Any SKS owners here?

[irish_thug]

I'm toying with the idea of picking up and SKS. Budget rifle with cheap surplus ammunition. Anyone here have any experience with them?

 

[These Two Hands]

I owned a Ruskie model, it was a decent rifle. SKSs make for good truck guns, or deer/hog hunting rifles. I know 7.62x54r is still available in spam cans and other surplus stuff, x39 seems to be drying up, modern steel case is still cheap though. Remember to buy stripper clips, they'll make reloading much easier, you can get pretty fast using them, with practice.

If you can find one in good shape, at a good price, enjoy. However you might end up in the long run, wanting to get rid of it, and end up getting an AK like I did.

Pros: It's slightly more accurate than the AK, due to it's milled receiver and longer barrel length.

IMO, the SKS was more ergonomic, with it's safety on a better location in comparison the AK, and felt more like a hunting rifle in my hands.

Cons: Capacity, 10 rounds isn't too bad...but 30 rounds makes your plinking experience more enjoyable.

The availability for customization isn't too great for the SKS, when compared to the AK...you'll find Tapco and other parts for it..but I say, leave your SKS alone, in stock configuration. If you wanted something with a modern look or custom friendly, pick up an AK or AR.

Regarding the capacity, I have mentioned elsewhere on the forum here that it's pretty easy and simple to convert the SKS to take a 30 or 50-round banana clip. Plenty of vids on Youtube showing how.

And while I personally think the SKS looks better on a Tapco intrafuse stock, the ones that come stock standard on the dragunov aren't too bad looking either.

 

[Goth_Judoka]

I'm toying with the idea of picking up and SKS. Budget rifle with cheap surplus ammunition. Anyone here have any experience with them?

I owned a Ruskie model, it was a decent rifle. SKSs make for good truck guns, or deer/hog hunting rifles. I know 7.62x54r is still available in spam cans and other surplus stuff, x39 seems to be drying up, modern steel case is still cheap though. Remember to buy stripper clips, they'll make reloading much easier, you can get pretty fast using them, with practice.

If you can find one in good shape, at a good price, enjoy. However you might end up in the long run, wanting to get rid of it, and end up getting an AK like I did.

Pros: It's slightly more accurate than the AK, due to it's milled receiver and longer barrel length.

IMO, the SKS was more ergonomic, with it's safety on a better location in comparison the AK, and felt more like a hunting rifle in my hands.

Cons: Capacity, 10 rounds isn't too bad...but 30 rounds makes your plinking experience more enjoyable.

The availability for customization isn't too great for the SKS, when compared to the AK...you'll find Tapco and other parts for it..but I say, leave your SKS alone, in stock configuration. If you wanted something with a modern look or custom friendly, pick up an AK or AR.

 

[IdahoCBR]

Ive owned a few Norincos(chinese) and one soviet model. I dont own any of them now and dont plan on it in the future. Its a heavy gun and with good ammo and a good rifle, you might be able to get 2moa accuracy out of it. They just never did anything for me but YMMV.

One word of advice, if you buy surplus ammo, make certain if its corrosive primers or not. If it is and you shoot it, completely clean your rifle every time you shoot it. Clean the bore, chamber and gas system. I unknowingly shot some steel core surplus ammo(came in airtight sealed tin can) and didnt clean the gas piston system. I took the gun out a few months later and it became a single shot rifle. The piston was rusted to hell and a lot of the gas was leaking around the piston, so it had cycling issues.

 

[irish_thug]

I owned a Ruskie model, it was a decent rifle. SKSs make for good truck guns, or deer/hog hunting rifles. I know 7.62x54r is still available in spam cans and other surplus stuff, x39 seems to be drying up, modern steel case is still cheap though. Remember to buy stripper clips, they'll make reloading much easier, you can get pretty fast using them, with practice.

If you can find one in good shape, at a good price, enjoy. However you might end up in the long run, wanting to get rid of it, and end up getting an AK like I did.

Pros: It's slightly more accurate than the AK, due to it's milled receiver and longer barrel length.

IMO, the SKS was more ergonomic, with it's safety on a better location in comparison the AK, and felt more like a hunting rifle in my hands.

Cons: Capacity, 10 rounds isn't too bad...but 30 rounds makes your plinking experience more enjoyable.

The availability for customization isn't too great for the SKS, when compared to the AK...you'll find Tapco and other parts for it..but I say, leave your SKS alone, in stock configuration. If you wanted something with a modern look or custom friendly, pick up an AK or AR.

Thank you very much for th first hand knowledge. I'd be limited in what I can do with it (stupid Canadian gun laws), and AK's are out of the question. Found a Russian surplus 39 that looks to be in decent shape with the stripper clips for a good price. I heard from a friend last night that the RCMP is talking about reclassifying them because of how simple they are to modify to full auto. Which means I need to do a little further research. I really hope this bullshit isn't true.

 

[jlagman]

Thank you very much for th first hand knowledge. I'd be limited in what I can do with it (stupid Canadian gun laws), and AK's are out of the question. Found a Russian surplus 39 that looks to be in decent shape with the stripper clips for a good price. I heard from a friend last night that the RCMP is talking about reclassifying them because of how simple they are to modify to full auto. Which means I need to do a little further research. I really hope this bullshit isn't true.

They're not "easy to convert to full auto", but they can be prone to slamfire, especially because most have been sitting in cosmoline for 50+ years.

Every Canadian owns one, decent non-restricted rifle and cheap to get into. Not that you'll be shooting indoors, just be aware that most surplus 7.62x39 is steel core or bi-metal and some ranges may give you shit for it. RCMP did issue a bulletin either last year or the year before that, but that had more to do with the commonly known slamfire issue.

Vote accordingly if you don't want them reclassified, even a minority government can reclassify through an Order in Council.

 

[krait]

Cheap ammo if you have somewhere you can shoot it. A lot of places won't let you shoot the surplus stuff cause it is bi metal. If you have a place you can shoot bi metal ammo no issue all. I've got 2 ak's that hardly ever leave the safe because non of the ranges around me allow bi metal ammo.

 

[jlagman]

Regarding the capacity, I have mentioned elsewhere on the forum here that it's pretty easy and simple to convert the SKS to take a 30 or 50-round banana clip. Plenty of vids on Youtube showing how.

And while I personally think the SKS looks better on a Tapco intrafuse stock, the ones that come stock standard on the dragunov aren't too bad looking either.

Except that would be illegal in Canada. I've played around with detachable mags in SKSs, not really worthwhile, especially if you're stuck with 5 round capacity no matter what. I find that an SKS with detachable mag doesn't lend itself to quick reloads either due to how the mag would have to be released.

Honestly, I don't see the point of dumping much money into an SKS, maybe upgraded iron sights if you really hate the factory ones, but they usually end up costing just as much, if not more than the gun itself.

 

[Err]

If you're choosing an SKS because AKM's are out of the question then you should check out a VZ 58. It functions similarly to an SKS with a lot of the ergonomics and aesthetics of the AKM rifles. I own 2 and they're great firearms. That being said you can't go wrong with an SKS. I've owned 4 SKS's and literally never had one issue.

 

[WorldofWarcraft]

If you don't have an AK, get an AK instead.

 

[These Two Hands]

Except that would be illegal in Canada. I've played around with detachable mags in SKSs, not really worthwhile, especially if you're stuck with 5 round capacity no matter what. I find that an SKS with detachable mag doesn't lend itself to quick reloads either due to how the mag would have to be released.

Honestly, I don't see the point of dumping much money into an SKS, maybe upgraded iron sights if you really hate the factory ones, but they usually end up costing just as much, if not more than the gun itself.

It's only illegal if you get caught.

 

[Chesten_Hesten]

I'm toying with the idea of picking up and SKS. Budget rifle with cheap surplus ammunition. Anyone here have any experience with them?

I had one briefly. Bought for the reasons you describe.

Once I had it I realized, its just a cheap shitty rifle with ho hum accuracy and, shit trigger, awful sights and cobby 3rd world construction.

Every time I though to use it I would go with something else I had.

So I quickly got rid of it.

 

[Hankooks]

I have four I think. Two russians, a Chinese, and one that takes AK mags. The one that takes a mags is cool but I never shoot them. Detachable mags and aftermarket stocks are super gay. There are 20rd fixed mags out there but they are rare. Fun rifles if you don't have other ones.

 

[KoreanZawmbie]

Would love to shoot one for sure!

I have a N-PAP, I think the AK's are more reliable and easier to clean based off owner's review of both rifles...But I was damn close to getting a SKS all tactical black for $600....:icon_cry2

 

[irish_thug]

They're not "easy to convert to full auto", but they can be prone to slamfire, especially because most have been sitting in cosmoline for 50+ years.

Every Canadian owns one, decent non-restricted rifle and cheap to get into. Not that you'll be shooting indoors, just be aware that most surplus 7.62x39 is steel core or bi-metal and some ranges may give you shit for it. RCMP did issue a bulletin either last year or the year before that, but that had more to do with the commonly known slamfire issue.

Vote accordingly if you don't want them reclassified, even a minority government can reclassify through an Order in Council.

Oh I vote accordingly every election.

Thanks.

 

[These Two Hands]

how come everyone is referring to theirs as a rifle? mine's a carbine... do they come in both?

 

[IdahoCBR]

how come everyone is referring to theirs as a rifle? mine's a carbine... do they come in both?

Standard SKS' had a 20" barrel. The paratrooper models had a 16" barrel. Either way, a rifle is a rifle. A carbine is just a specific type of rifle

 

[These Two Hands]

Standard SKS' had a 20" barrel. The paratrooper models had a 16" barrel. Either way, a rifle is a rifle. A carbine is just a specific type of rifle

Must just be a local thing, then; we've always referred to carbines as carbines where I'm from. Still now that I think about it, the barrel is rifled so it's a rifle. My keanu.gif moment for the day...

 

[TeTe]

I had a Yugo model and for $160 it was a fun rifle to shoot.

If I were to do it over though, I'd buy a Russian.. best quality one out there imo.