Com-Block Carbine Day - M44 Boom Stick vs Yugo 59/66 SKS
- Thread starter Rich_357
- Start date
The 59/66 and the M44 are comparable in size and weight. The SKS being a 7.62x39 semi auto and the M44 a 7.62x54 bolt action; both are 20” inch barrels.
The rounds: The M44 was firing Herter’s 180 grain at $11 per 20 rounds. The SKS, was firing Red Army Standard 122 grain at $6 per 20 rounds. There is quite a size difference!!!
Accuracy: We were firing at a fairly short distance, probably 60 yards. Both rifles were quite accurate; I’d call it a tie. The M44 seemed to throw debris at the target; the rifling is fine so I’m guessing that it’s the unburned powder.
Recoil and Report: The Yugo hits you mildly and is actually a pleasure to shoot. The M44 can be felt down to the bone!!! I put about four rounds through it and called it a day; the rifle definitely needs a butt pad! My friend was standing three feet from me when the M44 went off; he said that could feel the ground shake from the concussion.
Break down and cleaning: The M44 wins this hands down. First of all the Red Army Standard 39 rounds are DIRTY!!!! We put less than a dozen shots through the Yugo; the barrel and the gas tube were GROSS afterwards!!! Surprising, the Herter’s 54 round left far less debris in the M44’s barrel. The M44’s bolt is easily removed and disassembled; this makes clean up a breeze. The Yugo on the other hand can be a pain in the butt. The gas tube release lever is incredibly tight, far tighter than my Type 56 ChiCom. I usually end up having to use a small screw driver to push it in and out of place.
Anyways....Fun range day!
The rounds: The M44 was firing Herter’s 180 grain at $11 per 20 rounds. The SKS, was firing Red Army Standard 122 grain at $6 per 20 rounds. There is quite a size difference!!!
Accuracy: We were firing at a fairly short distance, probably 60 yards. Both rifles were quite accurate; I’d call it a tie. The M44 seemed to throw debris at the target; the rifling is fine so I’m guessing that it’s the unburned powder.
Recoil and Report: The Yugo hits you mildly and is actually a pleasure to shoot. The M44 can be felt down to the bone!!! I put about four rounds through it and called it a day; the rifle definitely needs a butt pad! My friend was standing three feet from me when the M44 went off; he said that could feel the ground shake from the concussion.
Break down and cleaning: The M44 wins this hands down. First of all the Red Army Standard 39 rounds are DIRTY!!!! We put less than a dozen shots through the Yugo; the barrel and the gas tube were GROSS afterwards!!! Surprising, the Herter’s 54 round left far less debris in the M44’s barrel. The M44’s bolt is easily removed and disassembled; this makes clean up a breeze. The Yugo on the other hand can be a pain in the butt. The gas tube release lever is incredibly tight, far tighter than my Type 56 ChiCom. I usually end up having to use a small screw driver to push it in and out of place.
Anyways....Fun range day!
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deerslayer303
New member
Thanks for the post! The M44 and Mosins are murder on a shoulder if you are kinda leaned forward shooting them off a bench. But I've found they are not so bad in a more upright position like standing.
You guys are the experts. What I read about the M44 was that the Russians learned that the full sized M/N was not designed for urban warfare. They cut it down to the M38 and the M44 carbines with the same round. It was the size that they desired but the round is too big for the rifle. It is extremely cool though...in a shocking kind of way!!!!
dakota.potts
New member
I imagine those heavy bullets weren't helping the recoil at all. You will probably get a slightly more enjoyable shooting experience shooting something lighter such as a 147 grain round out of that. I know those M44s have quite a kick and concussion. We actually had an RSO ask us if we had a Dragunov brake on ours because we were interrupting their conversation at the other side of the range nearly 100 yards away every time we pulled the trigger. And yes, that thin steel butt plate does hurt.