Whats the difference between an SKS and an AK-47?

full auto ak
simi auto sk

SKS is a predecessor of the ak-47, its semiautomatic. uses the same russian gas technology. get both if you can. really durable stuff.

and ammo my friend... lots of ammo. it will be a commodity

Thanks guys, yea Im looking forward to the AR im getting the week. I ordered it with a nice scope, a laser, and a flashlight attached

a nice ak will last more years for sure! anyway good hunting.

Yea and cheaper too. I think ill get an AK right after the AR.

You asked the difference between AK and SKS. The SKS is a fixed 10rd mag but you can get an adapter and use AK mags. The SKS is a rock solid rifle. Every one that I've seen has a milled receiver. Only the more expensive AKs have milled receivers. Most are stamped from sheet metal. But that doesn't make the stamped ones bad necessarily. There are good stamped versions. These days if you can get your hands on one of the better AKs, GET IT!

Ok thanks, what do you say is a better AK? Manufacturer speaking?

Russian are the top Romanian at the bottom but not all Romys are really bad, just not first choice. Polish, Yugo, Bulgarian
are good when you can find one for a good price which isn't easy these days.
[link to www.ak47.net]

This thread will answer more questions about AKs than you even know to ask.
[link to www.ak47.net]

Last Edited by wil b wuz on 05/06/2012 01:37 PM

I have found that the SKS is more accurate than the AK. They both serve their purpose I suppose. For hunting I would take the SKS but if a group of people were trying to break into my house 15 or 20 7.62 rounds would make them drop like flies or at least scatter like roaches. You can throw a well made AK into a mud puddle, run it over with a truck, pick it up and shoot 1000 rounds. As far as reliablity goes it is top of the line. It would be hard to clean that M4 out with bullets whizzing past your head or a gunshot wound. You might want to look into a glock as well, I prefer the .40 caliber. There are crazy videos online of them being thrown out of an airplane, dragged behind a car on the freeway, shot with a .22, buried for a year, ect. and still accurately firing with no problems.

My sks takes ak mags. I think its called an sks d model. Love it.

bsaically the only difference is the wood covers most of the lower portion of the reciever on a sks and its just wood stock and hand grip on a ak. other than that theyre basically the same rifle ...

Thanks everyone

Both are gas operated.

The SKS has a tilting bolt like an FAL and some shotguns. as others have noted it has a fixed magazine.

the AK has a rotating bolt, and in that way is similar to the AR. That's the only similarity to the AR.

First @ wil_b_wuz. All SKS’s are not milled receivers. Only the Russian built SKS’s have milled receivers, all others are stamped. To convert an SKS to accept an AK magazine the lower has to have some machining done to it. The problem with this is you are removing material from the lower which makes it weaker and I have seen them crack because of this. This is the reason that not all SKS’s can be moded to accept the AK magazine. You can add a 30rd magazine that is fixed but you still have to load it from the top with stripper clips just like the factory magazine. I haven’t found an aftermarket magazine that feeds as well as the factory mag yet. If you just have to have a 30rd magazine you would be best to find an SKS-D which was originally built to accept the magazine, but you will pay a hefty price for this version. I paid $750 for mine over 2 years ago. As for the milled AK’s? Most if not all were built in Russia, I think there were a few Yugo built ones but have never seen one. The AK is a very dependable rifle but not very accurate, but then neither is the SKS at ranges over 200yds. Pay the extra money and purchase yourself an M14 and you will have the range, accuracy and punch.
Someone made the comment that the only difference between the SKS and the AK is the wood? Wrong! These are two completely different firearms and the only thing close to being the same is the fact that they are both gas operated. Try interchanging parts and let me know how that works.
Here are some of the bad points of both firearms. The AK’s are not very accurate out past 200yds without some modding done to them. I have seen some that gunsmiths have modded that can drive a tack at 500yds with no problem, but they had a few thousand invested in these rifles. Neither rifle has much kinetic energy so they are not the best choice for hunting rifles, actually they’re at the bottom of the barrel. Most of the rifles not built from the best material and are prone to rust and barrels wearing out quickly. If you do find one of the good ones you will pay a good price for it unless you find an individual selling it who knows not what they have. The SKS have a tendency to suffer from what’s called slam fire. Sounds cool but it’s not. This is when the firing pin becomes stuck and when you release the bolt it fires off the first round. I have even seen one empty the mag of all 10rds and there was nothing the handler could do to stop it. So if you have an SKS always be sure to point it down range when releasing the bolt because you never know when this could happen. Other than those few bad points both firearms are a blast to shoot. I’ve owned several of each and still own two Russian SKS’s and one select fire AK. Used to be in the early 90’s we were able to buy the SKS for less than $100 and a case of ammo was only $99. This equaled a whole day of fun at the river or range.
If you have the money I would say look at an M14 or FAL. Either of these would be good for hunting and would be good for a self defense rifle if the SHTF. This opinion is from 14 years military service, 12 years as a licensed dealer, 2 plus years as a Class 3 dealer and over 25 years as an avid collector.

Hey OP. GOOGLE is your friend

The AKs you can get without special permits are not full auto.
SKS and over-the-counter AKs are both semi-auto.
SKS has a fixed magazine, 10 round. A small fixed magazine is an advantage over a large detachable mag in certain situations, and vice versa. I have a hard time imagining needing more than 10 rounds before I had time to reload. You can get SKS for half the price of AK.

According to Mythbusters TV show, the SKS isnt spring loaded so that means some dumbass invented the sks to go off if loaded and shook hard enough.

shit, with a scope, laser and a flashlight make sure the ammo you buy uses tactical bullets with picatinny rails on them
that's very important

Russian sks are not the only ones that have milled receivers! Chinese sks have milled also. Do some research!

that's why you wanna read GLP, for when the experts tell you the right way to do it!!

NOPE!

Good article on the SKS and its origins and design.
[link to en.wikipedia.org]

Almost as soon as the SKS was brought into service, it was made obsolete for Soviet purposes by the new AK-47.
However, it found a long second life in the service of the Chinese army, who found it well suited to their own style of warfare, the "People's War" whose main actors were highly mobile, self-reliant guerrilla bands and rural militias protecting their own villages.
In People's War the emphasis was on long-range sniping, spoiling attacks, and ambushes, and for this the Chinese army preferred its version of the SKS (the Type 56 carbine) to the AK pattern.

I would like to add that the slam fire on the SKS while rare, tends to be caused by the owner not cleaning out the cosmoline that they are absolutely packed with.

If it is still a concern there are firring pins machined to accept a return spring to ensure it does not happen.

For gun threads!

Don't people who state bs as facts piss you off? It sure does with me....


I've owned both....the SKS is the more accurate rifle, but you have the fixed magazine to deal with. The AK's are ubiquitous with so many out there and the detachable mags....

Solution: Buy one of each.

Tha AK is a better combat rifle, but the SKS is a better gun. It has a machined receiver and proves a little more accurate.

As the above poster said you might consider an m14 or FAL. Both are fine weapons and their 7.62x51 cartridge is a hell raiser.

The AR-15 is overrated, but looks very nice, if you want a reliable powerhouse get the AK, even the newer ones are great. If you like the durability of the austrian glocks in a rifle we do offer the Steyr AUG, which is one of the best in precision and durability on par with the AK, with the only downside of being a very ugly gun.

The best self defense rifles made are the Marlin and Winchester 30-30 lever action rifles.

Extreme accuracy, and a round that is equivalent to 7.62x39.

It's real advantage with it's tubular magazine is that the ammo can be loaded and the magazine topped off while a round is chambered and ready to fire.

Can often be found used at really good prices at pawn shops.