Background
As we continue to explore military surplus rifles, we couldn’t pass up this jewel – another impressive carbine from the former Soviet Union. Although not a communist, I find Cold War-era Soviet design extremely interesting.
The Soviets licensed and supplied countless copies of the SKS to whoever needed a simple and inexpensive carbine – something everybody was after during the Cold War. The SKS has a long, distinguished service record with too many countries and wars to mention, although it was later downgraded in favor of the select-fire AK fed by a detachable box magazine.
Related: The Humble Yet Increasingly Collectible SKS Rifle – A History
A great many of these rifles eventually made it to American gun shops, and today’s example is one of them. The affordable surplus rifles have long been a hit with American shooting enthusiasts, but does the 80-year-old SKS still have a place in our market?
The SKS Design
The unique function and design of the SKS makes it easy to disassemble and operate. Its milled receiver is quite simple, attached to the 20-inch barrel via a cross pin. The barreled action rests in the wooden stock, secured by the snap-in trigger group.
Cartridges feed from a 10-round magazine, which is fixed to the rifle but can be opened by releasing the hinged floorplate. There are other magazine options for the SKS, but this is the original design. The magazine can be loaded by hand or via stripper clips that fit into the notch of the bolt carrier.
The gas tube resembles the AK-47 design but operates quite differently. A long piston rides tightly in the gas tube. When a shot is fired, it pushes back a spring-loaded tappet, which contacts the front of the bolt carrier. Brass is ejected out the top of the open action, before the bolt scoops another cartridge from the magazine.
The SKS incorporates a strange bolt design that is square in shape and tilts into a locked position when in battery. The charging handle is fixed to the bolt carrier, and it certainly reciprocates and will damage any body parts it contacts.
A strange flat-back receiver cover houses the operating spring and can be removed without any tools. This strange look turned me off to the SKS when I first laid eyes on one, in the same way the old Browning A5 was not to my liking. I guess tastes can mature like everything else.
Why the SKS?
In the original Soviet design, the SKS was meant to be an infantryman’s rifle. A 10-round semi-auto rifle probably sounded great to soldiers used to shooting Mosin-Nagants, even if the rifle was chambered in the diminutive 7.62x39mm cartridge. I say “diminutive” only compared to the 7.62x54mmR, 8x57mm Mauser, and .30-06 cartridges everybody else was shooting at the time.
The 7.62x39 cartridge isn’t particularly fast, nor is it extremely powerful. It really isn’t a lot of things, and yet it has accounted for a staggering human death toll in its short 80-year lifespan. If nothing else, the cartridge is appealing because of its cost and availability – until recently.
Related: 5.45 vs. 5.56 – The Power of The Poison Pill
One of the reasons the SKS has become so popular with militaries and civilians is its ability to put rounds downrange. It’s easy to burn through a case of ammo with a rifle like this, and it’s fun, as the recoil is mild for even smaller shooters. It’s easily loaded, and to my surprise, the rifle was more accurate than I expected.
I came into this rifle likely for the same reasons as most others. An older gentleman from work knew of my affinity for firearms, and one day he asked if I wanted to buy an SKS. You know the answer to that question, and when he brought the rifle in the next day, I was blown away. He traded me the rifle, three or four boxes of ammo, and three AR-15 magazines for a single C-note. Even 25 years ago, I was ecstatic about such a good deal. If only I could get a crate full of them at that price!
Pros & Cons
So, I’ve explained in detail that the SKS is a fun and inexpensive rifle. But let's go over some of the other benefits of this ray of Russian sunshine. In the 20-plus years of owning this rifle, I cannot recall a single time the rifle ever malfunctioned on me. Even running it only on the finest steel-cased bargain-basement ammo, this thing never skipped a beat.
I can see why the rifle is so popular with militiamen and less affluent militaries. While it would not be my first choice in a fighting rifle, it is so much better than the sticks and stones usually available to the downtrodden. This rifle just shoots. It feels like an old hunting rifle in your hands, but it feels like an AK once you start pulling the trigger. Its 20-inch barrel surely gives better velocity than the typical 16-inch barrel on most comparable rifles.
While I’ve never had a need for the bayonet, it has come in handy countless times to spike into the ground when a gun rack was unavailable. It’s also doubled as a camera tripod.
As for the downside of the SKS, the sights are just what you’d expect from a military rifle made in 1960s China – nothing fantastic, if you catch my drift. To add insult to injury, there are not any good options for optical sights, either. Most optic mounts attach to the receiver cover, which isn’t attached to the barrel and isn’t even securely mounted, for that matter.
The SKS trigger wasn’t bad, but I don’t care for the safety. The safety lever runs along the back of the trigger guard, and to engage it, you fold it forward and up. To unsafe the rifle, you pull down and back, a very similar action to pulling the trigger itself. Unfamiliar shooters have accidentally discharged the rifle in the process – probably not a big deal, but worth mentioning.
Pros:
- Reliable – not a single malfunction in 20 years
- Interesting history and battle-tested resume
- Fun to shoot, much like an AK-47
- Added velocity from 20-inch barrel
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Bayonet doubles as stake for standing gun up or tripod for camera
Cons:
- Sights are rudimentary, with no good optics mounting option
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Safety lever on trigger guard could lead to accidental discharge
Final Words on the SKS
Having shot the SKS for the past couple of decades, I feel confident in my experience with it. Nobody expects the SKS to win any beauty pageants, but the rifle has an historic allure.
Despite being less advanced than our more modern options, this rifle still has excellent potential and can fulfill many purposes depending on the needs of its owner. For the most part, I have used the SKS as a rabbit hunting rifle, a task it does well. But right now, there is probably some unfortunate person somewhere in the world clutching his SKS because his life depends on it. Hopefully, that is something we can all avoid.
The Norinco SKS is an inexpensive and fun rifle to shoot, and it comes with a time-tested design that is more than adequate for your average gun owner. This military surplus rifle is certainly worth your time and money, especially if you bought it back in the day.
