What would you value my new Preban Polytech Spiker at? (Edit: Added New Pics in my reply)

Hey guys, sorry for the lame post, but those who are the experts I would like to know what I got.

I have been over here from the dark side for a little time now, and I am in love with the AK, specifically the Chinese AK's. I am new to this Forum and I am trying to soak up all the knowldge and info I can. In a short span of 2 weeks I acquired 2 rifles, one a post ban MAK-90 from a very good friend and I am going through the process of converting it. Fortunatley it is a straight cut receiver and enough metal on the barrel to put some threads on it. The other I got in a trade which is a Polytech Spiker.

Here is the info on the rifle Polytech Spiker.

The rifle is used and there is no box. It came with the sling, cleaning kit, and 2 chrome chinese mags and one regular chinese mag. I was also able to get 2 more Chinese stock sets and another spiker bayo with the deal that I will use on my MAK-90 conversion in the trade

The serial number is PW85-762-51**
I think the rifle is in wonderful condition, I am assuming it is in it's original configuration, hasn't been altered and original wood. All serial numbers match on all the parts that I can find a serial number on. The muzzel and bore is in awesome shape and it doesn't look that it has been shot very much at all. There are only a few minor dings in the wood.

So what is the value of my rifle? I appreciate all honest answers and I can provide more information if needed. I know that some guys have a max they would spend, but if you can let me know what these have been selling for that would be great. It's for insurance purposes.

Thanks again...

If you just want to know the max they are selling for at the national level I'd say just look at the ended auction listings on Gunbroker. Look at what they actually sold for, not just what people were listing them for, since many people are a bit optomistic and ask for more than they bring. Personally, I find Gunbroker prices over inflated compared to selling prices in my area, but that will vary depending on where you livea and what your local market is like. I've never found a gun on gunbroker that I thought was a deal and always find them cheaper locally. Still a decent starting point to get an idea of value. And I have seen a few people luck out with GB.

Nice looking rifle by the way.

I had a pre-89 poly folder, without the bayonet, and it sold for $1500.

They will get a premium in states that still have bans.

Great looking rifle and welcome to the Polytech spiker club.

Using the photographs there and for insurance purposes, I'd say your set-up is probably valued at around $1200. And honestly, I'd call that the high side. With that price, you could replace it with another from Gunbroker, etc. if you had to. Naturally, they can sometimes be found for a bit less but that price is factoring in the hassle of shipping, FFL, etc. of replacing it as well as averaging what folks may pay for a pre-ban due to their individual state laws.

One just sold on gun broker about 2-3 weeks ago in very good condition for $864.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=170024348

BTW, very nice gun. One of my favorites!

As an example, I recently paid $1K for this one, slightly used. So I would imagine your a little less without original box.

Thanks for all the feedback and compliments. I love this rifle. I think the general opinion is $800-$1500 depending on where you live, etc..... I do see them on GB listed for as high as $1500 which seems pretty high. I don't think anyone is buying them for that high though.

The only thing I don't know is, did the spiker come with the crosshatched grip? All the ones I see do not have the cross hatched grip, so I am wondering if mine was replaced for some reason because it is crosshatched or if some of them did come with that grip.

As always, anything's possible with those imported rifles. But judging from the wood in the photos, I'd say the furniture on your rifle is probably not the original rifle but rather added to it sometime later.

Low feedback sellers always end up with below market prices. I live in AZ where prices are generally low and I cannot remember the last time I saw a preban Poly AK sell for less than $1000.

That condition you are referring to on the grip is called 'checkered'.

-$150 for no box

I like to use the term checkered also, but I am pretty sure the correct term is "crosshatch". Taken straight from Poly Technologies website:

"Genuine PolyTech grips are crafted from high quality hardwood and and include an engraved crosshatch pattern."

Either way, it would be nice to know if the grip on my rifle is original as it came from the factory. It matches the rest of the wood perfectly in color and has the same amount of wear as the stock and hand guard pieces. I know anything is possible with these rifles and maybe sometimes there is just no way to tell.

Mine came with the smooth grip.

I'd still wager someone added that wood - those were usually imported with the smooth pistol grip. Without a better/closer look at the left side of lower handguard, it looks like the cut-outs have been made or worn more rounded compared to the right side.

Rayman1, I will get some more/better pics up tonight or tomorrow so I can get your opinion. Sounds like you know a lot about the subject. Thanks, lear60pilot..

Cool. If anything, the Polytech wood furniture that normally came with those rifles can be found fairly often on Gunbroker and their usually brand new sets. Finding the smooth pistol grip may prove to be a little more difficult. But I frequent the Crossroads gun show in Phoenix all the time and there's a vendor who sets up by a friend who sells almost exactly the same smooth style pistol grips but unfinished. I forget the price but they're pretty reasonable. Staining one of them to match would be a simple fix, if a Polytech one can't be located.

Not necessarily. This one ended today for $961 and the guy had a feed back of A+(58).

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=173334618

Factory 416 too.

Rayman, I added some better pics of the handguards. I'll let other experts chime in also. The color match is near perfect, so I find it kind of odd if the grip was replaced by itself, unless the entire stock set was refinished, but it doesn't look like it was. It doesn't look like the wood was modified in any way, but there is a little chip part that goes into the handguard retainer piece. I included other pics so you guys can try to see the amount of wear on the rifle. Any idea how to determine a round count? Let me know if you guys see anything else odd. I can say one thing, everything that moves on this rifle is like butter. Much smoother compared to my MAK-90.

Thanks..........

Thanks for the addition of the newer photos. After looking at the photos, it seems to me the wood furniture was originally the lighter blonde but someone applied some wood stain to the set. The second photo that shows the left side of the lower handguard in the new set of photos above shows the evidence of where an additional brush (or sponge brush) coating started and was applied. You can kind of see the lighter area and where it borders the darker area. The individual did a better application on the right side of the handguard as it's a little smoother. The Chinese factory wouldn't do it quite like that. You can also see where the stain darkened the lighter spots in the wood which were already impressed or dented. I've stained and refinished a lot of AK furniture, and am familiar with how the Chinese blonde Chu wood adapts to stain. And that stain color shade doesn't appear to be the color shade I've seen or encountered on the Chinese Type 56 or commercially imported rifles. Usually, it's a bit more brown and/or with red. But the wood can often get to about that color after age and use. However, it's usually also pretty worn by that time.

But that simply shows a wood stain was applied at one time - I'd say quite a while ago. Perhaps about the same time as when the rifle was purchased many years ago by the original owner as it looks like the stain's age in the wood kind of matches up with the wear on the internals of the rifle. This is all one person's speculation, though.

If I had to guess overall, I'd say someone purchased the rifle many years ago when it had its original blonde furniture. Someone then stained the furniture to that brown color shade, possibly to make it look more original "AK47" or vintage as seen in the movies or photos in an effort to get rid of the blonde color so it wasn't so... blonde. The thinner blonde, smooth-sided pistol grip was removed and a thicker blonde-colored pistol grip with checkering was added and stained to match the rest of the wood furniture.

Rayman1, thanks for the very good technical response to my new pictures. I learn something new everyday I get on this site about these rifles. I can see what you are talking about with the lighter finish peeking through and the darker finish being a little uneven. Like I have heard before, I guess anything is possible with these rifles. It's amazing what previous owners do to their rifles. I have a couple of questions though.

Did all the Spiker rifles come with the lighter blonde wood or just some of them? When I got this rifle in a trade, it came with a lot of extra wood of which one set was a blonde spiker set (See picture) I have no idea where the previous owner got this wood from, but it looks brand new and not a dent or scratch.

Would my rifle be more correct if I were to put this wood on it? The only thing I see wrong is the set still has the fat cross hatched hand guard and not the smooth type.

I actually like the darker look and more worn look of the wood that is on the rifle right now, so I am pretty sure I am not going to do this and just use the wood on another conversion.

The blonde wood furniture featured in your last photo is what the Polytech rifles almost always shipped with (naturally, there's always the exception somewhere). But that other thicker, orangish, checkered pistol grip with it looks to be a Norinco pistol grip, or at least not part of that furniture.

There were lots of rifles from Norinco (GSAD imports) that had very nice, dark wood furniture. You run across one of these rifles every once in a while on the boards or on Gunbroker.

I'd personally keep the darker wood furniture that's on your rifle. I like the look of it - I think it gives the rifle a more "vintage" look and it stands out among a sea of already existing blonde furniture rifles. I also think the thicker, darker, checkered pistol grip is fine with it as the early military Type 56 rifles had both the checkered and smooth type. However, if the checkered style bothers you it's an easy fix to make the grip smooth. I've modified a few lightly use/worn Bulgarian and Polish checkered grips into smooth-sided ones for projects. Some generous sanding and elbow grease, with some staining and time, can create a happy smooth-sided pistol grip.

Here's a refinished/modified pistol grip given new life for a North Korean Type 58 project but started life as a heavily checkered Polish (or maybe Bulgarian - I can't remember) grip:





That one was a pistol grip which was sanded, shaped, stained, and finished in about a day. Really no time spend on it at all as it needed to be done really quick and give the look of a unique North Korean pistol grip. With a Chinese grip, same process - just sand it down with some sand paper until you've got the checkering and the "hump" on the sides down flat. Smooth it out and shape it a bit, then stain to your desired shade of color. Let sit, stain again if needed. Then, apply whatever coating you choose (semi-gloss, satin, etc.). Too easy.

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