Thread: SKS vs SKK vs Saiga ???

Hey guys, I'm in the market for a semi auto. I don't have the $$$ for a AR15, so am looking at a cheaper version. Leaning towards the saiga in .223 @ $799 from reloaders, eventually it will have a scope mount, and scope, but for now open sights are fine. What differences in velocity, and or accuracy is there between the 415mm and the 520mm barrel. Or should I look at a skk/sks, or are they just junk?

Basically I want it for some basic range work, and plinking/bunnies.

Dave

I've owned both. A shorty SKS and a Saiga .223 20".

Saiga: Horrible trigger, shitty paint finish (although it didn't rust, but it didn't leave the safe fuck all either), more optic friendly than SKS, Had a canted front sight which made the irons useless - it would shoot about 2 feet to the right at 50m with the front sight adjusted all the way left, accuracy was so so - some days it would do 6-7 MOA at 100m with Barnaul 62gr. BUT it could hit a Figure 12 at 200m and the guy I recently sold it to rang me up to tell me he shot 14 goats with it.



A 50m target. Not flash

SKS: Short, light, nice to carry, reasonable trigger, good accuracy for what it is, cheap ammo, a bitch to put optics on, feeds off stripper clips which are cheaper than mags

Get one of these


They do make good rabbit guns

Thanks for the reply. The rail you posted is tiny? What sort of scope could you put on it?

You wouldn't, you'd put a red dot sight on it Custom made rifle accessories | Remington 700, CZ 858, VZ 58 | BC Tactical . I'm gonna put a Bushnells TRS 25 on mine Bushnell TRS-25 Trophy Series 1x25 Red Dot Scope 731303 w/ Battery. If you want a scope on your SKS the best thing to do would be drill and tap the side of the reciever and use a Choate side mount SKS Scope Mount - CHOATE Machine & Tool, Inc. or get a Saiga mounting rail and have it fitted. Avoid the dust cover and gas tube mounts like the plague. Apparently gun city sells some mounts that are solid but I've never used them and they look fugly

Was looking at this SKS Scope Mount – Black Anodized $67.95 the choate one looks good, gunsmith wouldnt charge an arm and a leg to drill and tap

Have you got the bushnell sight?

I tried scout scopes they won't ship to NZ which is why I went with BC Tactical. I don't have the sight yet, will probably purchase it in the next few days. There are a few reviews online, meant to be a decent optic for the money

They do look good. Ok, so going with an SKS. 16 or 20? wood or syn? I leaning at 16 inch syn, but curious as to your thoughts. longer barrle = more velocity, but surely i would only be about 100-150 fps?

7.62X39 will develop most of it's velocity (which is sweet fuck all) in a pretty short barrel. The only advantage I see with a 20" tube would be the longer sight radius when using irons. Have a look around before diving into it. There are meant to be some sub-$2K AR15's coming in, saving up for one of them might be a bit more appealing

Oh yeah and most of the synthetic stocks are crappy, you generally have to file to fit with them and then the rifle slops around inside the stock under recoil, so for the best accuracy anchoring them in by bedding would be essential. Just another point to consider. In saying that the wood stocks aren't much better...

I have a budget of about a grand all up. In all honesty, its a play gun/bunnies. So the SKS fits the bill. I liked the saiga for the (assumption) that it was better quality. The sks with a decent mount and that red dot should be fun, there are a few things that can be done to improve the trigger SKS rifle trigger improvement spring kit | Trade Me , and it looks like gun city has a mag kit for the sks now SKS Duckbill Magazine 5 Rounds Steel - magazine, replace, designed, trapdoor, style, ... - Gun City . The sks for me will be a gun to take to the range for when my 7mm is too hot, and to shoot on a farm at shit that moves. an AR would be nice, but id be too scared to take it in the bush lol.

Fair enough mate. I've only really heard bad things about messing around with detachable mags in an SKS - it seems to be the start of a long road of pain and suffering. Have a look online for gun bits before you buy off Gun city. They have a habit of trying to palm off junk at ridiculous prices, the same could be said about many tardme users. I'm not scared to get my AR covered in shit, and I'll clean the action when it starts to choke. If I can't take a rifle into the bush without worrying about it, it ain't much use to me.

Have you ever seen a Chineese AR??
Ummm.. no thanks

They're Canadian spanners North Eastern Arms | Platforms (if your referring to the sub-$2K AR's)

Beavis - who is bringing them in and when?

Originally Posted by Beavis

Fair enough mate. I've only really heard bad things about messing around with detachable mags in an SKS - it seems to be the start of a long road of pain and suffering. Have a look online for gun bits before you buy off Gun city. They have a habit of trying to palm off junk at ridiculous prices, the same could be said about many tardme users. I'm not scared to get my AR covered in shit, and I'll clean the action when it starts to choke. If I can't take a rifle into the bush without worrying about it, it ain't much use to me.

Fair point about the bush. I check ebay/google for everything from gun city or anywhere for that matter, I know they like to charge like wild bulls. I will only buy the SKS from GC, the rest will either be ebay or us sites. They have the choate rail at GC for $120 and $40 to fit, or buy it from the website you mentioned for under half for example.

I found this Bushnell Red Dot, 1x25, 3MOA, Matte Riflescopes, Binoculars, Rangefinders and Spotting Scopes at The Optic Zone same as you posted, slightly cheaper, I have used these guys a few times, and they usually have 7-10% sales just fyi with out a coupon its $176.308 shipped to nz, not sure how that compares to the one you found.

coupled with the mount you posted, for $85 plus freight

the SKS and maybe a trigger replacement if needed, that's about $700 all up. MINT! less than a saiga alone!

Might go have a look at Gun Shitty today. Unless someone knows where to get one from for the same price or cheaper that inst gun city?