ak's vs sks , what to buy ?

[Pete D.]

I have owned an SKS for years. I have no complaints about it, it's accuracy or its reliability.
I removed the fixed magazine and have a number of different mags from five rounds to 20 for the gun. Most often, I use the five rounder; I've never used the twenty rounder. I don't see the AK as very utilitarian; I do see the SKS as akin to a ranch rifle.
About Ziggy's post:
I don't know that it's anti-gun at all. I'm not anti-gun for sure - I keep buying the things and I carry - but I, also, frequently find myself asking the question "what are you getting ready for?" when I read what some of us are buying. I ask myself a similar question every time I put a gun in my holster: Why are you doing this? Because I can. Another question I ask myself often when I read through the combat rhetoric on many forums is "Geez, where do you live that you feel you need that?" But then, do I "need" to carry a gun in a practical sense? Maybe not, but I like having one in my belt.
Of course, that last question contains the dangerous word "need"; the antis tell us that we don't "need" guns at all. I take exception to that and I don't like it when other folk tell me what I need to be happy and secure.
For me, though, I like my guns, long guns anyway, to be useful to me in some way. A shotgun (of which I own a dozen) will go bird hunting and, if I need it, be useful for HD; that being said, I don't have any use for a SG with a nine shot magazine, my old Ithaca wil do (I don't have any real use for the SKS either other than plinking but there it is behind the door. Go figure.) A rifle will go hunting or target shooting. I have an AR-15; it's set up for High Power match shooting. I have no use for a fully tricked out combat ready, fully-lighted, drum loaded short-barrelled version. I guess they are fun to own. Beyond the fun factor, I don't see the point. Nor do I have to.
I have no use for an AK and don't really understand why someone would want one when there are way more accurate firearms available. That doesn't make me anti-gun or even anti-AK. I suppose people find them "cool".
I do however fear irresponsible behavior, as I think Ziggy does, and the bad effect it has on the gun owning community as a whole. There isn't any PGC range that I know of that will allow one of us to use a fully loaded ten round magazine, let alone a 75 round drum. But that doesn't stop some of us from breaking the rules perhaps to the detriment of the rest of us. Unfortunately, I have developed a distrust of people who lust after some of the firerarms being discussed. (I know that that is not "just" and that most people who own that AK or AR own it for the same reason that I have the SKS....they just want one.)
Example, I live only about a mile as the crow flies from a PGC range. It has a posted rule about how many rounds may be loaded in a firearm - the most is six for a revolver. Fully auto weapons are not allowed. When I sit and listen to gunfire start and go on and on and on, I know that someone has the high cap pistol loaded up or their new AK or AR with the drum. And I think about the people who live on that road, way closer than I, and wonder when one of them is going to call the Game Commission or a Trooper and the range will end up closed.
Does any of that mean that I'm anti gun? No. Does it mean that I'm anti AK? No. But I am concerned about the inability to resist the urge to load that sucker up and blast away when it is inappropriate. It's inappropriate at most PGC ranges.
Pete

[kevindsingleton]

I bought my SKS, years ago. It's a Norinco paratrooper model, which means no bayonet lug, a somewhat shorter barrel, a synthetic stock, no bolt hold-open on last round, and it accepts AK mags.

It was more expensive than the standard wood-stocked SKS, but I considered the AK mag option worth the price difference. I haven't fired the weapon in many years, but it's ready to go, whenever the zombies are!

[truecrimson]

they've only ban them in 3 states?wow.idk what you want it for.you can't use them to hunt in pa.most ranges have a 3 shot limit on rifles and you can't find many hunting rounds for the ak.are you looking for an assult rifle to use on people?if so,i think you would need the whole 30 round clip to hit the target as i've out shot them at 50 yards with a revolver easy.of course a rifle designed to kill men does'nt have to be accurate.unintended kills are pretty common in battle so i guess accuracy would'nt be as much of an issue.you'd think we were heading to war here the way people are buying up war assult rifles at 3 times the value.are these those guns the taliban use to kill people with?i hope no one goes on a rampage spraying down children with those evil auto weapons.why do you guys spend money on them that your children could be using to pay for college?i hope i don't get sprayed down by auto ak47 gun fire while walking to get my morning bagel some day.

They are generally less than 3-5 MOA at 100 yards. Some more, some less. Good enough for both hunting and defense, and no worse than any Fudd's "thuty-thuty".

I am from Texas, and most of my family still lives there. I'm planning to move back in a few years. I CAN hunt with a semi in Texas and many other states.

7.62X39 hunting ammo is readily available-check Wal mart.

I've always liked them, in same way that some guys have always liked classic cars, or friend at work likes to collect Wedgewood Teapots (he also collects Cowboy guns, another thing there is no "need" for, but hey, he likes them, so it's none of anybody elses business).

I haven't paid 3 times the value for any of mine.

If I had bought an M-16 full auto in 1986 I would have paid about $800. Today, in the aftermath of the '86 ban I would pay $15,000-$30,000. If the same thing happens under Obama with Semi automatic military style weapons I want to have it before the price goes up.

i joined a gun club specifically so I would no longer have to put up with the 3 round limit on PGH ranges. Now I can use my drums with impunity.

I don't have children yet, so their college fund is not a concern at the moment. However if Obama bans semi automatic military style rifles, and the price goes up like machine gun prices have then I'll just sell an AK if college funding is a problem.

If someone is going to go on a rampage they are going to do it regardless of what weapons they own. The presence of the weapon does not make anyone more likely to do something stupid.

My advice would be that you adjust your bagel route to avoid the business end of ranges at private gun clubs, and you should be fine.

ETA: To the OP, buy both. If you have to choose get the AK first and pick up an SKS later. I own both and they are both great guns.

[SilentRage]

Well thanks once again for all the input everyone , I was in again today
ScoutJoe and checked out the yugo you said about , is the price tag on
that about right for that ? Around the $700.00 range !

To all that doubt the need for such a rifle , you could argue this so many
ways , for me it just comes down to one thing ,, the freedom to do so !
For now anyhow !

Something all the anti gunners will never figure out is that if a nutcase
wanted to go on a rampage and kill random people , what if he takes his
vehicle and drives into a crowd of people ? What then ? Are we going
to say that there's not need for that specific kind of vehicle ?

I'm sorry but a nut case could take down alot more people with his
vehicle than with a gun !

I give up ......

[ziggy222]

that car comparison would only be accurate if you could send 30 cars automatically into a crowd of innocent people with one press of a gas pedal.what is the sence of obama restricting guns if everyones gonna buy them 1st?maybe a better route would be for him to teach our children in school those guns designed to kill people are bad.maybe ask them if their parents have guns at home and keep it on file somewhere.

[scoutjoe]

that car comparison would only be accurate if you could send 30 cars automatically into a crowd of innocent people with one press of a gas pedal.

I'm sorry....as a person who doesn't have a ton of $ to blow on guns none of my guns send out more than one bullet per trigger pull.

[ShakeyDad]

that car comparison would only be accurate if you could send 30 cars automatically into a crowd of innocent people with one press of a gas pedal.what is the sence of obama restricting guns if everyones gonna buy them 1st?maybe a better route would be for him to teach our children in school those guns designed to kill people are bad.maybe ask them if their parents have guns at home and keep it on file somewhere.

So, basically what you're saying is a person can't wipe out a bunch of people by driving into a crowd ?? Come on man, how stupid do you think we are ??

And why is an anti-gun person hanging out on a gun owners forum ??

Maybe just crying out for the attention mommy and daddy never gave you ??

[nfafan]

SilentRage - get ANY AK 1st as it will possibly be a target of a future ban.
Then when you have another $300.00 or so saved, get a Russian or Chicom SKS. The Russian is a collectible shooter, the Chicom is a top-shelf shooter.

[bulletsneverlie]

I'd go with the SKS. It's more accurate, and for the time being it's cheaper. Buy you an AK 30rd mag, Dremel the furniture so it will fit and you've got equal capacity, for about half the price. I feel the AK craze is at least 25 percent image/status. Sure it's a marvel of engineering, but that's obviously not why most people like them so much. The SKS having a lower price and better performance, as well as an equal capacity makes it obvious that it's the better choice.

My uncle actually hunts with an SKS. It's still open sights, and in the last ten years he's killed 7 deer, only missing 1 with it.

And to the crazy bagel guy: I used to be kind of baffled about why anyone would spend so much time and money on assault riffles and guns they couldn't possibly find a use for outside of terrorism. My family hunts, so I'm used to guns, but after my friends started picking up guns as a hobby, I started to see a little clearer. It's for the most part simple collecting. Most of the people I know who have AK's and pistols with drum mags hardly ever even shoot them. My brother in law has 5 rifles he's never shot. Alot of people like to be able to show their buddies and say "look what I got, don't have one of these do you?" and then we all go try to get one. The fact that the item being collected is a lethal assault weapon makes it that much more seductive. Alot of people like to tell others (as well as themselves) "oh, I have to protect myself" get real, if you need a gun for protection it would be a shotgun or a cheap pistol. Some people really think buying a gun makes them more manly, sure it does, and if you feel that way, I got a bridge I think you'd be interested in buying. Different gun people like different things. My brother in law likes to get high capacity weapons. His dad likes to find larger caliber weapons. I go for cost verses efficiency and accuracy. Some like war guns, some want sniper rifles. Then there's the social aspect, you get to talk shop with people about your guns and you get to hear about theirs, you get to go to the range with buddies and try different ones and shoot some paper, and maybe make some new friends.

An AK doesn't automatically turn you into Scarface.

It's no worse than modding cars. Just because I put a turbo in my car, it doesn't mean I'm going to felony speed and try to out run the cops everywhere I go.

[SilentRage]

Well I just got back from the gun shop and I picked up the yugo sks , nice little gun ! Real good shape , out the door for $301.00 .
The main reason I chose this is accuracy , and after reading alot of your
posts I now know it can be tweaked to accept higher cap. mags .
Another small reason is Mrs. Silentrage just told me two nights ago while
checking out one of my handguns , " If you want another one of these
go ahead and get one " ahhhhhh okey dokey you're the boss . LOL
That was a curve ball I never saw coming , yep , smacked me right
between the eyes , and after five years of marriage I have now learned
to do what she says !

Listening to the guys at Allegheny Trade talking about what's going to
happen once the " Obama Train " starts rolling , I would suggest if there's
anything out there in the semi - auto field that you want get it now , the
prices are going to sky rocket !

Thanks once again everyone for all the info , very much appreciated !