-=> Quoting John Lewis to All on 06-16-96  21:50 <=-
 Re: SKS
 JL> With all this talk about the SKS, I'm thinking about getting one...
 JL> Can someone give me some general information on the rifle?
 JL> Also, I called a couple of gun shops around town, and one does have
 JL> them for sell...it is the Russian version - the clerk said they also
 JL> come in the Chinese version, but he doesnt carry them...
 JL> Is there any difference between the two?  Are there more than two
 JL> versions?
 JL> Some general information would be appreciated...what should I look
 JL> for, how accurate is the rifle, can it be modified for folding
 JL> stock...etc..
The Chinese version was a copy of the original Russian SKS. Back when the
Chinese were more common - before Clinton banned import of Chinese arms -
it was the general consensus that the Russians were better. There are
probably some other versions, but I have yet to see them.
You could theoretically add a folding stock, but you might be eligible
for a visit by the ATF if you did. Likewise adding a detachable magazine.
Both are considered illegal modifications, sorry. For instance, the guy
who shot at the White House with an SKS had an illegal folding stock, not
that it made the rifle any more dangerous. OTOH, there are versions of
the SKS which already (legally) take detachable magazines - they've had
other changes made: a different stock, no bayonet lug.
At gunshows, I frequently see synthetic stocked SKSs as well as the
original stocks (which come in either wood or some sort of red plastic).
That is just a matter of personal taste, I think. I hear good things
about the red stocks, but I don't know if there's any real difference.
Steve
... You live with the statistics... I'll live with a .45
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