SKS's of the detachable mag flavor?

[Roadwild17]

My buddy has a SKS with the detachable mags that he never shoots and wont get rid of for less than $500, which I think is kinda steep.

I went to a gun show looking for one, but there was only 1. It was Chinese unshot $600, so I thought I should just wait and get an AR. After some more thinking, I really want something that shoots the 7.62X39 as an all around rifle.

Does anyone have any info on these as far a cost, reliability, country of make/model, and so on?

 

[dolanp]

The Chinese SKS-M and SKS-D can take AK mags and last I checked they run around $350-400 usually.

Anything else with aftermarket detachable mags will not be very reliable.

 

[kungfuhippie]

get an AK they shoot 7.62x39 just like an sks and getting one with a detachable magazine is easy, it's getting one with a fixed magazine that'll be hard. The detachable mag sks is nice but for less than 500 you can get something nearly equal.

<here come the flames about AK vs. SKS accuracy>

 

[1 old 0311]

For $500.00 you can get a very, VERY nice AK.

 

[dfaugh]

The Chinese SKS-M and SKS-D can take AK mags and last I checked they run around $350-400 usually.

Anything else with aftermarket detachable mags will not be very reliable.

For $500.00 you can get a very, VERY nice AK.

Yeah, but a SKS-M is way more accurate than most AKs, and if anything, even sturdier. Plus, they're kinda neat just becasue they're fairly rare.

 

[GRIZ22]

I think the 30 rd mags kind of unbalance the SKS. Like a 30 rd mag in a M1 carbine. If 30 rd is what you want I agree with others and get an AK.

 

[dfaugh]

Dunno.... I use 30 and 40 round mags is my SKS-M, and it seems to balance OK....remember -M and -D have a shorter barrel and no bayonet. However, the point IS taken that my SKS-M is quite a bit heavier than an AK. But, I've always wondered if the extra weight made it more accurate (steadier to hold). Of course, you can't really shoot either off a bench with the bigger mags, but I have a 5 rounder as well. My -M is also scoped which probably helps accuracy, but adds even more weight.

 

[RoyJackson]

My buddy has a SKS with the detachable mags that he never shoots and wont get rid of for less than $500, which I think is kinda steep.

I think $500 is a reasonable price for this rather rare SKS.
I've owned one for about 10 years now. I paid about $250 new. These are nice rifles for plinking.
The Paratrooper makes a better truck gun though.

 

[ZeSpectre]

I couldn't afford what a 30 round mag would do to me. 10 rounds via stripper clip keeps me from going hog wild and blowing the budget

But all my research says $500 is pretty damn steep unless it's a realllllly nice example of an SKS.

 

[smince]

I had one I bought a few years ago for $295, and it was in really nice condition. I think $500 is steep, but it depends on area and market, I guess.

I only used the 20 rounders in mine. It balanced well and was miles ahead of a Mini14/30, IMO.

 

[grimjaw]

a SKS-M is way more accurate than most AKs

I disagree with that. With the short sight radius on a 16" bbl SKS-M, you're not much better off than with an AK. I would say it has the potential to be more accurate. Since an SKS-M is one of the higher priced SKSs, it would be more accurate to compare it to one of the higher priced AKs.

jm

 

[darron67]

i bought my unused sks about 12 years ago from roses back when they sold guns fot $129 complete with bayonet. it has a 10 round fixed butyou can get detatched ones cheap with very little mod. i love mine and it is very accurate especially with a scope

 

[RoyJackson]

bought my unused sks about 12 years ago from roses back when they sold guns fot $129 complete with bayonet. it has a 10 round fixed butyou can get detatched ones cheap with very little mod.


The modified SKS rifles are notoriously unreliable. I've a 20 round box magazine I'll give you, if you pay the shippping costs!

 

[meef]

For what your buddy has, $350-$400 is a reasonable price if it's in really nice condition. You can do much better than $500 on Gunbroker. Let him keep his if he's that proud of it.

I have an SKS-M and love it.

Yes, it's suprisingly accurate and a joy to shoot - recoil is a gentle push. Reliable, well-made, robust and WAY more comfortable than anything AK that I've put to my shoulder that comes anywhere close in price.

My $0.02.....

 

[Borachon]

It seems that everyone who already owns one agrees that $500 is a great price.

I think that for $500 it makes more sense to buy a brand new Saiga, (or two) for $220 each, convert them to AK mags, and then buy ammo. Or buy a WASR AK for $289, a bunch of mags, and ammo. Or...but you get my drift.

Most of the SKS-D's and M's that I see advertised on gunbroker.com for $350 and up have one distinctive characteristic.....no one bids on them. Unless the rifle is in some way unique or pristine, I don't see them selling at this price. I see a lot of auctions, but no one buying.

Myself...not being an owner and not having a dog in the fight...I'd probably rate the value of an SKS D or M at about the same as a low end AK type. Somewhere around $275 to $320. As mentioned, they are rare. That means parts to fix them are going to be more expensive. Parts for an AK type are going to be FAR more plentiful. Of course, on the plus side, they already come ready to take AK mags so you can't rate them as low as a Saiga, which has to be converted.

We are, after all, talking about an SKS..however beefed up. And 7.62x39 isn't as cheap as it once was.

 

[smince]

As mentioned, they are rare. That means parts to fix them are going to be more expensive.

Except for how the mag attaches, they are straight-forward SKS's as far as I can tell. No hard to find parts.

 

[Spencer]

For $500.00 you can get a very, VERY nice AK.

Well, sort of. You can get a NICE one. But nothing like an Arsenal.

You could get a Yugo underfolder or polish tantal. I recommend those over an sks.

 

[meef]

Borachon:

It seems that everyone who already owns one agrees that $500 is a great price.

Not everyone, read the post before yours..

As mentioned, they are rare. That means parts to fix them are going to be more expensive.

Heh.... they don't break.

And 7.62x39 isn't as cheap as it once was.

It won't be any cheaper if you get an AK or the like to shoot it in either.

 

[Jackal]

Around here, the SKS-M goes for about $250-$350. $500 is a rip-off.

 

[grimjaw]

No hard to find parts.

smince, the gas tubes/operating rods are different lengths than standard SKS.

jm

 

[smince]

the gas tubes/operating rods are different lengths than standard SKS

Same as the so-called Paratrooper SKS's, and I never hear people told to avoid them because of "hard to find parts". Not all the detachable mag guns have the short barrels/gas tubes either.

 

[____hoot____]

New Member with first post to try this place out. Bought a case of 10 Russian SKSs in 93 or 94 for about $95 bucks each and slowly sold them off. The prettyest was the last to go at $300 about six years ago; and I kept the most accurate.

 

[dfaugh]

I'd probably rate the value of an SKS D or M at about the same as a low end AK type. Somewhere around $275 to $320. As mentioned, they are rare. That means parts to fix them are going to be more expensive.

I've seen NIB ones on the gun auction sites for $300-400 ($500 is way too much), well within the price range of a decent AK. I've been looking for one locally for about 4 years, ever since my 1st one. And I'd buy a 2nd, 3rd and 4th in a heartbeat. I just prefer to SEE it up close before I buy it. But since I can't find one locally, I may have to go the auction route.

As far as parts are concerned, I think there are very few unique parts to worry about. And they simply don't break. I've put about 5000 rounds through mine, and I've never even stripped it completely down for cleaning.

the gas tubes/operating rods are different lengths than standard SKS

Actually I just compared the distance from the action to the gas block, on my SKS-M vs. my Yugo and they appear to be the same. Might not even be a difference there after all (but I could be wrong). The barrel AFTER the gas block is, of course, much shorter on the -M.

 

[Technosavant]

I have both a Yugo SKS and a Norinco MAK-90 (AK). Quite honestly, there is precious little accuracy difference. The SKS might be a BIT more accurate, but not by a lot.

I always say that the SKS is a great rifle, but it is what it is. If you want to build one up to be a poor man's AK, or you want to buy one that would be similar to an AK in capacity, just get the AK. As is, the SKS is a great little hunting carbine or SHTF rifle. Once you get to modding it, you will quickly sink enough money and time (how much is your time worth?) into it to put you into decent AK territory. The detachable mags will usually also affect reliability in a negative manner- sometimes mildly, sometimes they will make that rifle into an unwieldy club.

If you want detachables and are willing to spend in the $500 range, do yourself a favor and go with a decent AK.

 

[Simonovfan]

Eeeeerrrrrrrr

I think there are some unmentioned points here:

1. These are getting and are going to be impossible to find before very long. So the price is only going to escalate from now on. They're not importing Norinco's anymore.
2. It readily and reliably accepts AK mags out of the box AND since these are constructed for mag use; they are legal in this configuration without having to worry about 922r.
3. The have everything the AK's have PLUS they don't rattle like a spray paint can and are accurate despite what some would have you believe. Plus they are virtually indestructible rifles and are well built. Oh yeah, I have a whole box of spare SKS parts I got at a gunshow a long time ago and they can be interchanged with different rifles...off the record that is.

Can't go wrong. I am going to get one before they are all gone.