Yugo SKS vs. SAR 1

[orangeninja]

which would you get and why? The Yugo can be had for 1/2 the price of the SAR.

 

[Preacherman]

Both.

 

[DMK]

I bought both.

Really it depends on what you are looking for. They are very different rifles that happen to shoot the same ammo.

SAR1 -

Pros: Very light and handy. Has a high ammo capacity. Very reliable. Has a chrome bore. Lots of aftermarket accessories available such as scope mounts, synthetic furniture or whatever else floats your boat.

Cons: Not so accurate. Poor sights and short sight radius. Feels kinda cheap. Requires magazines. Does not accept stripper clips. The bolt does not hold open on the last round. Many have manufacturing problems such as canted front sights, canted gas blocks, trigger slap. Considerably more expensive than the Yugo SKS. The safety isn't so convenient.

Yugo SKS - (Assuming you get a new one and not a $75 "shooter special")

Pros: Usually more accurate than a SAR1 in equivelant condition. Higher quality manufacturing. Feels more solid with it's machined reciever and solid, one piece stock. Has pretty much the same sights but a longer sight radius. Very reliable. Does not require any external magazines. Can be loaded by hand or with stripper clips. Bolt locks open after last round. The safety is right at your trigger finger.

Cons: Heavier and longer. Does not have a chrome bore. Only a ten round capacity. Limited accesories available.


Alduro, what are you looking for in a rifle? Give us some info and we can help you decide.

 

[orangeninja]

I love the SKS, the ONLY thing I don't like or cant accept I guess is the fact that it does NOT have a removable mag. That is a real bummer. I was wanting to take some carbine training but an AR is out of the question, besides, I don't like 223...so either an SKS with somthing like a fiber force stock or an AK. I thought about the Saiga, but nobody has the things in stock.

 

[benEzra]

Some SAR's are reasonably accurate; the limiting factor is usually the sights. My SAR-1 (a 2002 model, I think) has done a 1.25" 5-shot group at 50 yards with Norinco FMJ, which is 2.5 MOA, as good as my wife's Russian SKS. But I was using a POSP 4x24 quick-detach scope. No trigger slap either.

I personally prefer the SAR, especially if you are looking at a carbine course.

 

[Mulliga]

I have both a WASR-10 and a Yugo, BTW.

SAR-1 - Takes hi-cap AK mags, built pretty solid, about 350 bucks give or take 50. Can be bump-fired for ammo-burning entertainment, and it can serve well as a defensive carbine.

Yugo SKS - The poor man's MBR. Fixed mag, built like a dump truck, about 100+ bucks if you get it from SOG/CDNN/etc. A bit more accurate, but I suspect that's mostly because of the longer sight radius. Easily reloaded with stripper clips, and it has less recoil because it's heavier.

If you had to have one SHTF rifle, I'd take the AK - carrying ammo around in mags is much more practical, IMHO, and there are parts and mags for it everywhere.

If you don't want to spend 300+ bucks getting a Romanian AK, just get a Yugo. Works fine, has the neat bayonet, and it'll probably be more than enough gun for plinking and SHTF.

 

[Cyberdyne systems]

YUGO SKS IS A MUCH BETTER CHOICE!

I WOULD DEFINITELY CHOOSE A "YUGO SKS" OVER THE SAR-1, THE YUGO SKS IS MFG. TO MUCH BETTER QUALITY COMPARED TO THE SAR1'S IVE SEEN, THERE'S NO COMPARISON, THE YUGO SKS IS THE BETTER FIREARM FOR THE MONEY, IT'S MFG. TO MIL-SPECS

 

[albanian]

I have both the SAR-1 and five Yugos, guess which I like better. If they were the same price, the Yugo would STILL be the better gun for the money! It is made so much better than than the SAR-1 that it is hard to overstate the point.

Accuracy is about the same. The AK is actually quite accurate but I can shoot the SKS better most of the time.

The SKS is made from all machined blued steel and high quality Teak wood with a nice oil finish. The SAR-1 is stamped sheet metal with some kind of dark finish and cheap wood with cheap shellac over it. The AK does have a crome bore but the SKS has a chrome chamber.

My AK has jammed several times, I would not call it a jam-o-matic but it has jammed. NONE of my 9 SKSs has ever jammed and I shoot them far more often, thousands of rounds in various states of clean with no jams.

If you want a good plinking, hunting, high quality rifle that will last your lifetime, the Yugo is a fine choice. If you want to play Rambo and have 50rd mags and blow ammo out the wazoo, the AK is the better choice. The AK is also smaller and a little lighter so it makes for a more handy gun.

I would say the SKS is more usefull but that is because I have more use for a gun like this than an AK.

 

[WonderNine]

IMO the SAR makes a better hold down the fort or repel the borders rifle, but the Yugo SKS makes the better SHTF rifle because of its higher quality manufacture, better sight radius and greater accuracy. Sadly, the 60's-80's models were put together better and have higher quality parts than alot of $1,000 rifles being sold today.

 

[000Buck]

Have you looked at a Saiga 7.62x39? It is the best of both worlds....and has detachable magazines. The price is closer to the SKS.

 

[TheOtherOne]

I like my Yugo's but prefer my SAR's. The SAR is just so much easier to pick up and sling around and after handling it the Yugo feels way too heavy to me.

 

[orangeninja]

I got a Saiga....and a Yugo...thanks guys...