bigdaddyhatty 65 Posted April 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2012 I decided on the Saiga, I'm sure I'll end up with a SKS someday too, but the saiga will be my next purchase. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TO THE FLOOR IN A 63 121 Posted April 23, 2012 Report Share Posted April 23, 2012 I bought a russian sks last night. Could have had a saiga for the same price but I already own one. My converted Saiga shoots dead on with the iron sights...used it in a match last week but but couldn't resist the russian sks. IF I don't like it I will sell it off closer to the election. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bigdaddyhatty 65 Posted August 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 Well I never got around to getting a Saiga 7.62x39, mainly because I havn't seen one. I leaning toward a VZ58 now, it seems like it's the best of both worlds, stripper clips and high cap mags. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be as reliable or not. Anyone have one? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hutchsaiga 93 Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 Well I never got around to getting a Saiga 7.62x39, mainly because I havn't seen one. I leaning toward a VZ58 now, it seems like it's the best of both worlds, stripper clips and high cap mags. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be as reliable or not. Anyone have one? . I don't personally have one but I have fired two that buddies own. They never have problems with them, except for mags being a little hard to find sometimes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skullface405420 45 Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 not sure if anyone mentioned it, but sks's sometimes are dangerous.my friend picked up one at a gunshow that was mil-surplus packed full of cosmoline, he went to go pull back the bolt and load it and it slammed fired. plus the saiga's bolt hold open is in a more convenant spot and mag loading is easier. plus the saiga will hold its value and is new. it is just an all around better gun in my opinion. especially if you ever want to convert it. if you got a sks it is more prone to problems than if you got a saiga. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
haugpatr 972 Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 not sure if anyone mentioned it, but sks's sometimes are dangerous.my friend picked up one at a gunshow that was mil-surplus packed full of cosmoline, he went to go pull back the bolt and load it and it slammed fired. plus the saiga's bolt hold open is in a more convenant spot and mag loading is easier. plus the saiga will hold its value and is new. it is just an all around better gun in my opinion. especially if you ever want to convert it. if you got a sks it is more prone to problems than if you got a saiga. What the hell are you talking about? SKS rifles are great rifles! Your friend probably was not smart enough to clean off the cosmoline from the firing pin which could cause a slam-fire. SKS rifles work fine, it is the operator that can be blamed. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
canoecanoe 63 Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 I agree with Hog. Make sure you fully disassemble the bolt and clean the firing pin and firing pin channel. Then reassemble and shake it to make sure it moves freely. Then there will be no slam fire. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chevyman097 2,579 Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Been a while since I have read so much false crap spewed in one post. Thanks for the laugh Skullface. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skullface405420 45 Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 (edited) hey all Im saying is having that unintended shot go off a few feet from us was pretty scary and ive had a yugo and russian sks and shot the piss out of them this kind of thing never happend to me or my sks's.apparently he bought some kind of part to fix it online though, when i asked him about it when he called me up wanting to go shoot again.he said the cosmoline crap only helped cause that to happen but something was up with how his particular sks's fireing pin was setup. i never thought these were bad guns, ive owned 3 different ones and i cleaned them before and after firing everytime. guess my friend just got the bad bottom rifle of the crate or something.Come to think of it after he did that and put a new stock on it though hes still got her going strong. i dunno man, for the prices though even if, id still say you'd much rather be off with a saiga for another hundred or two. it would be a brand new gun in the box.of coarse i would settle for the sks if i had too and just COULD NOT afford the saiga, i have dissassembled them and made them take the hi-compacity duckbill mags myself and its not hard at all. hell you can even shave the bolt down and make it take them while the bolts closed kind of like an ak. maybe even go in and get or customize the safety lever latch to be extended for more ergonomic reloads. my point here is this i have seen them have issues first hand and i have also had great ones, but a saiga is a very hard gun to beat when all thats needed is a light fileing down of the magcatch. if it was me i would wait till i have the extra cash and get a saiga. now im wishing i had a 5.45 'cause ammo online is much cheaper than 7.62x39 and .223 but thats a different topic. but on that note i heard that its more accurate than both of those 2 calibers as well.dont know for sure personally. but a guy let me shoot his bulgarian 74 at a range once and i liked it, and it got better groups than my 7.62x39 conversion was. my only exception to this would be if you got a really nice YUGO sks or russian. ive had both and were very very nice. especially the russian one. i guess i over exaggerated on them being "dangerous" dangerous in a sense like the first reply said not to clean it and maintain it and i suppose get it checked out by someone qualified. but after that happend it sticks out to me in my memory everytime i hear about sks's. ive never had seen or heard any other problems with them though. Lol its not like they have been blowing up in peoples faces like the davis p-380 autos. if you want a sks go for it, like i said though if it was me id get a saiga. Edited August 30, 2012 by skullface405420 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chevyman097 2,579 Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 Honestly I only read the first line of all that ramble. I dont see what it has to do with you falsely blaming a miss fire on the entire line of sks rifle in general. Any firearm can malfunction if not treated properly. My point is it has nothing to do with the sks line of rifle and everything you said in the post before was hearsay and merely adds to internet rumors. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 Nothing wrong with a SKS, but the Yugo's were dipped in cosmoline. The idiot shooting without cleaning it is the malfunction! 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nfafan 3 Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 I have a CHICOM SKS, bone-stock laser-accurate RAAC SAIGA with dimples, ducks foot, and more AKs and ARs than I need. I have plenty of flashhiders, bayos, pistol-grips with the mix. I left my SAIGA stock as I like it as a "modern" SKS. Something about a "rifle feel" as opposed to the pistol-grip for a great change of pace. Who would convert a Garand to a p-grip and complain over a lack of 30rd mag? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gulo 24 Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 (edited) I too have a SKS. Not just any SKS, but a preban 1966 Chinese PLA-issue with the milled trigger assembly probably a battle field pickup from Vietnam (but that part is speculation). Not All SKS Are Created Equal. Russian SKS are by far the highest quality but the pre-1967 Chinese SKS are just as high of quality if not better variants in some regards. Then there's the paratrooper variant, and that's just awesome. Likewise, Not All AKs Are Created Equal and around here we all know Saiga's are the Real McCoy despite crap ass propaganda otherwise. Needless to say, the quality of my SKS isn't much different from a Russian SKS and it fires slightly more accurate than a standard AK variant (2-4 MOA vs 3-6 MOA dependent on shooter). Functionally, slam-fires are possible (although I've never had the issue), but I consider it a possibility with all guns anyways. Old advice: keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction before chambering a round and clean that pin. If you shake your assembly and your firing pin rattles freely with a distinct "ting ting ting ting" you have a Happy, Dry, and Clean SKS, just the way you want it. Best way to clean a cosmoline soaked SKS that I've found: Disassemble, Boil metal parts in water, Remove water, Repeat as needed (myne took 3 boils and saved me another 4 hours messing around with carburator cleaner and rolls of paper towels). I'd treat a Saiga just the same, just in case. Now, I've considered converting my SKS so I could add 37 round detachable mags from Hi-Tech or possibly a 75 round drum mag but I can't bring myself to change the gun enough to be 922r compliant. Reasons: the milled trigger assembly is very solid (it's not stamped and I'm not replacing it with a tapco) and the stock is comfortable and works great for me (your mileage may vary). Furthermore, as previously stated by my comrades, stripper clips are lighter, cheaper, generally fairly idiot proof and easy enough to top off; they're only downside is that they have a tendency to lose a round here and there riding around in a pouch (the russian pouches are the best, don't bother with anything else, you can find them from Numrich's website). Now I am still going to buy a Saiga, just not in 7.62x39, I already have a garrison weapon in my SKS. This is where I think the Saiga shines: it comes in .308, 7.62x54R, and if you shop around .30-06 (100 series). These calibers are the reason you buy a saiga IMHO. Of course, if a SKS came in .308 or 7.62x54R, accepted Saiga or Vepr mags, had stripper clips produced for the appropriate caliber, was American made so 922r wasn't a concern, and could accept a rear trunnion for a side-folding AK/AR stock, I think we'd have a very solid, relevant winner. TL:DR Needless to say, two different rifles, they play different roles, get both. Edited September 2, 2012 by Gulo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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