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Posted: 8/3/2016 3:23:24 PM EDT
I have never owned an SKS and was wondering what good maker is and where I can find one.
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I forget exactly what the quality hierarchy is, but it's something like this:
Russian Chinese Other European Yugo The russian ones are usually the "best" but are expensive and sometimes hard to find. The Chinese ones were made after the Soviets sent all their machines, extra parts, and technical advisers to china as a show of communist friendship. Result was pretty high quality rifles with the only issue being the stocks. The chinese wood was a lot softer and more prone to dents and scratches than the nice laquered russian ones. Also, the Chinese sent a lot of their rifles to Albania and other places where they were abused pretty bad. Part of the reason why theyre all in such rough shape. Other Europeans made SKSs out the whazoo with varying tolerances and varying quality. Parts are not interchangeable. Yugo ones are really common (distinguished by the grenade launcher muzzle) but towards the bottom. I personally reccomend a chinese one because the guts are usually made better and refinishing the stock can be a fun project. Additionally, they usually have the blade bayonet vs the spike and they have a lot more manufacturers' stamps that add to the character. |
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My buddy has a cherry Russian SKS he bought in 2000 for $200. Lucky bastard. How much are those worth now??
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Chi-Com is your best bet as far as "reasonable" price and the quality you get for a shooter. All are secondary market. Most common examples I see local are $350.00 - $425.00.
The Russian, Romanian, Albanian, Yugo M-59s, and even certain Chi-Coms are commanding collector prices now. Yugo 59/66s are available from the distributors but they are way to heavy for what they do unless you plan on launching grenades, the grenade launching valve cut-off is a weak spot, and the barrels are not chrome-lined. I never liked them when they were $100.00.....Much less at $400.00 +. |
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Lots. Especially in great condition with matching numbers. $1,200.00 - $1,500.00? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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So, how much are we talking for a nice Russian SKS? Lots. Especially in great condition with matching numbers. $1,200.00 - $1,500.00? Holy shit! I think my buddy's Russian SKS has matching numbers and, in my opinon, is in pretty good shape. He bought that damn thing for only $200. |
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View Quote That looks like a nice rifle. The seller gives little information and the stock looks refinished and it has no bayonet. Back in the 90's when they were banned from importation by the Lesbian Liar's Husband, the period correct bayonets (pig stickers) were removed and were sold as "tent stakes." Instead of cutting off the bayonet lug distributors drilled the mounting hole on the bayonet lug clean. Basically they reamed the holes so a bayonet couldn't be mounted. PM the seller and ask him those questions. Also, ask him if he still has the cleaning kit and oil bottle and if the rifle has matching numbers. Hope this helps. |
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Lots. Especially in great condition with matching numbers. $1,200.00 - $1,500.00? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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So, how much are we talking for a nice Russian SKS? Lots. Especially in great condition with matching numbers. $1,200.00 - $1,500.00? SERIOUSLY? Holy cow I have one sitting in my safe, bought it off some military guy on FB that was moving overseas for $300 not even 2 years ago |
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SERIOUSLY? Holy cow I have one sitting in my safe, bought it off some military guy on FB that was moving overseas for $300 not even 2 years ago View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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So, how much are we talking for a nice Russian SKS? Lots. Especially in great condition with matching numbers. $1,200.00 - $1,500.00? SERIOUSLY? Holy cow I have one sitting in my safe, bought it off some military guy on FB that was moving overseas for $300 not even 2 years ago Yea, the SKS market is intensifying at a crazy pace. One of the last inexpensive battle rifles |
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Russian
Romanian Yugo - M59 only Chinese Albanian Albanian/ Chinese I agree with above poster that the Chinese SKS's have seemed to slip a little in price recently while the others have gone up. |
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Russian and Chinese SKS are both good choices, and bringing $350-$600 around here.
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Holy shit! I think my buddy's Russian SKS has matching numbers and, in my opinon, is in pretty good shape. He bought that damn thing for only $200. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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So, how much are we talking for a nice Russian SKS? Lots. Especially in great condition with matching numbers. $1,200.00 - $1,500.00? Holy shit! I think my buddy's Russian SKS has matching numbers and, in my opinon, is in pretty good shape. He bought that damn thing for only $200. a russian REFURB is worth about half of that on a good day. You can find refurbs even on gunbroker for about 450-600 |
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I prefer to shoot my SKS rifles, so I go Chinese.
They run like a top. Never any problems with them. |
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I had and sold a Norinco
I have and still own a really cool looking Sino-Soviet Chinese |
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Yugos are fine.
No chrome lined barrel. Not a problem with modern steel case non corrosive 7.62x39 buy based on condition and price, not country of origin. SKS are fun, I own 3, but "tiers" of this gun is fantasy mumbo jumbo. Price and condition. Period. |
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Yugos are fine. No chrome lined barrel. Not a problem with modern steel case non corrosive 7.62x39 buy based on condition and price, not country of origin. SKS are fun, I own 3, but "tiers" of this gun is fantasy mumbo jumbo. Price and condition. Period. View Quote Personally, I consdier the Yugos to be some of the BEST of the breed. I shot a case of surplus M67 ammo with no damage to the barrel. I just made sure I cleaned with warm water after every range trip. The Yugos are built solid from mostly milled parts. The 59/66 is a little front heavy with the Granade Launcher but that can be removed. Mine shoot GREAT as is. Not sure why people say "stay away". |
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Personally, I consdier the Yugos to be some of the BEST of the breed. I shot a case of surplus M67 ammo with no damage to the barrel. I just made sure I cleaned with warm water after every range trip. The Yugos are built solid from mostly milled parts. The 59/66 is a little front heavy with the Granade Launcher but that can be removed. Mine shoot GREAT as is. Not sure why people say "stay away". View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Yugos are fine. No chrome lined barrel. Not a problem with modern steel case non corrosive 7.62x39 buy based on condition and price, not country of origin. SKS are fun, I own 3, but "tiers" of this gun is fantasy mumbo jumbo. Price and condition. Period. Personally, I consdier the Yugos to be some of the BEST of the breed. I shot a case of surplus M67 ammo with no damage to the barrel. I just made sure I cleaned with warm water after every range trip. The Yugos are built solid from mostly milled parts. The 59/66 is a little front heavy with the Granade Launcher but that can be removed. Mine shoot GREAT as is. Not sure why people say "stay away". I mentioned to "stay away" because Big-5 sporting Goods in Las Vegas, was selling Yugo's for $199.00 and they had a lot of flaws. Front sight hoods were mounted crooked, rear sights were more to one side than the other, no matching numbers, and there were a couple of more things that I can't remember at the moment. That was then and now is now. I've seen people selling Yugo's for premium prices of late. I was going from personal experience from my students and friends. That's why I mentioned to stay away. After reading some comments in this thread it looks like there are good Yugo's out there. |
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you can still find occasional bargains out there. back in May I bought a nice 1954 Tula, all matching except for the force matched stock, with a sling and cleaning kit in the stock for $450.
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all my norincos have shot very very well
no experience with other countries. |
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Only owned, shot unbranded CHICOMs, Norc-branded, and Keng's PolyTech branded SKS's. All were fine. The pointability of these guns are excellent.
A gigigillion CHICOM SKSs came in the USA in the early 80's, and sold for like $50.00 and up, often with a bandolier or even entire crate of CHICOM steel-core ammo tossed in with the deal. I found two unfired CHICOMs, still swathed in CHICOM-chapstick, at a pawnshops about 4 years ago for under $200.00 each. They are out there and usually in much nicer physical condition than the Yugo or Romy SKS that I have seen. Beware the really old, beat CHICOM or Russian SKS, as the earliest cheap 7.62x39 was corrosive, and with SKS being dirt cheap back in the day, they were treated as the Dodge Omni of the gun world and so likely were not well taken care of.. |
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Quoted: Lots. Especially in great condition with matching numbers. $1,200.00 - $1,500.00? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: So, how much are we talking for a nice Russian SKS? Lots. Especially in great condition with matching numbers. $1,200.00 - $1,500.00? |
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Lmao, you need to have a talk with your FFL bro. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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So, how much are we talking for a nice Russian SKS? Lots. Especially in great condition with matching numbers. $1,200.00 - $1,500.00? LMAO. Me? I never paid more than $80.00 for an SKS or $65.00 for 1,300 rounds of Norinco steel core in tuna cans. You need to have a talk with the guy who will pay $1,500.00 for an SKS, Bro. |
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Bought a yugo from classic firearms; we actually boi
bought a crate of them at work. $420 shipped. Looked to be in mint condition, barely or if ever fired. |
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Was unaware the Yugo was no good, I just picked one up in a trade, it is heavy particularly at the front, I have not fired it yet but if it shoots anything like my norinco I'll be happy!
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Yugo's are good , though there are some issues with the gas cut off on the 59/66 model rusting and causing some issues. The paperclip trick does work if you have this going on.
I just never cared for the extra weight of the grenade launching model. |
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I got a Chinese example on a lucky buy from a co-worker for 200. Its really nice. I wanted it to fill a hole in my soviet era collection, I would have preferred a Russian but not at the prices they're going for
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Russian and Chinese SKS are both good choices, and bringing $350-$600 around here. View Quote Picked up a late model chinese factory 26 (24 million) at the last NDA. All matching and I dare say unissued. Had the bakelite hand guard, spike bayonet, and short skirt barrel. It was a fair price at 4 bills. I REALLY want a sino soviet SKS like my very first one that I had back in the day. Like an idiot, I sold it. |
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