Yugo SKS vs. Chinese Sino-Soviet Type 56 SKS

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YankeeIronSights

New member
Hey Guys,

I have a chance to buy either a Chinese Type 56 Sino-Soviet SKS or a Yugo SKS M59/66. Both are in decent shape and cost about $400.00 each.

I know Yugo barrels are not chrome lined and are heavier. Both have milled parts and are true military versions of this great rifle.

Which one would you pick if you could only afford one or the other....?

Thanks !!!
 
the Yugos have the muzzle break/grenade launcher and we not made in quite the numbers so from a collectability standpoint the yugo is a smarter option as it will appreciate in value faster than the t56.

however if you plan on tacticooling it up or even just upgrading the sights the chinese is the better way to go as 922R states that once a SKS is moved out of factory configuration it must contain no more than 10 foreign made parts from a specific list. as it stands the chinese is not hard to do as it only has 14 parts overall from the list and changing the magazine and stock are enough to satisfy the requirement but the muzzlebreak on the yugo means you have to find some other part to remove/replace and the only parts besides stocks and mags are pretty spendy($80 for a new piston, $30 for a trigger, $25 for a hammer, $35 for a sear etc etc...).

however I would also like to point out that the yugo is overpriced by about $50 and the Chinese is overpriced by about $100. I just bought one back during the whole gun scare for $239... granted it was in rough shape but the difference is not so great with SKS. the yugo isn't a bad deal but I would prefer I chinese from someone with better prices.
 
Do you think the Yugo's configuration makes it more accurate? Some have said its 3 dot sights and extra weight improves its performance. Is this correct?
 
Do you think the Yugo's configuration makes it more accurate? Some have said its 3 dot sights and extra weight improves its performance. Is this correct?
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In my limited experience it seems like the Yugo could potentially be more accurate. Having the heavier (thicker) barrel means less barrel whip which should lend to better accuracy. I've also heard that chrome lining tends to have slightly worse accuracy than non-chrome but the chrome lined barrels will take more abuse.
 
I have no personal experience with the yugo myself so I can't say which one is inherently more accurate but my t56 regularly rings oxygen tanks at 200 yards and that's only because I haven't tried taking it farther than that. it's plenty accurate as long as you do your part. much better accuracy than my old AK and way better than I was expecting from a 7.62x39. the bore condition will probably be the deciding factor in how accurate it is. if yours was issued to a little old man that only used it to fight the capitolists on sundays then it will probably be more accurate than the one that spent 15 years at the father stalins academy for boys.
 
Both are in decent shape and cost about $400.00 each.
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My vote goes to the Chinese. Haven't looked at the distributors pages lately, but there have been plenty of Yugos around. Especially a few years ago when I picked them up for $90 to $120 in "like new" condition. Not so much with the Chinese Type 56.
Shooter wise, and accuracy wise, it's an SKS, either one. It ain't no fine target rifle!:D
 
I don't notice any particular difference in accuracy between the Chinese and Yugo versions I have, and from considering that they follow the same design that makes sense. Like all surplus arms, condition is key, and your chances of getting a great Yugo are probably much better than finding a stellar Chinese. The Yugo has a more involved gas value system due to the grenade launcher, so check it closely for rust, etc. Having a chrome plated bore doesn't mean much to me, since I clean my firearms. Both make very handy carbines though, and are pretty bullet-proof in their miliary garb.

Now, if my supply of 22mm grenades was better, I know which one I'd vote for in a heartbeat. :D
 
The Chinese had to have Walmart show them how to make lawn chairs. Think they were any better in the 50's ?
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the chinese got all their tooling from russia to build the SKS and russian advisors hung around for a year to make sure that they built them right.
 
Update:

I visited my LGS and inspected the SKS rifles. Based on your suggestions and comments, I decided to buy the Yugo SKS M59/66. The decision was easy because the Yugo was in "like new" condition... All matching numbers and perfect barrel and crown.

The Chinese rifle's barrel had some nicks around the crown/bore and the stock showed a lot of wear. Nevertheless, I will probably buy a Chinese or a Russian SKS after I save extra cash. My LGS will probably bring more good SKS rifles in the future.

Thanks for all your advice.
 
You are a used car salesman's dream. Look at the junk China has exported to the U.S. for the last 15 years. I remember when they started exporting their copy of the M1-A. There were guys doing a business re-heat treating the operating rods and receivers along with selling replacement spring packs. I wonder if the barrels are pinned in like the AK's? I would not let your kids gnaw on the stock, as it is probably lead base shellac on it.
 
IIRC, the yugos omitted the chrome lined barrels- clean them religiously. and promptly, especially after firing ammo of questionable origin.
 
When the Russians developed the AK and began producing it, only then did the Soviet Union feel secure enough to ship manufacturing tools to the PRC to manufacture the SKS.
The Soviets never trusted the Chinese, no matter how Communist they were.

My choice was a Norinco SKS, having a better balance/less weight than the generic Yugo which has the grenade launcher.
But the Yugos reportedly are probably the most rugged SKS ever built, and the wood is much harder than Chinese choa wood.

"SKSboards" has many times more info than most people would care to read.
They even have forums for the Albanian and Romanian versions.
 
I sold my yugo last year so I could buy my chinese sks. The yugo gas valve is a corrosion nightmare if you don't clean it after every use, no matter how little that use is.
 
When the Russians developed the AK and began producing it, only then did the Soviet Union feel secure enough to ship manufacturing tools to the PRC to manufacture the SKS.
The Soviets never trusted the Chinese, no matter how Communist they were.
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somehow this rings untrue as the russians gave China the tooling for both the SKS and AK47 at the same time. both chinese versions were called the type 56 though one is a 56 rifle and one is a 56 carbine.
 
The yugo gas valve is a corrosion nightmare if you don't clean it after every use, no matter how little that use is.
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Stop putting that Commie Lowest Bidder corossive crap through it, and clean it after every use, and corrosion will be a non-issue.
 
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