SKS or Ruger 10/22?

[Guest bkelm18]

Ok so I've gotten another hankering for a rifle and I've been looking at SKS's lately as my first foray into the commie firearm arena, so I went to Gander Mtn. to check and see if they had one since I saw one on their used gun rack a few weeks ago, well they didn't have the SKS but I did see a couple Ruger 10/22's that had a tacticool digital camo stock and got to thinking that having a 10/22 might be pretty fun. I've never owned a 22 before but the idea of shooting hundreds of rounds for relative chump change pleases me. I also like the idea of having an SKS as a plinker and a SHTF gun since I hear it has quite the reliability. Which would you choose?

[shaftbass]

They're cheap; buy both!

[Guest bkelm18]

They're cheap; buy both!

Haha yes, in time.

[Marswolf]

Kinda an apples and oranges choice.

Do I want a milkshake or a Lamborghini?

Both rifles are fun , and as mentioned, cheap.

I bought my wife a 10/22 as a Christmas present several years ago. She loves it. I like it too. You should always have a .22 of some sort. You can shoot all day for a nickel (well...almost) and they are a lot of fun.

SKS's are a different sort of choice. More a choice between SKS or AK (or maybe AR) in my perspective. Personally, I've never been fond of the SKS but I won't refuse to drink with someone who owns one. Actually, I'd probably rather shoot a Mosin - Nagant.

[mousegunner]

You really need one of each.

Everybody needs a good .22 rifle. It is inexpensive, the ammo is inexpensive (though going up, like all the other calibers), and it can be effective for both varmint hunting or home defense. The semi-auto Ruger 10/22 is neat because of all the add-ons. You can make it into a mini-AK if you want to.

The semi-auto SKS is of course much more powerful than a .22. You can get a Yugo now, fresh from being refurbished, for under $250. It has a ten round mag, and shoots a round 7.62x39 round roughly equivalent to the 30/30.

Get either one now, and when you have the money get the other one.

I have an old semi-auto Savage 22 I bought around 1984...

[Guest EasilyObsessed]

If you like to tinker with things....get the 10/22. You can buy aftermarket versions of every single thing on the rifle and they are impressively accurate once you get them fully upgraded. Mine shoots 1 MOA which isnt bad (IMO) for a 22.

rimfirecentral.com has a bunch of good information.

If you want something with some actual firepower...go for the SKS.

[Guest Phantom6]

I'd go with both due to price but if that is not an option, I'd take the 10/22 first and then pick up the more serious round slinger that you get with the SKS. If you've not shot an SKS give me a call at the office (483.1108) and we'll run out to our range and crank off a few rounds.

[DaveTN]

Everyone needs a rimfire; just for trigger time.

When faced with that I decided I had two choices. Buy a 10/22 that I could build to be accurate, or buy a 597 that was accurate out of the box but would most likely have feeding problems to work out.

I decided to go with the 597. It took some time, but I got all the feeding problems worked out and it was a decent rifle for practice.

[Guest bkelm18]

Thanks for all the help folks. What I've decided to do is apply for a Class 03 C&R FFL so I can actually get serious with the real purpose of why I got into firearms, collecting older military firearms and the like. Since that'll probably take a little while, I'm gonna hold off on the SKS for now and probably go ahead and get the Ruger.

[DaveTN]

It takes about three weeks. I saved the thirty bucks it cost on my first Midway order. (They give dealer pricing to C&R holders.)

If you want military collectables you might also want to look into meeting the requirements for buying from CMP.

Anniston, AL is a great toy store.

[Guest bkelm18]

It takes about three weeks. I saved the thirty bucks it cost on my first Midway order. (They give dealer pricing to C&R holders.)

If you want military collectables you might also want to look into meeting the requirements for buying from CMP.

Anniston, AL is a great toy store.

Only 3 weeks? That's good. I've read stories of it taking months. Oh yeah I'll definitely be using CMP. Having a Class 03 FFL meets the requirements for Proof of Marksmenship for the CMP, I'll just have to find some organization to join for the other requirement. I'll probably join the American Legion or something. An M1 is definitely near the top of the list of military guns I want.

[Guest gcrookston]

My first gun was a 10-22 for Christmas 1973. I currently have 2. I've owned several SKS's over the years, and really enjoyed them, probably prefer them to AKs. My favorites are Russians, then Chicom. I just picked up another Chicom this past week (well, I have about 3,000 rounds of ammo, I needed to have something to shoot it in). It was unissued 1970 factory /26\ -- pretty common, but I prefer the original military styles to the Chinese sporting types like the "cowboy" and "paratrooper" and don't have any use for the aftermarket crap for these. Did you check out Coal Creek Armory? I'd think they'd have one. Unfortunately gone are the days when these little rascals cost $69.00...

[Guest SUNTZU]

coal creek had an sks and 10/22 as of 12-7

[Guest bkelm18]

Yeah I'll have to check Coal Creek. Thanks for the heads up.

[Mike.357]

what was the price on the SKS? What type was it if you know.

[Guest 2HOW]

If you want a real SHTF rifle save your money, pass on the SKS ,get the .22. Later get a AK or some other battle rifle, IMHO an SKS isnt the rifle you want to protect you.

[Marswolf]

Definition of a Veteran:

A veteran - whether active duty, reserve, national guard or retired - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life." - That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

Any idea who said that?

I hope it wasn't this guy:

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=115&f=1839&t=1544657&p=3&sto=pagestart#s=115&f=1839&t=1544657&p=3

Just kidding, I found it on The United States Corps of Chaplains page.

A veteran

whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life." That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

-- Author Unknown

[Guest 2HOW]

WOW those 2 get along well..............not

[Guest bkelm18]

WOW those 2 get along well..............not

Haha yeah. Reminds me of the saying: "Arguing online is like competing in the Special Olympics. You may win, but in the end, you're still retarded."

[Guest bkelm18]

If you want a real SHTF rifle save your money, pass on the SKS ,get the .22. Later get a AK or some other battle rifle, IMHO an SKS isnt the rifle you want to protect you.

Why wouldn't I want an SKS? Never said I was going to "battle" with it. I have an AR for that. I just want a cheap and reliable rifle for whatever. Seems an SKS fits that bill. Never really been interested in an AK.

[Guest 2HOW]

bkelm18, you stated you would like one for a SHTF gun, its not , its ok as a plinker, and a pretty good hunting rifle, but why not spend an extra couple hundred bucks and go with an AK? Unless you like stripper clips, there are plenty of other rifles that are just as cheap.

[Mike.357]

I have a Yugo that I got up in Greenville for $160 back in April. I have no idea if it ever saw "action. I think it was made in '88, don't know when it was imported, not sure how to find that out. For the money spent it is a great rifle. Fairly accurate but even more it is fun to shoot. I have thought about getting a new stock for it but am not sure I understand the rules about changing parts out on it. The ten round fixed mag is plenty of firepower for my needs. It will work fine for zombies, and if not there is always the chainsaw.

[Guest bkelm18]

bkelm18, you stated you would like one for a SHTF gun, its not , its ok as a plinker, and a pretty good hunting rifle, but why not spend an extra couple hundred bucks and go with an AK? Unless you like stripper clips, there are plenty of other rifles that are just as cheap.

Never wanted an AK. Just don't like them for whatever reason. You're right, I did say a SHTF gun, I don't mean to sound too mall ninja-esque, but in the event of "whatever" happening, my AR will be my first line of defense, and possibly an SKS as a secondary. I don't want this thread to turn into a AR vs AK vs SKS discussion. I don't like AKs and never really plan on getting one. The SKS will be a range gun first, and a defense weapon second. I've looked at all the choices and like the SKS best.

I have a Yugo that I got up in Greenville for $160 back in April. I have no idea if it ever saw "action. I think it was made in '88, don't know when it was imported, not sure how to find that out. For the money spent it is a great rifle. Fairly accurate but even more it is fun to shoot. I have thought about getting a new stock for it but am not sure I understand the rules about changing parts out on it. The ten round fixed mag is plenty of firepower for my needs. It will work fine for zombies, and if not there is always the chainsaw.

I believe the rule is just you have to have a minimum of five American made parts on it or something like that.

[Mike.357]

or something like that.

my point exactly ,lol

[Guest 2HOW]

Dont get me wrong I had a sweet SKS, I have a AR and a AK. I think they are too heavy for what they are, unless you give em a makeover, you only have to have 6 U.S. made parts on imports now, grandfather guns are different, so if you come upon an old SKS there is no requirement. Not sure how far back the clause goes so you better check. Ive got the .22 blues myself, and not sure about a pistol or rifle.