7.62x39 preference - Page 2

Areoflyer09 · March 2, 2020, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBM900

And the myth continues....

That one will never die. Too many people continue to repeat it.

I had a CZ527, with cheap steel ammo it averaged 1.5moa at 100yds. My AR, in 7.62x39, is averaging about 1.5moa with the same ammo. While being softer, flatter and easier to shoot.

Back to the OP, I would go SKS from your two choices.

Skans · March 2, 2020, 11:25 AM

I prefer the Mini-30. I simply never liked the SKS. Crudely made and ugly. Yes, they shoot well enough. I even owned a Norinco SKS - it just always looked and felt like junk to me. Just my very personal thoughts on this.

chemcal · March 2, 2020, 12:05 PM

after adding a receiver sight(sks mojo) to my norinco, it shoots 2-3" groups at 100 yds easily.

Fishbed77 · March 2, 2020, 12:37 PM

If I were limited to 10 rounds, my choice would be an SKS, hands-down.

chemcal · March 2, 2020, 12:39 PM

I prefer the Mini-30. I simply never liked the SKS. Crudely made and ugly. Yes, they shoot well enough. I even owned a Norinco SKS - it just always looked and felt like junk to me. Just my very personal thoughts on this.

I routinely out shoot my friend and his ruger.

Erno86 · March 2, 2020, 01:14 PM

I don't like the 90 degree shell casing ejection path of the Mini-30's.

I do believe I own an original Chinese Norinco SKS scoped sniper rifle. Extended rifle magazines (beyond 10 rounds) are not that reliable --- imho --- for the SKS. I clamped a Soviet flash hider on the muzzle. I took the bayonet off...due to fears that I have to many non-original parts on it. The short length scope I have mounted on it, will not allow the use of stripper clips.

My SKS is more accurate than my AKM's.

ndking1126 · March 2, 2020, 05:48 PM

SKSs don't fit me well and are therefore uncomfortable. My arms are longer than most, however. In my experience, SKSs are not very accurate regardless of what you run through them. Of course my sampling size is small compared to the entirety of all SKSs. To me, the Mini-30 is what I would want, but if shooting the SKS before buying to confirm level of accuracy was possible, I certainly wouldn't rule it out.

On the other hand, I've always liked Mini-14 and 30s, but am turned off by their high prices, especially since the older models were notoriously inaccurate. I wouldn't pay their going price.

I guess shoulder them both and pick which you like better. For me it's bad ergonomics vs overpriced. I don't know, hard to pick.

chemcal · March 2, 2020, 06:06 PM

There are after market SKS recoil pads for the LOP.

smee78 · March 2, 2020, 06:51 PM

Out of the two guns listed, I would prefer the Ruger over the SKS. I have had both and did not like the SKS due to the extra weight toward the forward part of the rifle. It was reliable and shot well but mine had the launcher sights/gas cutoff and the blade bayonet. I did not like its balance with the weight up front.

One of the things I recall about the accuracy of the older Rugers was the bore diameter issue. According to Ruger the first production Mini-30 had a bore size of .308-.309, after several years of production; the .310-.311 bore size was manufactured in 1990 on the Mini-30. With factory ammunition, it is ok to shoot the .310-.311 ammunition through the first production .308-.309 bores according to Ruger so I guess it depends if your looking for a new Ruger Mini or an older model and how this might affect your accuracy. I also like the Mini better due to its weight and balance.

In the end I got rid of both and built an AR in 7.62X39 and love it.

FrankenMauser · March 2, 2020, 10:18 PM

I'll take a Russian SKS over a Mini-30, nearly any day.
Other SKSs, however... I'm not much of a fan. The Chicom stuff, in particular, is rarely anything other than garbage.

Honestly, one of the biggest factors for me: I like stripper clips.
...And 7.62x39mm stripper clips work very well, and are very reusable.

Kreyzhorse · March 2, 2020, 10:26 PM

As an SKS owner, RUGER makes more sense to me. Certainly a better value and a better build.

BJung · March 4, 2020, 10:30 PM

I never handled a Ruger Mini-30 but have a Russian SKS and use to own a Chinese SKS. The Chinese SKS is crude and the Russian shows better workmanship. I never compared the two for accuracy.

What I like about the SKS is its history and ruggedness and ease of assembly. The rifle can be loaded from the top with a stripper clip or by hand; or from the bottom. I can shoot it by resting my check against the comb or rest my chin on the stock and use the sight cover as the front sight. I thought this was pretty ingenious of the Russians to think of this while walking and aiming at the same time. Maybe other militaria rifles do the same but I haven't tested them yet, only the SKS.

Last, I can reload it with 123gr SP or 150gr SP. with 150gr, it's said to be about the same as a 30/30.

The downside is that the rifle is not well balanced. But for the cost I paid, it's worth it.

rc · March 4, 2020, 10:37 PM

Areoflyer09, bet you can't get 1.5 MOA from an SKS or a Mini. They aren't intrinsically very precise due to bedding. I'm really glad your AR and CZ bolt gun can do better but they are not the rifles we are talking about. rc

jetinteriorguy · March 6, 2020, 08:01 AM

I had a Mini 30 when they very first came out. At first with factory ammo and stock trigger I was very disappointed. 5-6” groups at 100 yds. I cut of 1 3/4 loops on the spring for the disconector and polished the sear. Then worked up a nice load and it became a solid sub 2MOA rifle that I killed many deer with. Wished I’d never sold that one.

Areoflyer09 · March 7, 2020, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rc

Areoflyer09, bet you can't get 1.5 MOA from an SKS or a Mini. They aren't intrinsically very precise due to bedding. I'm really glad your AR and CZ bolt gun can do better but they are not the rifles we are talking about. rc

The point of my post was that the myth that x39 ammo is inaccurate will never die, not that the Mini-30 or SKS are accurate rifles. Stop blaming the ammo for the rifle’s deficiencies.

Ignition Override · March 7, 2020, 11:41 AM

An SKS, but Not a Yugo.

Both of my very nice M59 (no grenade launcher) Yugoslav suffered from bad “popped primers” until they were cured at Murray’s Gunsmithing.
Buy a firing pin Spring for the SKS.

—-if a Mini 30 is reliable with Your Anmo, fine. My ammo was Russian , and hard primers Promag (OEM mags were not yet avail.) aftermarket magazines Didn’t work reliably.

They were perfect after that. The only catch was that my SKS and Makarov “fever” became imported AK and German Sig “fever”.

Logs · April 6, 2020, 08:48 AM

I had a Mini 30 years ago and it wouldn't put all rounds on a paper plate at 100 yards. Groups were terrible.

scoobysnacker · April 11, 2020, 12:37 AM

I'd go SKS. I have a couple, they run fine, and serve the purpose if you need one.

Classic has Norinco's in stock right now, $299.

Ignition Override · April 26, 2020, 03:12 AM

Reminder: only the Yugo 59/66 SKS has the grenade launcher. This is what creates that extra forward center-of-gravity. “C.G.” Is too difficult for many people to understand.

The very First Yugo SKS series, the M59, has No grenade launcher-neither do the other SKS (Russian, E. German, Romanian, Chinese, Albanian, Vietnamese, N.Korean)....just the Yugo 59/66.

The first Russian SKS were actually built with firing pin springs.
Available now at Murray’s Gunsmithing, Bowie TX:
SKS specialists.

JJ45 · April 26, 2020, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankenMauser

I'll take a Russian SKS over a Mini-30, nearly any day.
Other SKSs, however... I'm not much of a fan. The Chicom stuff, in particular, is rarely anything other than garbage.

Honestly, one of the biggest factors for me: I like stripper clips.
...And 7.62x39mm stripper clips work very well, and are very reusable.

This may be your experience but I have had several SKS carbines. All were Russian military, un-bubbaed, as issued or re-arsenaled. Including a 1950 Tula, sans chrome bore and with a firing pin return spring later, as you know, discontinued .

I had one Chicom factory 26, 1966, full military, as issued and when I bought it, I actually thought it was unfired. It even had the spring-like sling attachments which are fairly rare.

It was just as good or better than any of the Russians. It was all milled, threaded, etc and the parts such as springs, gas pistons, trigger, latches and everything else seemed to better or at least just as good as any of the Russians I had. Surprisingly, it also had a decent blued finish.....it was also a shade more accurate than any of the Russians.

m&p45acp10+1 · April 26, 2020, 10:57 AM

I wold get the SKS> I tired the mini 30. It shot fine. I just find the SKS to be more comfortable for me to shoot. I still have an Egyptian SKS. I had a Chinese once upon a time. Sold it to my cousin. He still has it, and it goes where he goes on the farm in his truck. It has killed a slew of deer, and hogs.

Pistoler0 · November 20, 2020, 12:52 PM

Why not an AR pattern rifle in 7.62x39? They can be MOA (or better) accurate, and with the proper firing pin they are ok to shoot steel case heavy primer ammo.

Atheris rifle offers them with MOA guarantee.

stagpanther · November 20, 2020, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Why not an AR pattern rifle in 7.62x39? They can be MOA (or better) accurate

+1

**44 AMP** · November 20, 2020, 01:55 PM

After 7 months at idle, the OP may have put the project on hold...

But, if we're bringing this back, I'd choose the Ruger. Primarily for one reason. If you have trouble with a Ruger, you go to Ruger. Who's your go to if you have trouble with an SKS??

doofus47 · November 21, 2020, 01:40 PM

44 AMP:

Quote:

If you have trouble with a Ruger, you go to Ruger. Who's your go to if you have trouble with an SKS??

You go to thefiringline.com
Then Scorch tells you more than you wanted/needed/imagined you needed...

Just sayin.

March 2, 2020, 12:05 PM	#28
chemcal Senior Member Join Date: May 16, 2014 Posts: 281	after adding a receiver sight(sks mojo) to my norinco, it shoots 2-3" groups at 100 yds easily. Last edited by chemcal; March 2, 2020 at 12:37 PM.

March 2, 2020, 01:14 PM	#31
Erno86 Senior Member Join Date: September 22, 2012 Location: Marriottsville, Maryland Posts: 1,739	I don't like the 90 degree shell casing ejection path of the Mini-30's. I do believe I own an original Chinese Norinco SKS scoped sniper rifle. Extended rifle magazines (beyond 10 rounds) are not that reliable --- imho --- for the SKS. I clamped a Soviet flash hider on the muzzle. I took the bayonet off...due to fears that I have to many non-original parts on it. The short length scope I have mounted on it, will not allow the use of stripper clips. My SKS is more accurate than my AKM's. __________________ That rifle hanging on the wall of the working class flat or labourer's cottage is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there." --- George Orwell Last edited by Erno86; March 2, 2020 at 01:26 PM.

March 2, 2020, 06:51 PM	#34
smee78 Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 2,918	Out of the two guns listed, I would prefer the Ruger over the SKS. I have had both and did not like the SKS due to the extra weight toward the forward part of the rifle. It was reliable and shot well but mine had the launcher sights/gas cutoff and the blade bayonet. I did not like its balance with the weight up front. One of the things I recall about the accuracy of the older Rugers was the bore diameter issue. According to Ruger the first production Mini-30 had a bore size of .308-.309, after several years of production; the .310-.311 bore size was manufactured in 1990 on the Mini-30. With factory ammunition, it is ok to shoot the .310-.311 ammunition through the first production .308-.309 bores according to Ruger so I guess it depends if your looking for a new Ruger Mini or an older model and how this might affect your accuracy. I also like the Mini better due to its weight and balance. In the end I got rid of both and built an AR in 7.62X39 and love it. __________________ We know exactly where one cow with Mad-cow-disease is located, among the millions and millions of cows in America, but we haven't got a clue where thousands of illegal immigrants and terrorists are

March 2, 2020, 10:18 PM	#35
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	I'll take a Russian SKS over a Mini-30, nearly any day. Other SKSs, however... I'm not much of a fan. The Chicom stuff, in particular, is rarely anything other than garbage. Honestly, one of the biggest factors for me: I like stripper clips. ...And 7.62x39mm stripper clips work very well, and are very reusable. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

March 2, 2020, 10:26 PM	#36
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,463	As an SKS owner, RUGER makes more sense to me. Certainly a better value and a better build. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

March 2, 2020, 11:25 AM	#27
Skans Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2008 Posts: 11,132	I prefer the Mini-30. I simply never liked the SKS. Crudely made and ugly. Yes, they shoot well enough. I even owned a Norinco SKS - it just always looked and felt like junk to me. Just my very personal thoughts on this.

March 2, 2020, 12:37 PM	#29
Fishbed77 Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2010 Posts: 4,862	If I were limited to 10 rounds, my choice would be an SKS, hands-down.

March 2, 2020, 12:39 PM	#30
chemcal Senior Member Join Date: May 16, 2014 Posts: 281	I prefer the Mini-30. I simply never liked the SKS. Crudely made and ugly. Yes, they shoot well enough. I even owned a Norinco SKS - it just always looked and felt like junk to me. Just my very personal thoughts on this. I routinely out shoot my friend and his ruger.

March 2, 2020, 05:48 PM	#32
ndking1126 Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2008 Location: Madison, AL Posts: 1,932	SKSs don't fit me well and are therefore uncomfortable. My arms are longer than most, however. In my experience, SKSs are not very accurate regardless of what you run through them. Of course my sampling size is small compared to the entirety of all SKSs. To me, the Mini-30 is what I would want, but if shooting the SKS before buying to confirm level of accuracy was possible, I certainly wouldn't rule it out. On the other hand, I've always liked Mini-14 and 30s, but am turned off by their high prices, especially since the older models were notoriously inaccurate. I wouldn't pay their going price. I guess shoulder them both and pick which you like better. For me it's bad ergonomics vs overpriced. I don't know, hard to pick.

March 2, 2020, 06:06 PM	#33
chemcal Senior Member Join Date: May 16, 2014 Posts: 281	There are after market SKS recoil pads for the LOP.

March 4, 2020, 10:30 PM	#37
BJung Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2019 Posts: 773	SKS reliability I never handled a Ruger Mini-30 but have a Russian SKS and use to own a Chinese SKS. The Chinese SKS is crude and the Russian shows better workmanship. I never compared the two for accuracy. What I like about the SKS is its history and ruggedness and ease of assembly. The rifle can be loaded from the top with a stripper clip or by hand; or from the bottom. I can shoot it by resting my check against the comb or rest my chin on the stock and use the sight cover as the front sight. I thought this was pretty ingenious of the Russians to think of this while walking and aiming at the same time. Maybe other militaria rifles do the same but I haven't tested them yet, only the SKS. Last, I can reload it with 123gr SP or 150gr SP. with 150gr, it's said to be about the same as a 30/30. The downside is that the rifle is not well balanced. But for the cost I paid, it's worth it.

March 4, 2020, 10:37 PM	#38
rc Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2001 Location: CA Posts: 1,769	Areoflyer09, bet you can't get 1.5 MOA from an SKS or a Mini. They aren't intrinsically very precise due to bedding. I'm really glad your AR and CZ bolt gun can do better but they are not the rifles we are talking about. rc

March 6, 2020, 08:01 AM	#39
jetinteriorguy Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2013 Posts: 3,176	I had a Mini 30 when they very first came out. At first with factory ammo and stock trigger I was very disappointed. 5-6” groups at 100 yds. I cut of 1 3/4 loops on the spring for the disconector and polished the sear. Then worked up a nice load and it became a solid sub 2MOA rifle that I killed many deer with. Wished I’d never sold that one.

March 7, 2020, 11:41 AM	#41
Ignition Override Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2008 Location: About 20 nm from the Big Muddy Posts: 2,887	An SKS, but Not a Yugo. Both of my very nice M59 (no grenade launcher) Yugoslav suffered from bad “popped primers” until they were cured at Murray’s Gunsmithing. Buy a firing pin Spring for the SKS. —-if a Mini 30 is reliable with Your Anmo, fine. My ammo was Russian , and hard primers Promag (OEM mags were not yet avail.) aftermarket magazines Didn’t work reliably. They were perfect after that. The only catch was that my SKS and Makarov “fever” became imported AK and German Sig “fever”.

April 6, 2020, 08:48 AM	#42
Logs Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 1999 Location: BLUEGRASS STATE KY USA Posts: 1,780	I had a Mini 30 years ago and it wouldn't put all rounds on a paper plate at 100 yards. Groups were terrible. __________________ NRA LIFE MEMBER

April 11, 2020, 12:37 AM	#43
scoobysnacker Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2015 Posts: 235	I'd go SKS. I have a couple, they run fine, and serve the purpose if you need one. Classic has Norinco's in stock right now, $299.

April 26, 2020, 03:12 AM	#44
Ignition Override Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2008 Location: About 20 nm from the Big Muddy Posts: 2,887	Reminder: only the Yugo 59/66 SKS has the grenade launcher. This is what creates that extra forward center-of-gravity. “C.G.” Is too difficult for many people to understand. The very First Yugo SKS series, the M59, has No grenade launcher-neither do the other SKS (Russian, E. German, Romanian, Chinese, Albanian, Vietnamese, N.Korean)....just the Yugo 59/66. The first Russian SKS were actually built with firing pin springs. Available now at Murray’s Gunsmithing, Bowie TX: SKS specialists. Last edited by Ignition Override; April 26, 2020 at 03:26 AM.

April 26, 2020, 10:57 AM	#46
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	I wold get the SKS> I tired the mini 30. It shot fine. I just find the SKS to be more comfortable for me to shoot. I still have an Egyptian SKS. I had a Chinese once upon a time. Sold it to my cousin. He still has it, and it goes where he goes on the farm in his truck. It has killed a slew of deer, and hogs. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

November 20, 2020, 12:52 PM	#47
Pistoler0 Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2019 Location: Conifer, CO Posts: 632	Why not an AR pattern rifle in 7.62x39? They can be MOA (or better) accurate, and with the proper firing pin they are ok to shoot steel case heavy primer ammo. Atheris rifle offers them with MOA guarantee.

November 20, 2020, 01:55 PM	#49
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,846	After 7 months at idle, the OP may have put the project on hold... But, if we're bringing this back, I'd choose the Ruger. Primarily for one reason. If you have trouble with a Ruger, you go to Ruger. Who's your go to if you have trouble with an SKS?? __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.