I see that Othias and Mae have broken the shackles of the Great War and moved on to more “modern” times, specifically in terms of the SKS semi-auto carbine (and yes, I know that “SKS” means “semi-auto carbine system” in Russki #Redundancy).
Let it be known that I lovelovelove this little piece of Commieness, almost as much as I do (ex-) Commieskater Katerina Witt. In fact, keeping the comparison to guns only, I prefer it to the AK-47. I’ve owned both — and therefore, surprise surprise, fired both, a lot — and I enjoy shooting the SKS more than I do the AK.
I know, I know: the SKS holds only ten rounds in its mag, whereas the AK can hold a zillion, whatever. I find reloading the SKS with a stripper clip more pleasant than reloading a 20- or 30-round magazine (even with a guide and several stripper clips), and I would venture to suggest that firing, say, 100 rounds (ten SKS clips) works out to about the same time as it takes me to fire five AK mags. (Why only the 20-round mag, Kim? Because you can’t shoot a 30-round mag from prone without some contortion involved.)
And I don’t subscribe to the “spray ‘n pray” fire doctrine so beloved of AR-15 shooters, both by training and by inclination. You want suppressing fire, ask a machine-gunner to do it for you.
The SKS, being a more solidly-built firearm than the AK, also dampens the already-low recoil of the 7.62x39mm Commie cartridge, which means I can shoot off more rounds before Ye Olde Shouldyrre starts to ache.
Given my druthers, therefore, I would much rather keep the handy little SKS under the bed for, um, social work than the much-clumsier AK. There: I’ve said it.
If I were asked to perform some militia activity, e.g. guard duty (I’m too old for patrols and such), it would be the SKS slung on my shoulder and not the AK-47, had I any say in the matter.
I also like the attached bayonet of the SKS because it’s a lot easier to pop it open than to fiddle around with a scabbard on my waist to get the sticker onto any rifle, and not just the AK.
So there it is: it’s a fine gun, even allowing for the fact that its origins are Communist. They’re available in the West, so said origins can be ignored.
And here’s another piece of Communist finery whose origins can be ignored:
I got distracted reading the whole thing.. somehow my mind combined “Katerina Witt” and “under my bed for social work” and that’s all I could think about..
You can swap out the SKS fixed magazine for a mag adapter that accepts AK detachable mags.
Dammit! At 67, I’m trying to tame my gun acquisition disorder (GAD?) and I thought I had it under control. Since son and heir will inherit both gun safes and their contents, I’ve started asking him to split things with me, but he has demurred, probably because he knows I’ll buy stuff anyway on my own. Which I just did. With a handsome Arisaka type 99.
I was looking at a Russian SKS a month ago, but resisted since I had just purchased the Arisaka. And here you are, rekindling my GAD.
Dammit. I’ll be thinking about this all day and chances are good I’ll have one by the weekend. Thanks for nothing! >:
My son took his first deer with an SKS. His buddies asked if he intended to stab the deer with the bayonet. 120 grain soft nose Winchester (I think) did the job and the nice 4 point buck was dead right there.
100% with you on the SKS. Bought one 40 years ago in non working condition for 60 bucks. Minor elbow grease (well a lot actually), a new spring and ,modern piston is all it needed. It is a pleasure to take to the range. Few kids know what it is as it is not an eeeevil black gun thus no one pays much attention. Come to think of it, does not look much different than the Ruger 10/22 at 50 paces.
I ended up with a Yugo. The grenade launching adapter on the front make it overly heavy and a little awkward. Still love it tho’. For those of you saying I can remove it, I know, I won’t, its part of the guns soul.
+1. Never cared to own an AK. Nothing against them, just personal preference. For me, three big pluses the SKS has over the AK–
1) The safety.
2) Bolt locks open after last round.
3) Price.
I had my FFL back in the 90’s when surplus SKS’s were literally coming in to the country by the boat load. My cost was $79. I picked out one absolutely pristine Russian gun for myself. Have never fired it. Occasionally a customer would be mulling over getting an AK, which I was happy to do for them, but I would point out that for that price, they could get an SKS plus a 1000 round case of ammo and still have money left over.
The other SKS I got was a Norinco with a 16.5 inch barrel marketed through Navy Arms as the “Cowboy Companion”. Yeah, some concepts don’t translate well. These were new manufacture and did not qualify as C&R guns. I got a plastic sporter stock for it which meant removing the folding bayonet as the stock was not cut for it. Completely transformed the handling with longer length of pull and better balance. I have put a lot of round through this one. Also have a stash of “duck bill” 30-round mags.
The SKS is a fine rifle and I regret not buying one years ago when they were dirt cheap. Now they cost around five hundred here behind enemy lines. Unfortunately they don’t cause the anti rights folks to get a case of the vapors the same way that an AK or AR does.
I hate myself for back in the day saying “I don’t want anything to do with those fucking commie guns” God above how stupid I was.
I’ve seen the SKS and AK47 referenced in the quote, “The SKS or AK47 are the only things produced by communists that work and the left hates them both.”
OK, Kim’s done it again. I’m in talks with someone in PA wanting to sell a Romanian M56 F2F for $600. That didn’t take long.
What should I be looking for, I’m not that familiar with them. Bore, obviously, as they likely had a steady diet of corrosive ammo at some point. Anything else I should be looking for? I’m not going to quibble on price, I think, it matters not what they sold for “in the good old days”, $600 seems within reason based on current listings, and we won’t need an FFL or have to deal with shipping.
Hope it’s a good shooter!
They a very robust, not much to go wrong. As the old Russian proverb goes, “Hit rifle with shovel. Rifle work fine now”.
That said, I would ask for detailed photos. Down the backlit bore, dis-assembled gas system, bottom of rifle pulled out of the stock. Also make sure firing pin is free floating and not stuck in place before you shoot it. Easy fix if need be.
Thank you very much!
Corrosive ammo I would say is the main issue, bore and gas tube. There’s a yuuuge (or used to be) availability of spare parts for it. $600 seems a bit spendy, but the world has outran me that way.
One thing I will say is don’t get fancy and try to Rambo hip fire it. My Yugo hates that to the point where it will partially extract, jam, and getting the obturate case out is un-fun. Especially out in the sagebrush with nothing but a pocket knife.
Use the provided cleaning rod to push the jammed case out.
Have a very nice Russian SKS in an original laminated stock, w/blade bayonet, that I purchased as a package deal along with a Nagant revolver in original style web holster.
I’ve had them for at least 20-years, but never fired them.
Nice To Haves!
Oh and Kim…. Thankee again for the inclusion of Ms Witt. I’m sure she, like the SKS would have preferred to have been brought into a non-communist world.
If you like the SKS, and who wouldn’t, wait till you get you get your hands on a Czech VZ 52/57. It is to the SKS what the VZ 58 is to the AK-47, namely it’s much nicer cousin. I have mine. Gun Jesus had a video on the 52/57 recently. Recommended.
I bought a Yugo SKS in 2006. It was still vacuum packed. I’d never owned a “new” gun before and the raw wooden furniture was a mystery to me. Luckily, there was a guy with a blog about a nation of riflemen who took the time to answer my emailed questions and taught me all about linseed oil. Thanks, Kim, the rifle has given good service and is a joy to own.