Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The indefatigable SKS

I picked up this beat-to-hell Chinese SKS for $150 from a local gun shop. I thought my m39 had a mirror bore until I saw this SKS. My m39 has a 90% bore, this SKS has a 100% bore. The metal has seen some rust, but was cleaned up very well. Originally I had planned on putting a new stock on it, but when I realized all parts were matching I couldn't bring myself to swap it out. The stock looks like it has been dragged and beaten against a dirty rock, blackening the glossy orange the stock that still peeks through in some areas (think of it as "tactical" :). The trigger group is milled, and there is a crack in the stock in what appears to be an unimportant area. It shoots better than my AK clone, and has yet to hiccup. I'll take it on my next trip to the rifle range so I can get a real idea of the accuracy this rifle is capable of. It doesn't have any import marks (unless they're very well hidden), but I'm not sure how to interpret that.

(sorry for the bathroom pics, but with the darkness of the stock and the metal, the bathroom was the only place I could get enough light for the pictures to come out)






Some shots of the condition of the stock and metal.


The stock is short enough to be comfortable for a 12-year-old. I'm usually surprised when I expect to shoulder it an inch and a half earlier than it actually shoulders. Still very compact






The crack in the stock.






And what photo set of an SKS would be complete without showing the EEEEEVIL bayonet.


I like circular sight protectors like here and on the m44, or even the AK (though the circle is not complete). My eye seems to keep the sight picture more easily than it does on the AR bunny ears.




Here's some closer shots of the worn finish.

There's some purdy in there somewhere!


For as ugly as it looks, it's still a real beauty. Not to mention a piece of history. My uneducated opinion would be that this was dragged through some jungles and probably saw some action. Who knows how it really found its way into my possession. It's just part of the fun of military surplus firearms.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awesome! Definitely looks like it has seen some serious action.

Anonymous said...

Nice rifle!

And you could always swap your gas block on the AR to get a front sight that is enclosed, if that helps. Don't mess with what works, right?

blogagog said...

Never owned a weapon that you could fix a bayonet on. But they're all capable of shooting bad guys. Can't stick 'em, but you can shoot 'em. Does that count for anything?

Fletch said...

It's not a requirement for just regular use, but if you want to scare some liberal half-wit, there's nothing better than a bayonet!

You should pick up an inexpensive m44. Full power round, high velocity, small package, and a big 'ol bayo! :)

aaronspuler said...

Wow, that one's seen some use! I had the opportunity to shoot an SKS over the weekend. It was a gun show find that my friend picked up for $100. It's in really good shape, and after he cleaned of all the cosmoline, which was quite gummy/waxy and gross, we popped its cherry. It was a fine shooter, and I'd happily pick one up for that price if I could find one.

For my BAGD purchase, I picked up a Marlin Model 60.