[SeanMTX]

My neighbor's father passed and one of the items he got from the estate was a pristine Russian SKS with all the paperwork. (manuals etc.)

What's the ballpark market value for one of these?

[Father Knows Best]

$5. But since you're so nice, I'll give you $10 for it. :evil:

[JShirley]

Find what identifying marks are on the rifle. That will show which arsenal made the rifle, as well as if it's been refinished or otherwise altered at the factory.

John

[panther22]

Good Russian SKS's go for $250-300 around here. Was there a box for the gun too? With the paperwork, it should go for more.

[atblis]

Considering the number of them, and the lack of cheap ammo, $150-$200. If it is in nice condition, $200 would be reasonable. They are not uncommon.

Box isn't worth anything. Who cares if it comes with the box from CAI, or who ever the importer was? It is a milsurp. Now if it was issued with the box, than maybe.

[SeanMTX]

I forgot to mention that it does come with the box.

I don't have it in front of me, so I can't recall the markings. What I can say is that it is at least 40 years old. It's in pristine condition, and was made long before the Yugos et al became so prevelant.

[Chipperman]

Russians are not seen very often, as compared to Yugos or Chinese.

[s&w 24]

they are fetching low ball $300 up to $450 around here. I know it's nuts $500 bucks when you used to walk into bill's gunshop and buy them for $100 and get a bit of ammo too!!

[The Grand Inquisitor]

$450 for an SKS?!?!

I'll sell you some very rare Wolf ammo for $1 a round...remember it's very rare.


You could probably sell this SKS for $75 at a gunshop, or maybe $100 at a gunshow from a really impulsive person.


You're not going to retire off this gun. Although you will be able to afford the retirement brouchure from the rifles profit.

[clange]

My uncle sold his for like $425 on gunbroker. I believe it was a 54 tula, no evidence of rearsenal. I sold my 53 for $325 with an XXXX'd stock.

If they are in near perfect shape with little to no replaced parts they can bring $300+ easily. With a black bolt, bayo, XXX'd stock, rearsenal marks, the price would be a lot lower but still $200+.

[JShirley]

There is quite a bit of difference between what you can get for a really nice Russian, and a Norinco SKS. I've never heard of any Russians selling for the $75-ish I paid for some of my Chinese ones.

But, hell, I've only been paying attention for the last 16 years. I'm sure there might have been a time, somewhere...

John

[Father Knows Best]

You could probably sell this SKS for $75 at a gunshop, or maybe $100 at a gunshow from a really impulsive person.

I guess I must be insanely impulsive, then. If anyone offers me a nice Russian SKS for under $100, I'm gonna jump at it. Heck, if the price is less than $200, I'm jumping at it.

Not all SKS's are alike. Real Russian guns bring substantial premiums. That's true of lots of combloc arms -- the Russian guns tend to be more rare and bring higher prices than those made in the Soviet satellite states.

[Cosmoline]

Not all SKS's are alike. Real Russian guns bring substantial premiums.

Exactly, though most people don't know it. As far as what this particular rifle is, more information is required. It wouldn't have a factory box, for one thing.

[illini52]

You guys posting anything lower than $200 for a nice RUSSIAN SKS are nuts. I'll glady buy it from you and sell it with a nice profit. Check out gunbroker for what the Russians are going for these days. Different years bring different dollar amounts. Tulas and Izzys are worth different amounts.
The Yugos are the cheap ones, not Russians.

If it's not rearsenaled, then somewhere between $225-350 depending on what you have.

[atblis]

What their worth (which is really what you can sell it for)
What other people might pay
What I'll pay
are three different things.

I think a nice Russian SKS is worth about $200 bucks. They are not rare!
Chinese ~$125. Maybe $150 if it is an early Arsenal 26 with Russian parts.
Yugo, don't really care.

[The Grand Inquisitor]

The fact that there is no proof that is a Russian leads me to believe it may not be a Russian. But if it is, it is still not going to be bought by a
Maybe gun shop for more than $175.

If it is a real Russian or Sino-Soviet, then it will be worth more than $100 on the secondary market, but still not worth more than $300 or so.

[atblis]

is a lot of people say "go for around me" referring to what they saw on a price tag in a gun store. More often than not around me, you have to scrape the dust off the tag to be able to read the price. I would say that Russians actually sell for $200 bucks around me, personally I'll buy one for $150.

[Limeyfellow]

Wow, a Russian SKS around here normally goes for $350-400, Chinese for about $200 and a Yugo for $100-120. Russian ones are rare now and snapped up by SKS collectors.

[Cosmoline]

I suspect some folks don't know how to tell a Russian SKS from a Chicom or Yugo. In fact I *KNOW* they don't because I've made money off their ignorance several times in the past :neener:

[karlsgunbunker]

$300-500 depending on condition. Russians are becoming more valuable and are seen less often for sale. the only SKS's worth more than a russian are East German, Korean, Vietnamese (real) and Albanian.

All but the Albanian are ghosts often talked about but never seen.

Anything under $300 unless it's mismatched junk is giving it away.

Hell I wouldn't sell my chicom for less than $350. They are not easy to find any more either.

[atblis]

Every been to a pawn shop?

[monsternav]

atblis: Gun markets are extremely local. I've never seen anything other than a Yugo or the occasional Norinco for sale where I live. Just because you are lucky enough to be awash in $150 Albanians and Russians, doesn't mean everybody is.

You need to let me know what area you're in so I can go on a buying trip!

[benEzra]

The last RUSSIAN example I saw at a gun shop was listed for $300 or $350, IIRC, and it was a dog (wood looked LOUSY).

$150 is a realistic price for a Yugoslavian, but NOT for a Russian.

I am still kicking myself for not buying one in the mid-1990's. My wife picked up a beautiful 1952 Tula for $99 (nicest wood I've ever seen on an SKS), and she suggested getting two. I didn't take her up on the offer, and I've been kicking myself ever since.

[AK103K]

I recently bought a "as new" Russian SKS for $350.

[atblis]

that there is no supply shortage. $350 is outrageous for a Russian SKS. THey are not even remotely rare. They don't sell for that around me (people list them that high), or any of the nearest states. There are few store with some priced that bad, but I can remember them having those on their shelves for years.

$200 for a Russian (Maybe a little more for a Izhevsk)
$150 for a Chinese
Most dealers cant tell the Romanian/Albanian etc. from the above.

[Cosmoline]

They are actually considerably less common on the US market than Yugo or Chicom SKS's. They are older, and were made over a much smaller time frame over 60 years ago. What market are you in that they have crates full of Russian sks's?

Most dealers cant tell the Romanian/Albanian etc. from the above.

True, which is probably why you are seeing them for such a low price. Go over on gunbroker and see what they're selling for.

[AK103K]

$350 is outrageous for a Russian SKS.
Not around here. A decent Chinese gun goes for $225 and up. I havent see any of any make for under $200 for awhile now.


The Russian I picked up doesnt have a scratch on it and I dont think it was ever issued or fired.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid199/p6efaece1b9a16579ee77f852c978d414/f09b1e40.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid199/p8890024c405de65794a84b55dccf887e/f09b1e3c.jpg

Shoots like this :)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid215/pb840a42f1f70c90dae199b26f3576ffa/ece0a6d6.jpg