How dependable can the SKS be?

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gearbox

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I'm planning on being away for a while. Merchant Marines for a year, school for another 1-2 years. I have a semi-auto handgun, a revolver and a shotgun. Obviously I need a rifle. But I'm broke and jobless.

I'm scared California's politics will spread and make it harder and more expensive to get a good rifle. I'd like an M1A Scout (and/or an AK/RPK if I move to Oregon), but I can't afford that. The SKS would make a good "interim" SHTF rifle, wouldn't it? I would plan on keeping the SKS in storage and buy a better rifle when I get back in 2+ years.

My question is with so many dirt-cheap SKSs, how would I go about making it rugged and dependable? What should I look for and how should I test it? What parts should I have spares of? What are the necessary upgrades and accessories (aside from stripper clips and ammo)?
 
You're not going to go wrong with an SKS. The Yugos that are available right now are great deals and an excellent/unissued one can be had for about $150. 'Shooter' grades for even less. As far has 'making it rugged and dependable', well, they come that way already. Load it, shoot it, clean it. It'll go bang every time.
 
My question is with so many dirt-cheap SKSs, how would I go about making it rugged and dependable?
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You don't have to make it rugged and dependable. That's built into the design. You can keep it rugged and dependable by not "upgrading" it. Most of the problems folks have with SKS carbines are from end user "improvements". All you need are ammo (lots of it!), clips, a sling, perhaps a few bandoliers or pouches, and the SKS itself.

I have over 10 SKS from almost every country that imported them to the U.S. I've picked them up in various states and conditions. Most worked out of the box. A few needed repairs, mostly missing parts. After fixing those that were broken with the correct parts, all have been 100% reliable. As a matter of fact, I'd trust any one of them as much as my SAR-1 AK for the "goes bang every time" factor.

Thinks to look for:

General good condition: nothing broken or missing

Original parts: You don't want one that somebody has been messing with and adding all kinds of cheap, aftermarket tacticality

Chrome bore: Yugos don't have them, all the rest do. Not the end of the world, but chrome bore adds bonus points for reliability

Straightness: Make sure the sight block and gas block are not canted to one side.

If you get a Yugo, get one in "Unissued" condition. Saving a few bucks for a "good condition shooter" is false economy. These things don't have chrome bores and weren't always well mantained many times leading to pitted bores, rough chambers(extraction problems) and coroded gas valves.

Spare parts:

Most parts on these things are tough. The only thinks I can think of that could break or wear are the firing pin, the crosspin for it, extractor, trigger group and spare sights. I'd just get a spare complete rifle or two(one of the lower grades are appropriate for this). They are cheap enough.
 
get the unissued yugo for 150 or less(local ffl has em for 129 plus tax)...they are brand new barrels and such so you shouldnt have to worry cept cleaning the thing when you get it home..they covered them in ALOT of grease.I have 2..a yugo m66 and a russian made 1951 tula.as they are..they are dependable and rugged...accurate and a piece of history.some people will stick cheap aftermarket 30 rnders in them and expect them to work..stick with the basic gun and you should be fine.
 
They are very reliable. The only trouble I've had with mine is some FTF's with a removable 30 round mag. Stick with the original 10 rounder and you'll be fine.
 
sks RELIABILITY

The SKS and AK rifles were designed for a poorly trained peasant army to be able to hit man sized targets at 200 metres under battle conditions on the Eastern front so anything you throw at them wont stop them if you keep them reasonably clean. They should outlast you.
 
I don't put many rounds downrange with my rifles, due to a lack of time, money and a close range. But I've put, oh, about 500 rounds through my Norinco SKS and it has yet to fail, save for one slam fire with Remington ammunition. They are extremely reliable, IMO.
 
I would plan on keeping the SKS in storage and buy a better rifle when I get back in 2+ years.
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If you do this I'd highly suggest you have someone keep you informed any new laws passed affecting gun ownership in your state. You don't want to come back and find out you are an "instant felon" because they banned SKS's also and you failed to register yours as a "grandfathered" weapon due to being out of the country or state. Just something to consider.

As for the choice, there are few better. Actually for the money I can't think of a better rifle.

Good Shooting
Red
 
how would I go about making it rugged and dependable?
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You don't have to make it that way. It IS that way.

Like others have said, the time you're going to have problems with an SKS is when you start adding doodads to it. The only time I had a problem with mine (Norinco) was when I ignored this advice. I tried an aftermarket 30-rd mag. didn't work worth a ....well you know what it didn't work worth.

Dave
 
I trust my life with my Russian SKS.

If you break into my house you're more likely to get 7.62x39 in you than 9mm.;)

If I hear a bump in the night I just fix the bayonet and start poking in the darkness.
 
can I ask a question that might have an obvious answer? why do the aftermarker hi-caps not work? I have seen the SKSs and would like to get one but also like the idea of a 20 or 30 round detachable mag. whats wrong with them? not intended as a flame, just a question.
 
SKS production is pretty clunky and most magazines don't really fit all that tight.

The SKS was never designed for anything but a fixed mag and the detacheable mag thing is just "wishful thinking".
 
The 10 roung mag is the only drawback to the sks' design.

Just get some stripper clips, and practice with them until you can reload as fast as you feel will be needed.

And unlike ar-15/m-16 strippers the sks clips can be re-used 100s of times because they don't have the cheap tabs on the end for retention.
 
If anyone knows how to make a stock, unmodified Romanian SKS more accurate PLEASE let me know, mine is very unreliable...




















It had a failure to feed after I shot 800 rounds of wolf without cleaning! :D
 
If anyone has an unreliable SKS I would usually tell them to change all the springs in the gun. I did have a Russian SKS fixed mag spring go bad on me after about 1000rds. The things been sitting in a warehouse for about 40yrs so I can't complain.;)


I'm pretty sure WOLF gun springs has some kind of upgrade for the SKS rifles. Sometimes those primers on WOLF ammo gotta get wacked pretty hard and the hammer spring on a 50yr old rifle might not be good enough.
 
If 10 rounds doesnt tickle your fancy, you can buy a chinese 20 round non removable box magazine that works as good as the 10 round does


just my .02


Gary
 
What state do you live in now?
Since you are going to be away for awile anyhow, why not move to a more pro-gun state when you get done with whatever you are going to do?
Anyhow, an SKS is as good as an AK in my book. I have actually found that they tend to be a little more accurate, at least when I am shooting them. I am sort of contemplating replacing my AK with an SKS, FWIW.
 
can I ask a question that might have an obvious answer? why do the aftermarker hi-caps not work? I have seen the SKSs and would like to get one but also like the idea of a 20 or 30 round detachable mag. whats wrong with them? not intended as a flame, just a question.
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Just my opinion, but It's probably because the only aftermarket mags you can get are cheaply made and low quality items from USA Magazines and various Chinese manufacturers out for a quick capitalist buck. I think if somebody like Mec Gar made them, they'd probably feed OK. Of course, then they'd cost $50 each instead of $20.

If anyone knows how to make a stock, unmodified Romanian SKS more accurate PLEASE let me know, mine is very unreliable...
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What do you consider inaccurate? 4" groups @ 100 yards is very good for these, 6-8" groups is average. If you're getting 12-16" groups then yea, maybe you need to look for another one. Like the AK, these rifles were designed with reliability and ease of manufacturing as Job #1. Accuracy came in third in the requirements. "Combat accuracy" is the term often used when referring to the AK and SKS type rifles.

No offence intended, but if you want "target accuracy" from this class of rifle, save up for an AR. It's just not what the SKS was designed for.
 
It has been said that the SKS is the most rugged and reliable semi-auto rifle ever made. I happen to agree with that statement. I have 9 of them bought in various grades and fire in various states of clean/dirty. Never a single malfunction of any kind except for when I tried my hand at a fixed 20rd mag. It failed to pick up rounds once in a while for some reason. I do have a 20rd and a 30rd detachable mag and both have been 100%. I wouldn't trust them as much as the fixed 10 rd mag but it goes to show that not all after market mags are unreliable.

For what you are looking for, the SKS was made for. You could not and will not find a better choice for the money.
 
What state do you live in now?
Since you are going to be away for awile anyhow, why not move to a more pro-gun state when you get done with whatever you are going to do?
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I'm living in California right now and I do enjoy it. I have a great bunch of friends, regular hang-out areas, there is great weather and I am close to the beach. I'm planning on moving to Oregon, but where I ultimately end up is dependent upon where I choose to take a job.
 
When I first got my Yugo it was a straight pull action only, the gastube fit was real sloppy so I bought a U.S. made replacement gastube from tapco and since then its never failed to cycle again. Every bit as reliable as my VEPR K.
Great guns but make sure you try them out first with a couple hundred rounds before you trust your life to it.
 
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