[afi1]

My friend has a few SKS's, I'm not sure what kind. Anyway, they were fun to shoot and I have been thinking about picking one up. I've done a good bit of reading, and found some decent modifications that can be easily done to improve their accuracy. Namely a good bedded fiberglass stock, the removal of all junk hanging off the barrel and crown job, a trigger job and a receiver mounted rear sight/small front post or a nice and sturdy scope mount. I was just wondering which rifle you would recommend? I'm not trying to get one for pocket change, so price isn't that big of a deal. I just want one that is well built to start with. Are the Russian ones better than others? I'm not too worried about removable mags either, fixed ones are fine by me. Thanks guys.

[Highpower]

Originally Posted by afi1

Are the Russian ones better than others?

Generally, yes - and are priced accordingly.

[jpattersonnh]

You may be suprised with the accuracy of a stock SKS. I would shoot w/ a buddy years ago. He used a mini 14, I used a 1953 Russian SKS. At 200 yards he was trying to hit a 2'x2' board that held the targets, I would shoot the 2" posts we used to hold up the board. Good rifles.

[jpattersonnh]

Dupe, please delete!

[res45]

As far as SKS rifles go the Russians are the granddaddy of the SKS rifles being the first of there kind but as far as SKS rifles go any SKS in very good to excellent conditions is a good rifle. I own a Chinese and a Yugo I got both of mine for what I would have paid for a Russian if I could have found one. I'm not knocking the Russian SKS by no mean there great rifles but as far as function and accuracy either of my two will hold there own with any Russian out there.

The main thing to look for regardless of which version you go with is to look at the overall appearance of the rifle inside and out. Fit,finish and condition of the bore and crown of the muzzle,don't waste your money on someone else's bubba project your just asking for trouble. Most of the aftermarket stuff is junk and will prove itself to be that right off the bat or later on after some use the rifle simply works best as it was designed with just a couple minor exceptions.

One is trigger on some SKS rifles are pretty bad,you can have a nice trigger job done for about $65 here SKS triggers, improve the safety of the SKS carbines personally I didn't see the need to do it with mine. The other and one of the only two mods I have done to my SKS rifles is replaced the front sight post with a Techsight target post,there about half the dia. of the original SKS front post I paid $12 for two shipped to my front door and they fit any SKS rifle. The other mod is optics,I use the irons on my Chinese I mostly use it at 100 meters MAX range or less because of my eyesight thats about as far away as I can focus good.

On my Yugo I have a Choate drill and tap four screw mount mounted on the receiver with a 3 x 9 x 40 Bushnell scope it's rock solid and sets high enough you can remove the rear receiver cover for cleaning and still use the iron if need be. Scoutscopes also makes a mount that replaces the rear sight leaf you can use either a red dot or long eye relief scope with it attached to the removable weaver rail which when also is remove leave you with rear sight,reattaching the weaver rail puts you back on zero ulike the cheaper file to fit rear cover that eventually shoot loose and require removing to clean the rifle.

As far as a blank statement that any SKS is inaccurate,I would have to see the rifle in question,ammo being used in it and the ability of the person firing it. Just throwing lead downrange with the cheapest ammo of the day and never adjusting the sights properly it's no wounder you see so many claims of the SKS being inaccurate. Most SKS rifles regardless of version in good condition will shoot accurately with the right ammo,you just need to find which brand works the best for your particular rifle adjust the sights to it and stick with it if you want consistent accuracy. All the fixes and add ons want do you one bit of good if you just keep throwing the ammo grab of the day down the tube.

SKS versions and differances
http://www.yooperj.com/

Choate
*Collecting and Shooting the SKS* Carbine - Choate Scope Mount

Scout Mount
Collecting and Shooting the Military Surplus Rifle (2006) - Surplusrifle.com

[afi1]

I have found on other forums that people say not to dismiss any make of the rifle, but to base a purchase around overall quality, as y'all have said. Some swear by the Yugo, others by the Norinco, and still others by the Russian. I'll take that into consideration when looking for one. I do think I'll shy away from the Yugo's for their lack of a chrome lined barrel and chamber. I'm not going to load it with TAPCO junk either. The stock and scope mount I am looking at are actually from Choate. I'll still cut all the useless junk off the barrel, get the trigger worked and bed the stock. One question, with that mount and a scope that size, can stripper clips still be used? Do I need a brass deflector as well?

[res45]

Can't use stripper with the big scope,they make some smaller ones that you can use them with though. If the scope or red dot sight doesn't interfere with using strippers then you want need a deflector.

The issue of the non chrome lined barrel comes up often,as long as the bore is in good condition with strong rifling you want ever wear it out,chrome want save you if you shoot corrosive ammo in them either the gas tube and block isn't chromed. Chrome makes the bore a little easier to clean but thats about it.

[RobDennis]

Russians are ok but youre also paying for the name. You can pick up a Yugo M59 for 200-250$ less than a Russian and its basically IDENTICAL to the russian with the exception it doesnt have a chrome lined barrel but the barrel is a lit more heavy duty/thicker. heres my Yugo M59 and yes it has a M59/66 stock on it cause the original split. it looked the same liek the one pictured but it had a fracture internally. Whenit split I tried to get it fixed but was told by three different wood workers that it wont be safely mended so i put the other stock on. its missing the cleaning rod cause i have no idea where it went. I lost it somewhere

[c3shooter]

One minor issue- some of the Yugos with a grenade launcher have a gas shutoff valve (used when firing grenades). This valve is a point of failure on many of the Yugos due to wear/ corrosion. They CAN be fixed, but unless I plan to launch grenades, or got a REALLY good price, I would skip the Yugos. I have 2 Norincos, one has had a shorty scope added,the other I brought home in 68. Yes, I have the papers. No, no import stamp.

[robocop10mm]

The Russians and Yugos are true Mil Surp rifles. Nearly all the Chinese (Norinco) versions are new manufacture made for the US market. As a result the Chinese rifles are generally in better condition. Many Yugos are well worn rifles and shoot/function accordingly.