# Norninco SKS-56 combat carbine



## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

This is probably my favorite gun for many reasons, the main being its brutal power and the fact no personal armor made can resist the round. A little more accurate than an AK with a bit more muzzle pressure, the Norinco-56 came stock with a chrome lined screw-on barrel and a great swing out bayonet that can also be stabbed into the ground to use as a monopod. The wound the bayonet makes is triangular and is not repaired very easily and bleeds bad. The mags are a bit more of a trick to change, but that shouldn't slow you down much. They make stock ten round internal mags, 20 rounders, 30 rounders, 40 rounders and my fav- the 75 round drum. Keep in mind in a firefight, every second that goes by seems like an eternity. God help me, last thing I want to do is duck behind some flimsy car while someone like me sits up there unseen and keeps...on...shooting...and shooting...

And that's exactly what it's like. Seems like those banana clips take forever to run dry, effective range is better than 100 yards if you know how to sight it in. Brick walls are no cover from that round, neither is a car or the latest helmets. Matter of fact the best NATO helmets to date don't even act like they are there, the bullet will go in one side and out the other cleanly. I don't know if I'd bury my Norinco in sand for five months, dig it up and try to fire it, but this carbine, if taken care of, will function for you flawlessly in almost any conditions. They are real simple to break down and clean, have an internal cleaning kit and can even be modded with recoil dampeners and scopes if you want to get custom with it.

I have to say though, try and stay away from the aftermarket furniture. I have seen it melt and catch fire, whereas wood you can just put out.


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## acidlittle (Jan 24, 2012)

Is that a mod to get it to run on mags? I've been eyeballin these, but have been turned off by the small internal mag. I already have a Norinco MAK-90 (ak47 variant) so I could easily get one of these and share ammo between the two guns. But I want something that is magazine fed.


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

yeah you just take off the trigger group and it comes right out. I run a few 40 rounders on mine.


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## acidlittle (Jan 24, 2012)

take what out, the internal magazine?


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## survival (Sep 26, 2011)

I have one JUST like this! Its the smallest round mag (I got rid of the larger cap one STUPID ME!). And your right, when I first saw how to take the mag out, I was thinking WTF?! I'll shoot over a photo tonight of it.


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

acidlittle said:


> take what out, the internal magazine?


yeah you just press the button on the trigger group with a screwdriver or something until it clicks, take out the trigger group and it comes right out. Then you put the trigger group back, press down till it clicks and you're ready to accept detachable mags. They have a little hook in there you catch first and then use it to lock the clip into the feed mechanism. It's not a slap-in job like the AK but nearly as good.


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## survival (Sep 26, 2011)

Awesome tip on the mag, I just left it in mine since it was weird to take out. Now I'll refer to your post on how to do this!

Here is mine.

[attachment=0:1uzuyng0]sks.JPG[/attachment:1uzuyng0]


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

I'd show you how but that prepper Mr. Rogers guy sootch pretty much sums it up. 





Here is glockwork9 shooting mine




You may note the two jams. We were running tula ammo and those two turned out to be random remington ammo we picked up off the ground- light primer strikes. We ran them again and they went off no problem. Funny though, remington costs ten more dollars a box.

You will note that it fires faster than an AK and is shorter. Plus it can extend a nasty screwdriver-shaped bayonet also useful as a prybar, yet punch it into a car roof and use it as a monopod or swivel.


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## survival (Sep 26, 2011)

Hey, I want to get one of those clips that you have, but every since I got rid of mine I'm confused on what to get because many of them will say "doesn't fit chinese", "doesn't fit Romainan", "Doesn't fit Mickey Mouse" etc. 

I guess the best thing I need to do is take it to my next gun show to size it up.

Did you have trouble getting that pictanny rail mount on? I had to shave about 1/4 inch off to get it to fit. It fits extremely tight though now.


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

They are handmade beasts and often prone to working around the original carbine like that, I did it too. I use steel mags made in the usa. Steel 40 round mags can be bought here:
http://www.parts4sks.com/sks_accessories/product/SKS_762-39_40_Round_Detachable.html

The drum is heavy but kills the recoil, ppl don't stop and realize (most don't know) that WWII was ended by soviets storming Berlin with these little nasties loaded with drums. They were the answer to the US Tommy gun, you can see them in action in the movie "Downfall" near the end. The Russians have them in their hands and they look frikkin awesome. Bayonet+reliable+7.62x39+75rd+cleaning kit+hunting rifle feel+short+durability = mean contender. Kalashnikov said his biggest influence was Simanov- SKS means Samozaryadnyj Karabin sistemy Simonova- _Simanov_ in English.


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

Also- check your barrel. If it has Chinese lettering anywhere it is a Norinco. If it has Russian it is either yugo or Rus. Look down the barrel for chrome. Knife like bayonets are rus and yugo- spike bayonets are Chinese. These were built from 1946 to about 1983. Yugos had grenade launchers and flip up sights for it. Chinese ones look redder.


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## acidlittle (Jan 24, 2012)

I want to get a Yugo and a Norinco one of these. I have a Norinco MAK-90 and it's solid. And I have heard the Yugo's are pretty durable too. But some Yugos don't have chrome lined, is that true?


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

true, yugos aren't the cream of the crop but they get the job done.


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## gitnready4it (Jan 27, 2012)

Really appreciate this post. This might just be what I've been looking for.


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## randy grider (Nov 2, 2012)

Leon said:


> They are handmade beasts and often prone to working around the original carbine like that, I did it too. I use steel mags made in the usa. Steel 40 round mags can be bought here:
> SKS 7.62x39 40 Round Detachable Blued Steel Mega Mag : Parts4SKS
> 
> The drum is heavy but kills the recoil, ppl don't stop and realize (most don't know) that WWII was ended by soviets storming Berlin with these little nasties loaded with drums. They were the answer to the US Tommy gun, you can see them in action in the movie "Downfall" near the end. The Russians have them in their hands and they look frikkin awesome. Bayonet+reliable+7.62x39+75rd+cleaning kit+hunting rifle feel+short+durability = mean contender. Kalashnikov said his biggest influence was Simanov- SKS means Samozaryadnyj Karabin sistemy Simonova- _Simanov_ in English.


If you are refferring to the SKS as "Little nasties" they were not in use untill about 49, well after the war was over. The Rushkies whipped 'em with mostly old Mosin Nagants.


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## randy grider (Nov 2, 2012)

To me the SKS is alot better made than an AK,and I'll take it over the AK every time, even with the fixed 10 round mag. Reloading is fast with the stripper clips.


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## WoadWarrior (Oct 10, 2012)

randy grider said:


> ... the fixed 10 round mag...


Randy... my SKS doesn't have a fixed mag. I use 30's. Can you clarify what you are referring to?


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## WoadWarrior (Oct 10, 2012)

Nevermind... I reread the thread and understand... you are talking about the default configuration. Got it.... ignore my last post.


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## randy grider (Nov 2, 2012)

Thats right, I'm talking about the original 10 round that comes with it. There are stripper clips out there that used to be had just by buying cheap mil-surp allready in the clips, They fit in the "ears" on the bolt, and you pushed it in the mag with you're thumb, a reload took just seconds. I never purchased the detachable mags, as I have other rifles with them, and just bought it because of the price ($99). Just sorrry I did not buy a truckload of them. I'm sure the same rifle now is 3-4 times that.


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## jgriner (Nov 27, 2012)

acidlittle said:


> I want to get a Yugo and a Norinco one of these. I have a Norinco MAK-90 and it's solid. And I have heard the Yugo's are pretty durable too. But some Yugos don't have chrome lined, is that true?


yes Yugoslavia did not have a large deposits of chrome ore, so they just produced them without chromed lined barrels, from what I heard it doesnt really make that huge difference just a little easier to clean that about it, but the non chrome are cheaper.

Got mine pre-Obama for about $150 bucks, now post-obama they have leveled off at about double the price.



WoadWarrior said:


> Randy... my SKS doesn't have a fixed mag. I use 30's. Can you clarify what you are referring to?


woad.... every sks i have every seen comes from the "factory" with a internal 10 round mag. 
lots of people ditch the internal mag for a detachable mag. i have not converted mine over to the detachable mag, because i heard they are a pain to covert, then once converted you may have to modify ever mag you buy to get it fit properly.

some interesting reading on the sks. 
http://www.surplusrifle.com/sks/index.asp
http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/yugogrenade/index.asp


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## TLock762x51 (Nov 14, 2012)

Leon said:


> This is probably my favorite gun for many reasons, the main being its brutal power and *the fact no personal armor made can resist the round*.


 I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to disagree with this statement. There have been body armors available since the 1980's that were capable of stopping rounds considerably more powerful than 7.62x39mm. See here: 



.

This video was made in 1986, and as noted, the vest was rated to stop a .458 Winchester Magnum...though they're _only_ using a 7.62x51 NATO cartridge in the video. If you watch through to the end, you'll see he gets shot a second time as well.

I'm not trying to disparage the SKS. In fact, I'm quite fond of them...I own 2 of the earlier Norincos and 4 Yugos. They are great little rifles, being capable of hitting a man-sized target out to 300-350 yards, with their issue sights. However, as rifles go, they are not "brutally" powerful, nor are the rounds unstoppable.They are what they are...a decent, reliable rifle chambered in a mid-range cartridge, and are capable of achieving hits on man-sized targets out to the limits of the cartridge. Ballistically, the cartridge is very similar to the .30-30.

My SKSs all have their original 10 round fixed mags, because all of the people I've known who ever mounted the higher capacity mags were ultimately disappointed with them (this excludes the SKS-M and SKS-D, which were made to use the same detachable mags as the AK-47), which is quite a few people, since I worked at a gun shop for a couple years when the later "circumcised" Chinese SKSs were being sold in our shop for around $80, and I sold a lot of the SKS 30-round mags. {Sorry for the run-on sentence.}

Additionally, none of my SKSs (or AKs) have optics mounted...IMO, they work better with their issue sights. By and large, none of the mounting systems are sturdy enough to justify mounting a scope. Again, that's my opinion...for those that have optics mounted and like them, more power to you! By all means, we all need to do what works best for each of us.

Tim


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## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

Ahhh, the SKS. What a great weapon design! Ill admit it aint quiet perfect but man does it have a whole lot to offer to someone. Ruggedly built, reliable operation, easy to top off with ammunition even in its stock format, reasonably accurate to 200 yards with good ammunition, chambered in a pretty effective cartridge as well. Granted they have gotten a bit on the pricey side today compared to 1994, but they are still quiet a bit of gun for the dollar still today. It's a gun that lends itself to the survivalist needs pretty well.

Many will claim that this gun is too antiquated and as such is now obsolete. I beg to differ. Just watch the Youtube Video of a Marine in California home on leave assault at least 3 Policemen if not a forth with devestating results in the process. That Marine might not have had much in the way of Honor, but he sure had Courage and Commitment to spare. Just too bad he couldn't live up to the Honor part very well. But it does prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that despite its lacking in some attributes, with the right tactics, its still more than good enough to "pick up the check" if need be.






I have several examples and I am so kicking my self in the butt for not buying a crate or two of them when the Russsian Laminated wood stock arsenal finished excellent conditon ones were retailing for a paltry 79.99 even in the Communist Republic of California! What was I thinking? If only I knew then what I know now&#8230;Hind sight really sucks sometimes! Im sure many of us here "have seen that movie" a few times before, at least more so than we would like to admit to anyways.

Two of mine are in as issued stock condition and that's the best way I think for them to stay. The designer did a pretty good job from the get go and pretty much got it all right the first time. I think anytime you modify them you start to kind of take away from what they were designed to do best in the first place&#8230;put .311 diameter "Warheads on Foreheads"!

Yeah you can modify them and some of them can work very well this way. I modified one myself with a composite stock and the dust cover scope mount with a fixed 4X scope and that baby will print 1 ½" groups at a hundred yards until the cows come home with brass cased hand loads using .311 bullets. One day I might even entertain a 20 round fixed mag in place of the stock 10 rounder. I just havent found a Hog that required more than one round yet! As such I am kind of thinking most Zombies aint going to fare too much better either.

I think everyone ought to have one of these jewels in their collection!


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

I just picked up one of these on Gunbroker. I got it for a little over $200 and I'm waiting for it to arrive at my FFL shop. I can't wait to trick it out! I have a few AK's and wanted to add an SKS to the mix. I love the 7.62 x39 cartridge and keep my firearms to this caliber so it's easier to stockpile. I found the ultralight Chinese fiberglass jungle stock to lighten it up and I plan on keeping the fixed 10 round box mag and use stripper clips to load.


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

keep in mind that the fiberglass/poly stuff can melt. I have had mine nice and hot enough to burn my wrist


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Keep in mind some SKS will take mags with no mods when the internal is removed May or may not be legal to do. Depending on import date.
Most older SKS will not have the proper slot or catch for it so you have to cut and weld Not legal and often get screwed up.
The removable mag with the made to over come not having the slot and catch is legal or not depending on the year it was imported and that can get tricky.
they are also not very reliable in some cases.


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

Ya I don't tend to run em that hard and the wood stock is pretty shot. I'm going for a vietnam era chinese SKS so the jungle stock with blade bayonet and chinese army sling. I'm thinking I'm going to put a heat shield and vented steel shroud to aid in cooling. Worked on one of my AKs.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

leon said:


> they are handmade beasts and often prone to working around the original carbine like that, i did it too. I use steel mags made in the usa. Steel 40 round mags can be bought here:
> http://www.parts4sks.com/sks_accessories/product/sks_762-39_40_round_detachable.html
> 
> the drum is heavy but kills the recoil, ppl don't stop and realize (most don't know) that wwii was ended by soviets storming berlin with these little nasties loaded with drums. They were the answer to the us tommy gun, you can see them in action in the movie "downfall" near the end. The russians have them in their hands and they look frikkin awesome. Bayonet+reliable+7.62x39+75rd+cleaning kit+hunting rifle feel+short+durability = mean contender. Kalashnikov said his biggest influence was simanov- sks means samozaryadnyj karabin sistemy simonova- _simanov_ in english.


the sks was mostly a post war development.

The russians were armed with ppsh-41's and ppsh-43's. They fired the 30 tokarev pistol cartridge

they also used the the tokarev semiauto rifles in 7.62x54r.

A small quantity of sks were tested at the end.

All the extended magazines are commercial market stuff for u.s. Consumption. They were never intended or developed for the military.


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## yzingerr (Dec 9, 2012)

The SKS blows my mind. I paid $100 for mine 15 years ago, now i see junk ones going for over $400. Smh


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

yzingerr said:


> The SKS blows my mind. I paid $100 for mine 15 years ago, now i see junk ones going for over $400. Smh


 I had not purchased any weapons in years. No need to I had all I wanted and far more than I needed. I got over what cause me to put mine away and started shooting again. You know how it works you get interested you end up window shopping. I about fell over the first time I walked back into a large gun shop that sold new and used. I was sure they had the priced tags mixed up.
Norninco SKS pre-Brady band sold for 67 dollars all day long.
Surplus M1 grand 100 bucks


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## Toutatis (Dec 13, 2012)

Leon said:


> yeah you just press the button on the trigger group with a screwdriver or something until it clicks, take out the trigger group and it comes right out. Then you put the trigger group back, press down till it clicks and you're ready to accept detachable mags. They have a little hook in there you catch first and then use it to lock the clip into the feed mechanism. It's not a slap-in job like the AK but nearly as good.


So where do you buy these detachable magazines? Who makes them?


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