So....Norinco is bottom of the line huh?

[PONTIACDM]

Ok I have read a few threads over the months on different forums indicating Norincos are the bottom of the sks chain. I am going to have to disagree. I would put the Norinco right underneath the Russian. I know the Yugo fans out there are going to disagree. The Yugo's are good guns but to me are to heavy. So my question is.....Out of the Russian, Norinco, Yugo, and Romanian. In what oder do you rank them? Starting with best first.

[Lobo0311]

I think you're right Russian, then Norinco, then Yugos and Romanians, but then I guess Im biased as I also have a Norinco and I love it. DOn't much care for the looks of the Yugos I've seen, after all I really dont see a grenade launcher as a necessary piece of equipment, but then I guess to each their own.

[srt 10 jimbo]

I've had 3 Norinco's and a yugo. I'll take a Norinco anyday.

[Dragunov]

My personal experience has been:

For accuracy, Norincos seem to be a little better than the rest of the lot either stamped or milled.

As collectables, Russians, Romys and Albanians.

I have never had the pleasure of firing a yugo with a real good bore. Just ones with dark or pitted bores. They were "ok" but not impressive. I figure a Yugo with a "perfect" bore will shoot as well as any other SKS. Finding one with an excellent bore is kinda' tricky though.

It's almost like asking which camel is better, One humped or two humped.

[SwedeSteve]

Russian, Norinco, Yugo for the above posted reasons.

[frenchy]

I hope to someday be able to take my collection out and record my findings but for now my M59/66A1 looks [haven't slugged] to have a good shiny bore, shot 2 " groups at 50yrds. irons,old eyes. Read somewhere last nite that peep sights helped old eye syndrome, oh sorry I'm rambling.

[coyoteweap]

I have actually owned three Yugos and they all had mirror bores and been pretty much brand new from the way they looked. When I first started shooting the SKS I had only handled a Yugo, didnt know too much about them, I had one that was really accurate, and one that was ok but not great. I then handled my buddies Russian and another buddies Chinese. The only department in which the Russian or the Chinese beat the Yugo was in length and weight. The action felt a little different on the Chinese, the bolt didnt fit as tight and the reciever cover was a little more loose, the Russian handled like a dream but wasnt as accurate as the Yugo that I had.
I think that to compare the different models is kind of a lost cause, there are so many out there and unless you tested them against each other and they were all brand new right out of the box you would have different results with any model. It would not really be fair to pit an older Russian against a Yugo that is brand new in the accuracy department. Eventually through testing you will find that SKS rifles are different even from the same manufacturers. There is bound to be a Russian out there that will shoot into a 2" bullseye all the time, and there is bound to be a Russian that will shotgun its pattern, same with the Yugo or the Chinese.
The only real down side regarding the Yugo is the fact that the barrel is not chrome lined, which to a shooter is not that big of a deal unless you live in the jungle or dont clean your weapon after it is exposed to moisture. Thats probably one of the biggest reasons, well that and the extra ten inches that people look down on the Yugo for.

[Big Dog]

My personal experience has been my Yugo being the best shooting, my /26\ Chinese military being a close second, and the two Norincos I had were definitely lower on the scale.
A buddy has a Norinco, an M59 Yugo (no grenade launcher) and an M59/66 (Yugo with grenade launcher). He prefers the M59 for overall best shooting.

I like the extra weight of the M59/66 - reduces the already low muzzle jump to nothing, has the heft of a RIFLE rather than a carbine, and is scary accurate with good ammo. I call it my "poorman's M1A".

[big boomer]

I have had the Norinco's and they worked very well I own a russian at the moment but would not hesitate to grab the norinco.

[pico]

I have to rank them Russian, Yugo, Chinese, then it doesn't really matter after that.

Russians are a bit pricey for an SKS. Yugos might be a little bit heavier, but if a person wants to tart an SKS up, then they really are the best way to go. Chinese have better barrels than Yugos, but their finish is crap. If you really like the Norinco Type 56 SKS, then buy it and send it out for a refinish job. I found all were good shooters, being more accurate than all of my stamped receiver AK 47s. Only my Norinco Legend and National Match AKs were better regarding accuracy... and I am not sure why. Perhaps the barrels are better on them.

[MilkMan]

All I have shot are my 2 norincos and my fathers yugo. I personally like my norincos better. Wouldnt mind getting a russian or albanian though.

[millwright39]

There all good, in there own way


Some just better than others


Some worse than others

There just like my kids some days they get on my nerves!

Some days I actually claim to know them

[JG12gauge]

I always liked the yugo but I cant really comment on which ones are better since ive havent own any others but this one. I guess I was lucky because mine had a perfect bore.

[squirrelblaster]

id say russian, romanian, chinese, random stick found on ground then yugo......i say this becouse the russian romanian and chinese are all very close in quality....... but the yugo falls farther from the tree.....so to speak.......

[jmp8927]

Never shot anything but a Norinco, and haven't even seen a Russian in person. However, I have held and inspected a Yugo so, I say....

Russian(based on reputation), Chinese because I see no reason to extend the length of the SKS and add more weight for something you can't use, then the Yugo. I also don't like the fact that Yugo's aren't Chrome lined. I would hate to have to clean them like I do my Mosin Nagant just to be sure they don't rust out in a month. As for finish, the Chinese finish is perfectly addiquate. It does it's job of protecting the metal and I honestly don't give a rip how it looks. It's made to shoot and it does that supperbly. I might also add that Yugos have a rep for being inconsistant in tolerances. Don't know that it's true, but that's what I've heard.

[gandog56]

There ain't no such thing as a bad SKS.........

..................unless you Bubba one to death.

[Laufer]

Gandog: "Roger that".
How about a question regarding SKS sights?

if a guy has no experience adding anything to any gun (except ammo or a Promag), about what does it cost to have a gun smith install it-or is it very simple for a 2nd Lt. Forrest Gump?

[jerry]

Got rid of all my chicom stuff. Not fond of China for anything.

[MilkMan]

Ganddog, I think you hit the nail on the head.

[res45]

In general I think a Russian would be considered the grandfather of the SKS rifle,being most of the SKS rifle were basically designed and built around the Russian and many were first built for spare Russian parts and on Russian tooling. There are a few exception although the design is the same,the tooling and certain features were all country of origin specific.

As far as which one is best,if the rifle is in very good to excellent condition I find no fault with any of them. Each rifle is an example of it's own self and not to be considered a standard to judge all others of the same make and model by,were talking mass produced rifle here for mostly military use(Chinese SKS M & D's being the biggest exception),the condition of your particular SKS has alot to with it's personal history.

The biggest problem I see is most people have with SKS rifles is not knowing what there buying, either a used up or problem rifle to begin with or someone elses bubba project gone bad trying to make the rifle something it's not meant to be. The Yugo's seem to get the worst end of the deal,granted they have had a rougher life than most SKS rifle,they have had a steady diet of corrosive ammo shot through them there entire service life and who know how often they were cleaned properly on a regular basis,that being said it's up to the individual to inspect the rifle and know what there buying to begin with. If the gas block and valve are corroded up and the bore is pitted and looks like a sewer pipe who fault is that you can't make chicken salad out of chicken crap to put it mildly,but the same goes for any of the other SKS rifle also.

Another myth is the chrome lined bore,in the big scheme of things it's a non issue,sure it a little easier to clean and your bore might last a bit longer over time,but chrome will corrode just as easy as steel if left unattended long enough and as the chrome lining wears down the accuracy of your rifle will degrade because the original bore dia. was undercut to make up for the chrome lining being applied. Also the chrome lining only applies to the bore and not to the rest of the rifle so you still have to clean the entire rifles and even if you don gas system and all especially if you use corrosive ammo,and even if you don't it just a good idea.

Each SKS has it's own unique design and purpose just because you don't like that or your not happy with it the way it was made doesn't make it a bad version it means you just made the wrong choice. The Yugo is a bit heavier just about 1 lb. is there anyone that doesn't know that by now,it also has a grenade launcher,it may seem useless to some but at one time it served a purpose,is there any other version of the SKS that has that feature,it also protects the crown of the muzzle.

I like my Yugo and Chinese just like they came there both accurate well made and hit what I aim at I would have a Russian if I could afford one,but I feel no less at a disadvantage with my Yugo in my hands as i would with any other SKS I own or could have.