Joined
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496 Posts
So I've had an SKS for 16 plus yrs. After bubbafying it in several shameful ways I discovered it was a 54 Izzy nonrefurb, and did my best to restore it.
I have a boatload of stripper clips and plenty of ammo, and can perform a reload in about 5-6 seconds. No mags to lose or damage.
But, I also have several Tapco 20 rd mags, and I was curious about all the claims online that SKS owners can "reload faster with stripper clips than an AK owner can with mags." So I conducted a timed test. Even with the awkward magazine release and duckbill inserting procedure, I was able to consistently perform reloads in 2.8-3 seconds.
My conclusion is this (much of it restating the obvious): The standard fixed mag with stripper clips is still the most reliable system and is better for long term SHTF scenarios. However, the Tapco mags feed nearly as reliably, hold more rounds and reload almost TWICE AS FAST, making them perhaps more combat effective. Common sense and all the training I've ever participated in teaches that the less time spent with your weapon empty the better. The Tapco 20s offer twice as many rounds in a gunfight before reloading, the reload is faster, and again gives twice as many rounds when a reload is complete.
Using detachable 20 rd mags should produce a rate of fire about 2x that of the ten rd fixed with strippers.
Of course, I'm still a fan of the original sks design, and it does have some advantages for long term survival use. But there's a reason fixed mags with strippers/en bloc were superseded by detachable box mags.
I have a boatload of stripper clips and plenty of ammo, and can perform a reload in about 5-6 seconds. No mags to lose or damage.
But, I also have several Tapco 20 rd mags, and I was curious about all the claims online that SKS owners can "reload faster with stripper clips than an AK owner can with mags." So I conducted a timed test. Even with the awkward magazine release and duckbill inserting procedure, I was able to consistently perform reloads in 2.8-3 seconds.
My conclusion is this (much of it restating the obvious): The standard fixed mag with stripper clips is still the most reliable system and is better for long term SHTF scenarios. However, the Tapco mags feed nearly as reliably, hold more rounds and reload almost TWICE AS FAST, making them perhaps more combat effective. Common sense and all the training I've ever participated in teaches that the less time spent with your weapon empty the better. The Tapco 20s offer twice as many rounds in a gunfight before reloading, the reload is faster, and again gives twice as many rounds when a reload is complete.
Using detachable 20 rd mags should produce a rate of fire about 2x that of the ten rd fixed with strippers.
Of course, I'm still a fan of the original sks design, and it does have some advantages for long term survival use. But there's a reason fixed mags with strippers/en bloc were superseded by detachable box mags.