sks brands. norinco vs yugo
 

stopped in at the gun shop again yesterday. now they have two sks.. a yugo wi bayonet and a norinco with nothing. the norince looks to have a nicer stock, but the yugo has the bayonet, and muzzlebreak. yugo is 324, norinco is 370. which would you buy?

Personally, i don't like the grenade launcher thing on the Yugos. I have a Norinco that i am happy with (spike bayonet & all).

I was told the Yugo's didn't get chromed bores, but i am not certain. If you are planning on using the surplus ammo with corrosive primers, you want the chromed bore.

Norinco all the way, the build QA is like night and day between them. All the extra crap on the yugo is prety much worthless, if you ever need to use a bayonet something has gone very very wrong.

I am almost 100 % you are right about the chrome lined the norinco is a exact copy of a Russian. I have 2 of each and the norinco's are much better quality
and don't have that stupid grenade launcher you will never get to use lol

Indeed. Norinco would be my choice as well, for the same reasons.

Chinese made SKSs are the best of all the SKSs. They have fully lined Chambers and barrels and have an unmatched reputation for reliablity with their default magazine. :cool:

The Norinco is a commercial copy of the Chinese type 56 (SKS). It is NOT military surplus. They were made for export to the US commercal market. They have chrome bores and generally have good quality overall.

The Yugo is a true Mil-Surp as they were actual issue to the Yugoslavian military. They saw service in the field and show it. Most are at least dinged up a bit. They are not chrome bored. They sometimes have issues in the gas system because of the lack of chrome. The grenade launching muzzle device is unique and interesting, but lacks purpose for us.

If you want a good, reliable shooter...go Norinco

If you want a Mil-Surp rifle with character...go Yugo

I had a good yugo, but the non chrome lined barrel was an issue for me.
I'm sure the guys have the spike for the norinco, they just took it off for cleaning.
I bought this norinco paratrooper a few weeks ago and I'm very happy with it. It was made in 1992.
Go with the Norinco!

My Norinco after Tapco got ahold of it

For very similar bore/rifling and overall condition, the Norinco. Why?

The Yugo's grenade launcher might be very secondary to many, due to the Yugo's legendary rugged construction.
But the Yugo's more forward center-of-gravity and weight steered me towards a Norinco in '08. The Yugo is a bit awkward to hold for a while, sitting on the river bank while aiming at feral grapefruits from a partial squat.

For an extra $50 or so, you might find a good Russian SKS on your area at a gun show etc?
I've read that some Russian triggers can be very tight, but have not tried them.

The benefits of the Russian are that they are The originals and have chrome-lined bores, and real bayonets.
They often have very attractive smoky reddish/brown wood, which is harder than the Chinese choa wood. This choa on mine is fairly easy to scratch or scrape.

SAMCO (in Miami) still has some Yugos with no grenade launchers.
Have you spent any time on "SKSboards"?

i went back to check on them again last week. and they were both gone :( guess i'll have to keep waiting