I look for SKS rifles that are seriously packed in Cosmoline........ usually these are the rifles that are unissued.......and all the numbers will match. These rifles, although might be sold as used, are essentially new weapons.
You won't be able to test the trigger............ the two rifles I bought......you couldn't even get the slide to close because of the cosmoline. The firing pin was frozen forward.
Took these rifles home, took them all apart, and spent about 5 hours cleaning off the cosmoline.
When I was finished the rifles looked like they were brand new !! The bolts were shiny and bright and not a mark on any of the bluing. The chamber face of the barrel was still virgin....so I knew these rifles were not fired!
I looked for the best looking frames and metal parts.......... one of the rifles I chose had a crack in the stock [ small one ] but the frame work was in superior condition. The white markings were bright and sharp on the grenade sights. It also had the "night sights" tritium tubes. The stock is going to be replaced anyway with a folding stock.....so the wooded stock meant little to me.
I took one rifle back to the store were I bought it........... and none of the employees could believe that rifle came from their stock. When Packed in cosmoline they look in bad shape, but boy do they clean up nice!
JF.