Which Country for SKS

[BSA1]

Greetings Comrades,

The recent posts about SKS rifles has perked my interest. I have been surfing different dealer websites getting a feel for what is out there. Which leads me to my question;

What countries SKS is considered best or better than others? Or does it matter? One dealer is bragging about Yugo made SKS's.

Thanks in advance for replies.

 

[bainter1212]

Russians are the best but have gotten pricey.

Chinese are the best bang for the buck. You can still get them for cheap and they tend to be well made. The bores are chrome lined which means you can shoot corrosive ammo with little risk of damaging the bore.

Yugos are getting scarcer but I think they have the best ergos. Also the muzzle brake helps with follow up shots. Downside is that a lot of aftermarket stuff wont fit them and no chrome lining.
Romanian models are becoming hot collector items.

The Chinese made a "paratrooper" model with a shorter barrel that balances very well. If I could find one I would jump on it as those are getting scarce.

My favorite are the Chinese models. I have three of them and they are all good shooters and reliable too.

 

[Willie Sutton]

Just buy one, they are all good. I've got Russian, Chinese, and Yugo and they are really all about the same as shooters. I tend to like the Russian ones as collectables, and like to shoot the Yugos best, but they are all really about the same. Get one and enjoy it. And don't bolt on the "tacti-cool-krap" package. Just leave it alone and shoot it.

Willie

.

 

[rcmodel]

No doubt the Russian ones were the cream of the crop.

A friend just bought a 'new' one in the grease from an estate sale this spring.

I cleaned it up for him, and it was machined & finished like an old Winchester!

Then, he turned around and sold it a week later at a gun show for $350 without telling me he was going to sell it.

After I did all the dirty work cleaning it up for him Free!!! :banghead:

rc

 

[X-Rap]

I liked the ones for $69.00, all I got at that price were Chinese but I've not seen one that wasn't a shooter.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Ouch, he sold the SKS without telling you...

A buddy had a Russian SKS and I can't believe how nice it is. All forged parts and the fit is amazing. It's extremely accurate too.

I have a cheaper SKS, don't remember where it was made. I personally like the SKS better than the AK-47.

 

[Inebriated]

I prefer Russian.

All the common ones are good shooters.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

I don't know how hard they are to find now a days, but I love my Chi-Com paratrooper. Triangle 26 built 1964 it just feels right in my hands.

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[BSA1]

Thanks for the input so far?

What about the grenade launcher on the barrel?

Removable or just leave it?

 

[highpower]

I have heard bad things about the Yugo SKS's that were used to launch grenades. Something about once a few were launched, the accuracy went away (bent barrel?). I am not sure if that is true or not, just what I heard. Probably it's an internet myth, but I would rather have a type 59 rather than a 59/66.

I think that if you can, try to get a Russian. While they are a bit pricier than the others, they are very well made and I have never heard of anyone getting a bad one. Really though, they all are decent rifles and I would buy any one that you can find at a decent price

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

I left them on both my Yugo's. If I want a lighter gun to carry I grab either my Russian of Chinese but I believe the weight of the grenade launcher actually helps to make a steadier platform for shooting.

 

[nathan]

Russian , Chicom and Romanian M59 would be handy bec of the stock design. The Yugo M59/66 is heavier but more accurate due to its non chromelined barrel.

 

[BSA1]

Since surplus ammo is available I think I had better stick with chromed lined barrel.

 

[CWL]

I have a Chicom paratrooper model that I bought for $99 because it was cheap, didn't think it'd be that great of a firearm because of country & the price. I was mistaken.

 

[wlewisiii]

The only mod I'll advise you to consider is the TS200 peep sights. Major improvement over the original sight picture. I am a much better shot with my Chinese SKS now that it has decent iron sights.

 

[RCArms.com]

I am especially partial to the Albanian version. Looks a bit different and mine is an outstanding shooter.

 

[Cee Zee]

I've owned a Yugo and a Norinco. The Norinco is clearly the best of those two. The lack of a chrome lined barrel led to rust in my barrel on my Yugo. I got it cleaned up because I didn't let it go too long but the Norinco has never had such issues no matter what ammo I shot through it.

Russians are said to be better but you pay a premium price for them. BTW I am way of Paratrooper models too because some didn't have a chrome lined barrel either. You have to pay attention to what parts were used to make those Paratroopers too as most were built out of spare parts left over from the milsurp builds. That means some lack things like a slot for stripper clips. The bolts can come from SKS models made to accept detachable mags and those bolts didn't have the slot for the stripper clips.

 

[BSA1]

Is the Paratrooper Model a gun that never was?

 

[wlewisiii]

More like a gun that only was a commercial model. The Chinese saw that American's liked shorter barrels so Norinco (I think it was them anyway) obliged. I prefer my full size. At least it's not as bad as when people molest Garands to make "Tankers".

Though the worst was the chopped off Yugo Mauser in .243 Winchester from Mitchell's Mausers (that was labled a "Tanker Mauser") I saw at my LGS. Ugly & stupid.

 

[barnbwt]

No doubt the Russian ones were the cream of the crop.

A friend just bought a 'new' one in the grease from an estate sale this spring.

I cleaned it up for him, and it was machined & finished like an old Winchester!

Hmm, Winchester just dropped a bit in my mind in that case . My '51 Tula is numbers-matching and whatnot and in pretty good condition, but apart from the fairly nice external machining, it's nothing to write home about. Granted, I don't normally slum around with Mosins or SVTs (well built, but fairly rough-shod where than can be) and prefer Czech guns like the VZ58, but the SKS seems about average to me; distinctly nicer than a Mak-90, just barely below the quality of a D-Technik SA VZ58. All work well, but some are nicer looking in more places where it doesn't matter

I always thought old Winchesters were finely crafted Jewels, in the vein of Swiss bolt guns and pistols? My idols shrink before my eyes...

TCB

 

[tubeshooter]

The various countries of origin have various levels of collectability and desirability to big-time SKS aficionados.

That being said, if you're just looking to get a shooter... I don't think it matters all that much. The chrome lined barrel is nice to have, but even that isn't a huge deal in the big picture. I think the Chinese is going to generally be the easiest to find and probably, as someone said earlier, the best overall "bang for the buck". But honestly, any of them will do.

 

[Jackal]

1. Russian (the original is the best)
2. Chinese factory 26 (almost as good as a Russian)
3. Chinese (can vary in quality, but a decent one is quite good)
4. Romanian (works, but fit/finish can be pretty rough)
5. Yugo (well put together rifle, but too overly heavy/long for the design)
6. Albanian (cool looking charging handle, but actually less tactile than a standard one)

When talking about SKS accuracy, we are talking about the difference between 2-3moa at the best to 4-5moa at the worst, very little practical difference. With stock irons, most folks wouldnt be able tell which was more accurate at distance. I personally sold my few SKS to swap over to AK's, after I realized that a good AK is not inferior in any way to an SKS. Also, SKS stocks just dont fit me and most all the aftermarket ones suck.

 

[strykerfire]

Mother Russia

 

[Diogenes415]

What countries SKS is considered best or better than others? Or does it matter?

It really is a matter of personal preference. What one person prefers at a particular price point may not jibe with another person's preference. Several years ago my interest was piqued with a particular milsurp selling at ridiculously low prices. I bought a bunch of them of different models, years and country of origin. In the end I preferred the most hated and ridiculed of the bunch. Will it win me points at the range among my peers to chalk up in my social register? Nope. But it moves me like no other rifle in my arsenal and it puts food on my table.

 

[Inebriated]

In the end I preferred the most hated and ridiculed of the bunch.

Maybe I'm not snobby enough, but I don't think there are any SKS's that are commonly ridiculed, beyond the fact that the SKS itself is usually overlooked and discounted by many.