reload.

As you mentioned, for me it's just a $35 peace of mind purchase.

 

[Noxx]

Slam fires aren't as common as made out on the SKS. If the channel is really dirty, or you install the bolt backwards it is possible

The only other contributor I've seen has been poor metal finishing leading to binding. You're right it doesn't happen much, I just prefer it happen never

 

[wally]

Russians are nice, but I think I might hold that $350 for one that matches.

I don't know, with Yugos going for $400+ at recent gun shows around here, I think its a decent deal in todays market. The mis-matched numbers only really matters to collectors -- once you start actually start shooting it, it'll be even less collectable.

--wally.

 

[NC-Mike]

I had a Yugo and a Russian till I found my Norinco M that take the AK mags. I then sold the other two. The Russian was OK but that Yugo had a horrible trigger and was way to heavy. I like my M just fine.

BTW, I would never consider getting one of those modified firing pins. Ever.

I have a bunch of other rifles with floating firing pins and don't give them a second thought either. The rifle was designed that way. It isn't broken and does not need to be "fixed."



I would also add a lot of people come to the forums complaining about their new duck-bill mag that won't work. Anyone who has problems with a mag on a SKS is using a detachable. The stock ten-rounder seems to be utterly reliable.

 

[benzy2]

The only real issues I have heard with slam fires have happened right out of the box without the bolt being stripped and cleaned of the cosmo. Beyond that I haven't personally seen one and rarely hear of them. Get it clean to start and things shouldn't ever be a problem.

 

[NC-Mike]

The only real issues I have heard with slam fires have happened right out of the box without the bolt being stripped and cleaned of the cosmo. Beyond that I haven't personally seen one and rarely hear of them. Get it clean to start and things shouldn't ever be a problem.

That's correct. The best thing about those modified pins are it forces people to take the bolt apart and clean the firing pin channel to install it.

As you say. If the gun is cleaned and working as intended, there shouldn't be a problem. Every AR out there has a floating pin. Chamber a round from an open bolt then take a look at the nice dent it leaves in the primer.

Yet no one is selling AR firing pins with springs on them.


well, someone probably does, somewhere...

 

[Average Joe]

the SKS is a great rifle, everybody should own at least one.

 

[Bentonville]

Kivaari did a trigger job for me and man, what a difference. I am sure it is safer as well, after learning about positive and negative engagement.

 

[Storm]

While my firing pin was nice and loose, a good long boil in water with Simple Green really cleaned it out, and it rattles freely. At the very least this is something to monitor. I'd also keep any lubricants out of the firing pin channel.

I think the more important issue may be negative creep which can (but may not) lead to the gun firing by jostling or dropping. I'll be checking mine, one with negative creep, to make sure it isn't an issue.

I would recommend anyone acquiring an SKS to educate themselves to the safety issues and cleaning requirements set out here: http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php

 

[yokel]

The glorious and brave Vietcong made fine use of the SKS with extended bayonet:



You can too...

 

[Dr_2_B]

Man I'm lusting over CTW's para. I am such a sucker for the carbine versions of anything. Interesting how those two resemble an M1 Garand and an M1 Carbine together. But in the para's case, you retain the original round.

 

[zoom6zoom]

Fun guns... everybody should have one... at least!
Some from my collection:
From top; Yugo 59/66, Romanian M56, Egyptian Rashid:

1954 Russian:

1978 Albanian:

Norinco with 20 round star mag:

 

[Crawfish141]

Late Russian

 

[Ignition Override]

Noxx:

I seem to have read somewhere that slamfires happen with softer US-made primers much more than with our heart-warming Russian ammo, due to hard primers, so beloved all over the US (but not as much as my cheap .303 for the "JC").

CTW, Math, Zoom: Those are foxy babes.
The Miss Exotic prize should go to the 20-rd star mag rifle.

Crawfish: Don't feel left out. Yours could also be the finalist for Miss Universe, the red-head 'from Russia with love'.
The deepest truth is that gentlemen sometimes prefer redheads.

 

[MarineOne]

My Chinese Norinco Para is a fantastic lil carbine and it takes AK mags. I picked it up in '95 when I came home from active duty. We used to have classes on OPFOR weapons and since most were AK-47's, I saw this and it was the best of both worlds; a carbine that took AK mags.

After 3,000 rounds or so you can't tell it was made in '94 and it's still sits tight on the stock.



Kris

 

[NC-Mike]

Here is my Norinko M

 

[SaxonPig]

About 25 years ago when tens of thousands of these washed ashore as surplus and could be purchased for $69 (and 1260 rounds of ammo was $59) they were great rifles to pick up. At the current price I would rather have something else.

I bought one of the original SKSs to reach America but a couple years later I sold it to a friend and bought this "carbine" version. The longer one shot better. Oh well.

 

[Storm]

I've done quite a bit of reading on the issue of slamfires and I would have to say that the comments about them here are right on point. The issue seems to raise it's head when the cosmoline isn't cleaned out of the firing pin channel, or, when dirt or crud is allowed to accumulate causing the pin to bind. I suppose that a burr or other machining defect could cause a problem, but my pin moves freely as loose as a goose. My practice will be to inspect and/or clean the firing pin regularly. As I was planning to acquire a spare firing pin anyway I will install a Murray's spring pin and put the original aside for the spare. A good part of the problem seems to be folks acquiring the SKS unaware that they need to break down the bolt and remove cosmoline from the fring pin and firing pin channel.

As to negative creep, (the hammer actually moving forward before the break), it isn't necessarily a problem that will cause firing with some jostling or dropping. I have tested my rifle and there is no issue despite negative creep being present. Still, a good thing to check by cocking the gun and dropping it on its butt or smacking.

I can see that like Mausers the SKS will be addicting. Hopefully prices will come back down soon.

 

[NC-Mike]

I can see that like Mausers the SKS will be addicting.

You most likely will buy another one.

They really are a neat, very functional, very handy, historical carbine. The SKS predates the AK, I think the AK owes a lot to the SKS.