Where are the cheap SKS's... or should I build?

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jehicks87

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First of all, hello to everyone. Long time lurker, first time poster.

I'm very interested in an SKS. I just got back from Afghanistan not too long ago and got to fondle a few AK's over there. Obviously, that made me want an AK really badly when we got back as I hate the ar-15 platform. Then, I found out the old humble SKS fires the same round. I've had a bit of experience coming up with SKS's because one of my dad's seriously redneck friends wouldn't hunt deer with anything besides his ole' SKS or 30-30.

Anyways, I started looking around and I was VERY shocked to see the prices on these things nowadays. Can't hardly find a decent one under $300, even on gunbroker. Are there any cheapies out there to be had? Or did our glorious leader finally drive one part of our economy up? If that is the case, how cheaply could one build an SKS? I've seen a lot of info on people piecing together AK's but even those turn out relatively expensive.

Thanks in advance for the advice, and thanks for a great website.

Jake
 
never heard of anyone building an sks your best option would likely be to buy one in good condition if you can find it, might look at the russian made sks, they have gone up in price by alot think most of it was due to the ban of the norincos that you could buy at the gun shows for as low as 50 bucks nib about 18 years ago.
for a little more money you could probably get an ak clone and you might be more happy with it usually cheaper to buy one versus build an ak based on the tools needed to assemble an ak right plus the price of parts kits now.
 
The days of $75 dollar SKSs and $400 half crates of SKSs are long gone my friend. Since you just returned from a deployment and have some spare cash (assumed), go buy your self one of century arms GP1975 AKs they have an American made barrel and receiver. Both of mine shoot great and the best part is their only about 150 dollars more then an SKS in todays market. FWIW since the government finds it ok to embargo Chinese guns (but not Chinese money or everything else we buy) the SKS supply hasn't been the greatest.
 
The reason I've moved to the SKS as opposed to the AK was in consideration for accuracy. Not that either will be "accurate," but I have heard from many sources that the SKS is easier to fire accurately than the AK47/AKM.

Plus, I'm kind of into the whole SHTF thing and I if/when something happens I would hate to paint a big target on my chest by carrying around an "assault rifle."

colt1911fan, not a bad assumption, but I just spent a bit too much money on an F250. Monthly payments are not fun... sheesh. haha
 
Lamentably, the days of cheap SKSs are long gone. AKs are getting down right ridiculous, too - like AR/Mini-30 ridiculous. Your best bet for a good SKS is one of the gun auction sites or the local pawn/gun shop. TechSights will also present you with a more familiar sight picture.

Scoping (or red dotting) the AK is easier than doing the same on the SKS, IMHO.
 
Your post brings up an interesting point. How are the mini-30s? Are they dead-nuts reliable like the old Garands, or are they simply pretty civie models? Like, could I bury that sucker in the desert, dig it up in a month, wash it off and fire?
 
I've got a really nice Mini-14 (new model w/tapered barrel, flash hider, etc.) but if I had it to do over, I would've just bought another Norinco SKS. The Ruger costs an arm and leg, and mags are $34-$54 each. My Norinco has a chromed barrel, is lighter, shoots 7.69x39, and handles better than ANY other gun I have (including my AKs....) The Norinco is also dead-on reliable.
You can carry a lot more SKS clips than you can full magazines, or you can convert the SKS into a mag gun.

Why buy a Mini for $800 when a $300 sks does the same thing?
 
If you can find one cheap then yeah, your good
most of the cheaper ones will be yugos

You CAN'T build one,
they have a machined receiver and NOBODY (in this country) makes receivers...
So. buy or make a AK and be happy, many can be or ARE as accurate as a SKS.
 
Nah. i figure I'll just keep an eye out for a cheap SKS, or build a VZ 58 or AK 47. I don't really want a yugo SKS. Thanks for yall's ideas though!
 
honestly, i wouldn't even bother with an sks you can pay a little more for a good bolt rifle in 308 and have much better performance. But since this isn't an opinion thread, check out samcoglobal.com they have plenty to choose from.
 
I think he's talking about Kivarri's SKS trigger modifications that will turn it from "poor" (stock) to "good".
 
Well tie me up and call me shirley. But seriously, I am probably just going to hold out for a decent non-yugo SKS, or crunch some numbers and see how much an AK build would cost me (to spread the cost out over a little ways.) The upper limit I'd be willing to spend is $700... considering that's what brand-spanking new Vz 58's are going for. Which, I must say, is a FINE weapon. It's still more than 2x the amount of an SKS, though.
 
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It seems to me that a lot of the surplus guns have gone way up in price in the past decade or so. I have a lovely M48 Mauser in my safe that I purchased for $100 in "military new" condition a few years back, and the seller threw in about 200 rounds of old surplus ammo for it at that time (I wish I'd have bought ten of them at that price). I have another little Romanian .22lr (military trainer) that I bought for $49, still new and in the cosmoline.

These days it seems like you can't find a good M48 for less than $300, and even then not in the condition of mine. I can't even find another one of those Romanian .22's, or I'd probably pick it up for friends to use!

My Norinco SKS was purchased back in the mid-90's or so, and I can't recall what I paid for it then. Either way, if the price is starting to climb above about $300, I'd start looking for an AK. And, please realize that neither of these systems will be close in accuracy to the AR platform you are familiar with.

Accuracy became the issue for me with my SKS. When I was younger, poorer, and ammo was cheaper, I really shot the SKS quite a bit. I still pull it out for plinking on occasion, but it mostly sits in my safe while I shoot my ARs instead (preferring accuracy).
 
Good points, and I'm very much inclined to agree with you. I'd take so-so accuracy if it comes with brick ****-house reliability, hence my disdain for the AR platform.

Again, thanks to all for chiming in!
 
Why buy a Mini for $800 when a $300 sks does the same thing?
Click to expand...

Realistically, SKSs are running $300 for a bubbafied piece of crap, except for a rare nice one around that price. Decent SKSs are going for $400 to $500 where I am.

A new mini-14 can be had for less than $600. I got my mini-14 for $550 not too long ago. I've sold it since, but it was as accurate as I am (2 MOA) and it never malfunction with the $25 factory 20 round magazines.

$200 more for a brand new weapon with a much better trigger and a warranty isn't so bad.
 
RatDrall said:
Realistically, SKSs are running $300 for a bubbafied piece of crap, except for a rare nice one around that price. Decent SKSs are going for $400 to $500 where I am.

A new mini-14 can be had for less than $600. I got my mini-14 for $550 not too long ago. I've sold it since, but it was as accurate as I am (2 MOA) and it never malfunction with the $25 factory 20 round magazines.

$200 more for a brand new weapon with a much better trigger and a warranty isn't so bad.
Click to expand...
You can get good to excellent condition SKS's for under $300 from JG.
 
You can get a decent shooter SKS (not collector grade) for 300ish. I bought a used commercial-grade Norinco, and it had a remarkably decent trigger "out of the box."

You're not going to get a whole lot cheaper than that, but with WASRs nearing 500 dollars these days (new), I was okay with what I paid.

My SKS is still the cheapest gun that I own, and it's one of the most fun to shoot.
 
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