A buddy at work has an SKS he wants to sell. He gave it to me to take a look at.  I got it home and started inspecting it. When I took the gas tube off the piston would not fall out into my hand. I noticed the end of the tube is dinked a little out of round and that is what is holding the piston in. I might be able to drive the piston out and then tap the tube back round with a line up tool, but maybe not. If this part (tube, piston,handgaurd) has to be replaced, will any tube /psiton/ handguard assembly drop right on or is it a fit part?

 Second thing is there is no magazine. He has a 30 round after market mag that I don't want. I would like an original, regular 10 round mag. It seems like I can find all kind of mags on the net with the exception of just a standard, original mag. Where are all the standard mags?

 Lastly, it has some kind of side folder on it. Now I am wondering if that's legal?

 Bottom line he is offering me this gun for $200. I would like to get it because it is the 16" barrel gun and has a screwed in barrel so it seems basicly good. He has the wood stock to I just want to put it back in original configuation. I don't want to get if I spend so much on it I can't break even on it someday. What do you all say?

 
 UPDATE:

 I tapped the gas piston out and dropped a line up tool into the gas tube. It wasn't much out of round. I few licks and the piston was almost dropping in an out freely. A couple more and viola! it drops right out.
 I put it back in the original stock but still have only the 30 round mags. I told him about the gas tube problem, but not that I had fixed it.  He also included ammo that turned out to be mostly 7.62 x 45 Czech instead of 7.62 X 39.
 Now he is saying he will go $100 for the gun, both stocks, sling, and the bogus ammo and mags. I'm thinking if the gun works and I can sell the folder and mags for enough to buy an original mag I'll be OK. What do you think?

Buy a yugo from aim for 139.00 in exellant cond.

Quoted: Buy a yugo from aim for 139.00 in exellant cond.

+1

For $200, pass on it.

Too many SKS out there without any issues for a lot less.

 Do those Yugos have chrome lined bores? I ruled them out because of the grenade launcher increasing the length but serving no purpose. Maybe I should  reconsider.

Find yourself a nice Yugo M59.  I have both the 59/66 and the 59 and I like the 59 better because no grenade launcher.

Yes the M59s are nice. Bought 1 from interordenance for 124.00 Kind of funky looking. Blueing was about 60% . Wood was rough. Bore was really good. Cleaned and sanded stock. stained it with light walnut and finished with tungoil. I'm going to try to reblue with 44cold blueing I saw on Brownells.Can't wait to shoot it when done. Empire Arms looks like they have some nice 59s for 195.00 listed to be in excellant condition. Hope this helps.

Try here...Linky.

Yugo's do not have chrome-lined bores due to Yugoslavia having little of it (chromium) domestically.

Look here for cleaning and finishing your SKS...Linky.

I agree with dalesimpson - IMHO the grenade launcher is useless and worthless.  Get the M59.

$100 bucks for a working gun.....Im fairly certain I would buy it.  You didnt say what nationality it is......

Russian - hell yeah, all over that like white on rice
Chicom - I would buy it if in reasonable shape

The 10 round magazine should be easy enough to come buy if you wait around

For $100 you need to jump all over that SKS, no matter what the origin.  I will gladly pay $100 for most any functioning firearm.  Any time I have been offered a firearm for $100 (more than once), I just give the guy $100 and take my "new" gun home.

Quoted: For $100 you need to jump all over that SKS, no matter what the origin.  I will gladly pay $100 for most any functioning firearm.  Any time I have been offered a firearm for $100 (more than once), I just give the guy $100 and take my "new" gun home.

+1
For $100 jump on it now.  
The standard 10rnd fixed mag isn't that hard to find, I've had to replace two on the 2nd hand SKS's I've bought.   A quick search of eBay finds 9 original 10rnd fixed mags, with 2 of the Chinese "star" fixed 20rnd mags (which have an iffy rep, some work, some don't) & a 5rnd factory sporter mag.

#1
#2
#3
#4
#5 Yugo
#6 Wood stock, sling & mag
#7
#8
#9 another Yugo
#10 ChiCom Star 20rnd fixed
#11 another ChiCom 20rnd
#12 Chinese factory 5 rnd hunting mag, a bit $$$$ though


& BTW.........WTF is the problem with Bubba/Leroy always losing the stock 10rnd mag when they turn a perfectly good SKS into a trailer park/ghetto wannabe AK??????  They always misplace the dust cover when adding a POS rattle-trap scope mount also.

Don't sell the aftermarket stock & mags....you'll just perpetuate the butchery of another SKS.  Maybe the next Bubba will fuxxor up an all  # matching non refurb early Russian or a VN bringback.  I'd destroy the stock & mag so they can no longer inflict their evil lameness on another innocent SKS.

Quoted: Yugo's do not have chrome-lined bores due to Yugoslavia having little of it (chromium) domestically.

interesting...what factual locations did you find that state this?  i know it's a huge e-rumor, but every page i visit like this one and this one seem to bust that myth completely.

Yugoslavia also was rich in several nonferrous metals. Bosnia-Hercegovina produced 56 percent of the country's bauxite, while Kosovo's Trepca Combine, the largest lead-and-zinc center in the country, enabled that province to produce 47 percent of Yugoslavia's lead and zinc ores. Kosovo also supplied a substantial part of Yugoslav chrome. The Bor and Majdanpek areas of Serbia were the only copper sources in the country, and Serbia also provided most of Yugoslavia's antimony. Macedonia contributed chrome, manganese, and uranium, and the most productive mercury mines in Europe were located at Idrija in the Julian Alps of Slovenia.

a lot of people are under the impression that they don't have chrome deposits in the former Yugoslavia.  They do.  a lot of it.  they just chose not to chrome-line their firearms.  why?  who knows.  but the answer definitely is NOT that they didn't have it.

You didnt say what make it is,but for 100 bucks that needs a little debubbafication,I would do it.If say it was chinese,the original stock and 10 rnd mag can be found,and you can more than pay for them by passing the folder and hicap mag to the next bubba.