When they were $79, they were a hell of a deal, probabaly the best value in guns ever. Even at $225, I was buying Yugos', but paying $500 for one doesn't make sense, even if it is Russian. IMO.

You gotta have a love for them to spend $500.  


They're decent enough rifles for sure.  I got a Chinese SKS for $190 IIRC.  Fit and finish great for a $200 gun.  Of course if I need a rifle, I'll grab an AR or something first.  But they are a decent piece of history that's hard to resist.  Cheap to shoot, easy to clean.

I don't love any piece of machinery

I bought all of mine for less than $100 each. No, they aint an AK47 nor an AR15, but for the price I paid
for the weapon and ammo, and the hours of shooting time experienced, they can't be beat. They are what they are a good plinker, hunter and fighter if neccessary.

only gun i regret selling was my 16" paratrooper sks.

shot well...

TXL

I'll bite.
I've owned AK's, Mosins, and SKS's.  I sold the AK's and Mosins and still have the SKS's.  

AK - sucked for accuracy, ergonomics really do suck like folks say.  Heavy with a full mag.  Sure would probably run in sand/mud/SHTF, but so would an SKS.  Stayed in the safe 9 range trips out of 10.

Mosin - built like a tank, but not THAT accurate for a bolt gun (I'm used to bolt remchesters that really ARE accurate).  Kicked like a friggin' mule.  LOUD as hell.  Low capacity.

SKS - more accurate than the AK and about the same as the Mosin at 100yds, maybe better.  Better balance and ergonomics.  Doesn't kick like the Mosin.  Weighs less than the AK with the full mag.  Higher capacity than the Mosin.  Easy to load with stripper clips.  Just more fun to shoot than the other two.

It's a shame folks tapco-ize and bubba them to try to make them something they're not. For what they are, they're great.  I'll keep a couple around just because of the stockpile of ammo I accumulated back in the super-cheap ammo days.  YMMV

Sez you.

Luckily, I have multiple examples of all of them.

I guess I'll have to sell mine so that I can look at myself in the mirror.  

-KW

There are a lot worse rifles out there that you could get.

So thumbs down to an SKS but thumbs up to an MN?

Is your head full of fuck or something?

I feel bad. I paid $80.00 each for the 4 I have.

As for being inaccurate, stand 100 yds from me as I empty a mag & then tell me how inaccurate they are. Idiot!

Agreed.

I'm not going to read 7 pages just to comment on the OP's idiocy.

With that said: I would put any one of my out of the box Chi-Com SKS's (or my Chi-Com AK for that matter) against some of the expensive, High-Speed, Johnny Home-Wrecker, Wazoo, Tacticool, rifles out there.

And BTW: I own several expensive, High-Speed, Johnny Home-Wrecker, Wazoo, Tacticool, rifles.

Just sayin'

A Red Ryder is better than a Mini 14

The sks fills its gap. Its a traditional styled rifle that is simple to use in a decent caliber. It wasnt designed to be an AK

What if you have the AK and the Mosin and still like the SKS?  

the only people that hate SKS's are those that done have one or those who got one expecting an AK

They are fantastic sturdy rifles. great hog or deer rifles, easy to use and great in their original configurations.

they arnt supposed to be as accurate as a mosin [not that all mosins are accurate in bolt action standards] and they arnt supposed to be a "assault type rifle"

its a rifle, and a dang good one at that