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Russian vs Chinese SKS.

105K views 52 replies 36 participants last post by  eugene 
#1 ·
I've got an opportunity to purchase either a Russian SKS or a Chinese SKS. Numbers match on both. Russian is $400 Chinese is $350.

For an extra $50, is there something about the Russian that makes it more worthwhile? Stronger? Better barrel?
 
#4 ·
I would try and buy both , if I had the extra doe , maybe you can get A deal if you buy both , if not , get the chinese , mine shoots just as good as the tula, some say that the Russian ones are better, I don't know , but I have seen the chinese take A licking an keep on ticking.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Many posters on several websites have claimed over the last several months that all else being equal, the Russians are the best SKS products. There might be solid reasons for their views but I certainly don't know.
The Russians and the Chinese have chrome-lined bores, and some state that these only are an advantage with corrosive ammo etc.

Have you looked at "SKSboards"? It might be T H E website for dedicated fans.
Dedicated as in serious, or 'lifestyle'. You know what I mean.
Many of those people appear to have a seasoned comprehension of various SKS characteristics and they seem to always prefer Russians, unless a good Albanian or rare East German can be found.
 
#7 ·
Many posters on several websites have claimed over the last several months that all else being equal, the Russians are the best SKS products. There might be solid reasons for their views but I certainly don't know.
The Russians and the Chinese have chrome-lined bores, and some state that these only are an advantage with corrosive ammo etc.

Am new at this, only plink with a very nice Norinco and try to learn from many hours of comparing comments.

Have you looked at "SKSboards"? It might be T H E website for dedicated fans.
Dedicated as in serious, or 'lifestyle'. And I envy their knowledge.
Many of those people appear to have a seasoned comprehension of various SKS characteristics and they seem to always prefer Russians, unless a good Albanian or rare East German can be found.
SKSboards has a lot of good info. However, some of us have had run ins with the Nazis that run it.
 
#10 ·
That's silly. There are dozens of good honest men and women on that board who all share a love for the SKS. Their knowledge and experience has helped me with numerous projects and problems with my collection of SKSs.

To answer the original poster's questions...it is personal preference. I'll take my Chinese over a Russian any day. BTJMHO.
 
#11 ·
If I were buying and price wasn't the issue,I would look at it like this on a side by side comparison and both guns being equal in all aspects fit,finish I would take the Russian,it's just the Cadillac of the SKS and the more sought after rifle.

I'm not knocking the Chinese by no means I have one a NIB 1966 /26\ and I love it and I would put it up agent any Russian when it comes to accuracy,my Chinese has the screwed on barrel and all milled parts,after the mid 60's the Chinese started taking shortcuts to speed up production by using pressed and pinned barrels and stamped steel parts. There is nothing wrong with these rifle that have these features, they seem to function and shoot just as accurately as the all milled type I have I just prefer the milled parts rifles. Also allot of the stocks on the Chinese are made of a soft wood that can get banged up easily.

So what I'm saying is if the Chinese is one of the versions with the stamped and pinned parts,even thought both rifles are in the same condition I would take the Russian. Regardless of which one you take there both great rifles. Does the Chinese have the bayo on it,thats another thing i would also look at.
 
#12 · (Edited)
SKS48: But those extra Norinco SKS bayonets cost nothing and my gun was probably imported with one. Our govt will be so broke for years (probably have no money to enlarge over-bloated, cash-hungry departments) that I'm not concerned about them being worried about a solitary, lonely SKS.

I hope that Hammerhead bought a good Russian (or Norinco) rifle. Maybe he is lurking.

At the recent gun show two weeks ago, two excellent-looking Russians were listed at about $400 each.
Was surprised that they were still there at noon Saturday, but did not look closely at them, yet they were very tempting.
A real, Russian SKS with milled parts, which bridged the gap between the MN and the AK.

To be quite frank, if it is a Russian-designed weapon, it attracts me more than one hundred ARs.
Somehow I've never looked at ARs at gunshows or shops, even after a friend from Germany let me shoot his Colt.
To me they just don't have classic combat looks, are pricey, but are made with black plastic and vaguely resemble that on
my very cheap bb guns.
Mini 14/30, SKS, two MN 44s and the (40's) Savage .22. Now ready to take on multiple targets of insurgent fruit near a swimming cottonmouth (in April).
 
#13 ·
I hope that Hammerhead bought a good Russian (or Norinco) rifle. Maybe he is lurking.
I was attrached to an SKS. I was under the impression that they'd remain one of the cheaper rifles during this panic period. They haven't. Finding an SKS for under $400 was absurd, but I did it.

Then came the realization that I just spent $350 dollars on a rifle, an old rifle. A REALLY old rifle. When I got my Norinco, I found after the first shoot that it was seriously flawed. Wood chipped off when I ran my hand over it's stock. After hearing a really strange noise the first time I fired it, I had to un-pin the barrel and give it a good looking through. There was a hole, or more of a bubble, and a crack going through this bubble, IN the barrel.

So I've got another stock (it's not the prettiest thing), and a new pin-on barrel came a week ago. I've installed it. But this brought the total cost of the rifle to $460 dollars (rounding up with tax, not including the total $30 I paid in shipping costs).

So, the rifle will be going up for sale soon enough. I don't know what I'll put it at. Yes, its the same rifle as my ad from before, the barrel is new-ish (I doubt someone just recently turned this thing out), and the stock is from an SKS "Parts" kit. So it's not numbers matching.
 
#14 ·
I have had both and both are great guns. The fit and finish seems to be better on the Russian SKS's in my opinion. I have had three Russians and about the same amount of SKS and have never experience a jam or problem with any of them though. I live in Canada and bought two Russian SKS's in the last month for $199 each and they came as though they were new packed in cosmoline. Haven't shot either of them yet. The wood is definitely better on the Russians. No question there. The chinese stuff ... I don't even know what tree could grow that garbage.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Hammerhead: Although I'm sort of new to actually buying and learning about guns, the only thing unappealing about my almost-mint Norinco SKS is the wood. A few very tiny cuts appeared inches below the bolt.

Wood on Russian SKS rifles listed for about $425 at our recent gun shows, looks much harder and better (not just the colors), as with Ruger Minis.
One thing is certain: when we develop a real grudge against a gun and decide to sell it, it is easy to lose a chunk of money. You might do better with a trade, but patience can be our friend. After selling an imitation M-1 carbine by AO at a real loss (because I made the costly mistake of having bought it brand-new), I should have kept the 1200 rds. of Rem. ammo for a trade. Lost a solid chunk on both deals, not wanting to wait a while. Could have bought an SKS+1,500 rds in '08, with money which was lost.
 
#16 ·
I own 4 sks carbines. Two Russian, a Chinese and a Yugo. The Russian and Chinese have been perfect, the yugo, not so perfect. I prefer the Russian ones but that is just me. If money is the issue, go for the Chinese, I do belive tho that re-sale value is better on the Russian. Check out gunbroker.com and auctionarms.com. By now, you may have bought your carbine. If so, let us know what you got and how you like it. pa831
 
#17 ·
i have owned sks rifles since 1984, i still have quite a few of them. i think the russian wood is better on some, but prettier wood on the china. the early china rifles used the russian wood and were built using russian parts.

here are a few of the china ones i have. i cannot get to the russian or other countries ones now.
#1 the para sks rifles in the first picture were to be converted to take the ak mags, but the atfe would not let that happen. (there were around 600+ ready to be done) they all new never fired.
#2 the second pictures is the only para sks rifle imported that were not cut down rifles, they were built from new partsin china. (300 were built and i had all 300 of them). they all new and never fired.
#3 the 3 sks rifles are from the last crate i had, ( imported before 1989) i opened it a few months ago, they are all new never fired.

as you can tell i am a very big fan of the sks rifles.

they are not for sale. sorry
 

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#18 · (Edited)
Common Sense

It shows that you had the common sense to invest in collectable rifle's instead of today's useless Wallstreet paper junk! Smart move. Excellant collection indeed,smile all the way to the bank "While it's still open" lol. Have a good day! Rock Creek

Forgot to add my Yugo M59/66 still had cosmolene on ,cleaned up very impressed with machine work, bought another to plink with and put the pristine Yugo in vault!
 
#21 · (Edited)
not anymore at this time. i am down to only a few now and i am saving them for my 4 grandsons to have a nice starter gun collection when they each turn 18. i had put these in a storage a wharehouse in 1996 along with some china made, m-14s, paras, sks-m, sks-d, uzi's, etc.
there were a bunch of assorted of these. if you lived in texas ( a lot went to houston dealers), oklahoma, lousiania they were sold to small ffl dealers this started around the end of 2005 until jan. 2008. i am no longer a ffl dearer ( i quit). i was a ffl dealer for over 25+ years.
i sold around 100 or so assorted china rifles to members on another gun site.

ron
 
#22 ·
I own a Russian, Yugo and Norinco. Yugo as far as I am concerned is the worst of the lot. The russian is still in great shape, wood, bore and fire control. The Chinese is in a collapsible stock, I have never had a problem with it. I bought the after market firing pin with spring to prevent slam fires for all three.
 
#23 ·
Ive had a number of SKS myself over the years. I sold most of them after the assault weapons ban and cashed in on them. I kept my mint, matching numbers milled Yugo because it was the best looking, best shooting and best functioning of the lot. Not to mention the grenade launcher is an eye catching piece. The Yugo really dosent suffer from not having a chrome lined barrel as most all 7.62x39 (even alot of surplus) is non-corrosive. Ive found the newer stamped Chinese as the worst of the SKS Ive owned. The wood is horribly prone to swelling in damp conditions. My Chinese were also prone to vibration that the other Russian and Yugoslavians were not. I can only assume the stamped parts were the culprits as my Chinese were bought at many different times and not from the same lot. Also, if you have ever used a Norinco air rifle thats built to look like an SKS you waill have a good idea of what your getting in a newer Norinco SKS as far as quality of urniture and parts goes. I was amazed at how similar the two looked when I saw one of these air rifles. Ive heard the older pre 60s chinese is better as mentioned earlier in this thread.
 
#25 ·
I've had my Russian since 89 and have shot hundreds of rounds of all kinds of ammo without a single problem. Shot a couple Norinco's and was glad I bought the Russian:lol:

Don't really see a problem with the Survivors, they have been incredibally helpful to me and have a vast source of info available. Go there and you'll meet some serious SKS owners who know their guns.<_<
 
#27 ·
I've had three Chikom SKS's and two are the threaded barrel type. Never owned a Russkom, but I do have 2 Romies, which I've heard are close to the Russians in finish and quality. The wood on the Romies is solid but not pretty. One of these had a really beat-up and broken stock, and I replaced it with a Yugo wood set that I had to modify slightly so it would fit. The result is a VERY solid and heavy stock on a relatively heavy rifle, when compared to a Chikom.
 
#29 · (Edited)
My '53 Tula has a chrome bore and came in like-new condition. I prefer its fit and finish to the Norinco I sold, but otherwise I can tell no real difference between the two. The Russkie came apart for cleaning a lot easier, for one thing. The rifles still on the market are the last of the last, and all the really nice ones are probably snug in safes. If price is within $50, and both are really nice I'd take the Russkie.
 
#33 ·
Can anyone share infor/comment of the red fiberglass stocks on Norincos. Was this a later development?
Thanks
I believe those red stocks were designed for use in jungle conditions to prevent them from rotting. Possibly they were the Chikomz answer to our FG stocks on the M14. As I undertand it, they were from the 1960's.

I like those red FG sks stocks too. Very lightweight and handy. I put one on the SKS that my wife eventually "appropriated" from my collection. She loves how it handles.

It would be nice to find some more of those stocks at the $10.00/each price I found my two at.
 
#34 ·
I found a refurb Tula since my last post in this thread. Nice rifle but to be honest, it shoots about the same as my other SKS's. I'm growing more fond of my Chikomz though as time passes. Very nice little weapons for the price. Just found another one with grease in the barrel and all over inside. It was 3 bills but the used ones are at least that much these days.

And to think my first one 20 years ago was 100 bucks, new and unissued.
 
#35 ·
And to think my first one 20 years ago was 100 bucks, new and unissued.
I can't help but regret not buying one or more SKSs back then.

At the time, I believed ammo availability might not be consistent, and didn't know how good SKSs really are. I didn't know spare parts are rarely needed, or that there would be spare parts available soon enough anyway. That was before the internet.

That's what I tell myself so I don't regret it so much. :lol:

I have a 54 Tula refurb now. It's a good shooter.

Congrats to the forward thinkers who got in early. I didn't make the same mistake with Mosins.
 
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