An SKS "Paratrooper?"

[woad_yurt]

I had a normal Norinco SKS and traded it for another Norinco SKS with a 16" barrel and no hint of any bayonet attachment points. It looks like it was built that way. Are these rare? What is it? The guy in the store called it a Paratrooper. It's a really handy little rifle. Thanks for any info.

 

[dstorm1911]

Actually very common, they were a commercial only deal (have no actual military connection beyond the SKS action) they were a marketing attempt to appeal to ranchers who prefered a shorter more handier carbine length SKS "Sporter" type rifle, many had a shorter bayo up till 1989 and a couple different scope side mounts were used (now finding a scope mount that actually fits the side plate is very rare) some came from China shortened others were shortened by an importer here in the states

 

[bannockburn]

woad yurt

I think Navy Arms carried a shortened version of the SKS for a while; they may also have referred to it as a paratrooper model in their catalog. I haven't seen one for some time but thought they might be decent enough with the shorter barrel.

 

[gcrookston]

they are handy little carbines, but of no real collector value.

 

[dm1333]

I own one

Without a doubt it has the worst trigger ever! I have been too lazy to order a spring kit from Wolfe but I really need to. Think of superglue all over the sear, with small bits of gravel embedded in it. Or the non skide flight deck of an aircraft carrier. Other than that the gun is handy, light, and looks great with Romanian 20 round mags and a Tapco stock.

 

[GILROY]

I have one of the "rancher" models. Nice reliable little truck or closet rifle. Loads quickly with a stripper, handy length, and very reliable. Loads of fun to shoot. Not much collector value. Not rare, but a little less common than the standard length variations. The do generally get about a hundred or so dollar premium over the longer barrels in this neck of the woods.

 

[chris in va]

Kinda like a Saiga. Imagine that!

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

The paratrooper models are desirable... at least to me they are.

 

[DMK]

I love my little Norinco. It actually has a really light and smooth trigger. Very light and handy.

Then there's my Norinco "Sporter". It's a Para that was factory made to use AK mags.

 

[stevereno1]

I had an sks of yout description many years ago. It was distributed by a company called "K-SPORTS" It had the short barrel and a decent trigger(for an sks). I put a 30 round detatchable mag on it and it was my shtf gun, until the stuff hit the differant kind of fan, and I had to sell it. I have not seen any other sks's like it since.

 

[woad_yurt]

So, I gather, from what's been said, that they're not as common as the regular jobs. I had a mint normal one, a safe queen, which he would sell for $295 (he had a few already) and traded him for a nice but not mint short one, which had a $225 price tag. When I saw the price on the short one, I wondered why it was cheaper, especially if they were uncommon. Now, I'm going to take my peep sight off of my shooter and install it on my Paratrooper.

 

[rgs1975]

I just sold mine a month or so ago to a local shop. They sold it in less than a week for $400.