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Old 02-14-2017, 03:21 AM
Henzo45` Henzo45` is offline
 
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Default Any tips on buying SKS?

Hi guys, I am planning to add an SKS to my gun safe, and i need your wisdom.

I have been doing my own research, like look down the barrel for silver lining, or make sure all parts numbers are same. But i dont think this is enough.

Anyone want to teach this grasshopper how to choose best one in the bunch?

Thanks.
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Old 02-14-2017, 05:32 AM
heybert heybert is offline
 
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Go google yooperj. It'll give you background info on the SKS from all over the world. Best to see them in person so that you can have a look down the bore and open up the gas tube to make sure there's no rust or corrosion.
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Old 02-14-2017, 08:16 AM
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223Jake 223Jake is offline
 
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I was also told that on the front sight close to the muzzle there is a number stamped in the metal. Supposedly this number shows the accuracy of the rifle (if there is such a thing as an accurate sks) but #0 being the most accurate and #5 being the least. This may only be on the Russian models I am not sure about Chinese.
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Old 02-14-2017, 08:26 AM
Diesel_wiesel Diesel_wiesel is offline
 
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here's a tip
save yer money and don't buy an sks
spend it on a way better rifle
you will understand this tip
after you have had it for awhile
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Old 02-14-2017, 08:40 AM
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BiggieB BiggieB is offline
 
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Default people who don't like sks...

It's all personal preference but i love my sks its a 1952 tula, all matching serial numbers except the 5 round magazine
Main thing is if your looking for a good shooting sks look for a Russian not chinese or Vietnamese version.
Field strip it in the store and inspect it for rust, or corrosion on the gas piston, make sure you have no wobbling or movement in the stock or again the gas tube near the front site and make sure the rifling looks good aswell and it hasn't been shotout.

Don't expect anything beyond 100-150 yards with it before being off by a good chunk...also clean it after ever use old military surplus ammo is very very dirty...
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Old 02-14-2017, 08:52 AM
bobtodrick bobtodrick is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Diesel_wiesel View Post
here's a tip
save yer money and don't buy an sks
spend it on a way better rifle
you will understand this tip
after you have had it for awhile
x2
I've had a few friends with these things...can't see why anyone wants a 'minute of pie plate' gun.
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Old 02-14-2017, 09:02 AM
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CanadianEh CanadianEh is offline
 
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x3 dont bother.
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Old 02-14-2017, 09:33 AM
buschy03 buschy03 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bobtodrick View Post
x2
I've had a few friends with these things...can't see why anyone wants a 'minute of pie plate' gun.
Totally agree,, they are fun for about 10 minutes,, then you find out they can't hit anything further than that beer box out front of you...
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Old 02-14-2017, 09:40 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by buschy03 View Post
Totally agree,, they are fun for about 10 minutes,, then you find out they can't hit anything further than that beer box out front of you...
Oh, I don't think so. They are fun guns. I've taken a coyote with one. Plinked consistently out to 200 yards. They eat anything really. Very inexpensive.

Everyone should have at least one....maybe two.

Last edited by 6MT; 02-14-2017 at 09:56 AM.
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Old 02-14-2017, 09:45 AM
Nyksta Nyksta is offline
 
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Wouldnt take one if it was free
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Old 02-14-2017, 09:56 AM
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To each their own.
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Old 02-14-2017, 10:39 AM
sharp_85 sharp_85 is offline
 
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They are cheap fun rifles to have, especially when coupled with a surplus crate of ammunition. Unless you are looking for one for collection purposes then I agree with BiggieB. Check for general condition of the rifle, if it doesn't appear to be worn out and the parts are in good shape then you are good to go.
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Old 02-14-2017, 12:02 PM
sillyak sillyak is offline
 
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Liberals hate them, that's reason enough to toss one in the back of the safe.

I own one. Don't shoot it too much due to the absurdly short LOP and the corrosive clean up; but, it is fun to shoot every once and awhile. Cheap and mine holds about 3.5 MOA even with a smoking hot barrel. Accurate enough to practice some positional shooting. It is also a good rifle to practice how to reshape a sear/do your own trigger jobs and learn about postive/negative sear engagement. I say this because the sear is huge and has enough meat that you can fix most mistakes.
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Old 02-14-2017, 12:44 PM
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KGB KGB is offline
 
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I do own an SKS, it was the first RED rifle that I got. Awesome gun for its purpose. I then bought the rest of my red army collection and now owe an SVT-40, Mosin M36 and 91/30. Love those guns, they are all awesome and fun to shoot.
Go buy one and have fun, enjoy it. But be CAREFULL, those red rifles have a tendency of multiplying in your safe... you can never have "only one"....
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  #15  
Old 02-14-2017, 12:48 PM
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The best quality SKS you can get from the West rifle in BC, he has a hand picked units. A few dollars more but worth it if you want to get an almost new unit.
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Old 02-14-2017, 01:10 PM
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WesternAlien WesternAlien is offline
 
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Good to see so much negative advice. Keeps the hype down and extends availability for the rest of us :-).

As for buying: disassemble, check the barrel well, like with any other gun. Crown is important and could have been damaged by improper cleaning (without protector) with steel rod from the muzzle. Bolt (especially face) and chamber will show wear if shot a lot. Gas piston should shine. That's about it - any rust anywhere else can be cleaned fairly easily. Remember that in your first week you'll probably send more rounds though it than it had in all its previous life.

I would not buy anything but Tula, but that's just my preference and reasons and purposes, yours may vary. Early model (pre-1955?) has springed striker in the bolt - safer from slam fire by more pain to clean that spring :-). But then the same earlier model has easier gas tube latch (that you can open with the finger rather than with the supplied tool). I am personally in favor for the eariler model.

Final note: if your new sks seems to shoot a little off - don't rush to tweak it. They are all factory-zeroed pretty well, and hold zero quite solidly. So, chances are, you just need some extra time to get used to it and figure out aiming. Especially if you did not have much practice on 100m+ with iron sights.
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Old 02-14-2017, 01:27 PM
Coyotebutcher Coyotebutcher is offline
 
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Make sure serial numbers match, limited damage to the wood, no damage to the metal, disassemble and look at the bolt carrier group. Other than that they're $200 buy three!!
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Old 02-14-2017, 01:34 PM
sigma1 sigma1 is offline
 
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Get one that is tight in the stock with no back and forth movement or you will have to shim/bed it to get it to shoot proper. Easy to do but I would never pay someone to do it. And keep the original stock on it for it has a front lug for consistency.
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Old 02-14-2017, 01:42 PM
Unregistered user Unregistered user is offline
 
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Buy 2.
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Old 02-14-2017, 03:23 PM
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bubba 96 bubba 96 is offline
 
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They are fun, my son and I just bought 1 from Canadian tire in airdrie 220, then my son and I put the ati tactical stock as out first project..now to hit some tannrite..
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  #21  
Old 02-14-2017, 03:32 PM
Random_randall Random_randall is offline
 
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They aren't really anything special, if you want to plink away with a center fire rather than a rimfire they are fun, good for varmint control if you want to slap a scope on it.

Or buy one for a collectors piece- the expensive route

If you want to buy one for target shooting get a YUGO, you can flip the switch on the gas tube so it doesn't cycle another round. Basically a cheap bolt action with semi auto option.
$0.02
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Old 02-14-2017, 03:51 PM
Masterchief Masterchief is offline
 
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for the price, it is a great semi auto to shoot with surplus ammo... and to be honest, they are a very well designed gun.... may not be the most accurate, but so beit. Don't let the gun snobs get you down... sks gets a bad rap because of the first time gun buyers shooting up stuff at the gun range... just don't be that guy
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Old 02-14-2017, 04:25 PM
Henzo45` Henzo45` is offline
 
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Hi guys. OP here. Im simply looking for a plinking rifle. Something cheap and easy to shoot. I have been shooting rimfire and I want to move on to centrefire that wont break my back.

Im not planning to take this out on hunting, just to the range and shoot.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I appreciate it.
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Old 02-14-2017, 05:28 PM
morinj morinj is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bobtodrick View Post
x2
I've had a few friends with these things...can't see why anyone wants a 'minute of pie plate' gun.
X3 unless you want a inaccurate rifle that shoots rapid on occasion! Many people put too much money into a rifle that had had 500000 rounds down the pipe!
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Old 02-14-2017, 05:47 PM
Fur Fur is offline
 
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Each to their own. Some people like them some do not.

I got one from Canada Ammo when I bought some 7.62x39 ammo which worked out to be like $125 for the SKS. Never fired it, but damn it was heavy! Was surprised at how heavy the gun was. As I said never shot it and ended up selling it to a guy here on AO.
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Old 02-14-2017, 06:39 PM
sillyak sillyak is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by morinj View Post
X3 unless you want a inaccurate rifle that shoots rapid on occasion! Many people put too much money into a rifle that had had 500000 rounds down the pipe!
If the rifle is slam firing or double firing it is the owner not doing the proper maintenance. The firing pin must rattle back and forth when you shake the bolt. If not there is crud in there and the rifle will slam or double fire.

Most SKS refurbished were probably shot very little. The SKS was the Soviet service rifle for only a short period of time. Most were in service a short time and then put into long term storage.
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Old 02-14-2017, 06:47 PM
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Fordpilot83 Fordpilot83 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Diesel_wiesel View Post
here's a tip
save yer money and don't buy an sks
spend it on a way better rifle
you will understand this tip
after you have had it for awhile
Bingo
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  #28  
Old 02-14-2017, 07:14 PM
.257Weatherby .257Weatherby is offline
 
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Its an SKS built for communists by communists to repel the threat of the evil empire.
Buy one if you want one, they are inexpensive and can be found almost anywhere.
They are nothing special other than they are cheap to buy and defend oneself against the Zombie Apocalypse , should it arise.
Rob
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Old 02-14-2017, 07:17 PM
sigma1 sigma1 is offline
 
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If it is the next step from a rimfire I would go 223 or 308 and stay away from corrosive ammo. You can get surplus ammo for either. The SkS even if you do some accuracy tricks will never shoot as accurate as the cheapest bolts. If it is a learn to shoot gun that could work but the triggers are brutal if not tuned is frustrating if trying to group. The SKS is more of an addition to the guns than a staple gun. Oh and if range shooting it takes a effort to clean up your casings cause it throws them all over the place.
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Old 02-14-2017, 07:39 PM
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Groundhogger Groundhogger is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WesternAlien View Post
As for buying: disassemble, check the barrel well, like with any other gun. Crown is important and could have been damaged by improper cleaning (without protector) with steel rod from the muzzle. Bolt (especially face) and chamber will show wear if shot a lot. Gas piston should shine. That's about it - any rust anywhere else can be cleaned fairly easily. Remember that in your first week you'll probably send more rounds though it than it had in all its previous life.

I would not buy anything but Tula, but that's just my preference and reasons and purposes, yours may vary. Early model (pre-1955?) has springed striker in the bolt - safer from slam fire by more pain to clean that spring :-). But then the same earlier model has easier gas tube latch (that you can open with the finger rather than with the supplied tool). I am personally in favor for the eariler model.

Final note: if your new sks seems to shoot a little off - don't rush to tweak it. They are all factory-zeroed pretty well, and hold zero quite solidly. So, chances are, you just need some extra time to get used to it and figure out aiming. Especially if you did not have much practice on 100m+ with iron sights.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Masterchief View Post
for the price, it is a great semi auto to shoot with surplus ammo... and to be honest, they are a very well designed gun.... may not be the most accurate, but so beit. Don't let the gun snobs get you down... sks gets a bad rap because of the first time gun buyers shooting up stuff at the gun range... just don't be that guy
^this. I was (quietly) a bit of an anti-SKS guy after the same kind of experience Masterchief described happened every time I went to a particular range. I'm there to do load testing and/or zero a scope and I have steel cases raining down all over my bench. As he put it so well; "just don't be that guy".

However, I eventually "saw the light" and picked-up a 1954 Russian, birch stock..pretty bare balls gun but almost no sign of wear, all matching except the mag. Speaking of the mag, not all of them are all pinned the same way. Mine has a small section of steel rod welded to the underside of the follower~so nothing visible on the outside of the mag. (which looks ugly to me) Doesn't impact function either way. Anyhow, someone told me to look for one with a "gold" bayonet suggesting that the gun wasn't used/handled much. Not sure I believe that...but took that advice, inspected the gun thoroughly..and have been very satisfied with it. I don't shoot it allot but have only run non-corrosive (Barnaul) ammo through it so far. Even bought some soft point in case some saucy groundhog is near my truck when I pull into a field. I've yet to get a bead on one that way...but it still comes along for the ride.

Anyhow, to me..the gun is a $225 piece of military history at the very least. A robust, cheap-to-shoot semi-auto that will be an interesting learning tool. Getting comfortable with stripping it is a good idea, a very well-engineered thing worth getting to know. Even though a bit of the novelty factor has worn off for me, I smile when I see it in the safe..and new shooters (given the chance) will reach for it ahead over any other gun I have with me during casual range trips. It would never be a gun I'd suggest as anyone's "first"...but I do think it's worth having one. I didn't for a long time...but I do enjoy having it now that I do.

Edit: I'll add one thing.. About 1/2 the SKS's "charm" (if you can call it that) is the rifle in it's original configuration. They're not rare/valuable guns so at the end of the day...if you feel like making it a "tactical" looking rifle with lots of add-on crap, that's your call. Have fun. The only "upgrade" to mine is something you can't even see~a finer, "target" front sight post. Got it from Hi Cal but don't see it listed on their site now. Worth asking. That, and an AK front sight adjustment tool. I had to drift my front sight slightly to get things running just right. As for accuracy~my late buddy Andrew shot mine off a bench at a turkey target the day we patterned our shotguns. The first 3 shots were touching each other on the target @ 50 yards. Best I've ever seen an SKS shoot, even if I can't achieve that myself. Good to know the rifle is capable of it.

Last edited by Groundhogger; 02-14-2017 at 07:46 PM.
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