SKS Opinions

[pict]

Keep in mind with the Chinese guns that there are two types of guns, milled and stamped. On the older guns the receiver and trigger group were milled steel. The later guns were made from sheet metal stampings. I have owned both types, my current SKS is an all milled Chinese, ex-military rifle and the quality is on par with any European gun I've come across. Actually it looks better than some Yugo's I've seen.

The SKS tends to be slightly more accurate than the AK, but that's painting with a broad brush as individual guns vary. My SKS holds to about 4 MOA and that's with a gritty trigger.

+1 to leaving them alone. I have messed around with them in the past and prefer mine stock. I also think they handle better without the bayonet, certainly much lighter in the hands.

From what I can tell the last time the SKS was issued by a major military force for front-line service was by the Chinese in the Sino-Vietnamese war (1979). To this day they still show up in small conflicts around the world but mainly in the hands of reserves or irregular forces (aside from honor guards).

As a general purpose utility rifle I place it somewhere between the Model 94 .30-30 and the AK. Power is about like a 30-30 but it holds a few more rounds, is easier to reload, faster to fire. The safety is well located at the trigger finger and doesn't make the same "clack" as the AK. It is hard to top off a partially spent magazine with the (stock) SKS, it's a matter of unloading and starting over.

You can load 11 rounds into an SKS,fill the magazine with a stripper, drop a round into the chamber, depress the top round in the magazine and move the bolt forward over top of it allowing it to seat on the round in the chamber. Some say this is hard on the extractor, I've done it on a limited basis and it works but I can't speak to long term wear.

Mac

 

[Wildone39]

I put a folding stock on one of my SKSs and the larger mags and then I just put it back the way it was to begin with. I like the wood stock better because I have shorter arms and I like the stock Mag because its just better to me. So both of mine are stock with no mods. I intend to keep it that way. Now what I dont understand is how to sight mine in. Plus one of mine is still packed with the cosmoline and I honestly dont know the best way to clean it. I never have even shot that one. The other I have shot but have never messed with the sites.

 

[pict]

Sight adjustments are made on the front sight. Elevation adjustments are made by screwing the front sight post up or down. Windage adjustments are made by drifting the sight to the right or left. There is a clamp/screw tool that is used for this which will push the large round bolt that runs through the front sight to the right or left moving the sight pin with it.

IMO they made the sights difficult to adjust for a reason. They didn't want a sight with all sorts of easily turned knobs that uneducated hands would be able to mess with.

Set the rear sight at 100 meters to make your adjustments. Once you have the gun sighted in for windage and elevation at 100 meters, with the rear sight set at the 100 meter mark then you can use the adjustable slider to make elevation adjustments in the field. Mac

Remember, with adjustable front sights everything is backwards. To raise elevation you lower the front sight. To shift point of aim to the right you move the front sight to the left (as viewed from the rear of the rifle).

If you have an SKS still in its cosmoline I would leave it that way to preserve it for long term storage. There are all sorts of ways to remove it from plain old hot water melting it off, to liberal sprays of WD-40, etc.

 

[the possum]

Keep in mind with the Chinese guns that there are two types of guns, milled and stamped.

I was wondering when someone would bring that up. My brother's is all milled and generally of better workmanship than mine is.

I put mine through hell and back, carrying it with me every day on the farm during the summers, and most days the rest of the year. I'd throw it on the floor of the tractor, and both of us would get completely covered in dust, or rained on, or whatever. Shot it daily. Didn't clean it for like 2 years of that. It got some nice character marks-

I figured I'd just beat it around until it broke, and buy another one since they were so cheap. But wouldn't ya know, the blamed thing never did break on me. So I haven't had an excuse to get another one. :grumpy:

The low cost of ammo let me practice enough back then, that I could honestly say I could shoot better than the rifle could. I hope you can all see that I mean that in a very positive way.

I've used it to get all manner of critters from coyotes down to mice. (can't use 'em on deer in IL) Dirt clods or other improvised targets out to 800 yards are always fun, as is getting to take a varmint with the bayonet. I always liked that bayonet, for stickin' it in the ground, etc. My 30 round mag has been satisfactory, but it was made different than a lot of the cheapies I see at gunshows lately. To me it made a lot of sense because then I could carry a day's supply of ammo right on the gun in a protected manner, instead of rolling around on the tractor floor or filling up my pockets. I will say I've been very glad to have more than 10 rounds of ammo available on many occasions. Such as the time I made a bad hit on that coyote- I didn't want him to run off wounded, so I kept shooting as he hightailed it across the fields. Finally dropped him at over 450 yards.

Really I'm tempted to ramble on and on about mine, since I realize I've formed so many fond memories with it.

 

[hannibal lecter spyderco]

I was wondering when someone would bring that up. My brother's is all milled and generally of better workmanship than mine is.

I put mine through hell and back, carrying it with me every day on the farm during the summers, and most days the rest of the year. I'd throw it on the floor of the tractor, and both of us would get completely covered in dust, or rained on, or whatever. Shot it daily. Didn't clean it for like 2 years of that. It got some nice character marks-

I figured I'd just beat it around until it broke, and buy another one since they were so cheap. But wouldn't ya know, the blamed thing never did break on me. So I haven't had an excuse to get another one. :grumpy:

The low cost of ammo let me practice enough back then, that I could honestly say I could shoot better than the rifle could. I hope you can all see that I mean that in a very positive way.

I've used it to get all manner of critters from coyotes down to mice. (can't use 'em on deer in IL) Dirt clods or other improvised targets out to 800 yards are always fun, as is getting to take a varmint with the bayonet. I always liked that bayonet, for stickin' it in the ground, etc. My 30 round mag has been satisfactory, but it was made different than a lot of the cheapies I see at gunshows lately. To me it made a lot of sense because then I could carry a day's supply of ammo right on the gun in a protected manner, instead of rolling around on the tractor floor or filling up my pockets. I will say I've been very glad to have more than 10 rounds of ammo available on many occasions. Such as the time I made a bad hit on that coyote- I didn't want him to run off wounded, so I kept shooting as he hightailed it across the fields. Finally dropped him at over 450 yards.

Really I'm tempted to ramble on and on about mine, since I realize I've formed so many fond memories with it.

Can you get new milled ones still or only second hand guns? I would have picked up a cheapie milled one just to have, but only new ones seem to be crappy stamped ones.

 

[Wildone39]

Thanks Pict on the info. That helps me out alot. I didnt know you could clean the cosmoline off with WD40. I think since I have 2 SKSs then Ill just leave the new one that hasnt been shot with the cosmoline on it stored away. Its all origional anyway. Ill just use the one that I have already shot some. Both of mine are Norincos.

 

[James Green Dragon]

Let's just say that I was 'shocked & dismayed' that a learned individual was advocating making highly illegal modifications to a civilian firearm on a public internet forum. ...This and some of the prior posts make me question the legitimacy of the alleged background of the poster in question, who is relatively new to the forum.

As I understand it, due to import restrictions, there are no "new" Chinese SKS rifles being imported to the US. This is why the "M" & "D" models, which were modified by the factory in China* to accept AK mags, are not much more popular.

Beyond that, making 'modifications' to any SKS rifle is a slippery slope for 2 reasons, the first of which is a legality issue (how many US parts?) and the second has to do with reliability. For example, adding a 30 round mag to the Yugo SKS makes it into an "illegal Assault rifle" and is a felony in and of itself. ...Not to mention the fact that it will ruin the gun's "best" trait (IMO), reliability.


*It is a little known fact that the SKS as originally conceived by its designer, was to have been manufactured for detachable mags as opposed to the internal mag.

 

[pict]

"*It is a little known fact that the SKS as originally conceived by its designer, was to have been manufactured for detachable mags as opposed to the internal mag."

James,

I'm not disputing that but where did you get that information? I hadn't heard that. The Chinese did design the Type 63 which externally looks similar to the SKS that uses 20 round detachable magazines.

Type 63. Looks very similar to the SKS but IIRC it uses a rotating bolt rather than a tilting bolt like the SKS. It is also select fire.

Mac

 

[James Green Dragon]

Pict, I was trying to find that to post it - pretty sure it was here: http://www.simonov.net/ but there appears to be a problem with the website now... From what I remember, Stalin himself nixed the idea of the detachable mags & it was never manufactured as such.

 

[hollowdweller]

I like the fixed mag and stripper clips. I think it's not that much slower to load (like it matters for me anyway) and that means you could carry more ammo with less bulk than if it was in big banana clips or something.(like that matters for me anyway)

I have some bigger clips for my M1 and my 10/22 but more and more I find myself gravitating toward guns with lower capacity. My major activity with guns is shooting at targets and I find often the bigger the clip the less time I take with aiming and really working on my shooting posture and technique.

 

[hannibal lecter spyderco]

Let's just say that I was 'shocked & dismayed' that a learned individual was advocating making highly illegal modifications to a civilian firearm on a public internet forum. ...This and some of the prior posts make me question the legitimacy of the alleged background of the poster in question, who is relatively new to the forum.

As I understand it, due to import restrictions, there are no "new" Chinese SKS rifles being imported to the US. This is why the "M" & "D" models, which were modified by the factory in China* to accept AK mags, are not much more popular.

Beyond that, making 'modifications' to any SKS rifle is a slippery slope for 2 reasons, the first of which is a legality issue (how many US parts?) and the second has to do with reliability. For example, adding a 30 round mag to the Yugo SKS makes it into an "illegal Assault rifle" and is a felony in and of itself. ...Not to mention the fact that it will ruin the gun's "best" trait (IMO), reliability.


*It is a little known fact that the SKS as originally conceived by its designer, was to have been manufactured for detachable mags as opposed to the internal mag.

As always it would be nice, if you take direct quotes before you make ramble on. I'm always shocked and dismayed when you spout off at the mouth and offend various people on the tactical boards, but needless to say I've gotten a good chuckle at your so call wanna be know it all ninja instructor status know it all with your superior martial artist background. As for the legality issue that you mentioned, I have no problem sharing my information on how to maximize your sks, I believe we all know h. Yeah I suppose that when someone says you can't own a handgun and you can only own flint musket, you be ok with that too? Does your attitude problem come from a low self esteem problem that you didn't accomplish anything you wanted in life? You know its never to late to become the person you want to be. As I stated please take direct quotes versus spewing from the mouth, if you plan to debate.

With respect with your sks posting the only true preban sks were model D and M because the were military specs because they came with ak magazine. If you own a model D or M prior to the ban and came stock with ak 47 magazine you don't have to convert it to post ban.

If you wish to modify a post ban gun to ak 47 style its not against the law, look up federal AWB and rule of 10 .

Getting back to the very first posting where the poster wanted sks as a shtf rifle, I doubt it if the original poster would care about the charm of the gun reliability, accuracy and how many rounds you can pump through is all that mattes in shtf situation.

 

[LeeCQC]

As always it would be nice, if you take direct quotes before you make ramble on. I'm always shocked and dismayed when you spout off at the mouth and offend various people on the tactical boards, but needless to say I've gotten a good chuckle at your so call wanna be know it all ninja instructor status know it all with your superior martial artist background. As for the legality issue that you mentioned, I have no problem sharing my information on how to maximize your sks, I believe we all know h. Yeah I suppose that when someone says you can't own a handgun and you can only own flint musket, you be ok with that too? Does your attitude problem come from a low self esteem problem that you didn't accomplish anything you wanted in life? You know its never to late to become the person you want to be. As I stated please take direct quotes versus spewing from the mouth, if you plan to debate.

With respect with your sks posting the only true preban sks were model D and M because the were military specs because they came with ak magazine. If you own a model D or M prior to the ban and came stock with ak 47 magazine you don't have to convert it to post ban.

If you wish to modify a post ban gun to ak 47 style its not against the law, look up federal AWB and rule of 10 .

Getting back to the very first posting where the poster wanted sks as a shtf rifle, I doubt it if the original poster would care about the charm of the gun reliability, accuracy and how many rounds you can pump through is all that mattes in shtf situation.

This is starting to go down a road that need not be traveled. Let's just drop it before the mods have to step in?

 

[j williams]

On a differant note. I pumped 500 rounds through my SKS w/ 0 problems last weekend. I shot good groups out to 75 yds, they seem to spread a little past that. I believe it was the rifle, not me, as I think I can outshoot this rifle. 75yds is IMO plenty far to be accurate, and even past that If I can hit man size silouettes out to 100-125 yds, that is perfect.

The rifle now has 800 rds through it by me. 0 malfunctions, 0 cleanings as of yet. I am gonna shoot it till it malfunctions before I clean it, just to get a feel for how far it can be pushed. After that I will clean it, oil it, and store it. Then I am wanting to pick up the paratrooper model I saw, and do the same. I like the manuverability of the shorter SKS, and would rather have it then an AK, looks better made then the WASRs I see. Now a Saiga or a Maddi might be differant.

 

[Brian Jones]

The mods have stepped in. Infraction issued.

 

[lvbuckeye27]

er, without getting into any contests that involve micturation, you can modify an SKS and still be 922 compliant. you just need to ensure that you have no more than 10 foreign made parts. several companies make complete conversion kits for fairly cheap.