Which SKS?

[JediJJJ]

My C&R finally arrived after 10 weeks. I've got my shopping list ready and thought I had decided on which SKS to get, but just found a new wrinkle.

I found a web site with a couple of Albanian SKS's in the $400 range. Is this worth about twice an unissued Yugo, which is what I was going to get? I know the Albanian versions are rarer, but I want to shoot it and not just have it.

Thanx

JJJ

 

[The Soup Nazi]

When in doubt, go original Russian.

 

[trickyasafox]

i have a yugo 59 and a yugo 59/66 if i could only have one, it'd be the 59/66 for shooting

 

[MachIVshooter]

The only Simonov's I have are Both Tula's, a '51 solid stock and a '53 Laminate. I paid $250 for the '51 and $350 for the '53. Both are BBQ refurb's.

 

[Frog48]

Cant go wrong with Russians or Yugos.

 

[aaronrkelly]

I have many versions of the Russian, Chinese and Yugo SKSs.

Reliability, fit and function......honestly there isnt THAT much difference between them.

For collect ability go Russian.

For cheap shooter go Yugo.

If you want a cheap shooter but dont want the weight of the grenade launcher then go Chinese.

They are ALL good guns.

 

[JediJJJ]

Got one this weekend

FYI - Went to a semi-local Cabelas this weekend. They had a Yugo 59/66 on display for $149. I'm not an expert but it looked to be un-issued. No visible wear any of the places I would have expected it. Some stock dings but most looked to be in places where it would have contacted the rifle next to it in the crate. Of course it came home with me. I figure it shouldn't take more than three months to clean all of the cosmoline out of it and make it ready to shoot. My Mosin was pristine compared to this.

 

[radd]

if it was me I'd shop around a little bit. If you cant find a Russian or Alby for a better deal I'd get the Alby for 400, they are harder to come by. Then save up and get a yugo shooter later. Of course you could probably shoot the Alby a little too.

 

[.45&TKD]

i have a yugo 59 and a yugo 59/66 if i could only have one, it'd be the 59/66 for shooting

Ditto.

 

[Gustav]

I would also go with the Russian after all it was their design to begin with.
For that price you can find one on:
www.auctionarms.com
www.gunbroker.com
www.gunsamerica.com

 

[Plink]

I'd just go for an unissued Yugo. The Alabanians are pricey because only a few made it into the country. I bought one when they first came in. I'm not very impressed with it. Other than it's uniqueness, it offers nothing over any of my other SKSes. It's worse in fit and finish than any of them and it's not a great shooter either.

 

[Stachie]

I recently finished work on my Yugo, and I love the thing. It makes an excellent plinker, eating Wolf ammo just fine.

 

[akolleth]

Yugo all the way!

For me at least one of the coolest aspects of them was they often have real history behind them, many having served in real battles. I picked mine up about a year ago for $90 with stock carvings from the soldier who fought with it, and what appears to be bullet damage to the bayonet, barrel, and gas tube.

 

[Hazzard]

If you want a shooter, I'd go with the chinese or the yugo. They can be had for a good price and you won't see much difference between the 2 as far as accuracy goes. I have a chinese and frankly I enjoy it as much as I do my AR. They also make a descent deer rifle with the right loads.

 

[JediJJJ]

Thanks for all the responses. Now that I have the 59/66 at what I considered to be a really good price I'll see if there is any money left over in the budget for a second version. I still want, need, a K-31, M95, Enfield, 1895 Nagant, CZ52, CZ82, Makarov and a 91/30 sniper to get my collection started. No room for duplicates, yet.

 

[vzenmn]

Congrates on the Yugo.


I would suggest a K-31 first. The things to me are worth way more then what they're currently selling for and from what I heard they seem to be runing out. I also have an enfield, and a standard 91/30 but the K-31 is the most accurate.

 

[possum]

i had a norinco that did real well, and i never had a problem out of it, there are good deals on them out there, i like the yugo's as well.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

I like the yugos. Have several.

Since no one has mentioned it yet:

Make double dang sure you get ALL of the cosmoline out of the firing pin channel in the bolt BEFORE you shoot it. Otherwise you can have the blasted thing slam-fire the entire magazine if the pin sticks forward. That is most assuredly an enlightening experience.