AR-15 vs SKS
I am new to this shooting platform and have read quite a bit about these two rifles (AR-15 & SKS). Before purchasing one, I would like to hear the pros and cons from some of you in this forum. Thanks--lowekin
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AR-15 Carbine- very Accurate out to 500-600M, handy and light weight, easy to mount optics on and option up with a rigid quad rail hand guard. Quick to switch mags, very ergonomic if set up right. Easy to switch calibers from 9mm to .50bmg and everything in between.
5.56 100 and 150 round drums readily available. If it has a good piston/BCG system it is very reliable up to 600 rounds between cleanings, 300-450 if it is a good gas gun. 5.56, 6.5, 6.8, Ammo is expensive.
SKS- Powerful round, 10 round capacity, best if loaded with stipper clipsJMHO, The detach mags look cool, but in my opinion they arent that great, unless for some reason such a scope, you need them, In that case the 10 and 20 round mags are best..
the SKS is 400 yard accurate.. heavy and long... About as reliable a regular AR-15... Scope mounting can be a pain, dont waste your money on a cheap dust cover mount... I have seen more then one run away SKS fire 2 to 6 rounds after being sustain fired 75-120 times.. Be careful with 30 round mags, something bad could happen.
I like them both, and if you set up your kit right either one will work well for you..0 -
lowekin...welcome to the forum! Good question. I can only give you my experience as I own several of both. One was designed in the 40's (SKS) to fire an immed round (7.62x39), the Soviet response to the new German 7.92 Kurz round. The SKS was only in Soviet service a short time (two years) before being moved out by the AK-47. The AR was designed 20 years later and is a newer weapon. Both are fun to shoot. The AR is lighter, can take a large mag (I keep a Colt Target Match by my bed with a 40rd mag) while the SKS takes ten at time and should be loaded with stipper clips. However, some SKS actions will take the AK mag which can also be loaded up to 40 rounds. The SKS is cheaper to buy and shoot than the AR although ammo $ is going through roof of late. The SKS is made by most old Soviet bloc countries but I prefer the better made Russian (Tula) ones and/or the Polish (Radom or 11). The rest are cheaper (Chinese, Bulgarian, Romanian) but inferior IMHO but they are still fun to shoot (I have them all and shoot them). The AR's are also made by several different companys and all are pretty good but I only have the Colt and like it a lot...although I could buy two (maybe three in the present market) Russian Tula SKS's for the price of a Colt AR. Good shooting! 0 -
AR-15: Expensive ($700+), generally accurate. Shoots a relatively low powered cartridge (.223), with lower recoil, but from high-capacity quick changeable (30 round) mags. Easy to customize with different accessories such as scopes, stocks, sights, or even different calibers, etc. Banned/restricted in many jurisdictions. Stock peep sights are very good.
SKS: Still relatively inexpensive (eg good examples can be had under $300). Reliable 1950s era design Communist bloc carbine. Fires the more powerful 7.62x39 round from fixed 10 round magazines, which are slower to reload than swappable mags, but can still be loaded relatively quickly from cheap and readily available 10 round stripper clips. Often has a built-in folding bayonet (good for infantry charge, or more realistically, up and close pig-hunting!). Lower maintenance. Mediocre iron sights.
Due to ordinary stock configuration and lack of detachable magazine usually not considered an "assault rifle" in most jurisdictions. C&R status lets C&R license holders have gun shipped directly to their door. Accuracy is mediocre, but fine for 100 yard and under type shooting. Difficult to mount scopes or other optics reliably.
I think that takes care of the most important highlights of each, which I've put in bold.
The SKS makes quite a good deer carbine in stock form, where as the stock AR-15 doesn't (cartridge too weak), and its low enough cost, that its reasonable to throw one in your trunk as a "truck gun". I should add that though recoil is greater with an SKS than with an AR-15, its still relatively low. This is NOT a "shoulder buster" by any stretch of the imagination.
If you want to spit lead FAST, the AR-15 is better as it has less recoil and higher capacity. AR-15 is better for people who are recoil-shy or of smaller stature (eg kids and women). For close combat, the better sights and higher capacity of the AR-15 give it a real advantage. The nice pistol grip of the AR-15 makes it more ergonomic.
Lots of SKS accessories are available, so its relatively easy to "tacticalize" one. However, doing this is of questionable legality, and in my opinion is of dubious value. Again, in my opinion, with the *possible* exception of upgrading to better IRON sights, the SKS works best in stock form.
Which one you get really depends on what you want to do with it.
If I had to have ONLY one rifle and those are the only two I could choose from, I think I would actually lean towards the SKS as its increased power, reliability, simplicity, and lower cost are real-world advantages for what I think are likely uses of a rifle. For the cost of a mediocre AR-15, you could get an SKS, a case of ammo, AND a reasonable sidearm too!
Of course if I were going into a war-zone, the calculus would be different.
Edit: Responding to some of the above, in my opinion, NEITHER gun is really appropriate for 500+ yard shooting. If that's what you are after, you're best off going for something other than a .223 or 7.62x39. Both guns were designed specifically for short range combat, and they really both work best at ranges of 200 yards or less.
Yes, its easy to switch calibers with an AR-15 platform, *BUT* uppers aren't cheap either, and you have to figure that even the cheapest possible AR-15 replacement upper is still going to cost more than an entire SKS rifle (eg more than $300!).
On the topic, its worth mentioning that AR-15 type guns in 7.62x39 ARE available, so if you love that caliber, you can still work with it in an AR-15 platform gun. As far as I know , the only caliber SKS rifles were ever made is is 7.62x39.
Another thing not mentioned is that Kalashnikov (AK) rifles share the same ammo as SKS rifles, and that this ammo (right now) is a bit cheaper than .223 AR-type ammo.0 -
Do a search of this site. This topic has a mountain of info. Just take a look. Maybe more info than you want to hear. 0 -
Thanks for all the great info. It really helps to receive information directly from pelple who own and shot these weapons. I appreciate the response and will let you know which way I go. 0 -
lowekin,
Welcome aboard.
They're both good guns and your choice depends entirely upon what you're wanting to do with it.
Long range target shooting: go with the AR.
Short- to mid-range shooting: go with the SKS.
The ability to quickly reload an enormous amount of ammunition into the gun is largely academic since you will likely never run into a situation where fending off the Republican Guard for three days will be required, so the AR's advantage in this debate is almost moot.
All in all, my advice to you is if you go with an AR, do not go with a cheap one. You will get what you pay for.
If you go for a SKS, Norinco (Chinese) ones work just as well as Soviet Bloc ones.
And if you're looking for a home defense gun, forget both and get a shotgun.[;)]0
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