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ks-47 or sks?

4K views 15 replies 12 participants last post by  TBull64 
#1 ·
in several months(maybe a bit longer) i was going buy a psa ks-47 to shoot targets, cans and whatever and once in a while to take hunting with me. even tho i reload, it will shoot factory ammo(exclusively). (i'm allowed to hunt because i am disabled) then while i was looking up online auctions, the sks was there. back in the day, i had the chance to buy the sks at $70-80. i should have bought 10 of them and put them away for the prices today. sheesh!!!!! $300 and up!!!!! but i didn't and i can't go back...........


i know the sks that i'll never have the accuracy that a psa ks-47 have. heck, if the sks groups 3 - 4" at 100 yards, i'll be a happy camper! i know i have to do trigger job and i'll probably do a aperture tech sight (i don't like scopes on the sks) just because. the 7.62x39 stipper clip are cheaper than ak-47 magazine(a list is on ks-47 magazines). i can throw the sks into my utv and go, not have to worry about scratching the stock or bouncing off the scope sight.

i'm not a guy that is into updated military weapons. i have served (US Army) and one thing that i've learned is that i HATE to clean my weapon!!!!!!! i've cleaned the m16a2/m203, m60, saw, ma deuce and a couple of more. the ks-47 is about the thing only i hate, cleaning!!!!! i'll only clean the sks when its appropriate(the accuracy fall off). while i hunt with the sks, it will only be 100 yards or less. 50 yards or less is more likely.


i like to shoot and not competitively. if i take out a rock or soda can or paper target or steel at 300 yards, then the guy on shoulder smiles. i'm not into shooting because of the guys, girls, trophy....i just like to shoot. i luv to shoot open(aperture) sights too. thats one thing that i've learned (and forgot) from the Army. it took an williams fp sight on my m94 to correct that.

now, what do you think that i "have to have." a ks-47 or a sks(likely a chinese)?

my thought is a sks, but the accuracy part of me say ks-47.





https://www.tech-sights.com/wp-conte...6644-Rev-A.pdf

https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-...165450163.html
 
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#2 ·
id go with the AR for a couple reasons. Accuracy is one. Ease of cleaning, simplicity of design and interchangeability of parts. About anything that can break could be covered with a spare lower parts kid and a extra extractor. Parts that could be swapped out of any ar15. I would have to guess if your sks broke your not getting parts at your local gunshop. Then add to that an sks doesn't have a removable mag and that would be a deal breaker for me. If we were talking AK vs AR the gap would be a lot narrower. Then theres the ease of scope mounting or mounting assesories if that concerns you. Accuracy wize a soda can at 300 yards is going to be a real challenge for an ak or sks. Piece of cake for an AR. Ive been looking at the psa ks47 myself. Seems the reviews are great on it and many claim there as reliable as an AK. IF my ar15 in 762x39 was that reliable it would still be in the safe. Now if even the sks were still around a 100 bucks or even 200 id probably be a buyer too. But today I can build a new ar15 for what a used sks cost. No brainer choice for me. I see absolutely no advantage to an sks over an ks 47 or for that matter any ar15. Even the cheap 762x39 ammo is a thing of the past. You can buy 556 just as cheap today
 
#3 · (Edited)
SKS, especially if you can find one that's new and in the box. The AK (Kalashnikov) rifle and variants is simply not as accurate as the SKS. If you are comparing old war relics with new production then of course the newer rifles may be the more accurate but in terms of the comm-bloc small arms thinking, the full automatic capability and 30 round capacity of the AK versus the semi-auto 10 round SKS would have made up for any longer range accuracy differences. I have both and enjoy both with the only difference being how many rounds I want to shoot before I reload. Both the NVA and the VC used to have snipers harassing our camps at night and they would be out 5-600 meters with the SKSs and open sights and they would come close enough, lemme tellya. You shouldn't have any problems with the SKS.
 
#5 ·
An SKS with decent hand loaded ammo is capable of much better accuracy than the cheap factory stuff.


I pulled apart 20 rounds of 7.62x39 tulammo once and was shocked at the wide weight swings in both bullets and powder.


Once I had my Yugo SKS dialed in I could routinely hit a quarter sized target at 50 yards with iron sights. And at 67 iron sights and me are not friends.


Eventually I found a cheap second dust cover and drilled and tapped it for a short piece of rail. Put a 2x Red Dot sight on it.


I would not be afraid to hunt with it.


The other thing I found out is that the SKS is capable of shooting much more than 125 gr bullets.


My best accuracy came with a load of 20 grains of IMR 4895 and the Lee 185 gr .312 gas checked bullet lubed with Alox.


Its not fast, but inside 100 yards it hits to POA, and it hits HARD.


I was "bumping up" those bullets with a solid tap on the nose with a rubber mallet when seating the gas check. Then running it nose first through a Lee .314 sizing die.



I'd go for the SKS myself. It is one of my favorite rifles to shoot.
 
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#6 ·
I think the KS-47 is proprietary to PSA you can't use a standard AR upper with it. At least i think that is true. I would get a complete upper from Bearcreek put it on a cheap lower and you will have a tack driver, not that the KS would not be. If you go with the AR platform then you can put any upper on it. lots of calibers to choose from. Just my two cents
 
#13 ·
theres a reason for that. Standard ar15s and 556 style mags just don't work well with the 762x39. Ive owned them and shot ones others owned and to say there a headache is a BIG understatement. The psa design fixes the biggest flaw in them. It allows them to use ak47 mags and makes they as reliable as any ar15 and in my opinion that buts them on level with an ak or sks in that department. I woudnt give you 300 bucks for ANY ar built on a standard ar lower. the psa guns give you much better accuracy then an sks and light years better then an ak. There reliable, easy to mount optics on and cheaper then an AK. They also don't rely on a fixed mag which in my opinion takes it out of any serious competition for using as a defense weapon. Would you buy a glock or sig that had a 10 round mag that had to be charged from the top one round at a time??? Like was said here earlier. Im stupid too. I remember sks's for 80 bucks like new and ones slightly beat up for even 50 bucks. Id say I should have bought a few but truth be told they would be down the road anyway by now because they lack the features I mentioned. Why would I want an ugly top fed gun that's hard to mount optics on when for the same money I can put together an ar15 that is just a better package for the same money. 10 years ago you could have even made the argument that ammo was cheaper for the sks but not today. Since the Russians went to a 22 ammo prices for the 762x39 are right up there with 556 ammo. Sometimes even more expensive.
 
#7 ·
Since SKS's are not $65 w/ purchase of a case of Chinese yellow boxed ammo ( good old '90's)
The SKS is a more accurate rifle then the standard AK it can have cycle issues w/o proper cleaning, true AK's will run rusted. The AR platform AK is as accurate.
Ar style AK's (PSA KS-47) are just like standard 5.56AR's but use standard AK mags , these are good guns but the versatility of the AR platform is lost.The standard AR style rifle running AK rounds, the mags can be the issue (after tweaking the extractor)
The real AK is the pick here.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I just went through the same thought process. I don't care what anyone says I just do not like the AR platform. Not that there's anything wrong with them, I just don't like them. I am noty putting them down or anyone who uses them, they are just not for me.

Back in the day of the cheap SKS and cheap ammo I shot jack rabbits and several coyotes with mine. I had several of them during those years. I never had a problem with any of them and they were all Norinco made.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/863221186

I just bought this one on gunbroker and am eagerly awaiting its arrival. I also bought a bunch of stripper clips and a screw on rubber extension because I am longer armed than the average chinavirus spreader! Back when they were a dime a dozen I used to take the steel butt plate off and give it a fling. Then screw on a piece of 2x4 and belt sand it to fit. It was then official Bubbafied.....and I didn't care.
 
#12 ·
after i get the c&r licence, i'll go with the sks. i hate cleaning rifles!!!! thanks!!!!
 
#14 ·
If you aren't set on a semi auto, you might want to look at the Ruger American bolt actions. They use the Mini 30 magazine and from what I've seen they get all the accuracy you can expect from the ammo.

I love the SKS as much as anyone. Old wood and steel guns are great. That said between the options you posted the modern PSA rifle is head and shoulders better. Cleaning isn't such an issue if you aren't doing lots of high volume range sessions.
 
#15 ·
I have three SKS rifles for different countries of origin, Yugo, Chinese, and Russain and they all shoot more accurately with handloads vs any for the steel case ammo. It all about consistency and the steel case ammo simply doesn't offer that over anything you can hand loads cast lead or jacketed. Regardless of which platform you go with handloads are the way to go if you want accuracy or bullet performance on target an you never have to worry about ammo shortages as long as you stay ahead of the curve component wise. For plinking and hitting minute of paper plate steel case is fine.
 
#16 ·
I’ve got a SKS and an AR in 7.62x39.And I enjoy both of them.As for the fellas saying the AR in 7.62x39 is a headache,nothing is farther from the truth.Mine runs cheap Russian steel,brass fmj or hp,and cup and core or ballistic-tip hunting loads.Things have evolved fellas...
 
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