The SKS Appreciation Thread

[Euclidean]

What if I told you there was a rock solid reliable battle rifle that hits consistently hard, it has been used for more years than I can account for by some of the most powerful armies in the world, and it was about $200?

You'd say "Well you're trying to talk up the SKS you twit I just read the subject of your thread."

But seriously, isn't the SKS truly amazing? At such a low price you get an amazing amount of firepower for the money in a proven platform.

I don't know exactly why the SKS gets poo pooed so much. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that many SKS owners just own them so they can dress them up purty, creating guns that look "tacticool" but aren't always functional.

I think the other turnoff is no detachable magazine. To me though I think this is actually a plus for some situations. Things get lost in the tall grass folks. Stripper clips are cheap and disposable, magazines are expensive and essential.

One thing I don't like about it is that you're pretty much stuck with the basic carry sling unless you're able to do some modifications that I don't think are worth the trouble. But I can live with this.

But it amazes me we don't talk about them more. We all have one. Or two.

The thing that makes the SKS appeal so much to me is that I can afford to have one at home, and one in truck, and another one somewhere else, and another one, and another one...

I can also take the SKS down to its component parts except for removing the barrel from the receiver or dissassembling the trigger group without problems. I can't say that for any other gun I have, save perhaps my Mosin Nagant. To me, if the SHTF, that's super valuable. I have a rifle I can almost completely repair by myself with nothing more than a punch a screwdriver and a hammer. I wouldn't dare try that with almost any other gun. Plus I have a complete set of spare parts! That's the way I see it anyway.

The only thing I've seen fit to do is I've never gotten one with good wood furniture. It always has to be replaced, but this is only my two personal rifles and not SKSes as a whole. I'm actually looking for one with good furniture that I can leave bone stock. I find the Butler Creek synthetic stock to be slim and trim. It's a tight fit but it requires very little fitting. The ATI stock is okay and not hard to fit either but it's a little chunkier.

I've got one I'm still working on. I will have to borrow some tools to drill out a pin to do what I want to do with it so the project is on hold indefinitely for now.

But it fires a nice boring cartridge with stable peformance that should get the job done as well as anything if not better. The reason I don't own a lever gun in .30-30 is the SKS.

And you know what? If someone wants to play with their SKS and make it look "evil", well more power to them. Who says guns can't be art? No one that's who.

Ah, the SKS. If only it was still $99.

[Team American]

SKS's are great rifles....well made and inexpensive, plus they fire ammo that can be had for $90/1000 rounds or less!
I just received my AIM Surplus flyer, and they have Yugo SKS rifles for
$79.95 :


Item#SKS-Yugo
Original Yugoslavian M59/99 SKS Rifles. There C&R Eligible Rifles feature milled steel components, gas shut-off valve on the gas cylinder, and an integral grenade launcher fitted to the bbl. Some accessories included. Expect stock and finish wear. While supplies last. Sorry, Cleaning Rod not included.
Condition: Used, Expect Metal Finish and Wood Stock Wear.
**As with most surplus Rifles, corrosive ammunition was used in this Rifle for the majority or all of its service. Please do not expect the bore to be in new condition.
SORRY, NOT FOR SALE IN CA.


Shooter Special: $79.95

[Bud White]

There ok just nothing to get excited about i have one and it doesnt get shot much anymore

[rfurtkamp]

I'm with Bud. They work. They're heavy. They don't fire a cartridge I'd rely on if I had other means.

I wouldn't feel unarmed with one, but I'd rather have the AK at a few pounds lighter and detachable mag land.

[armoredman]

The SKS is fast beoming the most popular rifle in the US. Scary, eh? I bought a Yugo unissued for my wife, and she loves it. Now I need to save the $ to get one for me. The price of two unissued Yugos is still cheaper than one Century ruined WASR AK. I will get an AK when I can afford one, but the Yugo SKS is the best deal in a semi auto rifle I have ever found.

[P95Carry]

Well, I'll take an AK in preference but - I do agree with Euc re the value aspect.

My first was a Yugo - very black bore and not all that good shape but hey - it shoots and adequately and was el cheapo.

Second was a Norinco which is my fave version. Finally, when I bought my FAL I included from the same guy a Romanian SKS - very fair condition and shoots good too.

Look at it this way - with just a big bag full of 7.62x39, I with AK and rest of family with SKS's - could hunker down and make a good attempt at defence, all with one caliber.

Sure I'd prefer other choices given luxury of time and carrying ability but I still think the venerable SKS has its place - ugly, bit heavy, but well proven.

[Euclidean]

It's true the SKS is heavy for its size and even though it's considered a carbine, I find it kind of large and overbuilt for its caliber. But this is both good and bad. It's good because the gun is overengineered. It's bad because if you're trying to say fit it behind a car seat, it ain't happening.

You know how everything old is new again? There's been this big resurgence in the popularity of a .30-30 levergun because of the ballistic qualities of the cartridge in an affordable and easy to operate package.

But take that same cartridge, put it in a semiautomatic rifle, and add some magazine capacity and you'd think you'd get a widely heralded platform everyone would be crazy about. Instead, we get complaints about "rainbow trajectory" and lack of performance. And I can't help but note the irony that a lot of the criticism of 7.62x39 comes from the same people who so passionately defend .223.

I had this debate about 3 months ago.

"7.62x39 would just piss someone off. Give me an AR any day."

"What caliber is your carry gun?"

".45 ACP."

"So let me get this straight, a handgun cartridge like .45 ACP will get the job done and a rifle cartridge like 7.62 won't?"

If nothing else, compare the SKS to one of the most popular rifles ever, the Mini 14. I think the SKS kicks its butt at a much lower price, and there's tons of people who have the Mini 14 as the centerpiece of their arsenal.

[rfurtkamp]

For me, one of the critical areas of over-engineering that I don't want to deal with in the field is the effort that must be taken to not launch the little plunger into orbit taking the gas tube off. Yes, I know how to do it without problem - but the fact is that it's something that can get *very* easily lost as part of regular maintenance.

Don't get me wrong - in most situations, I'd rather have five friends around me with SKSes than most other rifles in the price range, and have a couple of them, but it also depends on what you're going to do with the gun.

Neither it nor the lower-end AKs are really all that expensive in the grand scheme of things.

[CombatEffective]

I have a Yugo like the one pictured above. At that price I am likely to order a couple.

I have yet to de-goop the one that I have.

[Bud White]

I might get another one just cuz but still cant get excited over them looking for a AK also oh hell im looking for a lot fo things