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Sks no longer practical

12K views 111 replies 28 participants last post by  White Shadow 
#1 ·
With the ar market driving down prices to new lows. And the price increases for the com block sks and even mosins. I cant justify telling a new shooter to pick one up for prepping. Pretty much steering them to the ar market for practical ease and parts.
 
#2 ·
Good points to consider, economics and availability. I along with many others got a great deal when SKS's cost $99.00 and took advantage, the spam cans stacked high and deep to feed them.

Having enough arms and ammo to supply a squad was the goal 13 years ago, some did not have the discipline to sit on them and sold them off for good profit. I am a SKS and Moist Nuget freak, never was fond of the 91/30 but love the carbine models. The M38 and 91/59 models.......love em.
 
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#4 ·
The SKS was built as a military weapon to be used by peasant troops. The rifles were grossly overbuilt and have stood up to years of use and abuse. Lots of the low priced ARs sold today as “milspec” are in fact NOT. Some of the AR parts sold today are barely above junk status. So yes, you can buy cheap ARs. Most will probably function OK for the guy whos shoots one or two magazines 3 times a year. Many will have numerous malfuntions. But when the chips are down, I want a proven quality rifle. Not a no-name cheapy at a bargin basement price. JMHO
 
#7 ·
The SKS was built as a military weapon to be used by peasant troops. The rifles were grossly overbuilt and have stood up to years of use and abuse. Lots of the low priced ARs sold today as "milspec" are in fact NOT. Some of the AR parts sold today are barely above junk status. So yes, you can buy cheap ARs. Most will probably function OK for the guy whos shoots one or two magazines 3 times a year. Many will have numerous malfuntions. But when the chips are down, I want a proven quality rifle. Not a no-name cheapy at a bargin basement price. JMHO
I have owned, built and shot a lot of different AR's and I can not think of any AR that I have owned/built from DPMS, to PSA, to BCA, to others that have had "numerous malfunctions." Quite the opposite really. An inexpensive AR in 5.56 will easily get a person 5,000 rounds of shooting before the barrel "could" start to falter on accuracy. I had some initial feeding and excessive recoil issues with my AR .308, but some work solved that. I am in process of fine tuning the feeding of an 11" AR pistol in 7.62x39 as the mag-M4 feed ramps-shape of 7.62x39 does not make reliable loading and cycling without work, but the ability to use the 7.62x39 round is worth it in my opinion.
I have looked as SKS, but have not yet bought one just for the reasons that OP mentioned.
 
#5 ·
My SKS is part of my military weapon collection.
I have others that make a better fighting weapon, my AKM for example.
Even better than an SKS or AR would be my M1 Garand.

I do not, not would I, own an AR. Just a personal choice.
 
#20 ·
#8 ·
My Chinese SKS and a one thousand round crate of Chinese military surplus steel core was given to me as a gift.
For the price of one today a person could be better served with a Marlin 336 built before the Remington take over.
 
#9 · (Edited)
SKS is a simple basic weapon. Not that great at anything but one the will do for many uses if it is what you have. The attraction to the SKS was it could be had Cheap. And I do mean cheap. Man of of us purchased ours with some ammo tossed in for $69 . And even at that time $69 was not a lot of money. I would never pay what SKS's are sell for now . To darn many out standing rifle that are affordable. I Find the OP to be spot on.
They use to be fun to go out back a waste a lot of 10 cents a round ammo.
 
#10 ·
With military surplus weapons no longer being made, the law of supply and demand dictates rising prices.
An SKS is “worth” whatever someone is willing to pay for one.

And every milsurp that is “sporterized” drive up the price for an unmolested example even more.
Look at what an original Springfield Model 1903 is worth today, since so many were hacked up after WW2 when you could buy one for less than
$20.
Even my 1903A3 has risen in value since I paid $550 for it 15 years ago.

Although somewhere around 50 million Mosin Nagants were produced, the import ban has caused prices for these to rise beyond what people would have considered silly just a decade ago. Priced any lately?

I can pretty much sell any of my milsurp for more than they cost me. Can you say the same for an entry level AR?
 
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#12 ·
With military surplus weapons no longer being made, the law of supply and demand dictates rising prices.
An SKS is "worth" whatever someone is willing to pay for one.

And every milsurp that is "sporterized" drive up the price for an unmolested example even more.
Look at what an original Springfield Model 1903 is worth today, since so many were hacked up after WW2 when you could buy one for less than
$20.
Even my 1903A3 has risen in value since I paid $550 for it 15 years ago.

Although somewhere around 50 million Mosin Nagants were produced, the import ban has caused prices for these to rise beyond what people would have considered silly just a decade ago. Priced any lately?

I can pretty much sell any of my milsurp for more than they cost me. Can you say the same for an entry level AR?
Certainly right that supply and demand controls cost. 2013 an entry level AR15 was $600+ and now can be had for a shade under $400. I bought my Russian Vepr 12 shotgun a few years back for around $700 and now they routinely go for north of $1,200 due to the import ban. Just wait for summer of 2020 as the panic buying will start to commence.
 
#11 ·
In the original intent of the thread, yes, simply as a prepper tool the AR is a better deal than an SKS.
 
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#14 · (Edited)
I have to agree with @Chiefster23. The sks is utterly reliable under unimaginably abysmal conditions. It's going to go bang. If your cheap tacticaled out ar fails it isn't even a good club. If the difference in cost is that great to one, do what you need to do. Cheapest doesn't Always equate to best. You may be betting your life on the trigger making the rifle go bang when needed.
 
#15 ·
I have to agree with @Chiefster23. The sks is utterly reliable under unimaginably abysmal conditions. It's going to go bang. If your cheap tacticaled out ar fails it isn't even a good club. If the difference in cost is that great to one, do what you need to do. Cheapest doesn't Always equate to best.
The sks functions ok . The capacity blows and mounting optics isnt cheap.

I think it now falls into a handout rifle to a member who has no rifle.
 
#18 · (Edited)
The sks functions ok . The capacity blows and mounting optics isnt cheap.

I think it now falls into a handout rifle to a member who has no rifle.

First you say the ar is a better deal, granted. Functions OK? Lay off the crack, anyone who has shot one knows they go bang if laid into mud or whatever. Now you say to give higher priced skas for hand out rifles? Mine has rode in the back of my pickup for 20 years, I don't care about nicks and bumps, when I pick it up it does what its supposed to. they work due to loose tolerances in adverse conditions. Same as original 1911's. I wouldn't own a Kimber or the such for serious work for the same reasons. jmo.

I'm ready for the flak I'll get from this, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
 
#19 ·
I have no idea about the SKS, never had one never fired one although from what I've heard I wish I was 18 during their "golden age" when one could be had for under 100 bucks. I seem to remember at our LGS there beng crates of them for 300 or 400 bucks but that was some time ago. From what I understand they're pretty reliable and they are able to take deer pretty effectively so if someone was looking for a rifle that could fill the deer rifle and self defense modes that may work. Again, no practical personal experience just what I've read online. I will say I'm pretty happy with my AR as far as self defense rifle goes.

After viewing this thread I checked gunbroker to see what Mosin Nagants are going for these days and was shocked. By using a simple online calculator I determined that if I wanted to sell my rifle today at the current prices I would be making a 66% profit margin if it sold for the lowest prices that I'm seeing.

All in all I've got to agree with the OP. With the current prices on russian milsup its better to pay just a fraction more and get a modern rifle. Generally they are going to be more accurate, even the budget models, and will be more friendly to customization such as adding optics and other accessories. Ammunition will also be cheaper, available, and in more variety especially at the local level. Not to mention that there are just some good guns out there these days that don't cost a lot of money, I guess we can thank the 2012-2013 panic for that one.
 
#36 ·
Everyone should have a weapon or two that fire 7.62X39, and a supply of ammo for it. Should all ammo go black market for some reason it will be among the more common . It does not have to be a really great weapon just one that works. 7.6X39 is generally a shorter range round and most bulk ammo for is not sniper grade anyway.
 
#42 ·
Drug Dealers and Gangbangers really don't have a gun or cartridge of choice in my experience. Oh they may sing about it in rap lyrics or flash stuff on social media but the reality is few of them can legally purchase a gun, felony convictions and certain misdemeanor crimes prevent that. The guns they carry are stolen, usually from good honest people that make the critical mistake of leaving an unsecured gun in an unsecured vehicle. Occasionally you'll have a house burglary but most of our local felon gun supply originates from thefts from vehicles. Around here our local gun stores push the Taurus PT Millennium G2's and pocket .380's like the LCP and TCP. Therefore most of our gun crime is committed using these weapons.
 
#43 ·
Heck, the drug gangs in Jacksonville often use AK's and AR's.
The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office facebook page posts evidence photos when their undercover drug units make a decent size bust. And there, arrayed among the pounds of meth, bags of pills, heroin, stacks of cash, are the weapons. Some nice ones occasionally too - S&W revolvers, etc.
 
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#45 · (Edited)
M1, 1903,SKS, AR , 303 Enfileds ect were sold cheap buy the truck loads because they were military and in many case the SKS just cheap production runs. The AR has never been sold off as Military surplus and never will be. That is why you could buy the others dirt cheap at one time. At one time was a huge amount of M1's and 1903 in storage. they were being disposed of over time through marksmanship programs and public sales and very low or almost free prices. Bill Clinton ended that by tossing them in the scarp furnace to prevent the public from getting them. The prices of those weapon sky rocketed over night. Weapon like the Enfiled were sitting in storage for a generation and more . You could buy them for around $70 dollars when they started deposing of them.
You can build a hype on any product and it will forever build on it's self. That does not make the weapon a great one. The SKS is not now nor was it ever worth $300-$600 dollars. It was a value at $69.
Maybe I should have sold mine when they were going for $600. I paid about $69 for them . But few problems with that. One I do not ever sell a firearm, two if I did sell one then it is gone and I may never be able to replace it. I will let the next generation figure out what to do with them.
There is no weapon platform on this earth that can compare to the AR. None more flexible none as easy to work on or modify. None with as many options for parts and use. Take a long hard look you can not deny it.
 
#46 ·
I like my Chicom SKS. My dad bought it and a Russian model at a pawn shop in the early 90's. Early 2000's you could still get them for less that a hundred bucks. I remember seeing racks and racks of them at Gander Mountain for $95. I put an OD green Tapco stock on it, gonna get a decent red dot for it someday. It eats whatever ammo I run through it. The only thing I don't like are mag changes. I use the 30rd naner clips (I know it's a magazine and not a clip, hush). The duckbill makes it a bit of a pain. I've found mods to use AK mags but I don't want to hack it up with permanent changes. It's a fun gun for now, but if SHTF it'll be a back-up gun or for someone who doesn't have a gun for whatever reason.
 
#49 ·
Absolutely the Mini 14 is better for my needs as a farm rifle.
And I have much better combat rifles if my life depends on one.
 
#54 ·
I am actually shotgun heavy, not sure how that happened, but I really don't need another one. I have various AR platforms in both 5.56 and 308 so I am covered when things get hot, but a mini 14 has been on my list for a while. Had one in my hand at the gun shop the other day. I like the feel of it. Next commission check and one may just find it's way into my safe.
 
#55 ·
Again, I also have Ruger, in 22LR. I have no need for anything bigger. Properly placed, a bullet flies, and something dies.

Also, I am not a member of a militia. It's just me and the wifie. Yeah, she has a Charter Arms Bulldog and it's scary to watch her chew out the ten-ring. My point is that 'noise' is just as deadly to you as incoming bullets. In fact, your own noise might be the cause of incoming bullets.

We have kids in the area, and I hear cap-guns and yes, illegally fired 22s, it's the suburbs. I cannot rightly tell the difference or the direction.

So Charlie Manson and his posse' come to the 'burbs. One by one they fall with a teenie bullet to the brain pan. Not very macho, but deadly effective.
 
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