SKS any good?

[LionsFan1911Man]

I cannot find any AR's available and I keep getting offered SKS's at Gun Shops. I don't know much about them except that they fire 7.62x39 ammo, which is the size AR I was interested in before they sold out EVERYWHERE in 3 days. So.....why do the shops still have the SKS? Are they not easy to operate, clean, etc.? Please give me your thoughts on the SKS as an alternative to an AR. Thanks

 

[dans4420]

i don't have a technical response to this but here my two cents.

I owned a sks for many years its just plain fun to shoot i don't find it hard to take care of or the recoil unmanageable. the sks is kinda similar to the ak47 in terms that its just a good surplus gun its not super accurate like an ar, also it has a fixed magazine there are some that will accept ak mags but to me its a toss up if they work. there fun guns they might not have the super tactical look of the ar15.

 

[KellyinAvon]

I've fired a couple over the years. Definitely Russian design (not fancy). 10 round internal magazine fed by stripper clips. To me it's a "value for the price" situation. I know a guy who has one; 3 guys who had never fired one before all hit an old disk blade (maybe 12-14 inch diameter) at 100 yards. I'd call that good enough.
Where it was made, if it was new would be important factors to me.

 

[pudly]

The SKS is a good firearm in its own right. It has served around the world and was the immediate precursor to the AK. Both have reputations for being very tough and reliable. The SKS is arguably more accurate. The AK is generally preferred because of the replaceable magazines. Most SKSes have a fixed mag that holds 10 rounds and you use clips to load them, although there are some variations. Both are designed to be handled by third world peasants, so they are easy to clean and maintain.

In comparing both to the AR15 platform, they fire a heavier round than the basic .223/5.56, but are less accurate. You won't be getting 2" groups at 100 yards, but they are "battle accurate". Neither comes close to the number of add-ons and variations as the AR. In fact, with the SKS, many recommend using them as-is and not playing dress-up.

I really enjoy my SKS and wouldn't have a problem recommending it if is in good condition and a fair price. You can read a lot more about SKSes at: Survivor's SKS Boards - Index

 

[Hoosier8]

The AK replaced the SKS because it was cheaper to manufacture. The SKS is a nice gun and you can get both regular 30 round magazines for it and some kind of adapter that uses detachable magazines (I am not familiar with them enough to know what the adapter is or if it is something different on the receiver).

 

[draftyranger]

They are great guns. I like shooting them more than AK's. I use them with the 10 rd clips. If it were me and I couldnt get an AR, i would definately take the SKS!

 

[IndyGunSafety]

The SKS is a really fun gun and you can get all sorts of mods for it. It's easy to take the fixed mag out and get 30 round SKS detachable mags for it. I'd get one before they are gone. Good luck!

 

[Bigtanker]

They are not fancy but a blast to shoot. Very basic and a decent aftermarket of stocks and mag options. I love mine. $200 or so for the SKS vs. $1000+ for an ar. Both go boom with every pull of the trigger.

 

[gunman41mag]

I removed the 10 round fix mag on my SKS, It will now take 30 round mags. My sks shoots fine,

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

The SKS is a really fun gun and you can get all sorts of mods for it. It's easy to take the fixed mag out and get 30 round SKS detachable mags for it. I'd get one before they are gone. Good luck!

I removed the 10 round fix mag on my SKS, It will now take 30 round mags. My sks shoots fine,

I did this to mine too. As mentioned above, they're fun to shoot. They just don't have the cache that AR's do.

 

[Stainer]

I'll throw it out there since no one has. If you remove your 10 round mag and make your SKS to take the detachable 30 round mags, here are two foods for thought:

1) You must now make sure your SKS is 922r compliant

2) Metal Duckbill mags are garbage and very rarely work reliably

That being said. I have had several SKS's over the last few year. I currently have a Chinese that is factory and is probably the sexiest SKS you will see out there. The other one was all bubbed up when I got it and I am working on bubba'ing it up even more. The project got delayed a little but I am cutting the barrel down and put it in a shernick gun works bullpup stock. It will be total BA when done and why not when I got it for stupid cheap and it looked like garbage anyways.

 

[downrise14]

They are cheap, effective, and fun to shoot. They get the job done.

 

[littletommy]

The Norinco SKS I had would consistently hit a clay target at 300 yards. I'd say, if you found one for a good price*, grab it.

*good price to me is $70, since that's what I paid for the last one I bought, but I'm guessing you won't find one at that price.

 

[melensdad]

I cannot find any AR's available and I keep getting offered SKS's at Gun Shops. I don't know much about them except that they fire 7.62x39 ammo, which is the size AR I was interested in before they sold out EVERYWHERE in 3 days. So.....why do the shops still have the SKS? Are they not easy to operate, clean, etc.? Please give me your thoughts on the SKS as an alternative to an AR. Thanks

You can get Chinese made pre-ban SKS rifles right now from Wideners via mail-order to your dealer for $275.00

 

[strokin7.3]

I removed the 10 round fix mag on my SKS, It will now take 30 round mags. My sks shoots fine,

Wouldnt happen to have that 10 rounder laying around and wanting to sell it would you?

 

[draketungsten]

+1 for the SKS.

I have a preban Norinco for the last 18 years and have recently sporterized with Tapco gear it so i had to bring it up to 922r specs. It's reliable and fun to shoot. Plus I'll take 7.62 over the glorified .22 that is the 5.56.

 

[LionsFan1911Man]

Thank you to all of you! I believe I will go head and "pull the trigger" on my purchase, lol. I feel a lot more comfortable doing that knowing that it is such an appreciated weapon.

 

[LionsFan1911Man]

You can get Chinese made pre-ban SKS rifles right now from Wideners via mail-order to your dealer for $275.00

I just went to check thbis out and they say "Out of Stock". I'll check back tho

 

[rightwinger]

cant beat SKS the disassembly is easy and cleaning is a cinch, as everyone else has said the are too good to pass up for the price

 

[IndyDave1776]

I had one, well, back when. It is simple, reliable, and built like an anvil. It will shoot 'minute of man' at any range you are likely to need to defend yourself. It is cheap, especially as black rifles are doubling and tripling in price overnight. Ammunition is relatively cheap (albeit intermittently available, as with most calibers right now). I definitely would not feel naked before the forces of evil armed with one.