Tech Sights are an aperture style rear sight replacement. They make them for many models, including the SKS. They’re popular for the SKS, because many optics mounts are either unsturdy, or they put the optic quite high above the bore, making an add-on cheek rest also necessary. The tech sight holds on to the receiver, NOT the dust cover, which is important for accuracy because SKS dust covers move.
Most importantly, tech sights greatly increase the sight radius from about 19″ to 29.5″. Having a long sight radius is better for accuracy than a short sight radius, and the aperture rear sight of the tech sight is also nicer than the standard flat rear sight of the SKS.
TS100 vs TS200 for SKS
Tech sights are around $70 USD. The TS100 and TS200 for the SKS are mostly the same, except the TS100 uses a simple flip style aperture and you have to adjust the front sight post to zero, while the TS200 uses an elevation adjustable rear sight so you can zero using the front sight or the rear sight. The TS200 is also $14 more, if you care.
With the TS100, you can use the 2 apertures for 2 different ranges: 0-200 for one and 300 for the other. With the TS200, you’d likely zero for 20 yards which is 3″ high at 100 and dead on at 200. You can “dial in” the TS200 for longer ranges by rotating the rear sight elevation adjustment, while you cannot for the TS100. I don’t see how this would be much of an advantage, as no one is going to shoot very long range with an SKS. In my opinion, you might as well get the cheaper TS100.
Both sights have windage (horizontal) adjustment on the side. They sell a tool that you can use, but just use the tip of a bullet like everyone else. Each click on the windage (or elevation for the TS200) adjusts the point of impact by 5/8″ at 100. On the windage adjustment, turning the adjustment right when viewed from the side (or forward if you’re viewing from the back), will adjust the point of impact to the right.
On the elevation for the TS200, flicking the dial to the left when viewed from the rear (or clockwise if from the top) will move the point of impact up.
For the front sight, clockwise moves the bullet impact up. You can also drift the front sight left or right to adjust zero, but that’s not needed with tech sights because there’s adjustment on the rear sight for that.
Tech sights also sells a thinner target front sight post for the SKS. It’s .047″ wide instead of the factory .072″. That thinner front post will obscure less of the target, so if you’re shooting at small black square targets, the thinner front sight will be nicer.
Installing the SKS Tech Sights
You need to remove the nub on your takedown pin and remove it, which is the only permanent alteration you’re making to your SKS. You can do this with a dremel or file or whatever.
Once that’s out, you can also remove your rear sight, and place the included pin in the rear sight pin hole in order to keep the metal leaf spring in there. That leaf spring isn’t doing anything anymore, but it does cover up the piston extension and spring, so I guess it’d keep the dirt out of there.
To install the tech sight, you put it in, tighten the new dust cover screw they provide, snug up the blind screw on the other side (which helps with repeatability on re-installation), then snug up the lock screws at the back while keeping the sight level.
Shooting the SKS Tech Sights
For just plinking, there’s not much of a difference between tech sights and the regular SKS rear sight. For target shooting, it does make a difference. I was able to cut my groups down by about 1/2″ at 100 yards with the change in sights. While the sights were a bit of a limitation in my practical accuracy before, now my limitation on accuracy is mostly the rifle itself. WWII-era semi auto rifle technology with surplus ammo is just never going to be a tack driver.
If you want to hunt with your SKS, the tech sights are MUCH better than the factory sights because they obscure much less of the target and you get a practical bump in accuracy.
Removing SKS Tech Sights for Cleaning
Cleaning your SKS now takes 1 more step. You’ll need a simple blade screwdriver to remove that rear pin on your Tech Sight before you can pull the receiver cover off. Not a big deal at all, but some people really dislike the extra minute and tool this takes.
Conclusion
Tech sights are a simple addition to improve the iron sight accuracy on an SKS. They’re fairly reasonably priced, they mount solidly and you don’t need to add a cheek rest. It’s a mod that doesn’t take the SKS too far away from how it was originally intended to use.
