pros and cons on SKS

[Reloadron]

When the SKS rifles began to pour into the US during the early 90s dealers were paying about $60 or less for them in lots of ten or more. My wife and I bought and sold hundreds of them. The early imports were actually original Chi-Com surplus which China was unloading. There are countless websites and forums dedicated to the SKS Rifle. Most of the early Chinese surplus guns were NORINCO manufactured.
From our friends at WIKI:

The China Ordnance Industries Group Corporation Limited (Chinese: 中国兵器工业集团有限公司), also known as China North Industries Group Corporation Limited (Chinese: 中国北方工业集团有限公司), officially abbreviated as Norinco, is a Chinese defense corporation that manufactures a diverse range of civil and military products, including light and armored vehicles, tanks, aircraft, UAVs, artillery, fuel air bombs, precision strike systems, missiles, air defence and anti-missile systems, air-launched weapons, amphibious assault weapons and equipment, night vision products, long-range suppression weapon systems, machinery, radar, optical-electronic products, engineering equipment, oil field equipment, chemicals, light industrial products, explosives and blast materials, infantry equipment, high-effect destruction systems, anti-riot equipment, civil and military firearms and ammunition. It is also involved in domestic civil construction and military defense projects.

While the early guns were GI and were to the original Russian design once the Chinese discovered they were into a good thing they began new manufacture versions for export. The early guns were packed in cosmoline the latter had an oily film. The early guns had a full barrel to receiver lug with a screwed in barrel and the latter a pinned barrel. Any reputable SKS rifle website will have a wealth of information about the rifle and all of the versions and manufacturers who produced them. There were also large numbers of Russian and Yugoslavian guns imported. During their heyday you could buy as many modifications and gizmos for an SKS as you could for a Ruger 10/22.

Overall they were a great little rifle for the buck. The ammunition could be had for under ten cents a round. A 1200 round case was about $100. They shoot fine for what they were and are reliable, at least all the ones I played around with were. I kept one just to have.



The above image is mine and linked to my own domain.

They have really increased in price over the years. I see them in gun shops in the $400 to $500 range depending on make and manufacturer. If someone can snag one at a good price and they want a low recoil and reliable little 7.62 X 39 chambered rifle then buy one. The Russian guns had real nice laminated wood stocks. My overall experience with the guns was they all functioned fine regardless of who made them or where they were made.

Ron

[T. O'Heir]

"...The SKS is not a battle rifle..." Whoever told you that is confused. It was designed as a stop gap(until the AK was ready) semi-auto battle rifle, to be issued to illiterate troopies, who could be taught to use it in as little time as possible. Just like the AK-47.
Triggers and sights are poor. Accuracy is lousy. Mind you, 7.62 x 39 ammo is still cheap enough that you can play 'Mall Ninja' with a cf rifle and still pay the rent.
"...suitable for shorter range hunting..." Under 100 yards with a suitable bullet for deer sized game. If that particular rifle will shot well enough. Not all SKS' are accurate enough for deer hunting.
"...called a paratrooper..." No such thing used by any military. Made by Norinco for sale in the U.S.
http://chinesesks.weebly.com/paratrooper.html
Slam firing is caused by improperly loaded ammo. Not the rifle.
"...Battle rifle = full power auto-loading..." Nonsense. Battle rifles were everything from single shot muzzle loaders to mag fed bolt actions and semi/select fire mag fed rifles.
"...rather spend $800 on one of those..." MSRP on one starts at a bit over a grand. Equally as inaccurate for far too much money.

[44caliberkid]

For what they cost now, I'd rather have something else, like the new builds CAI is doing with CETME parts. I have a Russian SKS that I paid $125 for years ago. When the Yugos first came out, a dealer at a gun show had crates of them. I got a crate for what worked out to $95 a piece. Gradually sold them over many years, initially for $175, but was getting $250 - $275 by the time I got rid of the last few. They were reliable, good, economical firepower.

[RC20]

The SKS is not a battle rifle. Its an intermediate caliber semi-automatic gas-operated carbine.

It must be one of them thar Battle Carbines then.

When the US attacked the Germans with the M1, did it become an Assault rifle? - and when they defended was it a Defense Rifle and while it was sitting there a Battle Rifle ready to go either way?

[imashooter]

Originally Posted by laytonj1

LOL. Unless you get shot by one.
It's just a fun gun to shoot.

Jim

Lol. My left forearm in 1968 would have sworn it was a battle rifle. I actually purchased a new Norinco long ago (late 80s / early 90s) for about 85.00-90.00 out the door. Sold it a few years ago for 300.00. Unless things have changed of late, they have a history of being underrated and to a point diss'ed, kind of like a pound puppy. Good solid rifle imo.

[ndking1126]

Pros:
-Cheaper than AKs.
-Shoots cheap 7.62x39 steel case very reliably.
-Has some aftermarket support

Cons:
-No where as cheap as they used to be. At $200-250 I think buying them makes sense, but at $400 for a decent model I'd recommend you save up and buy an AK.
-Easy to unknowingly make illegal. Be sure to read up on 922r compliance laws if you plan to replace parts!
-Not really that accurate (in my experience). I'm sure there are some examples of accurate ones, but I don't think that's the norm.
-Can be old and worn out. Barrels get shot out, etc. Just know what you are buying.
-Weight and ergonomics can be kinda awkward. May have to modify or buy aftermarket furniture to get it to fit right.

[HankC1]

A poor man's Garand that is what it is for me. I have a few, Russian, Yugo, Chinese. My most accurate is Chinese and the worst is also Chinese, spent case from the good one can drop in the bad one and close the bolt, the tolerance is loose and there are so many countries and factories make/made it. It is a fun and affordable rifle, pretty accurate, not far from my FAL and M14. I have FAL, M14 and AR308 but I reach to my SKSs for fun as well. I sold my AKs and keep SKSs. SKS is more fun to shoot than an AR15, feel like a real gun.

[johnwilliamson062]

I am quite fond of norincos SKS sporter/M/D models. The ones designed for use with AK mags from factory.

I would only own the others for collection, an activity I am trying to stay away from. For the price there are better practical rifles. That is probably also true of the ones designed for AK mags. They are interesting though.

[Hdonly]

Have two Chinese SKS's. One is Norinco, one is 1962 Chinese-Albanian bought last year for $249 as a gunsmith special. Only problem was a cracked stock and kinda beat up. Both shoot well, always, every time I pull the trigger. The '62 shoots the Privi round-nose hunting rounds with no issues. Haven't tried those in the Norinco yet. I just have to say that I like 'em!

[doofus47]

i had a russian sks several years ago. A bit heavy, but rock solid and accurate. Also, the trigger was butter smooth.
It can be reloaded quickly with stripper clips, but it's 10 round magazine is still just 10 rounds.
A friend who had a chinese paratrooper sks which took AK mags loved his enough that he sold the russian to me.

[jimbob86]

I did not see the "extreme reliability" everyone seems to tout here, until I did some modification ...... lots of doubles, and a slam fire here and there ..... it is cheaper to shoot than many other rifles, if minute of berm is your thing (crap ammo, poor sights too close together, poor metal to wood fit.....) and scoping them with the derpy dust cover mounts makes things worse......

Slam firing is caused by improperly loaded ammo. Not the rifle.

There's got to be a whole lotta "improperly loaded" Herter's steel cased, Tula, and Red Army stuff out there then......

[Reloadron]

As to the mentions of slam fires. The early Chi-Com rifles I sold which were actual military surplus guns were packed and I mean well packed in cosmoline. That included bolts and the firing pin channels packed completely with cosmoline. I stressed to the importance of thoroughly cleaning the rifles we sold including stripping the bolt. We included with each rifle a manual and created a separate little flier on how to disassemble and clean the bolt.

The only slam fire I experienced was on a very cold day and I failed to wash out the bolt on that rifle. I let the bolt slam home chambering a round and bang! The firing pin was completely lodged in cosmoline in the forward position. That was the one and only slam fire I ever experienced with an SKS and I had nobody or the gun to blame. The one SKS I kept over all the years has always worked as advertised.

On another note the receiver cover scope mounts never were really all that great. They often required a file for good fitting and were prone to some movement. The rifle was never designed for a scope to be mounted on it. That said do not expect any miracles if you opt to put a receiver cover scope mount on the gun.

The detachable 30 round magazines were another interesting animal. There was a company back then (early 90s) named USA Magazine. Like the receiver cover scope mounts they often required some filing and fitting but overall my experience with them was pretty good. They did work when installed correctly. The original rifles were never designed for a detachable magazine. The standard 10 round design worked fine on the guns I handled. The rifles were easily loaded from ten round stripper clips.

Ron

[Hdonly]

I did a little welding and shaping on my Norinco dust cover scope mount until it fit tight and stays there. It is not the best setup for a scope though. I wish my worn out eyes didn't need a scope.

[Doc TH]

Pro's: (based on 3 Russians)
well-built w. milled receiver
very reliable
chrome plated chamber & barrel
acceptably accuracy comp. w most milsurps (2-4 moa)
almost unbreakable
no issues with magazine damage or loss
legal in most states

Cons:
sights are poor
triggers variable, usually w. creep
a bit on the heavy side

SKS was designed as a battle rifle, and used extensively as such by many countries.
You CAN do tactical reloads by inverting and opening magazine to load from bottom.

[dmattaponi]

I've had the follow SKS...

#2 Russian
#1 Chinese
#2 Chinese "paratroopers"
#2 Yugoslavian

They we're all decent guns. None were 100% reliable, but they were mostly reliable. Quality of manuafacture was robust, but none were particularly confidence inspiring. Through the years I've sold them all off for guns I like better.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

[bamaranger]

I've been an SKS basher for a long time. My current objection is that they have skyrocketed in price...for just a bit more you can get an AR or AK and have a far better weapon. And for less you can buy Ruger American Ranch in the same caliber and have a far better utility rifle.

Aside from current cost, the SKS is no carbine. At 40" and 8.5 lbs its nearly in the same class as the M1 Garand, but the SKS fires the intermediate x39mm cartridge (of which I'm a fan BTW). When compared to the Mosin-Nagant rifle, yes, it was shorter and lighter, but I do not see it in the same light as a true carbine, something down the lines of a M94 Winchester or the US M1 carbine, the Mini family or even a Mannlicher. So, too long and heavy.

Also, there is no easy, solid way to scope the SKS....at least of which I am aware. Fine and dandy if you are young and have good eyes, but if you want or need an optic the SKS is not the platform for you.

BAck when they sold for $100 and a case of import ammo about the same, there was some justification. Cheap to own, cheap to shoot, a real berm killer. You could keep one in the truck or boat and not be concerned. But that's about I could justify one for,and certainly not in today's market.

[Erno86]

I have a Chinese SKS, with a Chinese scope mount welded to the top of the receiver (with a see-thru iron sight port); topped-off with a cheap 4x scope. I believe that some of the new extended round (15 and over) magazines for the SKS experience jamming problems. And the rare 10 round original Chinese magazine (the one with the star emblem on both sides), has a follower that can be easily bent, which also leads to jamming issues.

[Sturmpanzer]

Pass.... Get a decent AK-47...the SKS is a fine rifle, but it's stripper clip fed in stock issue and mag converstions are just retarded....just look at the things...cant carry them or find a mag pouch to hold the goofy things.... This is an antiquated rifle... Use it as such... It is not a SHTF type of rifle unless you plan on becoming a pro at using stripper clips.... Shoots fantastic and utterly reliable, though...

[jimbob86]

Shoots fantastic and utterly reliable, though...

As always, I reserve the right to point and laugh....... unless what you meant by "fantastic" was "based upon fantasy" and you were being sarcastic on the sly.... and the "utterly reliable" thing has got to be a parody thing, too...... IME, it does always go, "Bang!"......... Except when it goes, "BanBang!"..... sometimes when you are trying to chamber a round .......

..... It's a fun gun for short range plinking..... 2-4 MOA is adequate for 12"x8" targets at short ranges. The intermediate x39 round makes it comfortable to shoot out of what amounts to a carbine that weighs 8+ pounds ....... in the recent past, it was cheap and plentiful enough that Bubba could buy the gun for less than he could an afternoon's worth of ammo ..... but that just proves the rule, "What is achieved too easily is esteemed too lightly." : just today a I saw on the SpaceBooks that a guy had chopped the barrels on not one, but 2 SKS's ......right behind the front sight post ....... and for a "front sight" had driven "a finish nail, painted orange" through the top handguard/gas cylinder cover ........ "It's free, and it works great!" I suppose he has no frame of reference of what "great" might actually be .....Ignorance may well be bliss, and I do believe he is lost in a high level of bliss ...... don't be THAT guy, I implore you .......

[Sturmpanzer]

Here we go.... I meant that it DOES go bang all the time...did you see anything else? Like, its a stripper clip gun...or that the aftermarket mags for this rifle are goofy and retarded? NO..guess you got lots of knowledge no one else knows about.... Get an AK and call it a day....

[Sturmpanzer]

Lot of stupid crap from Jimbo... Nevermind.. He has "Knowledge".... I've owned 5 SKS's, and still have one... I must have no " Knowledge".... Pissy pants people are gonna cry, but an SKS is a decent rifle...just like an M1 Garand...great shooters, just a poor choice for SHTF... get an AK or M1A...

[Sturmpanzer]

No one cares about your weird Luke Skywalker gun crap...the man asked a simple question...and you go all outer space with it...

[darkgael]

I have a Chinese gun. Yep, bought it when they were close to a $100. It has always worked properly. I bought it as a replacement for a Ruger Mini 14 (which I gave to my son). It is as accurate as the Ruger was.
I have removed the stock rear sight and replaced it with an aperture rear. It has turned out to be a nice combination.
P

[Hdonly]

Well, sure are some SKS haters here. I personally like both of mine very much. If yours goes bang,bang instead of just bang, you must not know much about the cleaning and maintenance of an SKS. I have never had that problem with mine. 10 rounds is plenty in a rifle short of the Zombie Apocalypse. With a little practice, stripper clips work quite well. Loading inverted from an open magazine works well also. It also makes a good mid range hunting rifle. If you reload and match the bullets to the bore, good accuracy can be realized. The only real con is that they are on the heavy side. Just my personal opinion. If you don't want yours, please send them my way.

[bamaranger]

My gosh, the stuff you read on the internet. The only thing an SKS and a Garand have in common is that both are SA and both are (loosely) in the same size/weight class. After that, they are worlds apart.