Terrific presentation Hickok. I dang near dropped my phone when you mentioned my channel in the same sentence as Ian and Misha. Truly happy to have played a small role in your rediscovery of this old warhorse!
you got like a TRIPLE mention especially since the way he worked his way to the name after mentioning Ian and Misha counted as double for how it really clarified TRIANGLE 26
The Chinese SKS I got off of Buds from their lot of SKSs has an Albanian SKS stock that was retrofitted to fit into a Chinese SKS Rifle. You can tell because when you take off the buttplate, there is two cleaning kit holes in it which Albanian SKSs have, instead of one. It also has a sling swivel drilled into the side instead of on the bottom through one of the cleaning kit holes. After I cleaned all of the cosmoline out, I found trench art on it and the soldier who owned it wrote his name into the handguard and scratched his name onto the bottom of the magazine. I even found a piece of striped cloth he may have used to clean the guns bore out. It was so neat discovering these things and just thinking what this guns history was.
I remember buying the SKS Chinese made rifle from roses for around $89 I use to take the 10 round Box magazine out and put the 30 round magazine in it the 30 actually held about 50 rounds and I had a 50 round magazine that held over 75 rounds I had a police officer tell me that actually wasn't legal to have those Magazines but you could buy them anywhere
@@keithagn fight back. If they come. Warn them. If they proceed you proceed. If you die. You died for a reason. If they died. They died for nothing. Nothing at all. What did they die for? Your Freedom? What if days after a man breaks into your house and Overpowers you, and Kills your family. Or a tyrannical Government that wants your freedom.
Ugh. I'll never forget walking out of the gun store with my dad in the early 90s. I was 5 or 6.... but one was for him and one was for me, eventually. $110.00 out the door, and each rifle included 2 boxes of ammo. Those were the days. Im not sure what build they were, as they were unfortunately taken during a home invasion/roberry while nobody was home. Along with many other classics.
@@terrykelsey2472 Oh we have many, and Im lucky he's still around these days. It's just crazy how much gun prices have risen. 50 bucks for an sks was awesome, and we'll never see that again. We even upgraded one to take AK mags at one point before they were taken. If I had those 2 now, that would be well above 1400 bucks. Guns are a definite investment, just don't keep them in an open closet lol
@@terrykelsey2472 these things happen. Looking back he should have invested in a safe much sooner. Of course he has one now but at that price there is no replacing them. Im glad they didnt take my marlin .22 That was my first gun, handed down from my gpa. And then I was later gifted a 410 from a fam friend. and Im lucky to have both still. Also some new stuff but those are the priceless ones
@@angrydingus5256 You just convinced me to get a safe instead of building an AR. Lol. Thanks. Also need to get my dad to expunge his record so he can join the fun. I hope you and your dad are able to make many more memories together. God bless
@@terrykelsey2472 Thank you. And yes while new toys are always a temptation whatever amount of security you can afford to protect those (major these days) investments are worth it. What's the point of building a premium AR just for some rando to walk in while nobody is home and take it? Hopefully you can get a safe and still start building soon enough.
In 1987 a group of my buddies and I purchased a case of 10 unfired Chinese made SKS type 56 for 500 bucks. They were completely coated in cosmaline. We all got together in my garage and spent several hours with mineral spirits clearing the gunk out of the action, barrel and stocks. We also purchased a can of Russian ammo. Some fun shooting. The guns never jammed or failed. For $50 bucks a piece the value could not be beat. Sold it 20 years ago for $ 150 bucks. Wish now that I had kept it.
Been looking around on Gunbroker and clean examples are fetching $700 at the low end. I know a time machine exists somewhere. Even at that high price, they are still good quality with chromed bore/bolt and feels like an ok deal for semi-auto military rifle.
SKS is a great utility rifle. Especially a totally stock with the original mag. I have a factory 26 that’s been slightly modified for the duckbill mags, extended mag release and trimmed bolt (to allow mag insertion/removal on a closed bolt). That makes it a bit more fun. I do have a complete, numbers-matching 1954 Russian SKS-45. That will stay completely stock.
I remember seeing them packed into large buckets at my local gun store back in 1995. They were selling for $99 but I didn’t buy one because I was turned off by all the cosmoline they were coated with. I didn’t know about cosmoline back then, so I brushed them off as being abused or damaged because of all the sticky, smelly, oily paste they were covered in. Now, knowing about the cosmoline, I really wish I bought one!
I bought a Type 56 that looks like the lighter colored one in this video in 2009. Almost put it back while handling it over being Chinese until I realized three other gents were eyeballing it too and asked their opinion. One of them gave it a look over and said "You'd be stupid not to buy it." Best $200 I ever spent.
"Because it's Chinese does not mean the quality is poor." That is *SO* true. I have a couple of "sanitized" 1911s made by China North Industries for an allegedly cancelled supposed Third World military contract. Darn things are tight, accurate, and very well made. If it's made for military, odds are that the quality is pretty good.
The Chinese manufacturing market is very much “you get what you paid for” it just so happens our consumer market is filled with cheap stuff because that’s what is good for business numbers.
i forget whose video i saw this from. but they were also of the opinion that a chinese 1911 they had was actually better in quality than american. i think the reasoning was that the infrastructure in china wasn't as niche or capable; their factories would source the same raw material steel that they would use for their ships, tanks. so the gun could end up being of unnecessary quality, just because it was easier to get the good stuff from the closest/easiest place
bought 1 at Fort wayne gun show early 1990, got 1000 rnds for $85 more. Still have it never had a malfunction. First introduced to them in 1969 south east Asia, seemed to be a favorite of the enemy.
In the 90's we bought 5 Chianese SKS for like $90 each, right out of the import create then fully cleaned of all the cosmoline and gave them out as Christmas bonuses. Went through a ton of ammo it was just so cheap and endless. Still have mine in perfect condition today.
Someone suggested diesel fuel to clean the cosmoline when I got mine way back in the day. All I had was gasoline. Hahaha. The dumb stuff I did back then , like not keeping that gun. Ammo was like 2 or 3 bucks , and there was a wide variety of "speciality" ammo available at the gun shows.
Bill Goodman's Gun and Knife Show, cheapest I remember was 59.00. For $ 100.00 you could get a rifle a cleaning kit, stripper clips and chest carrier and 500 rounds of ammunition. On Sunday end of show special was a crate of ten rifles packed in cosmoline and wrapped in brown paper for $500.00 out the door.
@@medicstew Ya we got the bandolero/oil bottles, cleaning kits and a bunch stripper clips also. You know you are going through a lot of ammo when opening the metal cases is considered a pain in the a$$ more then a You Tube video event. 🤣🤣
Got a Type 56 SKS from my co-worker who served in Vietnam. It was wrapped in a tattered Viet Cong flag and surprisingly the rifle was in very good shape. Shoots well and I will always treasure it.
Crazy to think how accurate they are especially how old they are I bought one that looked like it fell off a bluff landed in a tree and smacked every branch on the way down and it’s accurate as can be love it
I bought a Chinese SKS when I was in high school and I gave well under $100 ($59-$69) for it. Can’t remember the exact price but several guys in my class bought one because they were so cheap. That was in the mid-late 70’s. Looks just like yours and I still own it. 👍🏼
The SKS is very familiar by generations of Chinese because they had to learn this gun when they went through military discipline during the first year of college. Even the Chinese guard of honor today still carries this gun.
The Yugo version (Zastava M59/66) has some great features like a grenade launcher, a folding blade bayonet and tritium night sights. I replaced the vials on mine about 2 years ago, so good for about another 8! Love my type 56, too.
@@CaptnSpoonsurplus 7.62 used to be pennies on the dollar. .22 was and always will be popular but 7.62 lets you take larger game with poorer shooting. You can take a deer with high load .22, but you have to be a good shot.
I purchased my first SKS last year, a Type 56, and I will say, based on 25 years experience in oilfield manufacturing, it's a extremely well made firearm. I'm 67, and don't think I have ever fired a gun I have enjoyed more. I absolutely love this rifle!
Triangle 26 is a good source of information, and he will respond to your questions in the comments! He helped me a lot! Found out mine is not as old as I thought. Doesn't matter still one of the most fun in the collection!
I always learn something from you. Sadly this time I learned when I saw those crates of Chinese sks’s on the gun store floor years ago I should have purchased one. 😂
I bought a Type 56 SKS LONG before they became popular. It wasn't expensive, and the stock was so "punky" and soft as to be unusable. I replaced the stock with a "no-name" polymer (plastic) folder, back in the Eighties. Woah. It runs really well! I have another 7.62x39 - a CZ 52/57 in immaculate unissued condition. Dammit, I'm going to go *SHOOT* them both! Thanks for this very important video, Hickok45!!
@@jeramyw oh ok, I got them confused then. So a mosin-nagant is a type53, an sks a type56, would the AK47 be a type83 or 86? I having trouble remembering?
If you're thinking about getting into an SKS be careful to keep those firing pins clean especially when you 1st get them. They're free floating and if they get stuck it can slam fire.
Chinese Made SKS Was Made With Russian Machinery, Also A Group Of Russian Advisers Went To China Taught Them Russian And How To Make The SKS. (Proven To Be Better Made Than The Russian AK47!)
Got my first SKS at a gun show in Colorado. To say I paid too much is an understatement. I'm just glad I secured ownership of one while the prices were reasonably low.
I have a triangle 26 type 56 sks and I have an ak103. Between the two the sks is more accurate and has been just as reliable as the ak103(100% reliability). Once you get it perfectly zeroed using the correct method it will consistently hit clay pigeons at 100 yards
Back in 82 I bought an SKS at a pawn shop dirt cheap($65.00?) and a 700 round spam can of Yugoslavian 7.62x39 for $40!!!! It was so much fun!! Great guns!!!
QUICK LOADING: No stripper clip. Rotate the rifle mag facing up, Open mag cover drop your rounds in from the bottom. It is a little quicker than pushing them in one at a time, stripper clip is quick if you have some, but if you don't. Just thought I would share that. Thanks for the video have watched you off and on for yrs now. One of my first place to go on a firearm review. thank you Got that from Gary the speed shooter, good tip.
I despise the SKS on account of it being a POS, but I can understand the appreciation for it. I bought a Mosin in early 2000s for $79 at Big 5, and even though it was also a POS, I had a lot of fun with it. 1000 rounds of 54r lasts a long time with an M44 Carbine. You start shooting stuff out of pure boredom.
Great video. Very important to disassemble the bolt and remove the firing pin and spring and clean thoroughly before firing. My 1990s bought Russian SKS was fine but some are really gummy. Brownell's has a nice SKS video series that is helpful.
I really do have a thing for sks and AK47 there's so many different looks between them. They're each like a snowflake ❄ 😂❤ I personally have 3 sks. 1 Chinese sporter with the wooden thumb hole stock and takes a.k. mags I have 1 Yugoslavia I most recently snagged a deal on. And I have 1 that's the type 56 I love each of them super fun to shoot. The kids love to shoot em too
My first rifle as a 18yr old a couple of years ago when i wanted a 762 and couldn’t afford an ak. $300 not as good as a $80 but still affordable for a great shooter with history behind it
The proper way to use the stripper clip is slightly tip the top round’s nose upward and push all of the rounds down. It will work every time with zero hang ups
How are the triggers on yours? I love everything about mine except the trigger! By the way, those balky stripper clips can be made to work well with a little tweaking, with sandpaper, filing, needle-nose pliers, etc. I had a bunch that gave me trouble, but with a little tweaking, they all now work "slickr'n snot on a glass doorknob!" Unfortunately, back in the early 1990s I didn't know that these cheap, ugly, imported rifles would someday become precious collector's items, so I "Bubba'd" the hell out of mine. "Bubba'd" or not, it's still a great shooter! Too bad about today's availability and cost of imported ammo!
Great video - appreciate ya. The Chinese SKS typically has inferior machining finishes to the Russian and Yugo models. But on the upside, they're also typically a bit lighter. Personally, I love 'em all.
I love all of your videos...I have never seen you post about a 22 Hornet...I took my 1st whitetail with one. I know it's small. And I'm sure not allowed in some states for large game. A great round, that will get the job done..my 1st deer, using a H&R topper/22 Hornet
Ive got a 1969 type 56 sks here in Canada. Absolute beauty that was likely a balkan service rifle. No cosmoline or wrapping like most came with, covered in trench art, and the sear was warn to nothing.
I bought two back in the day I think I paid $80 for them still in the cosmoline. A yugo model, and two Chinese models. Used one for a deer gun until my daughter started hunting she stole it from me and has been using it for 15 years or more. That X39 with decent quality ammunition drops a deer where it stands. I like them a lot.
There is no way to be sensible or pragmatic about regulations placed on RIGHTS. By their very nature, RIGHTS are absolute. And as such, absolutely hands off from any infringements.
I remember seeing the sold by the case at $79 bucks a piece, but I was a kid and just didn't have that kind of $ then, would love to have a case of them as a coffee table right now.😢
SKSs are great plinkers! Pretty accurate too with their iron sights. As a young man I could keep all 10 shots in the black at 100 yards standing. When Clinton did the gun ban, he let a Chinese freighter off load all these SKS onto the market and grand-fathered them in. They all had bayonet lugs which he banned.
The communist Garand. Yep. Every self respecting gun collector should have at least one type 56 SKS. They are a big part of US gun history with literally millions of them being imported. I have a 1965 vintage (leaned how to date it from Triangle 26 - great channel!) Triangle 26 produced type 56. Not "Norinco" - which is the much later commercial factories set up to produce arms for export.
great point about the proper comparison is to the Mosin rather than AK... late 60s had trouble as the Cultural Revolution ruined millions of lives but also destroyed billion$$ in art/historic treasures AND EVEN DISRUPTED MILITARY QC/ production... interesting how the RUS and CHN went this way even w/ foreknowledge of both Garand and m1 carbine so thats an interesting comparison to judge the ways its actually better than either of those but of course not in all ways -- just the most practical ones
Strikes me It's more like an m1 than any other gun. I swear That the 762x39 was more or less copied from the 30-30 Winchester. When you take the same mass bullet and lay it down on gun datas ballistic calculator, one graph lays directly over the other clear out past 400 yd!.
Long before I knew anything about them a buddy told me we should go look at ‘em on our lunch hour. We did. An individual had a crate of them in his home, off Keystone, in Indianapolis. We each bought one. It was in the late ‘90’s. Less than 200 bucks. I like the overall short length of it…very manageable inside the home.
I bought 2 of the Russian SKS's back in 1993 for about $100 each, just like you. I never bought a Chinese version, even though they were cheaper than the Russian ones. I figured that since they were made in China, they must be junk.
I bought mine in California of all places when I was living there about 15 years or so ago. It came from that company in Ohio that no longer exists, but I paid a little over $200 for it. Got a lot of Golden Tiger ammo for about $200 a case too. Those were the days. It's dead nuts accurate by the way.
Put your thumb just in front of the rear, just behind the balance point, of the top cartridge and as you push down, make a bouncing motion, so the rounds can adjust and seat properly. Love your vids Bud.
Back in 90/91 I bought a Chinese "unissued" SKS and still have it. The gun is rock solid and has never miss fired or slam fired like the Norinco's did.
SKS is a soft shooter. I got mine for $299 bathed in cosmoline about 10 years ago. Cleaned it up pretty decent, but I cannot get the bolt apart. I probably need a press for the pin, or it needs to be drilled out.
