When the Chinese SKSs were dirt cheap in the late 1980s the ammo for them was neither cheap nor widely available so I mostly ignored them. Much later when I finally wised up and realized my mistake they cost from about $200 to $250 for good used ones in my area, and they are scarcer and even higher now. Darned if those little Chinese shorties with the 16-inch barrel (the so-called paratrooper model) weren't just about as handy and useful as the Winchester trapper models with the same barrel length. Both of them, as well as the full length SKSs and Winchesters, make good truck or trunk guns. I don't think the standard 10-round semipermanent magazines used on the common SKSs are any kind of a handicap when fed through the open action with the 10-round stripper clips as intended. Compared to the detachable mags, those stripper clips are rugged, compact, and cost next to nothing, not to mention working quickly and reliably. Those same strippers work well for carrying a couple of reloads of .38 Special or .357 Magnum revolver ammo in your pocket, too. No rattles. In their infinite wisdom (???) the feds (read: BATFE) outlawed the bayonets that came on all the Chinese SKSs, so they all are supposed to have had them removed, never to be reattached again. I guess they think we are stupid enough to believe that somehow the bayonet (AKA rat roaster) makes a Chinese SKS much more dangerous to society at large, but an SKS of Russian or East European origin is a mere pussycat with its bayonet left intact. Makes a helluva lot of sense, doesn't it? Unless that ATF ruling was changed or revoked and I didn't hear about it, you need to be aware of this problem so you don't get busted. The feds do NOT have a sense of humor! Ask Randy Weaver. Meanwhile, enjoy the heck outta your SKS! I think there are still some cleaning and maintenance tools available pretty cheap, so get them while you can. Same for spare parts if you plan to use yours a lot. Stock up on cheap but non-corrossive ball ammo and those stripper clips that I mentioned. At one time the dark reddish-brown solid fiberglass stocks produced for use in the jungles of Vietnam were being sold -- NEW -- for only $10 apiece! They are the same configuration as the original wooden stocks, but somewhat sturdier. If you get one, be prepared to do some fitting. It's not a drop-in replacement, but it's not too far from it. Have fun! :thumbup:
