AK/SKS questions

There are some AKs that are worth their price. I bought an Arsenal SAM-7R off the rack from MFS many years ago for around $1350, never got around to shooting it and sold it at cost to a good guy off NES. Still kicking myself for letting that one go cause I lusted after a Tavor SAR-1 that wanted to join my crowded safe. The monetary value of that rare AK doesn't really matter (though I've seen someone try to offload theirs for $4500 recently) - it's just a damn good rifle. Hope whoever has it right now is enjoying it thoroughly.
 
daekken said:
If your use case is sporadically bench shooting at 50-150 yard targets and you want to keep costs reasonable (and you're in MA), then SKS is probably the better choice.

It'll get the job done and be more economical. The recent Chinese SKS imports, reportedly by way of Albania, have been somewhat rough based on what I've seen on different forums. A Soviet SKS will run you a good deal more, but they are very nice. As I've mentioned before, Yugos will get the job done as well.

If I recall, @mikelawtown has one or more "older" Chinese SKS, as in, before the batches from the last couple of years, and might be able to tell you more on those ones.

So, again, really boils down to:
a.) use case
b.) budget
Click to expand...
1st pic is my Russian & Chinese / older batch ones that are in excellent shape. Both shoot pretty much exactly the same with the Russian having a slight edge because of a tad better trigger.
2nd pic is from the most recent Chinese ones coming from Albania that was a mess and obviously covered in cosmo but shoots great.
3rd pic is my Chinese Norinco unfired ( except the factory test fire) that just sits in original box locked away

If I could I’d buy 10 more
 

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mikelawtown said:
1st pic is my Russian & Chinese / older batch ones that are in excellent shape. Both shoot pretty much exactly the same with the Russian having a slight edge because of a tad better trigger.
2nd pic is from the most recent Chinese ones coming from Albania that was a mess and obviously covered in cosmo but shoots great.
3rd pic is my Chinese Norinco unfired ( except the factory test fire) that just sits in original box locked away

If I could I’d buy 10 more
Click to expand...
10 more? As an investment, 'cause 'pocalypse (😉), or some other reason?
 
mikelawtown said:
1st pic is my Russian & Chinese / older batch ones that are in excellent shape. Both shoot pretty much exactly the same with the Russian having a slight edge because of a tad better trigger.
2nd pic is from the most recent Chinese ones coming from Albania that was a mess and obviously covered in cosmo but shoots great.
3rd pic is my Chinese Norinco unfired ( except the factory test fire) that just sits in original box locked away

If I could I’d buy 10 more
Click to expand...
Stop flexing on us, bro!
 
mikelawtown said:
1st pic is my Russian & Chinese / older batch ones that are in excellent shape. Both shoot pretty much exactly the same with the Russian having a slight edge because of a tad better trigger.
2nd pic is from the most recent Chinese ones coming from Albania that was a mess and obviously covered in cosmo but shoots great.
3rd pic is my Chinese Norinco unfired ( except the factory test fire) that just sits in original box locked away

If I could I’d buy 10 more
Click to expand...

I like the middle one.

Scarred stocks on an SKS look so right. Mine's a mess, with all sorts of graffiti from whatever hellhole it found itself in last. It's a Sino-Soviet, all matching except the dust cover.
 
Picton said:
I like the middle one.

Scarred stocks on an SKS look so right. Mine's a mess, with all sorts of graffiti from whatever hellhole it found itself in last. It's a Sino-Soviet, all matching except the dust cover.
Click to expand...
Same
It usually means they have been in battle or at the hands of someone who protected their family or village in my mind anyway
 
paul73 said:
i am tired of kicking this horse.
listen. certain things represent certain history and certain aspects that makes them worthy the effort. an authentic soviet AK47 is one of those things. not a chinese ak56, not a yugo or a bulgarian.
all the same analogy with a chinese made colt python replica - buy it and proudly present it to friends saying - it is my favorite colt, made in china.
Click to expand...
I ask about YUGO SKS, you throw me stuff about AK.

Not the same gun.
 
My early 1950’s Chinese SKS has never jammed or misfired, no matter what crappy ammo. Put on a set of aftermarket Techsites that don’t alter the rifle and about double the sight radius. I’m not an AK guy, but rifle is now definitely more accurate than than any AK I’ve shot. Great reliable affordable Carbine.
 
Picton said:
Get a Vz58.

Actually, depending on budget, an SKS would be the better buy. But if it's a choice between an AK and a Vz, and they're both available? Yep. The Vz is the better rifle.

Bear in mind I've owned about six AKs, too, and I love 'em. No matter what you pick, OP, it's tough to go wrong. Avoid USA-made AKs; we don't seem to do them as well as the commies do. Also, if you go for the classic "starter AK" (the WASR), watch for a canted front sight tower that might make it hard to zero.

But they should all go bang with near-zero malfunctions. That's the beauty of the x39 lifestyle.
Click to expand...

I think an AK (or the Czech vz58 cousin if you want to be different) is way better in pretty much every way than an SKS. But, they are more expensive. Vz58 are cool, but take proprietary mags, parts, etc. SKS and AK are both proficient at putting bullets down range very reliably, AK is more versatile and can more easily be customized, I'd feel kind of limited with the SKS.

100% agree with @Picton on avoiding US make AKs. Everything I've ever read, researched and heard from knowledgeable people says 'RUN' from them. A lot have cast front trunions (weaker metal where all the pressure is) and overall have been in the range of ~questionable quality -> Hand grenade with a barrel.

WASR's are awesome though, while the fit and finish (Like Picton said, canted sights, but are good to go as long as you can zero them) isn't as nice finish like a blued Chinese ak, Zastavas, etc., just a military spec parkerized finish, but they are made by Cugir armory in Romania who has/does make a lot of AKs for military use in Romania and around the world. ComBloc Cold Hammer Forged, Chrome lined barrel that have been reported to be very very good in terms of longevity. They will also take standard AKM furniture (unlike the popular pre-ban Chinese AKs, or Yugoslav). They have a very proven record of reliability since the beginning of their importation under the WASR name in the early 2000's, and that of other guns made by Cugir/romarm/whatever of the few names the plant has had in the past.
 
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G4Y4HK said:
How much do SKSes go for these days? I saw them floating around the $400-500 mark for the longest time but recently there have been a couple listings peopl wanted 800-900 for a good shape run of the mill Norinco. Is that the new normal or just retard asking price?
Click to expand...
For sale in MA? Seen em closer to $1000 than the $500 mark. PSA (who refuses to ship anything to MA) and Atlantic Firearms (who refuses to ship a lot of stuff to MA) have some they got in a big batch around the $400-500 mark. But they should virtually all be pre-94 ban so maybe shopping around online and getting it sent to an ffl.
 

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