SKS?

[Deep Operator]

Anyone have an SKS?? I am a big fan of the 7.62 x 39mm round but have never owned or used an SKS. What types of SKS variants are out there, and at what price? How are they vs an AK?

D.O

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Great weapons, slower to reload than the Ak, they have 10 and 20 rd fixed mags and there are many kinds. I've had several and all ran great!

[brokedownbiker]

I've owned two, both Chinese variants. I had zero problems with either rifle. Accuracy is average for a service weapon, reloading is slower than a box-magazine but with practice, you can become quick on your reloads. They are easy to maintain and use and ammo is still fairly cheap.

I still miss my last one but the "evil black rifle" called to me in my dreams and that meant selling my SKS.

[Blowmax10]

I have a yugo SKS that I "sporterized" with a tapco stock

I like it a lot but right now the price of SKS's is way to high - the local sporting goods store wants $500 for a yugo

if you can find one in really good shape for under $300 go for it other wise spend the $500 on an AK

[Tarakian]

I have a Norinco Chinese with the fiberglass stock it came with. Its a reliable tool, and tough too.

[Bill Foster]

I was lucky enough and smart enough to purchase 2 SKSs, both mag fed, some years ago. One pre-ban, one post ban. I changed the stock on the post-ban (thumb hole stock) to a more functional TAPCO stock. It's my GOOD rifle. Both are Chinese, both are built well; no loose parts, sights are good, etc. I have seen fixed-mag versions for $325 in the N. GA area at local stores, higher at the shows (of course). I assume they are the Yugo versions. Functionally, no better or worse than my brother's AK. The AK is an easier take-down for cleaning. I have seen people change out the 5 round fixed mags to 30 and 40 round fixed mags. They look cumbersome. For a while, 10 round boxes were available, but I haven't seen one of those in years.

[trapper]

II have a norinco and payed $85 but that was a long time ago (should have bought a truck load) have had no problems so far .I am waiting for my tapco stock and will be ordering peep sights for it soon .

[jimmertoons]

I have 2 Yugo 59/66s that I bought for $99 each. Both are in good shape, shoot accurately enough, and are a hoot to shoot. I much prefer them to my Ak. Slower to reload, but they seem more accurate. I also like the machined reciever. The only ammo they don't like is reloads with soft primers. The sks is the only gun I have had slam fire with Winchester primers. I have switched over to CCI M34 primers, and that seems to have cured the issue. One of these days, I am going to invest in the upgraded bolt w/firing pin spring to completely eliminate that problem.

[Benn Gleck]

I have one of the shortened chinese ones they called "cowboy carbines".

I carry it in my truck a lot because in Ohio you can't have loaded mags in the truck with the rifle ....... but you can have a rifle and as many stripper clips as ya want. Go figure.

[andyn1976]

Have one with peep sights an a ton of stripper clips. Love it. No problems with reliability yet. Cant be beat for the money.

[Blowmax10]

Here are some examples of variants of the SKS



From left to right

Correct me if I am wrong on this

Chinese
Chinese
Chinese Paratrooper
Albanian
Not sure (Russian?)
Not sure (Romanian?)
Chinese
Yugoslavian




Edit:

The black sinthetic stock with the side folder is junk

The Tan stock is the Tapco stock - I like this stock alot

Russian SKS's that I've seen have a black bolt but I'm being told that the black bolt is from them being rearsenaled and not necessarily only a trait of the Russian SKS's

You can tell the Yugo because The gas block on the Yugo is differnet because it is desighned to work with the grenade launcher - Some times the grenade launcher will be removed or replaced with a muzzle break

You can tell The Albainian SKS because of the extended for guard

[Blowmax10]

OK - here is my personal opinion and many people are going to disagree with me

Russian SKS is the best
Yugo is #2
Chinese is #3

And any other country is a collector's item


Now of course it comes down to the condition of the individual rifle but all things being equal this is how I would rate them

I wish I had bought a crate of SKS's 10 years ago when they were under $100 per rifle

[Blowmax10]

This has been very informative for me researching this

The way you can tell a Polish SKS from any other is that they have unfinished, polished wood stocks, and an upper handguard with four vent slots instead of the usual three

East German (note the "Mauser style" sling hole in the stock)

[Deep Operator]

Thanks folks for all your input!!

I am leaning towards a Russian SKS but the East German one looks good too, but probably not too common in my area.

[Grinnan Barrett]

If you can find an East German you had better grab it. They were supposedly all destroyed. there was talk that some stocks survived. Production was most likely Russian as was the case with the Mosin Nagants the Germans had. the only way you could tell a German issue was by a triangle code on the side. it had a 1,2 or 3 in the triangle. Smaller than the Isvesk triangle with an arrow. as far as which gun is best, it is really like saying which is better Ford or Chevy. this is a working man's gun. You buy this gun you get a lunch pail with it. If you have trouble zeroing the gun check the front site to be sure it hasn't been knocked out of alignment. there is a site adjusting tool you can get that is very helpful. I keep a couple of them around. the other issue may be if it is a used gun the barrel may have been bent. I love AKs but I have a ton of fun with the SKS. Keep the original mag in it. the aftermarket stuff does not work well. I would buy another one now. (If they were still $89.00)