There are 'better' semi-autos sporters and military surplus rifles out there, but the SKS is great for blowing a few hundred roundsduring an afternoon plinking session.

As others have posted, there's a front sight adjustment tool that I would also recommend for zeroing (it's pretty inexpensive, and you can use it on most AK clones as well). There are also replacement rear sights that you can install pretty easily if you don't like the issue sight. Most commies who were shooting these back in the day weren't too big, so thestandard sightcan be a bit of a hassle for larger shooters when it comes to aligning the front and rear. An extended butt-pad might help too if the stock is a little short for your frame.

Check out http://www.sksman.com/for sights and gear. I've bought from him before, and he sells a lot of great gear for mil-surp rifles. TAPCO and Cheaper Than Dirt have some good stuff, too. You might want to take a look at http://www.surplusrifle.com/as well for more info, particularly on cleaning, maintenance, and modifications.

What's the make and model you're thinking about buying, and how much is your friend asking for it?

One final note: I strongly recommend shooting only com-bloc surplus ammo in an SKS. The primers in American 7.62x39 ammo are way too soft for the factory firing pins, and you can experience a heck of a lot ofjams, misfires,and slam-fires with them.Wolffeeds and fires very reliably.

If you really want to shoot American ammo, though, you can buy a firing pin with a retaining spring here, http://www.murraysguns.com/sksown.htm. I can't attest to its effectiveness since I only shoot the surplus stuff, but it's something to consider.