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Old May 3, 2019, 10:20 PM   #1
LineStretcher
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Russian SKS

Picked up a Russian SKS a week ago. It's a Tula Refurb and numbers matching. There's no great collector value on these in fact, I picked the best of 6 that my local gun shop had.

I decided to swap out the stock and replace the gas tube and piston so I picked that all up on Midway USA from Tapco. It came out pretty nice and should be a lot of fun to shoot. I have 1250 rounds of Tule ammo that I picked up cheap so my WASR and this SKS will be well fed for a while.

Before


After
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Old May 4, 2019, 12:53 AM   #2
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Save the original stock (and parts).
In today's market, it's worth more than what I paid for the whole rifle. ...Aside from the fact that the original stock usually boosts resale value well over Tapco stocked rifles.

Edit: Ancillary comment removed. I was confusing my '46 Izhevsk M38 with the '55 Tula SKS.
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Old May 4, 2019, 06:26 AM   #3
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If you've gone that far, take an angle grinder and knock the bayo lug off the bottom of the barrel. Makes the package look batter and removes a few ounces.
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Old May 4, 2019, 09:19 AM   #4
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I've always preferred the classic look of the original box magazine.

And keep the bayonet lug and get the bayonet for it. Same reason!

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Old May 4, 2019, 09:31 AM   #5
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The bayonet lug and front sight are one piece so they stay on the rifle. The cleaning rod and the bayonet were removed to get rid of the extra weight. I never throw anything away and it can be returned to stock condition if for some reason the prices go out the roof and I can make a lot of money selling it. In the mean time, I'm just going to enjoy it as a range gun.
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Old May 4, 2019, 09:57 AM   #6
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SKS refurbs go for $500+ in California. That is what the AW ban did to prices.

Yesterday, I saw an unissued Russian on the rack for $850. They will get that price for it too.
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Old May 4, 2019, 10:19 AM   #7
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Yep, I didn't mind paying 500+ for mine and I got it in Nevada. If that price doubles it will go back to stock condition and I'll sell it.
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Old May 4, 2019, 10:23 AM   #8
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Sorry, I know it's your rifle to do with as you please, but that Tapco junk does nothing for me.

IMO, if you want a AK looking rifle, get an AK. If you want a sporting looking rifle in 7.62x39, find something like a an unconverted Saiga or a Mini 30. As long as you don't do something stupid like removing the bayonet lug and you save the original parts, at least you have the option of un-Bubbing that poor rifle. Please don't drill and tap the bolt cover for a scope or you will permanently cut the value in half.

Just looked on Gonebroker today and there is a Chinese SKS set up pretty much just like that one that has a day to go and no bids @$295. That shows you what the market thinks of a Tapco equipped SKS.
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Old May 4, 2019, 11:45 AM   #9
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Like you say, it's mine to do with what I want and this is what I want. Sorry you don't care for it but I can't please everyone so I try to concentrate on pleasing me. Personally, I think if the Russian's would have thought of doing this to the SKS, it might still be in production. It certainly improves the usability of the rifle. Oh wait, they did, it's called the AK. I happen to have one of those too.

Oh and as for drilling and tapping the cover, nah, that aint going to happen. Anybody that does that has a no clue how much it moves. She's returnable to original and will remain that way for ever.

Here's my WASR 10, no it's not Russian but it runs like a top.

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Old May 4, 2019, 07:27 PM   #10
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At those prices, the SKS doesn't have anything I need. I've got a couple wasting space on the rack so maybe I just pass them off to a sucker and own a really fancy bolt action that will hit something beyond 150 yards.
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Old May 5, 2019, 08:46 AM   #11
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If you like it, fine, I guess.

Personally, I wouldn't spend as much or more to Tapco up a collectible SKS as much as I would on an AK.
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Old May 6, 2019, 08:56 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LineStretcher View Post
Like you say, it's mine to do with what I want and this is what I want. Sorry you don't care for it but I can't please everyone so I try to concentrate on pleasing me. Personally, I think if the Russian's would have thought of doing this to the SKS, it might still be in production. It certainly improves the usability of the rifle. Oh wait, they did, it's called the AK. I happen to have one of those too.

Oh and as for drilling and tapping the cover, nah, that aint going to happen. Anybody that does that has a no clue how much it moves. She's returnable to original and will remain that way for ever.

Here's my WASR 10, no it's not Russian but it runs like a top.

An AK is not an SKS in any way, shape, fashion or form.
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Old May 6, 2019, 07:23 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by Hdonly View Post
An AK is not an SKS in any way, shape, fashion or form.
What's that's supposed to mean?
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Old May 7, 2019, 07:10 AM   #14
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What's that's supposed to mean?
Just that I think SKS's are a unique firearm I don't see any comparison to AK's other than the round they both fire. By the way, nice find on your Russian SKS. Myself, I would tend to leave it original, but then, that's just me. It's a good thing we don't all think alike.
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Old May 8, 2019, 06:49 AM   #15
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At those prices, the SKS doesn't have anything I need. I've got a couple wasting space on the rack so maybe I just pass them off to a sucker and own a really fancy bolt action that will hit something beyond 150 yards.
Yep, I gotta agree. I had a few SKSs years ago (mid-90s). Two full size and one shorter 'carbine' model. After shooting them a while, I got tired of the mediocre accuracy and eventually sold them each off for more than I paid.

The money went toward other, more accurate rifles - one of them being an M1 Garand.

It's called an 'upgrade.'
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Old May 8, 2019, 08:33 AM   #16
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The money went toward other, more accurate rifles - one of them being an M1 Garand.

It's called an 'upgrade.'
One of the things I think that so many folks here in the US lose sight of it that the SKS was never designed as a rifle for people to sit on their butts and shoot at paper targets. they were designed to fit the role of a battle rifle and as such, they filled that need well when put into the context of when and where they were designed and manufactured.

Not everyone is obsessed with tiny groups.

As I recall, they were one of the most common rifle that we encountered in Vietnam. They are rugged and reliable under harsh conditions and are more than accurate enough to do the job on a battlefield. I personally believe that not every gun I have has to be some kind of target rifle or pistol. Some I enjoy owning because of their historical context or just because I like them.

Now I have some very accurate rifles in my hoard, but since I no longer worry about shrinking down the size of a group holes in a paper target, it just seems boring as hell to me. Rifles like the SKS (I have five) or AKs ( I have five of them also) work fine for a relaxing day shooting at reactive targets. I also like to shoot my old Colt SP1 and several other rifles that have your basic 'minute of man' accuracy and yes, that includes a M1 Garand.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the SKS that the OP has, is his to do with as he pleases and as long as he keeps the original parts and doesn't hack it up, his rifle rifle can always be returned back to stock if he desires. For me, hanging a $70 TAPCO stock on a SKS doesn't really make it a better gun. The only reason I would do something like that is if the original is broken or conversely, is in such good condition that I wouldn't want to ding it up when I was out crawling through the brush with it.
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Old May 8, 2019, 12:37 PM   #17
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The money went toward other, more accurate rifles - one of them being an M1 Garand.
Quote:
One of the things I think that so many folks here in the US lose sight of it that the SKS was never designed as a rifle for people to sit on their butts and shoot at paper targets. they were designed to fit the role of a battle rifle and as such, they filled that need well when put into the context of when and where they were designed and manufactured.
I'm not clear on this. Did you miss the history lesson where they explain that the M1 Garand was our first semi-automatic battle rifle? I'm pretty sure there were even pictures.

Quote:
Not everyone is obsessed with tiny groups.
Between the SKS & AK-47, I'll go with the M1 every time - in '06 or 7.62/.308.

Better than minute-of-Nazi, Jap, or Commie ... All day long.
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Old May 9, 2019, 10:27 AM   #18
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I'm not clear on this. Did you miss the history lesson where they explain that the M1 Garand was our first semi-automatic battle rifle? I'm pretty sure there were even pictures.
Well, since you are going to be a wiseass, I guess I can be one too.

I have had maybe two dozen Garands, including a couple of pre war rifles and two snipers, a M1C and a M1D. None of them were all that accurate except for one that I had reworked into a match rifle.

The best of the stock rifles were 2+ MOA at best with GI surplus ammo. Careful handloads tuned to a particular rifle would close up the groups a bit, but while they were okay for shooting NRA matches, I would not say they were all that accurate. What the Garand does have going for it is the sights are probably the best of any military rifle made up until the M16A2.

And, on the subject of ammo, just what ammo were you shooting through the SKS you claimed to have? In fact what ammo do people usually shoot through their SKS's? They tend to use the most inexpensive steel case crap from a former Soviet republic that they can find. I have chronographed some different types of imported steel case fodder and to say it is inconsistent is an understatement. You cannot get any sort of real accuracy out of ammo where the mean average velocity of any given 20 round sample of ammo can vary by as much as 150~200 FPS. As test, one time I made what is called Mexican match ammo from some standard Chinese steel core ammo by pulling the bullets out of ten rounds, weighing the powder, then averaging it out and creating rounds that had exactly the same amount of propellent in each case. In that case the groups out of my milled Chinese AK tightened up considerably. Not too bad considering that the weight of the bullets wasn't all that consistent.


So before you stand there and tell me that the Garand is some kind of a magic wand of a service rifle, remember what you are feeding it and take that into account.

I don't consider myself to be any sort of an expert, but I have been collecting and shooting various military rifles for over forty years and currently have somewhere around sixty different military style rifles along with five dozen or so military pistols. While there is always a rifle that is an anomaly and is more accurate than normal, most military rifles are not target guns, they are designed to kill a man at whatever nominal range the specifications required. Barrels are produced to meet a certain minimum standard and tolerances can be somewhat generous at times.

Military guns are designed to function in all sorts of environments and temperature ranges and while I adore Garands, without special tuning, they are accurate enough, but they are not target rifles.

Do you want to actually shoot a very accurate ex-military rifle? Then consign that Garand to plinking duty and get a Swiss K31 or a M96 Swedish Mauser. I have a couple of each and they are hands down way better at shooting holes in paper than any stock full power semi auto rifle.

At the risk of sounding redundant, SKS's were designed to kill a man at ranges out to 300 meters, a job they do very well. Before you puff up your chest and take umbrage at my posts, think a little bit before you post in reply. Your particular M1 may do a little better than the average off the bench. But maybe if you were to try it in some battle drills, you might just find that it is really not all that.
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Old May 25, 2019, 05:59 AM   #19
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On SKS's or any rifle for that matter, if you slug the barrel, cast your bullets and size accordingly, it can really surprise you what they can be capable of when punching paper. You can get much better accuracy out of a battle rifle than what was intended at the time they were built.
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Old May 25, 2019, 10:54 AM   #20
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On SKS's or any rifle for that matter, if you slug the barrel, cast your bullets and size accordingly, it can really surprise you what they can be capable of when punching paper.
Very likely true since you're 'fitting' the correct diameter of cast boolit to that particular barrel.

Quote:
You can get much better accuracy out of a [Commie] battle rifle than what was intended at the time they were built.
Too overbroad as stated, so I fixed it fer ya. You can thank me later.

You can match any 'as-issued,' iron-sighted 1903, 1903A3, M1 Garand, or M1 Carbine against any 'as-issued' SKS, AK-47, Mosin, or similar Commie battle gun of the same time period, firing that weapon's standard Mil ammo, and starting at 200-yds and beyond the Commie stuff won't be in the same ballpark accuracy-wise as the U.S. weapons.

Just a fact - then and now.
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Old May 25, 2019, 10:57 AM   #21
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Originally Posted by Hdonly View Post
On SKS's or any rifle for that matter, if you slug the barrel, cast your bullets and size accordingly, it can really surprise you what they can be capable of when punching paper. You can get much better accuracy out of a battle rifle than what was intended at the time they were built.
If you intend to try to make an SKS shoot better than it was intended I think you would be much better off with a M1 Garand. I didn't buy mine to make it shoot better, I could care less if it shoot's MOA or not. I have PRC rifles that I demand a lot of, the SKS is just for fun and it's curiosity factor. I changed the stock and set it up for using 20 round mags just because I like the transformation. It doesn't damage the rifle or make it non-returnable to stock.
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Old May 27, 2019, 11:57 AM   #22
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I loved my Russian AK.
I left it in its original config. Good work on yours!
Happy shooting.
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Old May 28, 2019, 09:24 AM   #23
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Sorry, I know it's your rifle to do with as you please, but that Tapco junk does nothing for me.

IMO, if you want a AK looking rifle, get an AK. If you want a sporting looking rifle in 7.62x39, find something like a an unconverted Saiga or a Mini 30. As long as you don't do something stupid like removing the bayonet lug and you save the original parts, at least you have the option of un-Bubbing that poor rifle. Please don't drill and tap the bolt cover for a scope or you will permanently cut the value in half.

Just looked on Gonebroker today and there is a Chinese SKS set up pretty much just like that one that has a day to go and no bids @$295. That shows you what the market thinks of a Tapco equipped SKS.
I have to agree with highpower 3006. It's your rifle, but I don't understand the desire to take a nice and perfectly functioning piece of history and add all that stuff to it, especially when you have a WASR that already does all those things better (those Tapco extended SKS magazines don't touch the reliability of Combloc AK mags) and isn't a historical piece. I'd let the SKS stay honest and appreciate it for what it is.

Fortunately, as you said, you still have the original parts and haven't permanently altered the rifle.

Not trying to give you a hard time, but when you put something like this out there, you are gonna get some honest reactions.


.

Last edited by Fishbed77; May 28, 2019 at 09:33 AM.
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Old May 28, 2019, 10:11 AM   #24
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Originally Posted by Fishbed77 View Post
I have to agree with highpower 3006. It's your rifle, but I don't understand the desire to take a nice and perfectly functioning piece of history and add all that stuff to it, especially when you have a WASR that already does all those things better (those Tapco extended SKS magazines don't touch the reliability of Combloc AK mags) and isn't a historical piece. I'd let the SKS stay honest and appreciate it for what it is.

Fortunately, as you said, you still have the original parts and haven't permanently altered the rifle.

Not trying to give you a hard time, but when you put something like this out there, you are gonna get some honest reactions.


.
Your honesty is welcome, no need to apologize. SKS's are a dime a dozen around here so in my minds eye, the historical aspect won't come into play until much later down the road. When I went looking for one, I found a local dealer that had them but after I got mine, I found several others. It's kind of like buying what you think it s unique car only to suddenly have many of them pass you on the road.
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Old May 28, 2019, 11:41 AM   #25
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SKS's are a dime a dozen around here
Where are these dime a dozen Soviet made SKS to be found, I have a roll of dimes?
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