School me on sks

[FA9]

What to look for when buying an sks? I see price ranges from $250 and up.

Thanks in advance.

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[slimmer13]

Collectors and history buffs like matching serial numbers which bring the higher prices. If you just want a shooter, the usual stuff, bore condition etc. Stick with the clips. The duck bill mags suck.

 

[Joe13]

They are awesome.

What you want it for would help, there are a ton of options.

 

[mjbskwim]

Not much to them,like slimer said look at the bore and what stock you like best.
Try the action of course,but don't buy into the numbers and where it was made BS,
It's still a $300 max rifle.Buy cheap and you can get 2
Oh yeah.I did have a duck bill that worked but I was the only guy I know who did till I sold the gun

 

[Joe13]

Not much to them,like slimer said look at the bore and what stock you like best.
Try the action of course,but don't buy into the numbers and where it was made BS,
It's still a $300 max rifle.Buy cheap and you can get 2
Oh yeah.I did have a duck bill that worked but I was the only guy I know who did till I sold the gun

I have to respectfully disagree.

Shooters go for 300 but just like everything else, collectibles do sell for more to people who care.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Often called the best survival rifle on survival websites. The Yugos don't have chrome bores while most Russian and Chinese do. Great stuff on YOUTUBE to get the trigger system right. Very important to have the gas system and piston clean as full auto can happen. Don't let any one tell you the 7.62x39 isn't much of a round, trust me it is. My Norinco is dependable and accurate. It is my SHTF carry. All the advise on duckbill mags is dead on. Keep the ten round stock mag and have lots of stripper clips loaded and ready to go. You can't go wrong with an SKS.

 

[Modeler]

All agreed. I have two, both early-production Chinese surplus models. One all-matching in good shape, the other I ordered for cheap with a broken stock. Replaced the stock with a modern wooden Norinco stock (no 922r problems) and it's a great, reliable shooter! My SHTF gun for sure.

 

[FA9]

They are awesome.

What you want it for would help, there are a ton of options.

Just want to know what to look for if I ever buy one and not get ripped off. But mostly, this picture caught my attention.

free upload

Beautiful ain't it.

 

[308]

^^That's a Yugo. I've had a dozen or so over the years due to having a C&R license and being able to purchase on the cheap when they first came in. They are stunning in the fit and finish area, however, they are big and bulky compared to the svelt Chicom or Russian...the later of which I prefer.

That pic looks like the owner played with Pshop a bit, or maybe used a bit of dye when finishing up the stock.

I might add there are a lot of soup line buyers who bought SKSs during the panic and assume the rest of us don't know what they are really worth, so buyer beware.

 

[OLDNEWBIE]

How come all you ever see at Cabela's are Yugos and not very often. They seem to get 3 or 4 at a time and although very nice clean examples, the large grenade launcher and lack of chrome lining kinda turns me off.

When I finally get one it will be without the launcher and have chrome lining but I'm afraid I'll be paying more than $300 from what I've been seeing online for newish condition ones. Mismatched numbers or not they are definitely going up in price.

 

[OLDNEWBIE]

I'm starting to think of getting one of these stocks for it if I ever do get around to buying an SKS mostly to increase the length of pull.

 

[mjbskwim]

I have to respectfully disagree.

Shooters go for 300 but just like everything else, collectibles do sell for more to people who care.

Sorry but there just isn't enough value there to pay more than $300
Yes they are good shooters but they are still just a 7.62X39 10 shot rifle. More than 300 and I'll step up to a AK
But collect them if you wish

 

[B5Ben]

I had a Russian for a while. I liked well enough and it ran without a hiccup. My issue with them is that the LOP is too short and not the most comfortable to shoot. That caused me to leave it in the safe more often than not. I looked at some aftermarket stocks but a majority of them use the duckbill mags and if I wanted to shoot a mag fed 7.62x39, I just grabbed the AK. Good rifles but I too would find a shooter grade and dress it up from there if needed.

As for them being the best SHTF gun, I think that was all based on price back when you could pick up a rifle and a case of ammo for $200.

 

[Joe13]

I feel like I get where yall are coming from but on the flip side, gas isn't under $1.00 anymore, bread isnt 50¢ and .22lr bricks aren't 4.99 like they used to be.

You couldn't build a quality rifle with the amount of metal and minimal moving parts for the $300 price point yall are setting.

Hell, my walther P22 mostly plastic gun cost me $300 used to buy...

I realize that guns could be had for dirt cheap back in the day and I get that for a lot of yall, they just arent worth what some are paying nowdays but even the cartridge it shoots has gone up in price significantly.

I'd be interested in what other shtf type rifles (or really any rifle chambered in something larger then .22lr) in that price range are available.

Oh, I'd also be interested in any ak's that start in the $350-$400 range the last few I've seen are much closer to $800.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Best SHTF goes beyond price and availability. Very few weapons will function as reliably as the SKS and AK when in an outdoor survival scenario.