Should I trade my Mossberg 500 for an this SKS?
 

A guy I know is looking for an "assult" shotgun for home protection, and wants to trade his SKS, I'm unsure which I want more...

I'm not that familiar with SKSs but I built my shotgun and know it inside and out.

Here's the SKS
http://www.reno4x4.com/forum/attachm...1&d=1211499713
http://www.reno4x4.com/forum/attachm...1&d=1212720541

And here's my shotgun
http://urbandev.net/mossberg3.jpg

And I have a Beretta .380 which is my main home defense weapon.

SKS has nice toys attached to it... and the shotgun does as well. Oooo, shiny.

Both weapons appear to have the same amount of cash put into accessories.

Both weapons are probably worth about the same amount of money depending on what country the SKS comes from originally.

Shotgun might be worth a little bit more. I don't know specifics here.

...

Your next move: A shared range session where you both shoot each other's weapons and determine if you want to trade.

Fully agreed.
Here are some more details:

Norinco SKS
(2) Tapco 20 rounders
T6 stock
3 point sling
Choate scope mount
Reflex multi dot sight
AK muzzle brake
Perforated medal hand guard
Bolt mod done to it
C.A.R. Cheek piece
CAA vertical grip
about 200 rounds of ammo

Mossberg 500A
Knoxx Recoil reduction stock
Knoxx SideSaddle 6 shell holder
Perforated hand guard
No scope, no sling
100 Shells - 7 shot

Going to play with it tomorrow :D

oh my, pretty.

yeah, agreed...the best thing that could probably be done to determine whether you want to go through with this deal is a session at the range.

bring lots of ammo :)

I'm not very familiar with SKSs, is there anything I should anticipate or look out for when I look at it tomorrow?

Grouping. Out of a Norinco I would accept 1.5MOA, would rather see 1.2. Anything else is just too loose, IMO.

Very reliable rifles, but stick to stripper-clip reloading unless this is one of the type which take AK mags. High capacity mags with the huge SKS "lip" are extremely difficult to "run" and are damaged easily. If it takes AK magazines, that'll make your life a lot easier. If it doesn't, just stick with the 20-rounder at most and lost of strippers.

I have no idea what "Stripper-clip reloading" means...

How can I tell whether they're AK style mags?

Also, I plan to get a shorter barrel Mossberg soon also, regardless of whether this trade happens.

The SKS originally featured an integral magazine. The rounds were placed on a special type of clip called a stripper clip, and were loaded into the magazine from there.

I'm not expert, but that rifles appears to have an AK magazine attached in both pictures. So you should be fine. The SKS takes either AK style magazines or stripper clips, there are no other options. So if it features a detachable mag, it's AK style.

Thanks for the clarification, I appreciate it :thumbsup:

That doesn't look like an AK mag to me, it looks like one of the SKS specific plastic/nylon mags. The difference is the magazine receiver. I can't remember the correct terminology right now but it's the "hole" where the magazine goes.

The stock sks mag is removed for servicing by releasing a latch at the rear of the mag and pivoting it down. There is a pin at the front of the mag that it will rotate off.

There are aftermarket magazines that will fit this scheme and be removable. They tend to be clunky and might not feed perfectly. It's not a big deal if you have one of these, stock sks magazines are a dime a dozen.

AK mags look like any other assault rifle magazines, the aftermarket sks magazines have an approx. 2in "stub" that sticks off the front to engage the pin that holds the stock magazine.

I'd say keep the 500. Never was a big fan of SKS's, but that's just my opinion.

OK, when you get the rifle, look at the top of the bolt. See the little cutouts on either side? Those are where the stripper-clip goes.

When the rifle runs dry, the bolt will lock open. Those cutouts are guides for the stripper-clip, a thin piece of stamped metal holding 10 rounds. To reload, you jam one end of the stripper-clip into the guides, give the top round a good hard shove with your thumb, yank the now-empty stripper out of the guides, and rack the bolt to reload.*

The rifle you're trading on seems to be equipped with a 20-round mag originally meant for the SKS, which means AK mags are a no-go. Stick with the stripper clips. Trying to "run" a "detachable" SKS magazine is a waste of time, money, and effort.


*These things are clips. A stamped piece of metal is a clip. The spring-loaded box which feeds the weapon, whether integral or detachable, is a magazine.

I see "CA" in your location. It's not a detachable mag and it's going to stay that way.

If you are thinking of getting a shorter barreled Mossberg anyway, might as well trade, right?

Updated my profile, and it is detachable.

I went shooting with him yesterday and ended up making the trade.

It's very well taken care of and shoots very true, now I can justify buying a new shotgun in a couple of months :D

I hope people read the whole thread before deciding I'm an idiot.

It's called a 'magazine well.'