Russian SKS

[nevada]

I gave in and bought, sight unseen, a 1951 Russian SKS. Now I have gun born the same year as me. All matching numbers, the stock is a replacement, stamped 1951 with some other numbers stamped out. The bore is mirror bright. The first thing I checked was the firing pin, and as the pic shows it was stuck in the up position. I took the bolt apart and there was thick oil in the channel, so I sprayed it with Gunscrubber and put dry lube on it. It rattles fine now. There was a cleaning kit in the butt. This is the first SKS I've really handled, I didn't know the kit was spring loaded....neat! I have a sling to install and then I need to go shooting. What a great looking rifle.

[SteelCore]

That is a Tula manufatured SKS...niiice.

[okie shooter]

Nevada, does yours have any stock repairs, Mine does, it looks like it was a factory repair, matches and such but still there at the rear of the receiver?

[jfowl31]

nice... My old one didnt have the armory symbol in the stock. It was a Tula, but didnt have the Tula star stamped in the stock like yours.

So whats wrong with it?????? Is the gas system screwed up or something????? It should be semi-auto, not bolt action!!! yuckyuckyuck.... I kill myself...

I believe everyones been talking about sks's in the AK section, since they are so close to the same rifle. Just in case you had any questions about anything on it, it might be better answered there....

My Ruskie was a great rifle... and extremely accurate too! If it wasnt for the horrid trigger mine had, it woulda been possibly the best semi-auto I own... then I bought my cetme, and junked a bunch of other rifles.

[k98k792]

Moved to AK and SKS section.


Just got back from the range with my Rus. Great rifles! I bet you will like it alot!

[nevada]

K98, thanks for moving this to the correct forum. I had a major brain fart when it put into bolt actions. There are no stock repairs that I can see. The trigger pull is nice, to me, but then I've noticed that people complain about trigger pulls on guns that I think are just fine. I love the shape of the bayonet, slim and dangerous, without bulk. No electro-pencil anywhere, all stamped. 1951s seem to cost more than other years, that was a transitional year. I figured that for $350 I had better get one. I'm still smiling!

[k98k792]

You did very good on that deal. 1951 is alot harder to find then my 1954. They are the grand old man of the SKS family.
I can't wait to hear your range report!

Here is a place to get a sling,scroll down http://www.surplusfirearms.com/sksrifle.htm

[Smokehouse69]

Great find! I've been looking for a 1951 SKS, that was the year I was born. :fing02:

[Norton]

That is a sharp looking carbine, I would love to have one myself. what type of wood is the stock?

[okie shooter]

Norton, I think the wood is supposed to be artic burch.

[k98k792]

Yep,flame hardened Artic Birch.

[Norton]

Yep,flame hardened Artic Birch.

Flame Hardened Artic Birch, that sounds so cool. I think the Russian made airframes for their WW 2 fighters out of that type of wood.

[nevada]

Awl rite. (Southern inflection) Mines Flame Hardened Arctic Birch, what's on that AR? HAr har har har.

I've been looking over the SKS more carefully and taking some things apart. The bottom of the gas tube has the serial number electro-poenciled on it, the gas tube wood has the SN stamped on it. There is what appears to be a repair to a hairline crack in the wood about an inch below the bayonet tip, about two inches long.

My AK tool kit has a front sight adjuster tool in it. Now I know what that thing is.:) I ordered a front sight tool from Tapco, and a cross bolt removal tool.
I know I have a regular AK/SKS sight tool somewhere, just can't find right now. I must have put it in a 'safe' place.

[jfowl31]

The gas tubes on all the Russians Ive examined were all electro penciled serials... so dont think that that is an add-on or anything... its original.

Did your stock have and X-ed out numbers or just the correct one stamped?

I love the Arctic Birch... such a weird grain, but when treated right and fixed up the right way.... the grain gets very deep, and almost psychadelic... like Tiger's eye rocks... When I got mine, it was unfired, and the stock was IMMACULATE... I still rubbed in 5 or 6 coats or tru-oil and the grain popped out really pretty.

Those are really good shooters, and are really accurate from my experience... the most accurate of all the sks's from all the reports Ive read, and that certainly was my experience... I hit a 10x12" plate 8 times outta 10 at 475ish yards and a 4 power mildot cheapo scope on top... i think the scope and mount cost me 20 bucks... that was some cheap accuracy.

I sold it to a friend with the option to buy back in the future... needed the money badly at the tme... dont regret that one as much as some others though, since I still have a shot at getting it back.

[nevada]

The seller told me the stock was a replacement. There are some numbers that are stamped out, and the 1951R, which the seller said was a new stamping on the stock.

I added some oics of markings, I used crayon on the metal.

[cetme]

I keep on thinking I'll dump my SKS and then I'll shoot it and say nah it's too fun. I'll love it even more when I get a golf ball launcher for it!

[nevada]

It's such a handygun, like the MN M44 or M1 carbine, why would you want to dump it? I've never shot one and I really like it already.

[Norton]

It's such a handygun, like the MN M44 or M1 carbine, .

I know we have discussed this before, but I still can't see why the Russian did not send a big batch them to the Korean war as a real combat test bed. It would have fit the tactics used by the Reds like a glove. I mean the AK was in porduction by 1953 so I don't buy that there were not enough SKS to spare for Korean fighting nor the 'They didn't want us to learn their secrets' argument as they sent the MIG 15. That was their real secret weapon, when we got one of those we knew how far along they were.

[nevada]

Maybe they weren't that friendly with China yrt? I haven't studied the Police Action history yet. What did Chinas army use for longarms then? Their first SKSs showed about 1956, I think.

[okie shooter]

The chinese used what ever they could get, they used excess japanese weapons from the second world war, they used the nagant, and many of the soviet sub machine guns. The Soviets from what I had read valued the cartriage as much as the rifles as state security issues when it came to the sks and the ak.

[Norton]

. What did Chinas army use for longarms then? Their first SKSs showed about 1956, I think.

Many Chinese troops went armed with M 1903A3 given to the Chinese Army in WW 2 by the USA. Mao sent them with the remenants of the Old Anti Communist Chinese army as cannon fotter. Plus the new PLA could pick up ammo of dead US troops. The irony here was the US Marines and Army picked up M 1903s from dead PLA troops and used them on the Chinese when the temps dropped below what a Garand or Carbine would work reliably.. As was posted before, they rest of them had a mix of everything from SMLE to the M 98 and Mp 40 as well as all types of Japanese rifles and pistols. The NKPA used only Soviet weapons and the Ppsh 41 was issued in large numbers. In truth (contary to 1950s Korean war movies) the Red Chinese had few Ppsh 41 or 43 and Mao even complained to Stalin about more FA small arms. Stalin said what are you going to use for money to pay for all these guns you want so bad?
Mao payed with rice.