When did you fall in love with the SKS?

[WILCO]

For me, it was back in the early 90's.

Have always regretted selling off my first one.
I was young with a family.
Sold to pay bills.

[Finster101]

To each his own. Never cared for them. Not trying to start a fight, just my opinion.

[Remiel]

When I first shot it,

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[WILCO]

When I first shot it,

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Great answer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Larry Gibson]

I have a very nice Russian SKS that I do like. However, I never "fell in love" with them having been on the wrong end of them.....respect them a great deal though.....

As for a 7.62x39 semi-auto I do prefer the SKS over any AKM47 [AKMs have stamped receivers]. The all machined steel original AK47s are another story.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I always thought them to be a rather ugly rifle. But, if you have a good one, they do shoot well and I have 3 or 4 of them. The 10 round stripper clips are kind of ungainly. The workmanship, but not necessarily the functionality, of the SKS rifles made in various countries is uneven, with the Russian no doubt being the best and the Chinese the crudest. Like Larry, I would much prefer an SKS to an AK, so while I still own several SKS rifles I have AK rifles no longer. The SKS can make a decent sporter if you are "into" them, but since it's pretty much a wash between the .30-30 Win. and the 7.62x39mm, I'll go with the '94 Win., a better handler and pointer.



DG

[405grain]

I have a type 56 SKS that was gifted to me by my younger brother. He bought it at a Big 5 back in the early 90's for around $80 and said that it didn't shoot worth a darned. He added that he thinks that he'd shot corrosive ammo through it and never cleaned it, so the barrel was toast. Back when I got it replacement SKS parts were cheap and plentiful so putting on a new barrel wouldn't be that big of an issue. He gave me a sack full of boxes of ammo with the rifle. He told me that they were the corrosive ammo he'd been using.

When I got the rifle home I realized that the boxes of ammo were Wolf steel cased, which isn't corrosive. When I cleaned the rifle I realized that there was nothing wrong with it, it had just NEVER been cleaned before. Once I had the barrel clean it was mirror bright. Then I stripped down the action, and even disassembled the bolt. I cleaned everything. While I had it apart I inspected the trigger group (some trigger groups can have a negative rake on the sear mechanism, so I checked to make sure that this one didn't) As I was putting the rifle back together I noticed that the front sight was pushed over about 3/16" off center, so I ordered a sight pusher. The first time I took it to the range I noticed that it was printing way over to the right. It took a little adjustment on the front sight, but after a few rounds I got it to shoot point of aim. To my surprise that little SKS would shoot 2.5" groups! This was unheard of: SKS's and AK's are supposed to be inaccurate. I guess nobody told this particular rifle. My brother thought that this rifle was a piece of junk. One mans trash is another mans treasure.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

2-2 1/2 " groups are the norm for a friend's Russian SKS at 100 yards. Many of the SKS barrels were chrome plated to resist corrosion.

DG

[GhostHawk]

I'm with Remiel, first time I shot mine I fell and fell hard.

[45workhorse]

When my brother and I bought two SKS and 1,500 rounds for $300.00!

[Kestrel4k]

Ever since Klinton "banned" them, lol.

[beemer]

I have had as many as 4 off and on since the mid 90's until recently, I sold my last one and the ammo and bought a Palmetto AR-15 carbine. Part of it was down sizing. I have been thinning out the calibers also. I have played with them a good bit but my real interest lies elsewhere.

I think they are rugged dependable hard service rifles but slow to load compared to other semi-auto's and cheesy strippers. I know several guys that have good success deer hunting in the brush around here. Occasionally one will be reasonably accurate but most are not.

My Dad had a couple and worried me to death trying to find a good way to put a scope on one. The only one that was stable was one with a factory side mount and he couldn't find a decent scope to fit it. He finally gave up and bought a Ruger Mini 14 Ranch Rifle much to my relief.

Prices have gone through roof as most mul-surps have but if I am going to give that much for a old military rifle I will spend it on a good #4 Enfield.

[dverna]

With dozens of rifles in my collection, there was never a place for one. They did not excite me.

Feel the same way about the AK’s.

There was no niche either fit. There are better rifles to hunt with, and IMO, the AR is a better defensive weapon for my needs.

[Texas by God]

I like them very well, and I once had a Russian and a couple of Chinese(one threaded, one pinned).
The pinned barrel Norinco was weirdly the most accurate of the three.
I hate the sights and the short length of pull.
Other than that, they rock.


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[M-Tecs]

2-2 1/2 " groups are the norm for a friend's Russian SKS at 100 yards. Many of the SKS barrels were chrome plated to resist corrosion.

DG

I've always found the SKS to be more accurate than the AK's. The 2" to 2 1/2" 5 shot groups with surplus ammo is common for SKS's in my experience. I've never bothered to reload for that caliber. When I run out of cheap ammo I will.

[TD1886]

I always thought them to be a rather ugly rifle. But, if you have a good one, they do shoot well and I have 3 or 4 of them. The 10 round stripper clips are kind of ungainly. The workmanship, but not necessarily the functionality, of the SKS rifles made in various countries is uneven, with the Russian no doubt being the best and the Chinese the crudest. Like Larry, I would much prefer an SKS to an AK, so while I still own several SKS rifles I have AK rifles no longer. The SKS can make a decent sporter if you are "into" them, but since it's pretty much a wash between the .30-30 Win. and the 7.72x39mm, I'll go with the '94 Win., a better handler and pointer.



DG

Personally I wouldn't rank the Russian the best, in my book that goes to the Yugoslav ones. Then there are East German ones, have you ever seen one of those??

[TD1886]

My Yugo SKS scoped with do 4 inches at 312 yards with the LEE 155 cast bullet. It's a dedicated scope mount and I took off all the junk like the grenade launcher and bayonet. The rifle is tuned.

I'd take an SKS any day over and M1 Carbine. Better rifle and better round.

[bimus]

There are many rifles out there that if you loose or don't have a magazine you have a single shot rifle with the SKS stripper or just rounds in your pocket no problem .

[405grain]

A lot of people comment on how difficult it it to load an SKS with a stripper clip. Because stripper clips aren't as common as detachable box magazines most people don't know how to use them. If you just install a stripper clip and try to press down on the column of ammo you're going to struggle. If you do it right it's usually pretty easy to load an SKS with a stripper clip. Here's a video showing how to use a stripper clip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nLyv8Xe1zQ

[Wag]

I enjoy mine a great deal but love? Eh. Probably more in love with other rifles in my "arsenal."

--Wag--