For me a SKS would be a 'collectable', I don't hunt. However since the ballistics of the 7.62X39 are very similar to a 30/30 which around here is still a fairly popular deer rifle, I don't see why a SKS wouldn't work OK with SP's.
SKS rifles - what good are they?
- Thread starter PALADIN85020
- Start date
flop-shank
US Veteran
Don't knock the SKS!
A good man with an SKS can whip some serious butt. I'm a former grunt and wouldn't feel poorly armed taking one into battle. They're easy and fun to shoot, affordable and chambered in an adequate caliber.
A friend of mine brought one back from Vietnam. The charlie that he took it off of (KIA
) had done some serious damage to his platoon, including killing the G.I. walking right in front of him. 
Like I said, put one in the hands of a good warrior............
I like mine for the qualities it posseses as a weapon as well as it's historical significance.
As far as the SKS killing the Winchester 94, I'd never heard that, but it makes sense to me. I do think, however, that the clowns at Winchester deserve some of the credit.
A good man with an SKS can whip some serious butt. I'm a former grunt and wouldn't feel poorly armed taking one into battle. They're easy and fun to shoot, affordable and chambered in an adequate caliber.
A friend of mine brought one back from Vietnam. The charlie that he took it off of (KIA
) had done some serious damage to his platoon, including killing the G.I. walking right in front of him. Like I said, put one in the hands of a good warrior............I like mine for the qualities it posseses as a weapon as well as it's historical significance.
As far as the SKS killing the Winchester 94, I'd never heard that, but it makes sense to me. I do think, however, that the clowns at Winchester deserve some of the credit.
sigp220.45
US Veteran
Like pretty much everybody else, I bought one of the eighty buck ones way back when. I shot it a few times, stuck it away, and finally gave it to my wife's cousin a couple of years ago. I don't think I'll get another - its just too heavy for what it does.
Oddly enough, my kids gave me a $99 Big-5 Mosin Nagant M44 for father's day last year, and I love that ugly little thing.
Oddly enough, my kids gave me a $99 Big-5 Mosin Nagant M44 for father's day last year, and I love that ugly little thing.
Nicksterdemus
Member
I'd like to have one in a twenty rnd configuration. Sounds like it's right down my alley.
Po' man's AK/AR/zombie blaster.
I'm gonna have to keep my eyes on the prices while we got this here recession goin' on...
Po' man's AK/AR/zombie blaster.
I'm gonna have to keep my eyes on the prices while we got this here recession goin' on...
Beauetienne
Member
I spy a Rashid Carbine in that bunch of SKS's.
Indycar
Member
I've got one a buddy gave me about 12 years ago. It's a Chinese (Norinco?) with an orange colored stock. I shot it without a problem for 5 years before I figured out how to take the gas tube off. It was full of cosmoline!! I cleaned off the gas piston and the tube and put it back together. I can't tell any difference.
It's fun as a plinker or as a truck gun, but it is slightly over one minute of beer can at 100 yds.
It's fun as a plinker or as a truck gun, but it is slightly over one minute of beer can at 100 yds.
m1gunner
US Veteran
About the same as a mini-14 as far as accuracy. Price 1/2 or less than the mini.
Paladin:
There's so many statements in your thread starter that I just cannot agree with, that I wonder if you made them just to stir up a variety or responses. My comments are in bold font:
They've been real plentiful on the milsurp market, and the Chinese have flooded our shores with them. True. But many tens of thousands more came from Russia, Yugoslavia, Romania, and Albania. Still more were made in East Germany and North Korea, but those variants are unobtanium in the US. Pretty ubiquitous weapon, having such widespread acceptance in so many ComBloc countries, no?
They are not really rifles, not really carbines . . . Uh, by my tape measure the SKS is a carbine.
. . . and in spite of the fact that they fire an "assault rifle" cartridge, they are not assault rifles . . . Agreed, but the term "assault rifle" applies to the weapon, not the cartridge. My Savage bolt action is aslo chambered for an assault rifle cartridge, the 308/7.62 NATO used in the G3, FAL, CETME, and M14. That doesn't make the Savage an assault rifle, because it, and the SKS, do not have assault rifle features.
- no hi-cap mag . . . The Chinese made and issued a 20 rd fixed mag for the SKS. That's hi-cap in a number of states.
and no full-auto capability . . . True, but an assault rifle need not be select fire to be an assault rifle.
The full metal jacket military rounds are no good for hunting True, but the 7.62x39 is available in SP and HP loadings from a number of ammo manufacturers, not to mention all manner of boolits for reloading. As others have mentioned, there were a spate of articles in the popular gun press in the late 80s and throughout the 90s about the SKS being the "poor man's semi-auto deer rifle," and in those states that allow hunting with a semi-auto rifle, the SKS has acquitted itself well as a mid-sized game getter.
and they aren't all that accurate for target shooting . . . Whoa, Hoss!! That's just plain wrong. I have a few SKS that are sub 2.0 MOA. In my experience with the SKS and the AK clones, the SKS generally hands-down beats the AK clones in the accuracy department, and I've been shooting the SKS and AK since I maintained captured examples as a Marine armorer (2111) from the early 70s through the mid-80s. The captured weapons were used for familiarization training. Accuracy was a big function of individual weapon condition, but in general the SKSs were more accurate than the AKs. That holds true for the SKSs and AK clones in my personal collection.
The chicoms aren't really collectible, although the Russian imports might have some claim in that direction . . . Tell that to collectors who are looking for SKSs made by particular Chinese arsenals (there seem to be 15 or 20 that made the SKS, and certain models of Chinese SKS, such as the early Chinese SKS that was more Russian than Chinese. Or the late model Chinese SKS with the plastic upper HG. Or the so-called shorter "Paratrooper" model which was purely for the US market, or the M and D models that accept hi-cap AK mags . . . Then there's the low-production Albanian SKS, the low-production Yugo 59 SKS without the grenade spigot that predated the 59/66 that comes with the grenade spigot, and the Russian SKSs made at Izhevsk, which are vastly outnumbered by those made at Tula . . . I could go on.
I have one, almost against my better judgment. This one was made at the Tula arsenal in the Soviet Union in 1951. That's a great example, and your photo is outstanding. Congratulations!
What's the charm of this interim Cold War relic? I collect and plink, but to me the interest is in the historical significance of the SKS. The SKS is the Soviet answer to the German Mp 44, and is the short-term "bridge weapon" that took the Red Army from the Mosin-Nagant to the AK series of weapons.
JMO, but keep in mind that my perception is my reality. YMMV.
Noah
There's so many statements in your thread starter that I just cannot agree with, that I wonder if you made them just to stir up a variety or responses. My comments are in bold font:
They've been real plentiful on the milsurp market, and the Chinese have flooded our shores with them. True. But many tens of thousands more came from Russia, Yugoslavia, Romania, and Albania. Still more were made in East Germany and North Korea, but those variants are unobtanium in the US. Pretty ubiquitous weapon, having such widespread acceptance in so many ComBloc countries, no?
They are not really rifles, not really carbines . . . Uh, by my tape measure the SKS is a carbine.
. . . and in spite of the fact that they fire an "assault rifle" cartridge, they are not assault rifles . . . Agreed, but the term "assault rifle" applies to the weapon, not the cartridge. My Savage bolt action is aslo chambered for an assault rifle cartridge, the 308/7.62 NATO used in the G3, FAL, CETME, and M14. That doesn't make the Savage an assault rifle, because it, and the SKS, do not have assault rifle features.
- no hi-cap mag . . . The Chinese made and issued a 20 rd fixed mag for the SKS. That's hi-cap in a number of states.
and no full-auto capability . . . True, but an assault rifle need not be select fire to be an assault rifle.
The full metal jacket military rounds are no good for hunting True, but the 7.62x39 is available in SP and HP loadings from a number of ammo manufacturers, not to mention all manner of boolits for reloading. As others have mentioned, there were a spate of articles in the popular gun press in the late 80s and throughout the 90s about the SKS being the "poor man's semi-auto deer rifle," and in those states that allow hunting with a semi-auto rifle, the SKS has acquitted itself well as a mid-sized game getter.
and they aren't all that accurate for target shooting . . . Whoa, Hoss!! That's just plain wrong. I have a few SKS that are sub 2.0 MOA. In my experience with the SKS and the AK clones, the SKS generally hands-down beats the AK clones in the accuracy department, and I've been shooting the SKS and AK since I maintained captured examples as a Marine armorer (2111) from the early 70s through the mid-80s. The captured weapons were used for familiarization training. Accuracy was a big function of individual weapon condition, but in general the SKSs were more accurate than the AKs. That holds true for the SKSs and AK clones in my personal collection.
The chicoms aren't really collectible, although the Russian imports might have some claim in that direction . . . Tell that to collectors who are looking for SKSs made by particular Chinese arsenals (there seem to be 15 or 20 that made the SKS, and certain models of Chinese SKS, such as the early Chinese SKS that was more Russian than Chinese. Or the late model Chinese SKS with the plastic upper HG. Or the so-called shorter "Paratrooper" model which was purely for the US market, or the M and D models that accept hi-cap AK mags . . . Then there's the low-production Albanian SKS, the low-production Yugo 59 SKS without the grenade spigot that predated the 59/66 that comes with the grenade spigot, and the Russian SKSs made at Izhevsk, which are vastly outnumbered by those made at Tula . . . I could go on.
I have one, almost against my better judgment. This one was made at the Tula arsenal in the Soviet Union in 1951. That's a great example, and your photo is outstanding. Congratulations!
What's the charm of this interim Cold War relic? I collect and plink, but to me the interest is in the historical significance of the SKS. The SKS is the Soviet answer to the German Mp 44, and is the short-term "bridge weapon" that took the Red Army from the Mosin-Nagant to the AK series of weapons.
JMO, but keep in mind that my perception is my reality. YMMV.
Noah
One thing they are good for is to arm the populace. I think the local NAPA sold more than five thousand of them when they were $79.95 to $119.95. If half of those stayed in my county, with a population of close to 9000, that's roughly one for every three to four people. I have two, and practically everyone I know has at least one. I remember High School kids telling me their granddads were buying several for them. The local shop usually has several pallets of 7.62x39. I bought my Yugo last October for $275 with 600-plus rounds of ammo, much of it in stripper clips. What I'm saying is that we could field a battalion of riflemen, complete with spares and probably enough ammo for sighting in and a couple hundred rounds per rifle. These old boys around here have been buying ammo by the case for years. I think I have more than three thousand rounds, and I would bet there are people here who have ten thousand rounds or more.
Yeah... I included it in my SKS pics since it's sort of a hybrid.
From the top, those are a Yugo, Romy, Rashid, Russian, Albanian, Norinco.
I suppose I could throw in the Czech VZ-52 as well - it looks just like an SKS but is totally different internally, and is the only rifle ever chambered in 7.62x45.
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Gutpile Charlie
US Veteran
The SKS is what it is. It is a very good utility rifle, inexpensive, plentiful and easy to use. It's not the best at anything, but will do a lot of things at least OK.
They are a good bang for the buck. I have two now, one Chinese and one Yugo. Since I've got plenty of other firearms, probably won't buy any more, but would sure urge anyone that doesn't have a couple to go out and at least find one.
Like a previous poster stated, they would be a great gun just to arm the populous.
I have a number of firearms, that if we get to a SHTF situation...I'll give them away to friends and neighbors.
You can't have too many guns...and a stock of SKSs will never go wrong.
They are a good bang for the buck. I have two now, one Chinese and one Yugo. Since I've got plenty of other firearms, probably won't buy any more, but would sure urge anyone that doesn't have a couple to go out and at least find one.
Like a previous poster stated, they would be a great gun just to arm the populous.
I have a number of firearms, that if we get to a SHTF situation...I'll give them away to friends and neighbors.
You can't have too many guns...and a stock of SKSs will never go wrong.
charlie sherrill
Member
I've got a bunch of cheap ammo for my AK, and when offered a Chinese SKS for a good price a few weeks ago, I picked one up. I prefer the AK with the high cap mags for aound the house, but the SKS is fun to shoot also. Did I mention cheap? I see the gang bangers buying and accessorizing this things a lot at the gun shows. I still haven't figured out why they would put a high cap mag on one. It seems like for the extra$ they could just get an AK ready to go. I guess one of the appeals of this gun is if you have to throw it down and run you haven't lost as much as you would have with an AR. There was a guy a couple of years ago at one of the Jackson,Ms. shows that had pallets of the Yugo's still in cosmoline for $89.95. He was selling them as fast as he could do NICS checks.
R. G. Amos
Member
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Weren't there two methods for barrel attachment with these? Some with barrels screwed into the recieve and others with barrels pinned. I seem to remember something about the method of barrel attachment effecting the price.
Nicksterdemus
Member
Nice write-up there Noah.
And the #1 reason for, "what good are they"?
Ammo available at Waly-World....
And the #1 reason for, "what good are they"?
Ammo available at Waly-World....
dennis40x
US Veteran
Having been down range on the receiving end of those rice propelled people it's an attention getter. The SKS was referred to as a "Lifers Dream" for war trophy purposes. Lets say I don't get warm and fuzzy thinking about the SKS.
reddogge
Member
I've owned 3 but sold my Yugo '59 so I have a early 1950 Tula Russian in perfect condition and an Albanian, a rare bird. I understand only about 15,000 Albanians were ever made. It's really ugly but accurate and functions perfectly. I found both of mine pretty accurate, handy and fun rifles to shoot. The break down quickly and easily for cleaning and some have chrome bores like AKs. They were a communist people's rifle for some of the poorer countries.
The Russian Tula and the Albanian SKS
The Russian Tula and the Albanian SKS
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David LaPell
Member
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I bought a Russian SKS about 10 years ago, it was ok, but I think I had more fun with my M1 Carbine. Granted I know what the rate of fire is like in a semi auto, but I would rather have a lever in a pistol caliber like .44 Mag or .45 Colt. Here in NY you can't hunt with an SKS that has the 10 round mag or any other semi auto centerfire over 7 rounds I believe.
I have a Norinco that I bought back when I could get one for $85 at CTD. I think it's a nice gun to introduce young shooters to a semi-auto rifle. It's a great truck or trunk gun. It's reliable and simple, that's a good thing. I don't think it killed the 94. If 94s were still the price of an SKS they would still be selling. My main complaint is that the handguard on mine has so much varnish on it that it must have been dipped in the bucket of it. What good is it? Well, it goes bang, every time you pull the trigger. That's pretty good for starters.
I have a few, but the Russian is the creme de la creme, imho.
m657
Member
Years ago I happened onto a deal I couldn't turn down. It came with tons of ammo and a "Chinese sniper scope".
After being convinced of the sturdy advantages of such a basic design, etc. I made a deal and hauled the goodies away. And over a course of 18 months grew from skepticism to outright distaste for the model, the round, the optical inadequacy, and the realization I had absolutely NO use for such.
Mine had function failures no one could remedy. It was inaccurate as well as being unreliable. What other reasons does one need to rid themselves of such a beast.
The up side was I made enough to boot on the ammo alone for a nice S&W revolver.
After being convinced of the sturdy advantages of such a basic design, etc. I made a deal and hauled the goodies away. And over a course of 18 months grew from skepticism to outright distaste for the model, the round, the optical inadequacy, and the realization I had absolutely NO use for such.
Mine had function failures no one could remedy. It was inaccurate as well as being unreliable. What other reasons does one need to rid themselves of such a beast.
The up side was I made enough to boot on the ammo alone for a nice S&W revolver.
Gutpile Charlie said it best in the above posts. Several of my friends and I bought a number of guns and cheap cases of ammo when they were cheap and used them to introduce new young family members to the safe and fun part of shooting. When they could safely use and maintain them on their own , we gave them each the rifle they used. Some continued to add other guns to their batteries and some still just have the one and are keeping it and enough ammo for "just in case".
beach elvis
Member
Then there are guys like me who kinda see it as the poor man's Garand.
I have 2 Norincos. Chrome-lined bores, etc.
Both have been reliability tested and I have less than 80 bucks in either of them. Ammo's cheaper to get than .308 or whatever. In fact, my cheap self reloads the ammo. I had about 3000 brass cases given to me and accuracy increases exponentially with the right handloads, needless to say.
I have 2 Norincos. Chrome-lined bores, etc.
Both have been reliability tested and I have less than 80 bucks in either of them. Ammo's cheaper to get than .308 or whatever. In fact, my cheap self reloads the ammo. I had about 3000 brass cases given to me and accuracy increases exponentially with the right handloads, needless to say.
You can do a LOT worse than an SKS and an old police trade-in Model 10...they're cheap, reliable, sufficiently accurate for normal purposes, and decent power.
Heck, substitute M2 carbine and Victory Model S&W, and that's what the USAF issued for pulling security on nuclear weapons back in the day. Unglamorous but still potent enough.
Heck, substitute M2 carbine and Victory Model S&W, and that's what the USAF issued for pulling security on nuclear weapons back in the day. Unglamorous but still potent enough.
bmcgilvray
Member
Though I didn't really want or need one I bought a Russian SKS at the Dallas Market Hall gun show back in the 90s, mostly because I'd read that Bill Clinton had said that patriotic Americans wouldn't buy such guns. Gave 80-something for it and bought gobs of ammo. Shot a bunch off and still have a pile or two left.
It is ill-balanced with it's folding bayonet and seems heavy to me. The stock is too short by a mile. The cartridge won't quite measure up to a .30-30 over my chronograph. Mine is only good for 4-inch groups off the bench at 100 yards at best. The rifle features the most ferocious and random case ejection I've ever seen. I actually do like the sight picture gained with the issue sights. It never has malfunctioned.
It's largish and awkward for a carbine and not the first choice for repelling boarders around here.
I last had mine out in March, flinging bullets at distant rocks, 300 yards to "infinity." The 7.62X39 cartridge was a bit more impressive than I had considered it to be. It shot flatter out to 300 yards or so than I thought it would and could be put right on a rock without too much effort. Mind you I was shooting at some large rocks.
It's not really a firearm at all but mostly a crude but dependable machine for throwing projectiles.
Probably not a popular choice these days but I actually prefer the M1 Carbine to either the SKS or the AR 15.
It is ill-balanced with it's folding bayonet and seems heavy to me. The stock is too short by a mile. The cartridge won't quite measure up to a .30-30 over my chronograph. Mine is only good for 4-inch groups off the bench at 100 yards at best. The rifle features the most ferocious and random case ejection I've ever seen. I actually do like the sight picture gained with the issue sights. It never has malfunctioned.
It's largish and awkward for a carbine and not the first choice for repelling boarders around here.
I last had mine out in March, flinging bullets at distant rocks, 300 yards to "infinity." The 7.62X39 cartridge was a bit more impressive than I had considered it to be. It shot flatter out to 300 yards or so than I thought it would and could be put right on a rock without too much effort. Mind you I was shooting at some large rocks.
It's not really a firearm at all but mostly a crude but dependable machine for throwing projectiles.
Probably not a popular choice these days but I actually prefer the M1 Carbine to either the SKS or the AR 15.
Spotteddog
Member
Considering that 75% of the people it has armed over the decades had the equivalent of a third grade education, it's been a serviceable weapon. If the shooter is lucky/good enough (insert which it is you believe) to put one where it belongs, the recipient won't know what the real or imagined quality is of the product they've been hit with. It doesn't have to cost a fortune to save your neck. JOMO?
OP
Seriously, though, you made some good points!
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digi-shots
Member
John, thanks for the tips... it helps a whole lot!
I didn't realize that you could hand hold 1/20th sec with a shake reduction feature!
I've been using a white vinyl roll up shade for rifle shots. It's easy to store and wipes clean if you've got a dirty mil surp rifle!
I also use some type of prop under the gun to angle it correctly (usually a roll of black electrical tape on the bolt side of the gun)Similar threads
