It doesn't have to be the most practical choice, just what you happen to enjoy shooting/owning/collecting the most.
Mine would be the SKS, of course. Not a modern weapons system by any means, but there's something about them that's really cool to me. The SKS was a fascinating intermediary/stopgap between the "old school" bolt action service rifles and modern assault rifles.
A medium length barrel, a .30 caliber intermediate cartridge, semiautomatic only operation, volley sights, an internal magazine fed by clips, with a slightly extended (10 round) magazine capacity, cleaning rod attached below the barrel and cleaning kit stuffed inside the "butthole" of the stock. I like the fact that it can be easily single loaded if you don't have stripper clips. And who doesn't love fold-out bayonets? Plus, cheap ammo (until recently, that is) in a caliber that can still pack a punch with well-designed projectiles.
With a Yugo, 'Yu get' even more cool little features packed into the rifle - night sights (which may or may not still glow), gas shut off, and a friggin' rifle grenade launcher and grenade sights. I just think that's really cool, even if it doesn't have a practical use for us.
I just really enjoy all my SKSs, both shooting and collecting them, though it wouldn't be my go-to platform for a SHTF scenario.
And a brief PSA: FFS, stop trying to make your SKSs into AKs.
Mine would be the SKS, of course. Not a modern weapons system by any means, but there's something about them that's really cool to me. The SKS was a fascinating intermediary/stopgap between the "old school" bolt action service rifles and modern assault rifles.
A medium length barrel, a .30 caliber intermediate cartridge, semiautomatic only operation, volley sights, an internal magazine fed by clips, with a slightly extended (10 round) magazine capacity, cleaning rod attached below the barrel and cleaning kit stuffed inside the "butthole" of the stock. I like the fact that it can be easily single loaded if you don't have stripper clips. And who doesn't love fold-out bayonets? Plus, cheap ammo (until recently, that is) in a caliber that can still pack a punch with well-designed projectiles.
With a Yugo, 'Yu get' even more cool little features packed into the rifle - night sights (which may or may not still glow), gas shut off, and a friggin' rifle grenade launcher and grenade sights. I just think that's really cool, even if it doesn't have a practical use for us.
I just really enjoy all my SKSs, both shooting and collecting them, though it wouldn't be my go-to platform for a SHTF scenario.
And a brief PSA: FFS, stop trying to make your SKSs into AKs.