The SKS is a pretty amazing rifle and cartridge. I have a very nice Yugo one. I can never quite get use to the 'slow cycling', noise of the bolt travel, and odd trigger-pull.

A couple of years ago, I bought a new/used 16" Bushmaster AR-15 incredibly cheap. It was made in the 1990's to be compliant with the 'Assault Rifle Ban' and nobody wanted it.
What was cool to me was that it had the built-in carry-handle and was made at a time when Bushmaster had a great reputation.

My goal is eventually to put a 20" barrel, 'Duck-Bill' Flash Hider, and wood forearm & butt-stock on it. Make it look more like a real gun!

(Along the lines of this photo, but, with earlier features and a standard pistol-grip).

Thanks Whig for the heads up. Yes PSA is a good outfit to deal with.
I spurned these when they were really cheap years ago, but a nephew gave me a case of 7.62x39 last year, so hey, now I "need" a truck gun to shoot the ammo right?
I looked at prices of nice Russian and Romanian rifles, sticker shock!
Maybe one of these will fit the bill.

Can I pretend to be the crusty old timer who interjects about "back in my day...I only paid $$" for X gun....
Just kidding my too young for that, but have been buying guns for 20 years which isn't nothing but not so long. I've watched SKS's go from "commie junkers" worth $89-200, too NOW Russian's are more than I care to spend. And I regret selling my Chinese Para shorty for the $275 I paid for it!
I too am looking to bite the bullet sort of speak and pay the man what the man is asking nowadays for an average Chinese Type 56 C&R eligible carbine. They are seriously fun to shoot.