Going gun shopping

kamagong

kamagong

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2001
Messages
10,937
I have a confession. I don't have any guns. I've always liked them and fully support the Second Amendment, but have never bought any. I don't have a good reason really, except maybe that other things came along that took the gun money.

I'm going to rectify that situation. I'm getting older now and know that I have to prioritize and determine what is important in life. Gun ownership and the ability to protect oneself is one of those things that I am now taking more seriously. However I have very little knowledge in this field, so I am asking you guys for advice.

I originally wanted a Springfield M1A. That is one pricey gun though and I am not ready to drop $1400 for a single firearm. I know that I'll probably buy it one day, but for now I'm looking for an inexpensive alternative. Recently I saw a post about the Yugoslavian SKS. I saw an SKS once several years ago in the gunshop of a friend's father. I thought it was an ugly gun so I haven't paid attention to them since. But I have recently realized that the SKS fits my criteria of being inexpensive. For a couple of bills I can start exercising my right to bear arms. Even better, it's one of the handful of semi-autos that is legal to own in California.

How do I go about getting an SKS? I know I can order online from a few sources, but I've read an alternative strategy of going to a gun show so that I can pick a specimen myself. That appeals to me because I can also shop around for the best price. However, I don't know what to look for. How can I identify a good piece from a bad one? After I buy one, what next? How do I strip it down like I've read you guys advise to do? Are there any good online sources of information for this stuff?

Thanks for the help guys. I appreciate all the help, and please feel free to share any tips that you think I should know.

kamagong
 
I gots one of thems... :)

surplusrifle.com has the disassembly instructions. It's fun gun, plus if you break it, you're not crying cuz you paid a lot.
 
Since you are in the PRK, your best bet is to find one in a gun shop. No matter how you buy it, it is supposed to go through a gun shop. If you can find a person who is willing to do a face to face sale, you could do it that way, but it is not legal in CA.

Where are you in CA? Until 3 years ago I lived in Goleta and worked in the gun business. I probably know a dealer in your area.

I have owned several SKSs over the years. They are rugged and reliable, but they are also ugly. If you buy one, they usually come with instructions. There are pages and pages of info on the 'net.
 
An SKS is a good, inexpensive rifle. All you need to do, is replace the rear sight with a peep from Mojo sights, buy some ammo and a cleaning kit, and you're ready.

If you want a full-power service rifle, something in-between the SKS and the M1A in price- but not in quality- would be one of the FN-FALs/STG-58s. If you look around, you might be able to find a nice specimen for $700 or so, and way more countries used it than ever used the M14. Another, even less expensive, alternative would be the CETME. You can probably find one of those for $400, and the mags are like $2 each.

(edit- forgot you're in Cali. This does limit your options somewhat. Sorry. :( )

John
 
Another option to get you started is to get a good .22 like a Ruger 10-22. They are inexpensive, fun, and you can shot a ton of ammo much cheaper than any centerfire, even the surplus stuff.
 
I second Shann's recommendation for the 10/22. .22 ammo is plentiful and available everywhere, cheap. The Ruger is ready to go, right out of the box, and it's a very popular rifle. There are a ton of aftermarket accessories for it. The 10/22 comes with a 10 round magazine, but you can buy up to 30 round mags (maybe not in CA).
It's a semi-automatic rifle like the SKS. It's good for target shooting, plinking, small game hunting, and self-defense. Also, it's compact and looks nice. But with all the aftermarket stocks and accessories, you can build it into the ugliest tactical rifle imaginable. You can go to big bore rifles later, but the Ruger 10/22 is something you'll probably keep forever.
 
The SKS was my first firearm.
No matter how many I aquired, then sold to get rid of, one always manages to return to my house. I like them very much. I really don't care if it's ugly, but the weight forward is a little irritating.
You could get a Ruger 10/22 also.

Turners Outdoors is still in business; they probably have a reasonable SKS for sale; or order one off the net and ship to a Dealer in your area.

M1A's are a lot cheaper used.
You might pay between 800 and 1000.



munk
 
Then again, you could get a K........

never mind!

There have been planty of milsurp threads lately!!

:D

Tom
 
How do I go about getting an SKS online? Don't I have to order it and then the online source mails it to a local FFL? How does this whole process work?

Oh yeah, I remember reading about a C & R license. Do I need one before I can get an SKS?
 
I've always recommended a 22 LR or some kind of shotgun like a 12 or 16 gauge pump if you want something that you can both plink with and use for home defense too. The 22 is just a cheap gun to plink with and get to know guns for a minimal investment. A simple bolt action like the $150 or less Marlin Sport rifles available currently are fine choices to get your feet wet. I have a Papoose Marlin semi auto also that was just over $125 when I bought it and its a neat little package also in a floatable case for backpacking or kayaking, canoeing and other outdoor activities. These are fine stainless rifles with synthetic stocksthat are pretty much maintainance free.

410 shotgun is one of my all time favorites but it is impractical since its less powerful and the shells cost more than a comparable 12 or 16 ga. to shoot.
They are also great choices for introducing yourself to a firearm though.

STR
 
Kamagong? If you decide on a Yugo SKS, buy it in person from a dealer. The condition can vary enormously on these. Best to see what you're getting before you pull the wallet out.

There is a world of extras and addons for the SKS. Whenever you're tempted to spend money on any of these, stick it in a safe place instead; when you have a few hundred saved up that you didn't spend on gadgetry, use it to buy another gun or more ammunition. If the design needed all that crap hanging on it, the Russians would've designed it like that. (The one exception being a decent rear sight, as Spectre suggested; the Russians evidently didn't get the word on that one.) Most are not needed. Some are actually detrimental.

Disassembly and user's guides are available online and likely will come with the SKS, depending on who imported it. You'll find the maintenance regimen to be quite simple. The Yugo has an added complication in that the bore is not chrome lined and thus requires somewhat better treatment than the average Combloc firearm, but this will be good practice for the day when you drop a few thou for something really nice.
 
I like what Dave said. He's right about add on's and seeing it up front.
I don't know why the sights are so bad. That is interesting. I used to think it was because when you field 2 million men, who cares about sights?

I can hit with the sights as issued. Wouldn't mind better ones.


Oh, don't buy a scope and mount it on the reciever cover. Don't try to make it a 30 rounder. Don't ever attach the bayonet unless you're safe at home and are not under observation by a Federal agency.

munk
 
Kamagong, the best way to order online would likely be to find a site with the best deal for you, print out an order form, fill it out, and then take it over to the local gun dealer so that he can include a copy of his FFL and any other needed info. The SKS will be delivered to the shop and you can pick it up for a nominal transfer fee.

Bob
 
kamagong said:
I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Click to expand...

The SF bay area covers a lot of ground. Here's a link to a list of FFL dealers in the area. I typed in 94101.

http://www.gunbroker.com/User/FFLByProximity.asp

If there is a BIG 5 near you, see if they have them. They tend to order bunches of that sort of stuff.

I would suggest that you buy from a dealer who has a shop where you can actually handle the gun. If you order by phone or the 'net, you will have to pay S&H plus the fee that the dealer charges for the transfer (DROS). There are people who work out of their homes. Sometimes you can get good deal, but if something breaks, you are on your own.

I live about 25 miles from J&G and have looked at a lot of the Yugo SKSs. The ones that they list as new are really nice. There are some dings, but nothing bad. The SKSs for CA have the grenade launcher cut off.

Good luck.
 
munk said:
I don't know why the sights are so bad. That is interesting. I used to think it was because when you field 2 million men, who cares about sights?
Click to expand...

It's a matter of conveniance.

Receiver sights are tricky. It takes a highly skilled workforce, tight dimensioning, and excellent tooling to assemble a barrel to a receiver, mount a sight on both, and have them come close to lining up with PoI.

On the other hand, slapping a pair of sights on a barrel, making the front sight adjustable for windage and elevation, and counting on the end user to make it all work is considerably less expensive.

Some also claim that it's easier to instruct recruits on open notch sights (which don't work well with a receiver mounting anyway) rather than aperture sights, which don't work as well on the barrel. I personally think that this is rubbish but I'm not a policy maker.

It hardly seems to be an issue nowadays in any event. Most rifles feature an optical sight of some sort or at least a provision for easily adding one; those sporting rifles that even include sights in the first place typically use the notch-on-the-barrel arrangement for just this reason...it's cheaper, and who the hell shoots over irons these days anyway? (Or so goes the reasoning.) The only folks driving the development of irons these days are a few somewhat specialized shooting disciplines and the military, and the military seems to be losing interest.
 
munk said:
Don't ever attach the bayonet unless you're safe at home and are not under observation by a Federal agency.
Click to expand...
Who needs a bayonet? That's what khukuris are for. :D

I really want a Springfield M1A. It's not a smart decision though. For the same price as this gun I can pick up a Yugo SKS, Remington 870, and Springfied Loaded 1911, plus some ammo. Why get one gun when you can get three?

This could get real expensive. I'm glad that I'm pretty much set with khukuris, buying both guns and khuks would be an impossible task.

Do I need a C & R license to buy a Yugo SKS? What should I look for when I'm inspecting a specimen?
 
Kamagong,

Here is a link to CA regs:
http://caag.state.ca.us/firearms/index.html
Somewhere in here is the list of approved handguns for CA, even though you are not looking for that right now

http://www.crossroadsgunshows.com/gunsched.htm#directions
Don't know who else puts on Gun shows in the Bay area

Check it out for a lot of info
http://www.shotgunnews.com/


Since you don't own any guns, I also would suggest a 22 LR rifle, a shotgun, as well as a centerfire. In CA you can buy several long guns for the same reg fee, so if can afford it go and do that. You must buy through a dealer in CA. There are usually transfer dealers at gun shows who act as middlemen between a buyer and a seller (if the seller is not a dealer)

Fortunately I moved from Commiefornia a few months ago and can avoid all the costs and restrictions. I walked into WalMart last weekend, they did a telephone background check that cost me no extra money, and I walked out with a rifle without any problems. Batta bing, batta boom. Try that in Commiefornia - Walmart doesn't even sell guns there. You used to be able to do that years ago-but that would be a long story.

Don't limit yourself to an SKS or semi-auto. Bolt actions still work well. The internet has a lot of info. Study before you buy.
 
Get the CR thing out of your brain.
You do not need one to buy an SKS. Since you have to defacto register it in the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia anyway, why bother on a first gun?

About M1A's; I had to have one too. It took me 10 years. I love it. It is the last descendent of the O3. Check out the stocks and you'll see what i mean.
It holds like a deer rifle. It is the last of wood and metal- a bygone era.

edit: I bought AR's, Ak's, and Sk's rather than get what I wanted- an M1A
My experience does not have to be yours. I'm not saying do one thing or another; but the man who owns only one gun,and uses it, it to be respected, because most likely he knows how to use it.

munk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top