What semi auto rifle?

[mustangLX92]

I am looking for a fun to shoot inexpensive semi-auto rifle. I have not really decided a caliber yet. What do you guys think think about sks rifles? The price is right and there seems to be a lot of upgrades available. What other rifles shoud I consider?

Thanks

 

[Med 10]

The SKS is a fun little carbine that has many uses. It is a plinker, ease of maintenance cleaning, trainer, "truck" gun, SHTF gun, can be pressed into service as a short range hunting rifle , {similar to 30-30}, Mine is a back up gun to my other weapons that use 7.62x39mm ammo. BTW ammo is REAL cheap so you cab stock up. So, there is really no reason not to get one.

If you get one my advice is to leave it stock and not bubbaize it. Especially the magazine. Leave the stock carbine alone alone and it will serve you well. As far as other semi-autos go? well that depends on you and youre budget. If you throw a few names out someone on this forum is bound to have experience with it.

Take care.

 

[benEzra]

The SKS is a great rifle, but extremely difficult to *LEGALLY* upgrade. All SKS's currently on the market are either subject to the arcane 27 CFR 922(r) regulations (which prohibit the assembly of any firearm that would be unimportable in THAT configuration, meaning many mods are verboten) OR are exempt from the 27 CFR 922(r) "evil features" list ONLY because they are classified as "Curios and Relics," which again rules out substantive modifications. As far as I know, about the only thing you can do to an SKS that is unambiguously legal is put a scope or a replacement Monte-Carlo-style stock on it, and even then it could be illegal unless the rifle is at least 50 years old (at which point it would automatically become a Curio and Relic because of its age). (Warning: I am not a lawyer, just a gun owner who tries hard to do everything "by the book.")

If you want something upgradeable, I would suggest taking a look at a Saiga rifle (sporterized AK-47-style rifle with a Monte-Carlo-style stock), which is not all that much more expensive than an SKS, BUT can be fitted with enough U.S.-made parts to be exempted from the 922(r) regulations. If you are willing to spend a little more ($350 or so), I would personally go with the SAR-1, which looks just like a "real" AK-47 (pistol-grip stock instead of Monte Carlo style) and accepts inexpensive milsurp full-capacity magazines. Either comes from the factory with a side rail scope mount, allowing you to use inexpensive, high-quality post-Soviet optics like the POSP 4x24 (http://www.nightvisionweb.com/posp_4x24.htm).

 

[ducktapehero]

SKS rifes kick butt. I will also say that you shouldn't mess with it too much. About the only upgrade I would recommend is maybe getting a different stock.

 

[LynnMassGuy]

You won't regret an SKS. Leave it stock. Simonov designed them very well.

 

[mustangLX92]

I am leaning towards a SKS, but what about a Saiga 7.62x39?

 

[Waffen]

SAIGA rifles are really nice guns for the price IMHO. A friend of mine just picked up a SAIGA 20GA and I must say the build quality was better than I was expecting. The only draw back to the SAIGA rifles is the crappy trigger system.

I have owned an Yugo SKS before that left a bad taste in my mouth for SKS's, but I think it was more my fault for being a newb at the time and not knowing what to look for in a restoration gun.

I guess it all depends on what you are going to be using this rifle for. If you plan to just plink all day long, varmit hunt, or punch paper why not consider a SAIGA in .223 ? It's almost the same price ammo with less kick, and better ammo selection.

I would also have to agree with the people above me, almost any russian gun chambered in 7.62x39 is going to be a deacent truck gun. As other have mentioned before me the 7.62x39 is very similar to a 30-30, wich means it's going to drop a deer,person, or bear in their tracks at any distance under 100 yards. The only draw back is that while 7.62 does not kick hard at all compaired to a lot of rounds, it still kicks a good bit more than a .223 and it costs the same.

Either way you go, Unissued SKS, or SAIGA you are probably going to have a lot of fun with the gun.

 

[Doug S]

Get an SKS, you'll love it. I recently picked up a Yugo SKSfor $110. I've put close to 300 rounds through it without any problems. It's fun & cheap to shoot (no kick) & wouldn't make a bad self-defense rifle if need be. I've also got a SAR-1, but find the Yugo just as much fun to shoot with less recoil.

 

[albanian]

SKS seems to be just what you are after. They are not expensive but in no way are they cheaply made. Great guns for plinking and other things. I have a bunch of them and I love them all!

The Yugo is the cheapest right now and it is a heck of a gun. Best buy in SKSs right now!

 

[russlate]

I got a Norinco paratrooper and equipped it preban with fixed 20 round chinese magazine and an arctic camo Butler Creek stock. Get one now and hold it till the AW ban expires but even then adding the 20 rounder might not be legal. If it is, expect to need to "tweak" the fixed 20 rounder to make it work. Once done it'll work fine.

 

[rde]

Both the SKS and the Saiga are without a doubt outstanding
bangs for the buck. I do like the Saiga 16 inch barrel chambered in 7.62X39 slightly better than the 3 SKS rifles I also have. No practical reason for this at all...just do. I shoot the Saiga and the SKS paratrooper the most...AK rarely, AR15 almost never.