Andy Wood Drug? What kind of drugs? I’m gonna be that guy lol, the correct past tense of drag is dragged. That aside, she sounds like a real beaut! Love when milsurps have an authentic rough used look
For California this is the gun to have. It’s already “featureless” having that fixed mag. Holds the standard 10 rounds for Ca, shoots as fast as your AK and same power. Few seconds slower to load if you don’t practice. But the media doesn’t think it’s very scary since it has no pistol grip or assault clip.
@@cdawson198600 right like I love my old war girls because they gun grabbers point at ar15s and go no one needs a weapon of war I point to mine and go what about these and they just go those are fine and I laugh in man stopping power over 300+ yards away
It is the go-to here in Canada as well for the same reasons. We are stuck with 5 rounds max (a rivet keeps the mag from accepting 10) but they are unrestricted so we can shoot anywhere we are legally allowed such as rural land. Unfortunately the media here still thinks it's a scary semi-auto....
Mxxx Bxxx That’s incorrect. The SKS is a specific exemption to that law. California law specifically states that that adding a detachable magazine to an SKS makes it an “assault weapon,” making it illegal.
I bought three of the Chinese SKS's in 1995 in a gunshop in Louisiana for $79.00 each. The bayonets were removed by the dealer as he said he the bayonets were prohibited under the Clinton assault rifle ban. He had a bucket full listed as tent stakes for $9.95 each. I bought three. That's the reason a lot are missing bayonets.
Imagine thinking a bayonet makes a gun more lethal in anything besides trench warfare. Like literally the only use I can personally think of is putting a deer out of its misery if you didn’t get a clean kill. If a guy breaks into my pad I’m shootings his ass lmaooo
@@saltydawg8988I used my spike bayo as a monopod, I thought it was common sense; now you're telling me that I geniused the concept. Boy how you really do, learn something new every day. 😮 😅 😢 😂
Have you tried it? Have you notice that no gun manufacturer uses a "monopod" because there is no stability as it wobbles left and right? Maybe if you stab it into the ground. But when I worked in a gun store in the 1990s, we called them "monopods" to get around the Clinton Assault Weapons ban against bayonets....because we had such a problem with drive by bayoneting.
Thanks for the video, Tim. My dad has an old Chinese SKS that he bought years ago when we lived in CA before the '94 ban. When the ban was initiated he received a letter instructing him to get rid of or destroy it. He tossed it in the trash -- the letter, that is -- and still has the rifle to this day. His no BS attitude was passed down to me and when I inherit the SKS I will keep it for as long as I live.
@@Adam-zi5se I wholeheartedly agree with you Sir. The anti gun laws here in Commiefornia are ASININE. When I think about how it was here in the 1960's and prior, and the way things are now, I really noticed how much we have lost of our Freedoms. I used to have a 1967 Chevy P/U with a rifle rack over the rear window. Yes, since we've been burdened with more and more gun laws, there have been more shootings. Something in our culture has changed for the worse. It's not the firearms, it's the loose nut holding the firearms.
@Eric da' MAJ This was back in the 90's and his SKS has detachable 30 round magazines. I was just a kid back then but I imagine at minimum the 30 round mag violated the ban of '94.
The ban didnt require anyone to get rid of or destroy anything. If you had one you could keep it. All weapons were grandfathered in. The SKS was never one of the weapons on the ban list. But I got mine in 97 with a bayonet still attached. The SKS didnt have enough cosmetic points to require it to not have the bayonet. But some were still imported without them. Also how did California know he had the rifle. They didnt have any type of registration for them, especially back then. This story sounds incorrect to say the least.
The SKS is a great rifle for many reasons. It shoots an inexpensive and abundant .30 cal round, it is a well built military grade weapon, it is quite accurate, it is very reliable, proven, low maintenance, etc. The list goes on...If I were stuck with nothing but an SKS, I would be fine with that. In fact, I would prefer it over most others. They are excellent rifles. The poor man's Garand! Great video!
Tool-less disassembly (you need to use a bullet tip for some parts, ideally screw driver). That's a big feature too. Only a complete 100% requires a tool and it's a flathead so use a stick.
I don't know how many deer, hogs or coyote I've taken in Ga, Fl and Co with my SKS. I love the damn thing, it just keeps on going and going an going....
My dad fought in the Vietnam war and got one of these chamber in 762x39. He hasn’t shot the gun over 15 years and decided to take it to a outdoor range the summer of 2022. My dad was hitting 3inch clay targets at 50, 80 yards with just the iron sights.
Great way to equip your community/neighborhood 50 citizens equipped with these and a single belt fed hbr AR with a forced reset trigger would make a formidable force against local LE / ATF raids Theoretically..
Amen, I buy them when I find them less than $250.00, I have several. I have some Yugoslavia made, they are cool just because there is no country of Yugoslavia anymore.
I have one for shooting... and another which is branded as a "parade SKS".... Which is clean and polished as as hell and never fired. That one is for display...
Short answer: yes. Everything in one package, just get ammo. No magazines. Cleaning rod and cleaning tools always with the gun. And bayonette for drive-by-bayonetting and sticking the gun in the ground at wintertime. What is there not to like? And it's accurate enough and the sights are pretty much identical to AK. (I got the Tech Sights for mine, shittier to disassemble/assemble now, needs a flat screwdriver, but much much better sight picture without ruining the gun's beautiful profile)
I really like the SKS. For a prepper, you can leave stripper clips loaded for decades and not have to worry about magazine spring fatigue. I also like how it can be loaded via stripper clip or via loose cartridges. It gets around the issue of only having 1 magazine, or loosing your last mag. A good prepper should have a bunch of magazines, but not all preppers are good a being preppers. I agree that the AR is an overall better platform, but I feel that the SKS is more forgiving for the inexperienced and under prepared.
bigghoss762 Well what’s the standard capacity for a Mini-14? Hope I’m not starting a debate lol. But ignoring caliber and ballistics, I think the SKS is on par with the Mini-14 for use as a truck/ranch rifle. Either way I don’t live on a ranch or own a truck, but I want both a Mini-14 and an SKS. And you ain’t kidding about the price. I live in upstate NY, and cheapest I see them for is 5-600
I would not say that a SKS is better then an AR in a SHTF scenario but it is definitly a viable option, it hits hard and it is reliable and fairly accurate, i would easily trust my life to this weapon without thinking twice.
For hunting and survival\wat if needed compared to 5.56 for the hunting part? In Canada I couldn’t figure out what AR-15s were built to last in a war or survival situation, then with the AR-15 ban, i really don’t know what 5.56 rifle to buy, so i just got the Chinese sks as my first gun, I know military surplus doesn’t always mean better, but I wanted a military made sks for the built quality, a 20 inch barrel for better distance and the Chinese wood is so lightweight. But it is super loud.
I love my little "paratrooper" model. I bought it at Buds in the early 90's for $99. Thats when Buds was in a little strip mall down the road from it current location.
SKS fast loading without stripper clips : Fully open the magazine. With rifle upside down drop a half dozen or so rounds quickly into the open magazine well. Close and lock the mag over the rounds, flip rifle back over and you are ready to lock and load.
weapons ammo, @@al3xander353 thats why I got all my stuff, years ago. I could start my own gun store lol. Not really but I have enough for a looooooong time
The question everyone needs to be asking about their gear is, "What are the odds a person threatening me will be better-equipped?" Some things matter less; a 1911 vs. a Glock, 95% of the time the extra ammo capacity of the Glock won't come into play and a quality 1911 is otherwise equal or superior in terms of accuracy, ergonomics, and shootability. But at rifle distances, magazine capacity is a much greater factor and ergonomics, recoil management, optics, and more are important. We've crossed a tipping point where the odds are good that an SKS will be outmatched. Objectively better guns are cheaper and more widely available.
My chinese sks i got a few months ago in cali, is completely matching. Gas tube, piston, bolt, ch, dust cover, trigger guard, stock, everything, it also is a early 60s that likely saw use in vietnam. One of my favorite rifles
I was a platoon leader in a forward support maintenance company in RVN in 1970-71. We were the captured weapons turn-in point on our firebase. We had bales of AK, SKS and CKS rifles. I made sure every person in my unit got a SKS or CKC to take home if they wanted one. The AKs had to be cut up. We traded SKS and CKC's for beer and pop in the rear so the guys in Bien Hoa could have one. They shoot Ok and are tough as nails. Despite what the mainstream media says, the 7.62 X 39 is not a death ray, it is a .30 caliber cartridge that is comparable to the 30-30. Not a long range powerhouse but adequate for its purpose,
Thank you for your service sir, your VN vets will always be our heroes. I was born in 74 and growing up we always pretended to be in Vietnam, whether Green Berets, downed pilots (we floated down a river in life jackets pretending we were shot down and fighting our way back to friendly lines) it was ALWAYS “Vietnam war” when we pretended, shooting fireworks from our handmade wooden firearms-(rifle grenades or an M203) 9:20 (mine was an M1 carbine I pretended) and my buddy had a really realistic plastic M16 rifle and we just had the most fun ever. Y’all were always our heroes. In the late 90’s when married I lived next to an ex Vietnam chopper pilot who had uh, pretty bad PTSD and flashbacks. He would scream in his sleep and yell and cuss in his apartment, once when I accidentally woke him up (my stupid fault) and he slammed me up against a wall and screamed threats at me for about 15 minutes, he was shaking he was so made and said “I wouldn’t be the first kid he killed” I apologized profusely for an hour snd every time i saw him. I never woke him up accidentally against let me tell you. Poor guy was mentally damaged, just as much a casualty as anyone who died. From talking to him sometimes i was in tears listening to the stories. I always let him know we truly appreciate his sacrifice and people like him make this country what it is. I wished and told him many times I could take some of his pain away, just so he could be free of those nightmares and guilt. Good man. All of you are. God Bless you, and you guys are lucky to have gotten those SKS’s, those are quite valuable now especially with a Vietnam provenance. Write down the story of you getting if if you have it, you rank and dates of service, all that, and if you or your family ever sells it (hopefully not) it will bring far more value.
I used a Type 56 to take down a 200 lb black bear with one shot 3 months ago and use the same Type 56 as a self-defense firearm when moving in the woods. Another advantage I found with a Type 56 for hunting is that don't need to wear hearing protection because the gunshot is not too loud, so won't miss any sounds in the woods. Of course, the most important reason is that you can't find a cheaper and more reliable semi-automatic rifle than the Type 56.
Is it still viable? Yes. Are there better rifles? Yes, by the time the AK47 Type 2 came out the SKS was obsolete. An AK47 and some jungle mags outclasses the SKS like crazy. Any well made AK makes the SKS obsolete. But does the SKS work? Absolutely.
The one advantage i think there still is to an sks, is its non tactical look. Maybe youre in a less gun friendly place or just dont want to look too threatening and militaristic because you wanna trade or negotiate with someone, not scare them. And an SKS looks more like a harmless hunting rifle to lay people, than like an "assault weapon". So i think for that purpose it is actually better than a modern military type gun. Other, maybe even better, options for that purpose would be a wooden stock mini14, m1a or m1 carbine.
@@inhumanfilth681 why? 60 rounds on the gun, 60 rounds in a pocket or pouch. No need to even have gear on. A rifle and 120 rounds, and the only thing you need is a pants pocket.
@@ALovelyBunchOfDragonballz because anyone who has used jungle mags will tell you its a horrible idea. Almost every time you bump the gun you drop 1-3 rounds rounds so when you go to reload you could have 30 rounds or you could have between 0-30. Personally id rather spend the extra 10 seconds dealing with singles to know for sure im slapin home a full mag.
@@ALovelyBunchOfDragonballz Well, the one reason I can think of, there are other states like commiefornia that limit the number of rounds you can use. A closed magazine, non removable, and 10 round limit is the law.
check your local pawn shop, I came across my Chinese sks type 56 for $265 consignment price. all matching number even a cleaning kit hidden in the buttstock....
I had a yugo once (one of many regrets i live with is getting rid of it), it shot great, I got fast at reloading it with stripper clips, which i think is the best, most convenient way. I happened to find, probably the last of the great "UMC brass, 7.62x39".....it was even more accurate with that. But, since kids like me didn't plan ahead very well, and rent unexpectedly came due....lol, sadly I let it go for waaaay too cheap. Ah, the things you learn. Now I don't get rid of any guns. Still want a Yugo.....
That's funny (not funny). I have let some good ones go a few times. Never again. The only time I will sell a gun, is to arm a good friend, and I have more than one. That hasn't come up yet, so yeah. I will never sell another gun for money.
My general rule of thumb is "Don't buy junk." I'll stick with my nice-condition Romanian and, if I ever get a good deal, maybe a Russian. General rule with Combloc surplus is, if the Romanians made a version of something, it's generally a perfect technical copy of the Russian stuff and the best other than actual Russian. My all-matching Romanian has nice blonde wood and no rust but some gorgeous metal wear that can only come from actual service. A pristine chrome bore rounds it out quite nicely. I like that it's not a sterile rifle with no history, but not beat to shit either.
Just purchased a military surplus Type 56 Chinese SKS from Classic Firearms a couple days ago for $299. It will be my first SKS and I cannot wait! I haven't wanted one of these forever!
Same here! I'm picking mine up from my FFL on Monday. Didn't do the hand select but am still hoping for a pretty stock. Not too worried about bluing. Kinda nervous about the whole cosmoline cleaning process as I've never disassembled an SKS before, but it should be a fun project.
I have only bought one other Milsurp gun (Yugo-M57 Tokarev) and it was dang near dry as far as the cosmoline goes. So I am in the same boat as you, as far as the cleaning and breaking down. Mine should be ready for pickup Tuesday! I saved my old tooth brush and got the mineral spirits and bucket on standby...good luck!
MAN! You guys have AMAZING eyes. I think you may be correct, it may have launched that last round. When I loaded it, it seemed like the rounds were wonky in the mag (not stacked right). I love the stuff you guys find that I totally miss.
Holy shit you're totally right. I ran it at .25 speed and paused it at just the right moment to clearly see the jacket of the the bullet. It definitely spewed a full cartridge out.
@@Militaryarmschannel SKS tend to toss the last round when you load them by hand instead of with a stripper clip. Jerry Miculek ran into the same thing in his video on the SKS when loading by hand.
Here in Canada we can get them under 300, Chinese or Russian take your pick, first rifle in .30 every Canadian buy's also a good hunting rifle for the bush ,sadly our current government is trying to ban everything that is semi-auto. Thinking USA has a import ban, both countries dumped them here,ammo very cheap as well.
I have a 1950 Russian SKS bought it for 500 Canadian and I truly love it all numbers matching. It has been very reliable and still truly accurate. Though I still clean it every time I fire the Russian surplus ammo since it’s highly corrosive. But so far for the length of time I have had it it’s been amazing.
Another great video Tim! I bought 5 Norinko SKS’s back in 94 for $400. I cherry picked my 2 favorite, put a fixed 30 round mag on one which functioned flawlessly. Kept a 2nd original and sold the other 3. I eventually sold the other two figuring I could always get more later. Well I’ve wanted one for the past decade now and in that time I’ve amassed an arsenal of 50+ firearms, but I cannot allow myself to pay $400 for one. $200 is my absolute upper limit and a I’ve yet to find one for under $399.
I love the SKS platform and I have a bunch of them from years of collecting. Reliable, powerful, and a more enjoyable shooting experience than with an AK. If I had to bug out or bug in, a couple of SKS rifles and a few thousand rounds of ammo would make for a formidable defense.
"A formidable defense"? Yep I agree.. the problem is that reloading with strippers is a lot slower than with magazines.. until all yer magazines need to be reloaded.... For many reasons the SKS is still a viable option! I've got mine (coulda woulda shoulda have gotten more) if only to sell at a major profit. Doubtful any of them will wear out in my lifetime...
1:55 your mom bought you an AR!? I’m calling my therapist and adding this to the list I call “my lost childhood” It’s gonna take years to get over this one
In Canada - Yes. Absolutely. You want any other rifle shooting a rifle round semi auto, you're gunna pay $1500+ because we can only get ar180 variants. Even at $500 the sks is one of the best SHTF guns. I can field strip with a single bullet.
Mexico City you had to remind me of how ass-backwards my country truly is. With all of our magazine restrictions and gun control laws we still have gun violence. A few years ago a deranged individual killed quite a few Mounties with a 5 round limited sks
Something to keep in mind: most AK rifles on the market are stamped receivers meant to be affordable enough to replace instead of repair. SKS are milled receivers meant to be re packed into storage after use and reissued as needed as was the norm at the time the SKS was designed
Tech-Sights makes a peep that bolts on to the back of the receiver. It attaches to the bottom of the receiver, so it's very solid. Makes a huge difference in accuracy. Good news is that it's easily removed if you want to go back to original. Another practical mod is a spring loaded firing pin. Slamfires are not fun.
Survivalist, prepper; is there really a difference? You have to prepare to survive. If you're a gun guy, I'd think you would have at least a couple survival items around.
The prepper vs survivalist really comes down to politics - in the early 90s the msm and Democrats worked overtime to portray survivalists = militia = evil white racists = McVeigh. And sought to stomp them all out. So, people who had no specific political identity (or at least that wasn’t their principle identity) started adopting another term so as to not be associated with Ruby Ridge and the “militia movement” Never mind that militias never really were that whites racist nonsense the media claimed, but they were targeted as domestic terrorists nonetheless
Tim Underbakke This. Many people forget the smear campaign against survivalists during the 70’s-90’s. Hell, many of those I’ve met are the left wing, hippie commune, anti-gov types.
Shooting prone, a guy with a Simonov can strike a much lower profile than a guy with an AK or AR platform. This is not to be under estimated when flack is flying around.
Good vid, thanks for posting it. A couple things worth mentioning: LOP is pretty short. The firing pin is free-floating in the bolt and if it gums up it'll stick forward and slam fire when the bolt closes. Some variants had a spring to keep that from happening & adding the spring is a pretty popular mod. Or just keep it clean... If you use the cleaning rod to push down on the operating rod, there won't be any spring pressure on the lever when you open it. You can also use the cleaning rod to open the trap door. Point the butt down and the cleaning kit will fall out. It's easier to load loose rounds if you open the mag, flip the rifle over and drop the rounds in, making sure the first one land on the correct side. Here in Canada, ours are pinned to 5 rounds so we reload lots lol.
I don't know anyone who got a type 56 Chinese SKS cheaper than me. They were $69 each at the time. A co-worker bought 10 for $470 before his FFL expired and sold me two at his cost which was $47 each without bayonets. Best buy I ever made by a mile!
When I got mine (mid-90's) I was told that the Chinese ones weren't allowed to be imported with the bayonet, but the Russian ones were. Had to go with the cheaper option since I was a kid and it was only $75 (I think the Russians were $120+). Still have it to this day.
Back in the day I stuck with Russian whenever possible as their bbl's were threaded while the Chinese were pinned. As I understand, that has changed and the Chinese are threading the bbl's into the receiver. Is this still true?
Yeah, i'm pretty sure any insurgent with one of these ends up tossing it as soon as they can get their hands on a Kalashnikov or other rifle with detachable box magazines and or select fire capabilities. There are a lot of neat photos of SKS's being used like this by citizen militias in the Yugoslav wars.
I'd still keep the sks in camp as a back up or for someone else. SKS is almost better for someone unfamiliar with full auto because they will take their time to aim rather than waste it. A semi auto ak or ar then yes. Absoloutley. No need to worry about losing mags for sks either :).
In 2024, a 100$ sks is a distant memory in Canada. A decent russian refurb is around 700 now, but pristine original Chinese all matching Unfired ones sell for around 500. Ar15's are prohibitted altogether
I have been using a Yugo SKS for over 30 years. Never jams and is tough as a tank. Milled receiver, grenade sights and a gas shut off. The Yugo is also accurate and due to it's gas shut off, you can make custom hand loads and use it like a straight pull bolt gun. I have got between 1 and 2" groups at 100 yards with hand loads. Only thing with a Yugo is that it is an all steel barrel with no chrome lining so you do have to clean it and take care of that barrel. Mine was made in 1971 and has all matching numbers and is complete all the way to the original bayonet, grenade sights and flip up night sights. I have absolutely no idea what it is worth, I just know it is great for getting rid of hogs and such. I would never part with this old Yugo and would take it over any AR15. It just plain works every time and for me, it just plain fits my body type and size. ( And I am small at only 140 lbs. )
I got myself a chai com 1960s series sk from some shop in my home town of lv nv for 350 a couple of years ago its beautiful absolutely love it and And it is what I taught my little brother how to shoot a centre fire rifle on When he was about 9 years old Is about 16 now and I might just and up handing it down to him for his birthday he's a great kid with a great head on his shoulders good and responsible
If it's simple, sturdy, has a history of being reliable and runs any type of one common caliber then it's a firearm that goes well in a SHTF scenario, simple as that. Just do your research, look up the ammo availability in your area and you're set. The SKS had the thing of being very cheap while being perfectly adequate in all criteria, now it's not so cheap so someone may want to look elsewhere but a good rifle is a good rifle.
I haven't seen a great condition Norinco in my area for under $450. These are really a fun gun. A Chinese / Russian version of our Winchester '94 30-30. One cool Export only Norinco SKS was the 16" that was designed to take AK-47 magazines. The one I bought was brand new and the box was labeled 'Chinese Sporting Rifle' The Next one I found had a box labeled 'Cowboy' They are erroneously called Paratrooper models. Cheers
I had an old Tula Arsenal marked SKS back in the '90s and it was a great rifle. These days, I build my own AR rifles and pistols from PSA EPT/MOE kits and locally sourced receivers for $340 to $390.
@@drivinforalivin6945 they're not too bad (the proprietary mags aren't THAT expensive). You also have a lower that you can swap standard uppers onto if you want (one less serialized part you gotta worry about)
@Betsy Ross 2a I know Arsenal makes some that shoot 5.56 but they are a pretty penny, but the recoil of 5.56nin an ak platform they shoot like a dream just like5.45x39
Moved from the free Commonwealth of VA to the occupied territory of NY for family. You can still buy 2 good condition Chinese SKSs & 1k rounds for the cost of an NY legal AK. I also prefer the look of a traditional rifle. Theyre less "evil" looking if you take off the bayonet. In VA I showed 1 tapco SKS & 1 stock SKS to my sister in law, an NYC Assistant District Attorney. I asked her which one was an assault rifle. She was surprised to find out they were the same rifle.
yes it absolutely does, it's still an excellent rifle with good accuracy and firepower + reliability, it hits like a truck and it's easy to use, the soviets knew how to make really good guns.
My norinco has never jammed in 1400 rounds . When the barrel gets hot at 300 yards I must elevate 22 degrees. Me personally I find that I can load it fastest by putting 9 rounds only on the strippers . Only aftermarket item was a Williams fire sight 👍🏻
Well I just learned why my 1951 Soviet Built SKS has Xs stamped into the buttstock, doesn’t diminish how I feel about the rifle but everything else on it matches. Thanks for the great video.
@Jimmy Jim on the interwebs i dont remember the exact site but start googling SKS canada and youll find them, about 180$ single or 1500ish for a case of 10
I got my first SKS when I was 16 it’s Russian and I have certificates that say it was a guard gun (written in Russian ) it’s a amazing gun all matching numbers and upon inspection it had never been fired or not fired very much no wear could be seen anywhere I got it for 500$ after haggling a bit to get it from 699$ but I love it a lot as it was my first surplus rifle I’m 18 now and the gun is still beautiful I’ve taken care of it the best I could ever do cleaning every little part and keeping it oiled and basic care for any gun really but it’s always my go to shooter and gun I take when camping, I have to say it’s Truly one of my favorite rifles and I recommend them to a lot of people because they are decent rifles for what ever you need it for and it’s a great choice for beginners and experienced shooters alike just a outstanding rifle in general
This is a good choice in my country (Belgium) as we have a bunch of restrictions on magazine capacity, lawmakers constantly trying to push for bans on those evil "assault-style fully semi-automatic war rifles" as well as the fact that decent ARs start at $1.100 and up, whereas you can find quality unused Russian SKS rifles for little over 500 bucks. Rifle ammo is generally quite expensive as well while 7.62x39 can still be had for relatively good prices.
My shtf rifle is a $90 sportarized sks it functions flawlessly and the poor thing is a real military rifle but bubba got a hold of it and made it worthless, it has been modified to take AK magazines though guess thats a plus at least bubba was a good gunsmith
@wsbill14224 I mean.... 100 years later it became a collectors item, 100 years from now an intact sks might be a collectors item but mine sure as hell won't be
🇦🇺😎👍They banned all the SKS rifles along with all other semiautomatic rifles , shotguns and semiautomatic shotguns in 1997. For safety 😉of course. Now they’ve come for the bolt actions rifles over 284 Nosler in Western Australia because the police are concerned for their safety…more big changes coming in the future apparently…Great video
Exactly. You can't find 9mm, etc. for handguns. But when you can't find 30-06 - maybe the most popular rifle cartridge by hunters in North America - you know there is a real problem.
I was at one of my favorite gun stores yesterday and the ammo shelf had nothing but7.62×39, red army standard 20 rd boxes for 10.99. Its still out there, at a decent price as well but you gotta know where to shop. Theres other stores where I live that have just about every caliber imaginable but they will rake you over the coals w the price(i saw 500 rds of 5.56 for $699, which I will never pay that much for). If you shoot regularly, to be honest, you should have been sitting on ammo for these types of situations. It happens every so many years, not as bad as 2020 but ammo has been scares a few different times in my adult life.
1000 rounds of 762x39 i snagged for $399 couple weeks ago. If i didnt have 5 rifles that took the caliber i might have waited. Still got some norinco steel core that came with Grandpas sks early 90s
I Have a 1953 numbers matching Russian made SKS that’s one of the sweetest shooting guns I’ve seenIt was a non-issued and fired military gun still had Cosmo lean grease on it
Just saw this review. Mid 80's purchased a NIB Chinese SKS and in early 2000's purchased a NIB SAIGA. At that time, (1980's), an SKS and 1000 rounds of ammo was about the same price as a better quality .22LR. Found that the SKS had a much better trigger than the SAIGA, and with a replacement ATI stock, was an easy/fun gun to shoot. If you are in a wooded area where you can HAWG hunt, the SKS in 7.62x39 is almost the ideal "brush" gun. A modern day equal to a 30/30 Carbine.
Sean Johnson compared to what, an overpriced Daniel Defense? At the end of the day they’ll both put 270 downrange. The point is, $400 for an outdated curio is too much. Spend just a little more and you can have a decent AR. Even the “crap” ones are pretty reliable these days.
My grandpa bought a Chinese surplus SKS in 1983 for $83 w bayonet, he still has it, and it’s never been fired, and the original grease is still in the gun, also all the serial no’s are the same, and my dad has a never fired entirely original Mosin M-44 W bayonet, and matching serial no’s
The one I got from Aim Surplus was clearly drug behind the finest tractor in all of Turkmenistan.
Andy Wood sounds like the crap classic firearms passes off as excellent
I’d be willing to bet you are a bit biased about what constitutes fit and finish.
Prolly shoots like a dream still
You mean dragged behind a donkey and cart in Turkmenistan
Andy Wood Drug? What kind of drugs? I’m gonna be that guy lol, the correct past tense of drag is dragged.
That aside, she sounds like a real beaut! Love when milsurps have an authentic rough used look
For California this is the gun to have. It’s already “featureless” having that fixed mag. Holds the standard 10 rounds for Ca, shoots as fast as your AK and same power. Few seconds slower to load if you don’t practice. But the media doesn’t think it’s very scary since it has no pistol grip or assault clip.
It also has lots of wood. And if you take the bayonet off it doesn't have all the angles and jutted out parts that scare anti gun folks so much.
Josh Domoslai the funny thing is that it’s an actual weapon of war that they hate 🤣
@@cdawson198600 right like I love my old war girls because they gun grabbers point at ar15s and go no one needs a weapon of war I point to mine and go what about these and they just go those are fine and I laugh in man stopping power over 300+ yards away
It is the go-to here in Canada as well for the same reasons. We are stuck with 5 rounds max (a rivet keeps the mag from accepting 10) but they are unrestricted so we can shoot anywhere we are legally allowed such as rural land. Unfortunately the media here still thinks it's a scary semi-auto....
Mxxx Bxxx
That’s incorrect. The SKS is a specific exemption to that law. California law specifically states that that adding a detachable magazine to an SKS makes it an “assault weapon,” making it illegal.
I bought three of the Chinese SKS's in 1995 in a gunshop in Louisiana for $79.00 each. The bayonets were removed by the dealer as he said he the bayonets were prohibited under the Clinton assault rifle ban. He had a bucket full listed as tent stakes for $9.95 each. I bought three. That's the reason a lot are missing bayonets.
Thank you Jesus for Bill Clinton, without his contributions to society we could have seen a steep incline in drive by bayonettings...
Colonizer-Chan IIRC, I’ve heard both the SKS and Type 56 AK were used sometimes by sticking the bayonet in the ground to act like a monopod.
@@dylanhealy8126 that's what I do with mine
Imagine thinking a bayonet makes a gun more lethal in anything besides trench warfare. Like literally the only use I can personally think of is putting a deer out of its misery if you didn’t get a clean kill.
If a guy breaks into my pad I’m shootings his ass lmaooo
Lol
Taught my grandson to shoot on a Russian SKS that I bought in the 80's for under 200 bucks and the smile on his face was worth a million!
While shooting the SKS in prone you can use the bayonnett as a mono-pod for a more stable platform.
I have no idea why I never thought of this. Genius
Yeah and it works quite well
can confirm. excellent if you have a stump or log to stick it in.
@@saltydawg8988I used my spike bayo as a monopod, I thought it was common sense; now you're telling me that I geniused the concept. Boy how you really do, learn something new every day. 😮 😅 😢 😂
Have you tried it? Have you notice that no gun manufacturer uses a "monopod" because there is no stability as it wobbles left and right? Maybe if you stab it into the ground. But when I worked in a gun store in the 1990s, we called them "monopods" to get around the Clinton Assault Weapons ban against bayonets....because we had such a problem with drive by bayoneting.
Thanks for the video, Tim. My dad has an old Chinese SKS that he bought years ago when we lived in CA before the '94 ban. When the ban was initiated he received a letter instructing him to get rid of or destroy it. He tossed it in the trash -- the letter, that is -- and still has the rifle to this day. His no BS attitude was passed down to me and when I inherit the SKS I will keep it for as long as I live.
Your father is awesome
@@Adam-zi5se I wholeheartedly agree with you Sir. The anti gun laws here in Commiefornia are ASININE. When I think about how it was here in the 1960's and prior, and the way things are now, I really noticed how much we have lost of our Freedoms. I used to have a 1967 Chevy P/U with a rifle rack over the rear window.
Yes, since we've been burdened with more and more gun laws, there have been more shootings. Something in our culture has changed for the worse.
It's not the firearms, it's the loose nut holding the firearms.
@@Adam-zi5se Thanks! I think he's pretty swell! :)
@Eric da' MAJ This was back in the 90's and his SKS has detachable 30 round magazines. I was just a kid back then but I imagine at minimum the 30 round mag violated the ban of '94.
The ban didnt require anyone to get rid of or destroy anything. If you had one you could keep it. All weapons were grandfathered in. The SKS was never one of the weapons on the ban list. But I got mine in 97 with a bayonet still attached. The SKS didnt have enough cosmetic points to require it to not have the bayonet. But some were still imported without them. Also how did California know he had the rifle. They didnt have any type of registration for them, especially back then. This story sounds incorrect to say the least.
The SKS is a great rifle for many reasons. It shoots an inexpensive and abundant .30 cal round, it is a well built military grade weapon, it is quite accurate, it is very reliable, proven, low maintenance, etc. The list goes on...If I were stuck with nothing but an SKS, I would be fine with that. In fact, I would prefer it over most others. They are excellent rifles. The poor man's Garand! Great video!
^^^Holy shit, Einstein of the year right here
@@TheCheezynutz Same diameter, different lengths.
@@TheCheezynutz Oy. The .308 and 30.06 are the same size bullet. The difference is in case length.
@@JohnDavis-im1oy I'll stick with the gun that'll put shit down with one bullet instead of wasting 40 for that exact same target.
Tool-less disassembly (you need to use a bullet tip for some parts, ideally screw driver). That's a big feature too. Only a complete 100% requires a tool and it's a flathead so use a stick.
Killed my first deer with an SKS, still had the bayonet and everything on it. Hands down my favorite milsurp rifle.
I don't know how many deer, hogs or coyote I've taken in Ga, Fl and Co with my SKS. I love the damn thing, it just keeps on going and going an going....
Mike Whalen ditto from Bama....
Same here! Excellent rifle for deer hunting.
Should've done a bayonet charge on the deer. That'll give all the liberals within 10 miles a heart attack.
That's hilarious.
My dad fought in the Vietnam war and got one of these chamber in 762x39. He hasn’t shot the gun over 15 years and decided to take it to a outdoor range the summer of 2022. My dad was hitting 3inch clay targets at 50, 80 yards with just the iron sights.
Wow!
I bought a full case of them in the late 80’s for $59 each. That was $590 for 10 rifles
Man those days are long gone sadly, you hang on to any of them?
Today that would be 10500😂😂😂
I’ll pay you that much for one of them
Great way to equip your community/neighborhood
50 citizens equipped with these and a single belt fed hbr AR with a forced reset trigger would make a formidable force against local LE / ATF raids
Theoretically..
gas was a nickel a gallon too. What's your point.
There's always room for another SKS, they're like potato chips.
You can't have just ONE.
Amen, I buy them when I find them less than $250.00, I have several. I have some Yugoslavia made, they are cool just because there is no country of Yugoslavia anymore.
I have one for shooting... and another which is branded as a "parade SKS".... Which is clean and polished as as hell and never fired. That one is for display...
@@fanofkira They make a great deer and varmint gun. Good behind the seat of the truck gun too.
@@chuckmiller5763 are you still finding them less than $250?
PERFECT timing, just bought a unfired 1951 Russian SKS in box condition around 400 bucks
Good deal
Leave it as is, it will go up, an up in value if original
Shukin Andjivin aren’t the Russians ones chrome lined?
Praetorian ok. Thanks. When did they start doing it?
If your bolt is black it is probably factory refurbished rather than new-unfired. If it's white, that's a hell of a steal!
Short answer: yes. Everything in one package, just get ammo.
No magazines. Cleaning rod and cleaning tools always with the gun. And bayonette for drive-by-bayonetting and sticking the gun in the ground at wintertime. What is there not to like? And it's accurate enough and the sights are pretty much identical to AK.
(I got the Tech Sights for mine, shittier to disassemble/assemble now, needs a flat screwdriver, but much much better sight picture without ruining the gun's beautiful profile)
Bought 5 of them still packed in cosmoline 20+ years ago. Kept one and give the other 4 away as Christmas bonuses. $100 each and everyone loved them.
I really like the SKS.
For a prepper, you can leave stripper clips loaded for decades and not have to worry about magazine spring fatigue. I also like how it can be loaded via stripper clip or via loose cartridges. It gets around the issue of only having 1 magazine, or loosing your last mag. A good prepper should have a bunch of magazines, but not all preppers are good a being preppers.
I agree that the AR is an overall better platform, but I feel that the SKS is more forgiving for the inexperienced and under prepared.
It's still my favorite and I trust it more than my ARs as far as longevity . It's also funner to clean .
It's a lot of gun for the money. Still a practical 'truck' gun. Rather have an SKS than no rifle at all.
I'd want a little more than 10 rounds of 7.62x39 for hunting trucks but it'll probably work.
bigghoss762 Well what’s the standard capacity for a Mini-14? Hope I’m not starting a debate lol. But ignoring caliber and ballistics, I think the SKS is on par with the Mini-14 for use as a truck/ranch rifle. Either way I don’t live on a ranch or own a truck, but I want both a Mini-14 and an SKS.
And you ain’t kidding about the price. I live in upstate NY, and cheapest I see them for is 5-600
@@dylanhealy8126 same buffalo picked one up in may for 650
rather have my SKS than the AR15 wannabee groundhog gun in crappy 5.56mm can't knock 'em down calibre
@@bigghoss762 they do make 30 round standard capacity mags for the SKS. I have a bullpup version. I believe that a 75 round drum is available as well.
In 2021, anything that launches a projectile is viable.
yes, when push comes to shuv a wrist rocket can do plenty of damage with a bearing or marble.. lol a rock.
My A-Hole shoots corn. Is that valuable?
Ima goin down to the river pick me up five smooth stones
Get a crossbow
Heard that
Yes the SKS is VERY much still viable and has several things to recommend it over an AR in a SHTF scenario.
I would not say that a SKS is better then an AR in a SHTF scenario but it is definitly a viable option, it hits hard and it is reliable and fairly accurate, i would easily trust my life to this weapon without thinking twice.
@@kuessebramaexactly correct. I wouldn't hesitate to grab whichever was closest. I do believe the SKS would make a better club, if it came to that!
For hunting and survival\wat if needed compared to 5.56 for the hunting part? In Canada I couldn’t figure out what AR-15s were built to last in a war or survival situation, then with the AR-15 ban, i really don’t know what 5.56 rifle to buy, so i just got the Chinese sks as my first gun, I know military surplus doesn’t always mean better, but I wanted a military made sks for the built quality, a 20 inch barrel for better distance and the Chinese wood is so lightweight. But it is super loud.
NotchFox Thats what i don’t understand about AR-15 polymer adjustable stocks, do they hit hard enough as a club?
Everyone should have a couple SKSs hanging around.
Wait...what? Your MOM bought you an AR for your birthday?! Nice mom! 👍
Robert Cairns because of that he is now famous to all of us
Right? Thats what I call a gift 😅
I got my son one for Christmas
@@alanmcnew5376 ... Nice! Dad of the Year!
My Norinco SKS was my first rifle it was very fun to learn shooting with
Had a couple of 22lrs..... than a sks.
I love my little "paratrooper" model. I bought it at Buds in the early 90's for $99. Thats when Buds was in a little strip mall down the road from it current location.
You can load them pretty fast by opening the magazine with the bolt closed and and just pour in 10 rounds if you don’t have stripper clips.
Can lead to jamming though
SKS fast loading without stripper clips : Fully open the magazine. With rifle upside down drop a half dozen or so rounds quickly into the open magazine well. Close and lock the mag over the rounds, flip rifle back over and you are ready to lock and load.
watching this in 2020: "you can get a complete AR 15 for $500"
oh no.
At this point you take what you can get lmfao
@@al3xander353 damn straight! Ha. If you can find an SKS it won't be south of $650.00, Yugo or otherwise.
weapons ammo, @@al3xander353 thats why I got all my stuff, years ago. I could start my own gun store lol. Not really but I have enough for a looooooong time
The question everyone needs to be asking about their gear is, "What are the odds a person threatening me will be better-equipped?" Some things matter less; a 1911 vs. a Glock, 95% of the time the extra ammo capacity of the Glock won't come into play and a quality 1911 is otherwise equal or superior in terms of accuracy, ergonomics, and shootability. But at rifle distances, magazine capacity is a much greater factor and ergonomics, recoil management, optics, and more are important. We've crossed a tipping point where the odds are good that an SKS will be outmatched. Objectively better guns are cheaper and more widely available.
@@nitewatchman1576 oh man, it’s unfortunate to hear about your tragic boating accident.
Some of my favorite days at the range are just me and my SKS with some loose ammo. Something about hand loading it, has it's own appeal.
My chinese sks i got a few months ago in cali, is completely matching. Gas tube, piston, bolt, ch, dust cover, trigger guard, stock, everything, it also is a early 60s that likely saw use in vietnam. One of my favorite rifles
I was a platoon leader in a forward support maintenance company in RVN in 1970-71. We were the captured weapons turn-in point on our firebase. We had bales of AK, SKS and CKS rifles. I made sure every person in my unit got a SKS or CKC to take home if they wanted one. The AKs had to be cut up. We traded SKS and CKC's for beer and pop in the rear so the guys in Bien Hoa could have one. They shoot Ok and are tough as nails. Despite what the mainstream media says, the 7.62 X 39 is not a death ray, it is a .30 caliber cartridge that is comparable to the 30-30. Not a long range powerhouse but adequate for its purpose,
Thank you for your service sir, your VN vets will always be our heroes. I was born in 74 and growing up we always pretended to be in Vietnam, whether Green Berets, downed pilots (we floated down a river in life jackets pretending we were shot down and fighting our way back to friendly lines) it was ALWAYS “Vietnam war” when we pretended, shooting fireworks from our handmade wooden firearms-(rifle grenades or an M203) 9:20 (mine was an M1 carbine I pretended) and my buddy had a really realistic plastic M16 rifle and we just had the most fun ever. Y’all were always our heroes. In the late 90’s when married I lived next to an ex Vietnam chopper pilot who had uh, pretty bad PTSD and flashbacks. He would scream in his sleep and yell and cuss in his apartment, once when I accidentally woke him up (my stupid fault) and he slammed me up against a wall and screamed threats at me for about 15 minutes, he was shaking he was so made and said “I wouldn’t be the first kid he killed” I apologized profusely for an hour snd every time i saw him. I never woke him up accidentally against let me tell you. Poor guy was mentally damaged, just as much a casualty as anyone who died. From talking to him sometimes i was in tears listening to the stories. I always let him know we truly appreciate his sacrifice and people like him make this country what it is. I wished and told him many times I could take some of his pain away, just so he could be free of those nightmares and guilt. Good man. All of you are. God Bless you, and you guys are lucky to have gotten those SKS’s, those are quite valuable now especially with a Vietnam provenance. Write down the story of you getting if if you have it, you rank and dates of service, all that, and if you or your family ever sells it (hopefully not) it will bring far more value.
I used a Type 56 to take down a 200 lb black bear with one shot 3 months ago and use the same Type 56 as a self-defense firearm when moving in the woods. Another advantage I found with a Type 56 for hunting is that don't need to wear hearing protection because the gunshot is not too loud, so won't miss any sounds in the woods. Of course, the most important reason is that you can't find a cheaper and more reliable semi-automatic rifle than the Type 56.
Is it still viable? Yes.
Are there better rifles? Yes, by the time the AK47 Type 2 came out the SKS was obsolete. An AK47 and some jungle mags outclasses the SKS like crazy. Any well made AK makes the SKS obsolete.
But does the SKS work? Absolutely.
You were on the right track till you stuck your foot in your mouth with "jungle mags" lol. I agree with the overall statement though ☺
The one advantage i think there still is to an sks, is its non tactical look. Maybe youre in a less gun friendly place or just dont want to look too threatening and militaristic because you wanna trade or negotiate with someone, not scare them. And an SKS looks more like a harmless hunting rifle to lay people, than like an "assault weapon". So i think for that purpose it is actually better than a modern military type gun. Other, maybe even better, options for that purpose would be a wooden stock mini14, m1a or m1 carbine.
@@inhumanfilth681 why? 60 rounds on the gun, 60 rounds in a pocket or pouch. No need to even have gear on.
A rifle and 120 rounds, and the only thing you need is a pants pocket.
@@ALovelyBunchOfDragonballz because anyone who has used jungle mags will tell you its a horrible idea. Almost every time you bump the gun you drop 1-3 rounds rounds so when you go to reload you could have 30 rounds or you could have between 0-30. Personally id rather spend the extra 10 seconds dealing with singles to know for sure im slapin home a full mag.
@@ALovelyBunchOfDragonballz Well, the one reason I can think of, there are other states like commiefornia that limit the number of rounds you can use. A closed magazine, non removable, and 10 round limit is the law.
check your local pawn shop, I came across my Chinese sks type 56 for $265 consignment price. all matching number even a cleaning kit hidden in the buttstock....
I really like your realist approach with your reviews. No weapons grade balonium, just simple facts and observations.
Absolutely.
It is a reliable, hard hitting rifle, that needs just basic maintenance to last longer then it's owner.
I had a yugo once (one of many regrets i live with is getting rid of it), it shot great, I got fast at reloading it with stripper clips, which i think is the best, most convenient way. I happened to find, probably the last of the great "UMC brass, 7.62x39".....it was even more accurate with that. But, since kids like me didn't plan ahead very well, and rent unexpectedly came due....lol, sadly I let it go for waaaay too cheap. Ah, the things you learn. Now I don't get rid of any guns. Still want a Yugo.....
That's funny (not funny). I have let some good ones go a few times. Never again. The only time I will sell a gun, is to arm a good friend, and I have more than one. That hasn't come up yet, so yeah. I will never sell another gun for money.
@@letsdothis9063 What's funny is I can't get rid of a hi point.....
SKSs are like Makarovs: always room for one more.
As the ecstatic owner of both, I have to agree. :)
I would agree as well
Exactly
Lol
My general rule of thumb is "Don't buy junk." I'll stick with my nice-condition Romanian and, if I ever get a good deal, maybe a Russian. General rule with Combloc surplus is, if the Romanians made a version of something, it's generally a perfect technical copy of the Russian stuff and the best other than actual Russian. My all-matching Romanian has nice blonde wood and no rust but some gorgeous metal wear that can only come from actual service. A pristine chrome bore rounds it out quite nicely. I like that it's not a sterile rifle with no history, but not beat to shit either.
The first time I shot an SKS, it was my buddy's and it was an awesome piece of machinery. Thanks for this video, Tim.
Arguably one of the best surplus rifles ever made available to the public.
Just purchased a military surplus Type 56 Chinese SKS from Classic Firearms a couple days ago for $299. It will be my first SKS and I cannot wait! I haven't wanted one of these forever!
Same here! I'm picking mine up from my FFL on Monday. Didn't do the hand select but am still hoping for a pretty stock. Not too worried about bluing. Kinda nervous about the whole cosmoline cleaning process as I've never disassembled an SKS before, but it should be a fun project.
I have only bought one other Milsurp gun (Yugo-M57 Tokarev) and it was dang near dry as far as the cosmoline goes. So I am in the same boat as you, as far as the cleaning and breaking down. Mine should be ready for pickup Tuesday! I saved my old tooth brush and got the mineral spirits and bucket on standby...good luck!
Good job. Have a Russian. The first ones I bought, could get the rifle and 1500 rounds ammo for $ 160. So much fun. Thanks
6:28 Noticed at 1.25x speed and then slowed it down to make sure. Is that an unfired round?
MAN! You guys have AMAZING eyes. I think you may be correct, it may have launched that last round. When I loaded it, it seemed like the rounds were wonky in the mag (not stacked right). I love the stuff you guys find that I totally miss.
Holy shit you're totally right. I ran it at .25 speed and paused it at just the right moment to clearly see the jacket of the the bullet. It definitely spewed a full cartridge out.
But where is the empty shell ??
@@Enes-wj5xq They come out at roughly the same time. The empty casing ejects faster and doesn't stay within frame for very long.
@@Militaryarmschannel SKS tend to toss the last round when you load them by hand instead of with a stripper clip. Jerry Miculek ran into the same thing in his video on the SKS when loading by hand.
It puts holes in things. That's all that matters to me.
John Davis ok, calm down mr commando
@@JohnDavis-im1oy whoah we got a tough guy
@@JohnDavis-im1oy All you're missing is the Navy Seal copypasta to your inane posts.
@@JohnDavis-im1oy you would rather use a .22lr than a 7.63×39? And you can get all the things you listed aftermarket
@@JohnDavis-im1oy lighten up, Francis.
Here in Canada we can get them under 300, Chinese or Russian take your pick, first rifle in .30 every Canadian buy's also a good hunting rifle for the bush ,sadly our current government is trying to ban everything that is semi-auto. Thinking USA has a import ban, both countries dumped them here,ammo very cheap as well.
Tom Mobberley you Canadian are so lucky!! A Russian sks for 300 is amazing!!
Yea but how many rds can Canada have?
@@3rdeyeulogynima566 Mag is pinned to 5
@@3rdeyeulogynima566 Fear Innoculm
Tommy Gun vz58 all the way
I have a 1950 Russian SKS bought it for 500 Canadian and I truly love it all numbers matching. It has been very reliable and still truly accurate. Though I still clean it every time I fire the Russian surplus ammo since it’s highly corrosive. But so far for the length of time I have had it it’s been amazing.
Another great video Tim! I bought 5 Norinko SKS’s back in 94 for $400. I cherry picked my 2 favorite, put a fixed 30 round mag on one which functioned flawlessly. Kept a 2nd original and sold the other 3. I eventually sold the other two figuring I could always get more later. Well I’ve wanted one for the past decade now and in that time I’ve amassed an arsenal of 50+ firearms, but I cannot allow myself to pay $400 for one. $200 is my absolute upper limit and a I’ve yet to find one for under $399.
I love the SKS platform and I have a bunch of them from years of collecting. Reliable, powerful, and a more enjoyable shooting experience than with an AK. If I had to bug out or bug in, a couple of SKS rifles and a few thousand rounds of ammo would make for a formidable defense.
"A formidable defense"? Yep I agree.. the problem is that reloading with strippers is a lot slower than with magazines.. until all yer magazines need to be reloaded....
For many reasons the SKS is still a viable option! I've got mine (coulda woulda shoulda have gotten more) if only to sell at a major profit. Doubtful any of them will wear out in my lifetime...
1:55 your mom bought you an AR!? I’m calling my therapist and adding this to the list I call “my lost childhood”
It’s gonna take years to get over this one
A person who knows what they are doing with an SKS will do better than a person with no skills with a all the bells and whistles AR 15.
Yes. And a person who knows how to read will read better than someone who doesn’t…..
7.62x39 hits hard, gotta love that.
In Canada - Yes. Absolutely. You want any other rifle shooting a rifle round semi auto, you're gunna pay $1500+ because we can only get ar180 variants. Even at $500 the sks is one of the best SHTF guns. I can field strip with a single bullet.
They are still plenty cheap here in the great white north. They can be found around $189 cad if you look around and about $230 from cabelas
Mexico City you had to remind me of how ass-backwards my country truly is. With all of our magazine restrictions and gun control laws we still have gun violence. A few years ago a deranged individual killed quite a few Mounties with a 5 round limited sks
There's kits to make an SKS use 10rd 'pistol' magazines, if you don't mind the changed appearance.
It makes a good option for those of us who live in non-free states.
Behind Enemy lines Where you at brother? I live in the capital region, Albany, of the Democratic Peoples Republic of New York. Fuck Cuomo!
Dylan Healy As a New Jerseyan, I say the same about Phil Murphy.
Here in Canadastan SKSs are our bread and butter. Less than 300 CAD can get you a surplus sks
Xachremos That’s a good price, especially nowadays! Quick question: are they Russian or Chicom SKS’s?
Behind Enemy lines That’s hella good price. In NY any SKS would be at least $500+
Dude, your mom bought you an AR-15 that cost today's equivalent of over $1,500 for your birthday??!! You have the coolest mom ever!
Something to keep in mind: most AK rifles on the market are stamped receivers meant to be affordable enough to replace instead of repair. SKS are milled receivers meant to be re packed into storage after use and reissued as needed as was the norm at the time the SKS was designed
Tech-Sights makes a peep that bolts on to the back of the receiver. It attaches to the bottom of the receiver, so it's very solid. Makes a huge difference in accuracy. Good news is that it's easily removed if you want to go back to original. Another practical mod is a spring loaded firing pin. Slamfires are not fun.
The SKS, in my opinion, is an excellent stacking weapon.
Stackers, preppers, survivalist, hoarders,......all good.
@@toomuchdebt5669 prepping is buying stuff before a disaster, hoarding is buy up stuff during a disaster
Survivalist, prepper; is there really a difference? You have to prepare to survive. If you're a gun guy, I'd think you would have at least a couple survival items around.
ChemistyStudent I prep to survive.
The prepper vs survivalist really comes down to politics - in the early 90s the msm and Democrats worked overtime to portray survivalists = militia = evil white racists = McVeigh. And sought to stomp them all out.
So, people who had no specific political identity (or at least that wasn’t their principle identity) started adopting another term so as to not be associated with Ruby Ridge and the “militia movement”
Never mind that militias never really were that whites racist nonsense the media claimed, but they were targeted as domestic terrorists nonetheless
Tim Underbakke This. Many people forget the smear campaign against survivalists during the 70’s-90’s. Hell, many of those I’ve met are the left wing, hippie commune, anti-gov types.
Most modern preppers aren’t exactly the brightest. They spend thousands on their gun but the food? Nah.
Everyone is a prepper. We just have different length prepping period.
Shooting prone, a guy with a Simonov can strike a much lower profile than a guy with an AK or AR platform. This is not to be under estimated when flack is flying around.
It is important to say that the advantage in prone is often not discussed on the internet.
Good vid, thanks for posting it.
A couple things worth mentioning:
LOP is pretty short.
The firing pin is free-floating in the bolt and if it gums up it'll stick forward and slam fire when the bolt closes. Some variants had a spring to keep that from happening & adding the spring is a pretty popular mod. Or just keep it clean...
If you use the cleaning rod to push down on the operating rod, there won't be any spring pressure on the lever when you open it. You can also use the cleaning rod to open the trap door. Point the butt down and the cleaning kit will fall out.
It's easier to load loose rounds if you open the mag, flip the rifle over and drop the rounds in, making sure the first one land on the correct side. Here in Canada, ours are pinned to 5 rounds so we reload lots lol.
I don't know anyone who got a type 56 Chinese SKS cheaper than me. They were $69 each at the time. A co-worker bought 10 for $470 before his FFL expired and sold me two at his cost which was $47 each without bayonets. Best buy I ever made by a mile!
When I got mine (mid-90's) I was told that the Chinese ones weren't allowed to be imported with the bayonet, but the Russian ones were. Had to go with the cheaper option since I was a kid and it was only $75 (I think the Russians were $120+). Still have it to this day.
Back in the day I stuck with Russian whenever possible as their bbl's were threaded while the Chinese were pinned. As I understand, that has changed and the Chinese are threading the bbl's into the receiver. Is this still true?
SuperSecretSquirell bought a Chinese with a spiked bayonet in the early 90’s for $75. Wouldn’t sell it today for a thousand bucks.
@@mikewhalen8020 the Chinese ones were made with Russian tooling and by Russian advisor's (gun Smith's)..very good quality.
I got my at Camp Lejeune PX Chicom paratrooper one for $69 in 1992.
Christ You paid less than I did as a FFL dealer
The purpose of the SKS is to enable you to upgrade to something more after a well placed ambush.
Yeah, i'm pretty sure any insurgent with one of these ends up tossing it as soon as they can get their hands on a Kalashnikov or other rifle with detachable box magazines and or select fire capabilities. There are a lot of neat photos of SKS's being used like this by citizen militias in the Yugoslav wars.
The SKS has a milled receiver versus the AK stamped receivers. Its outlasts most aks even though its not as user friendly or ergonomic
@@cliccclacc6561 nah not really
I'd still keep the sks in camp as a back up or for someone else. SKS is almost better for someone unfamiliar with full auto because they will take their time to aim rather than waste it. A semi auto ak or ar then yes. Absoloutley. No need to worry about losing mags for sks either :).
@@cliccclacc6561 lots of AKs have milled receivers
An SKS is a great rifle for deer hunting, in my viewpoint. I think that it would work for any big game animal in North America.
In 2024, a 100$ sks is a distant memory in Canada. A decent russian refurb is around 700 now, but pristine original Chinese all matching Unfired ones sell for around 500. Ar15's are prohibitted altogether
In Canada there's a second most common rifle you can get crate ammo still. Definitely a good option
The very first rifle that my father was issued in Bosnian war was Yugo sks.
I think I have his rifle!
@@richardm3023 good for you. 👍
@John Beige yes it did.
At the start of 2023 an sks is still more reliable than a AR-15.
I have been using a Yugo SKS for over 30 years. Never jams and
is tough as a tank. Milled receiver, grenade sights and a gas shut off.
The Yugo is also accurate and due to it's gas shut off, you can make
custom hand loads and use it like a straight pull bolt gun. I have
got between 1 and 2" groups at 100 yards with hand loads.
Only thing with a Yugo is that it is an all steel barrel with no chrome lining so you
do have to clean it and take care of that barrel. Mine was made in 1971 and
has all matching numbers and is complete all the way to the original
bayonet, grenade sights and flip up night sights. I have
absolutely no idea what it is worth, I just know it is great for getting rid
of hogs and such. I would never part with this old Yugo and
would take it over any AR15. It just plain works every time and for me, it
just plain fits my body type and size. ( And I am small at only 140 lbs. )
Zastava knows how to build military rifles RIGHT. Still do in fact. Gotta love those night sights they put on all their rifles.
I got myself a chai com 1960s series sk from some shop in my home town of lv nv for 350 a couple of years ago its beautiful absolutely love it and And it is what I taught my little brother how to shoot a centre fire rifle on When he was about 9 years old Is about 16 now and I might just and up handing it down to him for his birthday he's a great kid with a great head on his shoulders good and responsible
I bought a Chinese SKS for $69 in the 80’s. Still got it, still runs. I also have a Russian one that’s a “parade grade.” It’s nice.
If it's simple, sturdy, has a history of being reliable and runs any type of one common caliber then it's a firearm that goes well in a SHTF scenario, simple as that. Just do your research, look up the ammo availability in your area and you're set.
The SKS had the thing of being very cheap while being perfectly adequate in all criteria, now it's not so cheap so someone may want to look elsewhere but a good rifle is a good rifle.
Got 2 old Chinese SKS rifles. Work just fine. Never malfunctioned. That have the Y shaped three sided pokey bayonet.
Salty Steel spiked
I haven't seen a great condition Norinco in my area for under $450.
These are really a fun gun. A Chinese / Russian version of our Winchester '94 30-30.
One cool Export only Norinco SKS was the 16" that was designed to take AK-47 magazines. The one I bought was brand new and the box was labeled 'Chinese Sporting Rifle' The Next one I found had a box labeled 'Cowboy'
They are erroneously called Paratrooper models.
Cheers
I had an old Tula Arsenal marked SKS back in the '90s and it was a great rifle. These days, I build my own AR rifles and pistols from PSA EPT/MOE kits and locally sourced receivers for $340 to $390.
The way the prices of sks's are going an S&W sport 2 is hard to beat or part together a psa for cheaper unless you like7.62x39 and I do
hell these days if you look for the right deal you can build an Ar for 250.00 I've built a few like that you just gotta watch for sales online.
7.62x39 uppers are a thing ;)
@@VCBird6 ya I dont like lowers that take proprietary mags I like psa lowers that take Ak mags
@@drivinforalivin6945 they're not too bad (the proprietary mags aren't THAT expensive). You also have a lower that you can swap standard uppers onto if you want (one less serialized part you gotta worry about)
@Betsy Ross 2a I know Arsenal makes some that shoot 5.56 but they are a pretty penny, but the recoil of 5.56nin an ak platform they shoot like a dream just like5.45x39
Moved from the free Commonwealth of VA to the occupied territory of NY for family. You can still buy 2 good condition Chinese SKSs & 1k rounds for the cost of an NY legal AK. I also prefer the look of a traditional rifle. Theyre less "evil" looking if you take off the bayonet. In VA I showed 1 tapco SKS & 1 stock SKS to my sister in law, an NYC Assistant District Attorney. I asked her which one was an assault rifle. She was surprised to find out they were the same rifle.
yes it absolutely does, it's still an excellent rifle with good accuracy and firepower + reliability, it hits like a truck and it's easy to use, the soviets knew how to make really good guns.
My norinco has never jammed in 1400 rounds . When the barrel gets hot at 300 yards I must elevate 22 degrees. Me personally I find that I can load it fastest by putting 9 rounds only on the strippers . Only aftermarket item was a Williams fire sight 👍🏻
Well I just learned why my 1951 Soviet Built SKS has Xs stamped into the buttstock, doesn’t diminish how I feel about the rifle but everything else on it matches.
Thanks for the great video.
I remember when you could get them 10 in a crate for $79.99 a piece.
Damn that could arm a small militia pretty damn well
still van around 1200$-1500$ canadian... thats something like 80$ US a piece
Ah, those were the days, those were the days. If ONLY we knew then what we know now.
@Jimmy Jim on the interwebs i dont remember the exact site but start googling SKS canada and youll find them, about 180$ single or 1500ish for a case of 10
I was born 30 years too late
Bear in mind, $100 in 1980 is worth about $400 today.
My dad bought a Norinco SKS for $15 back in the 90s. He gave it to me a few years ago and I love it.
I got my first SKS when I was 16 it’s Russian and I have certificates that say it was a guard gun (written in Russian ) it’s a amazing gun all matching numbers and upon inspection it had never been fired or not fired very much no wear could be seen anywhere I got it for 500$ after haggling a bit to get it from 699$ but I love it a lot as it was my first surplus rifle I’m 18 now and the gun is still beautiful I’ve taken care of it the best I could ever do cleaning every little part and keeping it oiled and basic care for any gun really but it’s always my go to shooter and gun I take when camping, I have to say it’s Truly one of my favorite rifles and I recommend them to a lot of people because they are decent rifles for what ever you need it for and it’s a great choice for beginners and experienced shooters alike just a outstanding rifle in general
GRAB SKS GO INNAWOODS
This is a good choice in my country (Belgium) as we have a bunch of restrictions on magazine capacity, lawmakers constantly trying to push for bans on those evil "assault-style fully semi-automatic war rifles" as well as the fact that decent ARs start at $1.100 and up, whereas you can find quality unused Russian SKS rifles for little over 500 bucks. Rifle ammo is generally quite expensive as well while 7.62x39 can still be had for relatively good prices.
I almost bought a Ruski SKS for $400 but thought it may try annexing my Yugos case, so I backed out.
My shtf rifle is a $90 sportarized sks it functions flawlessly and the poor thing is a real military rifle but bubba got a hold of it and made it worthless, it has been modified to take AK magazines though guess thats a plus at least bubba was a good gunsmith
No worries. People who think SKS rifles will be collectors items probably thought the same thing about the Ford model A. Good but they made too many.
@wsbill14224 I mean.... 100 years later it became a collectors item, 100 years from now an intact sks might be a collectors item but mine sure as hell won't be
🇦🇺😎👍They banned all the SKS rifles along with all other semiautomatic rifles , shotguns and semiautomatic shotguns in 1997. For safety 😉of course. Now they’ve come for the bolt actions rifles over 284 Nosler in Western Australia because the police are concerned for their safety…more big changes coming in the future apparently…Great video
MAC: "ammo is still readily available."
2020 enters the chat
Exactly. You can't find 9mm, etc. for handguns. But when you can't find 30-06 - maybe the most popular rifle cartridge by hunters in North America - you know there is a real problem.
@@bocconom 5.56 is by far the most prolific rifle cartridge, 7.62x39 and .308 are also pretty close up there.
I was at one of my favorite gun stores yesterday and the ammo shelf had nothing but7.62×39, red army standard 20 rd boxes for 10.99. Its still out there, at a decent price as well but you gotta know where to shop. Theres other stores where I live that have just about every caliber imaginable but they will rake you over the coals w the price(i saw 500 rds of 5.56 for $699, which I will never pay that much for). If you shoot regularly, to be honest, you should have been sitting on ammo for these types of situations. It happens every so many years, not as bad as 2020 but ammo has been scares a few different times in my adult life.
1000 rounds of 762x39 i snagged for $399 couple weeks ago. If i didnt have 5 rifles that took the caliber i might have waited. Still got some norinco steel core that came with Grandpas sks early 90s
My local shop has a bunch of em in stock. 1440 round surplus boxes and 480 round boxes of non-corrosive.
I bought a Chinese SKS back in the late 90s for 199. I love it.
Iv harvested several caribou with my 100$ sks.
just say killed
@@dlam2864 why?
Daniel Oliveira probably some vegan hippy
Widely used gun here in some smaller Alaskan villages.
@Jeff Scuderi lmao snowflake
I Have a 1953 numbers matching Russian made SKS that’s one of the sweetest shooting guns I’ve seenIt was a non-issued and fired military gun still had Cosmo lean grease on it
Just saw this review. Mid 80's purchased a NIB Chinese SKS and in early 2000's purchased a NIB SAIGA. At that time, (1980's), an SKS and 1000 rounds of ammo was about the same price as a better quality .22LR. Found that the SKS had a much better trigger than the SAIGA, and with a replacement ATI stock, was an easy/fun gun to shoot.
If you are in a wooded area where you can HAWG hunt, the SKS in 7.62x39 is almost the ideal "brush" gun. A modern day equal to a 30/30 Carbine.
Without even watching this I can say yes most definitely
Can we just Annex Canada so we can get their cheap SKSs and SVTs?
@A Fucking Leaf 800 bucks in canada, vs 2000 in US.
I'd say they're cheap
And their Norinco M-14 style rifle that's calibered in & 7.62 X 39...
Better hurry, Justin from Canada just announced confiscation laws on military weapons in the last two weeks.
That was tried. Didn't work out so well native resistance was fanatical.
Please. I'd rather learn Quebecois French that Mexican Spanish as a 2nd language anyway. Gotta get rid of that idiot Trudeau first tho.
Chinese Grade 1s on aimsurplus for $400 currently. Way too much for that rifle in my opinion. Like you said, an AR-15 can be had for that.
A $400 ar15 is trash
Yeah and most US gun consumers are ignorant Fudds who want Swiss Rifles for HiPoint prices.
Yeah, but it’s not an sks.
Sean Johnson compared to what, an overpriced Daniel Defense? At the end of the day they’ll both put 270 downrange. The point is, $400 for an outdated curio is too much. Spend just a little more and you can have a decent AR. Even the “crap” ones are pretty reliable these days.
Esoteric Wolf a few, definitely not most.
My grandpa bought a Chinese surplus SKS in 1983 for $83 w bayonet, he still has it, and it’s never been fired, and the original grease is still in the gun, also all the serial no’s are the same, and my dad has a never fired entirely original Mosin M-44 W bayonet, and matching serial no’s
Big agree on shopping around. I scored an immaculate all matching Yugo at a small local gun show for 325.