SKS

[ecu1984]

Never owned one and don't know much about them except what I have been googling the last few minutes. Buddy just called needing some cash and I am getting it in the morning at a great price. Russian made with bayonet. Old and in mint condition, nice wood. I think it is a

7.62x39 mm

What is that closest to? 30-06. .308 .270????? I have no idea.

[Anti-Quack]

Closer to a 30-30 for the most part.

[ecu1984]

Thanks

[bigtimeduckhunter]

post some pics after you get it, sounds cool

[USMCsilver]

Rick, IMHO, you probably won't much care for it. With today's more modern firearms, I'd chalk up the SKS as a novelty item, at best. Granted, it was a great weapon for its era, but with all the choices out there today, I personally don't see a valid reason to own one.

[BigBallin]

I got a couple and they are pretty cool out to about 90 yards, after that grouping starts to open up quickly. They are fun to shoot and the ammo is fairly cheap, 6 bucks per 20 at Cabelas.

[SCSwitchback]

Cool guns, and I disagree with silver. Sure they don't have the fit/finish, adaptability, and overall craftsmanship of more modern assault style rifles, but for 1/4 of the price they're still deadly, fun to shoot, and will put a shit load of lead down range before quick. They're durable too and the ammo is much cheaper.

[SCcdp]

Cool guns, and I disagree with silver. Sure they don't have the fit/finish, adaptability, and overall craftsmanship of more modern assault style rifles, but for 1/4 of the price they're still deadly, fun to shoot, and will put a shit load of lead down range before quick. They're durable too and the ammo is much cheaper.

I tend to agree with you here. Great little bug out gun with inexpensive relatively light ammo that shoots out of a platform that is reliable. Can you hit a man at over 100 yards with it regularly, probably not so much but inside of that distance it'll get the job done.

Hell if you don't want it I'll buy it.

[Ducktail]

Chalk me up with the "Disagree with USMCSilver" crew.

Far from a novelty- are there better guns for many applications? Most assuredly.

But either in its original layout or running it with Tapco 20rd mags its a fun rig and a fantastically robust rig for a truck/swamp gun that you don't feel bad about abusing.

[Ducktail]

As for accuracy- both of my SKS's and a good many I have seen group 2inches at a hundred so hitting a man to 200+ is very doable.

[billyjack]

If you're getting a good price on a Russian, grab it up.

[USMCsilver]

Don't get me wrong. I guess I should have given a bit more explanation here on my stance:

To me, they just seem to "AKish". I'm not a fan. I don't care for they recoil. It's not that it's hard...it's just "off" for a semi-auto rifle. I guess it's the "design" I just don't care for.

Again, different strokes for different folks. Will it throw lead efficiently? It sure as shit will, and it'll probably take about any abuse you can dish out to it.

And, if "modernizing it" is your thing, well, there's all sorts of crap out there for them these days.

Again, I just tossed my $0.02 out there. I don't personally care for 'em. Would I put one in my safe if offered one for $40.00? Probably not.

[Goin Coastal]

I've got one with a Butler Creek folding stock, 20 round and 30 rd mag. A novelty, yes. But will crank out some pig ass with a red dot scope on it. Also have the original stock with the unopened cleaning kit in the buttstock. I have considered selling it several times, but it is too damn fun.

Wear ear plugs. Sumbitch is LOUD!

[Saltydog235]

An SKS is a cheap piece of shit, there was a reason you could pick on out of a barrel for $70.00 a while back. You can upgrade it and add shit to it, it's still crap that gives meaning to the words spray and pray.

That said, I own one because it was given to me. I'd rather have a lot of other guns than that hunk of crap but it's one of those I have put up for that emergency time.

[ecu1984]

Thanks for all the comments. I am grabbing it cause its Russian, old and in great condition. Does look "bulky", etc but just knowing the history with this rifle makes me get it and throw it in the safe. It is the one that the VC used against us in Viet Nam I think. I just saw several of this make with bids over $500 on gunbroker. Price is right. Will put pics up after I get it.

[shhmitty]

I had the chance to fire one a few years back and agree that it's a cheap pile of parts, but if I were to find one for the right price I would snag it up in a heartbeat. X2 on them things being loud, definetly need hearing protection.

[BigBallin]

One of em I play with has a 4X32 on it with a 30 rd mag. I love to set targets like ice cubes and pears and walk thru em shooting....So much fun

[Buckin Bronco]

We have one and the thing is very accurate.

[kquinn]

Someone makes a bull pup conversion for them that looks like fun.

[Swamp Rat]

The SKS design is inherently a very reliable gun, but is most reliable in it's original configuration without all the add-on magazines and such. The Russian origin puts it in a slightly higher value strata, especially if the numbers match on the receiver, bolt, bolt carrier, etc.

I've had a few. Got my first one when they were $89 out the door at gun shows in the 90's and your could get a case of 1,440 rounds of Norinco steel cored ammo (corrosive) at the same cost. They tend to be, IMHO, a shade more accurate than the Kalashnikovs, have a typical military trigger, and, as said, are ballistically more similar to a 30-30 than anything else. The bore is a shade bigger than .308 diameter (.311 - .312) but ammo loaded with 125 grain hunting-grade bullets may do well for deer at modest distances. '

They are fun, and a decent alternative to someone that wants a 7.62x39mm semiauto and doesn't want to pay AK prices. Stick with the standard 10 round magazine and learn to load it with stripper clips if rapid reloading is your thing. They eject almost straight up, so shooting under a covered range is sporty. Be forewarned.

I always stuck with factory sights. A rigid optics mount is problematic on these.