As-Issued SKS Value

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entropy said:
The marks on the stock are the Tula star year 1963, and the serial number. The stock having a newer date than the dust cover points at a parts bin rifle, and the serial number in the stock makes me think something is askew.
It should also have the importer's info stamped some where on it. Some were done in unobtrusive places, like the bottom of the barrel near the muzzle.
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The stock and the dust cover have the same date and serial number. What may be confusing you is that it is a 1953 manufacture date and the serial number is 1952. Why would the serial number in the stock point to something being askew? That seems to be a universal marking on all Russian SKS rifles.
 
You guys don't even want to know about the pristine un-refurbed Ruska I got back in the day for $300.00. But, I think it's a gun worth keeping, I would not consider selling it for whatever crazy price they are going for. I think the "cool factor" outweighs the $$$ factor. And it's a just a good reliable rifle for any purpose.

The different dates on the stock may keep it out of the worth-it's-weight-in-gold category, but I'd just keep it for a while at least. What's the hurry? Any Ruska SKS is worth having, and since you got a good deal on it, keep it. No, I don't shoot or really use my Rooskie, but it's a keeper.
 
When I bought my 1954 Tula, I also splurged on an ammo can full of Lapua. Paid about $.20 per round. Now the ammo is north of $1.50 per round. Can't afford to shoot it.
 
JackofallTrades said:
The stock and the dust cover have the same date and serial number. What may be confusing you is that it is a 1953 manufacture date and the serial number is 1952. Why would the serial number in the stock point to something being askew? That seems to be a universal marking on all Russian SKS rifles.
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1963 MFG, serial is KT 1952. And yeah, my Romy has the serial on the stock too. The Romys were made on Russian tooling and followed the Russians with serial number style: Two letters followed by four numbers.

I cant make out any other numbers besides receiver and stock on my tiny phone screen lol

I thoroughly enjoy shooting my SKS. Its minute-of-1lb tannerite jar at 60 yards :neener:
 
JackofallTrades said:
The stock and the dust cover have the same date and serial number. What may be confusing you is that it is a 1953 manufacture date and the serial number is 1952. Why would the serial number in the stock point to something being askew? That seems to be a universal marking on all Russian SKS rifles.
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The date on the stock appears to be 1963, with the Cyrillic character for "g" , meaning the word "goud" , Russian for "year" after it. If you could take a better picture, perhaps it would should definitively one way or the other. I sure looks to me from your photo that the third character in the year on the wood is a 6, not a five. I did not see a photo of the dust cover in the ones you posted at all. You also make no mention of an importer's mark, and the rifle is in too god of shape to believe it is a Korean or Vietnam war bring back, either of which should have the pertinent paperwork with them.
 
MosinT53Hunter said:
My T56 Chinese SKS. Lots of history, lots of trench art.
View attachment 1108519
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I had a friend that got one of those military issue T56's when they first hit the market, and I thought it was a really nice rifle. I really liked it, and it was the first SKS I ever handled. Then he totally ruined it with after-market stuff, weird ill-feeling and handling plastic stock, etc. It really broke my heart next time I saw it, after he "fixed it up" or "improved it", or whatever he was thinking. I mean, he really turned it into a joke.

I shot my Ruska quite a bit when I first got it, and still have plenty of cheap ammo I got "back in the day", but now she's just on stand-by, have not shot it in many years. Gets taken out, cleaned and re-oiled once in a while. I have other rifles I would grab first if men from Mars attacked, but I wouldn't feel at any real disadvantage if I had to grab my Ruska/Rooskie SKS.
 
It's a CAI rifle. Importers mark on the right side of barrel. It does look like a 6 in the pic but I assure you it's a 5, especially considering production ended in 56.
 
Jimfern said:
SKS is a very solid rifle.
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Not really, its mediocre at best. It was a simple gun stamped out by the millions. I bought em buy the truckload back when they were under 70 bucks.
Dont own a single one now-a-days nor would I ever again.

Yes I realize, Banned gets a certain uptick in $. Just as "Pre-Ban" gets an uptick in certain states for various firearms.
 
JackofallTrades said:
It's a CAI rifle. Importers mark on the right side of barrel. It does look like a 6 in the pic but I assure you it's a 5, especially considering production ended in 56.
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Production of military Russian SKS rifles ended in 1958. There is some debate if Molot is making recent civilian production models or if those refurbished ones.

The numbers on your stock are odd.
 
brunowbe said:
Production of military Russian SKS rifles ended in 1958. There is some debate if Molot is making recent civilian production models or if those refurbished ones.

The numbers on your stock are odd.
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I recall the discussion on the Molot guns and (no longer working) Russian website described them as refurbished with new barrel, stock, and in-house designed scope rail system. Pretty sure none or very few made it here to the US.
 
denton: You mentioned the high cost of Lapua ammo in an SKS, that you can't afford to shoot it.

Instead of Lapua at $1.50/rd, (before add. costs). can you not afford to shoot imported ammo at 35-36 cents / round before the standard added costs?

The Vympel etc has not been imported for a while due to various sanctions etc (you're already aware of that). All of the money we spend on it nowadays goes to US distributors/retailers.

7.62x39mm Ammo | Best 7.62x39mm Ammunition - AmmoSeek.com 2022
 
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If my LGS had a nice Russian Sks hanging up for $1k it be sitting in the back with on my layaway shelf. There's one locally on floridaguntrader.com that's been up for sale for over a month for $850, figure there's gotta be something wrong with it
 
brunowbe said:
Just how both are years, yet one is part of the serial number, that’s all I meant. It does look like 1963 as another poster stated previously.
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The KT1952 is the serial number and is present on all serialized parts on the gun. The serial number and manufacture date being so close did confuse me for a second when I first looked at it as well. It's a shame because it's one off from being serial number 1953 in year 1953 which would be pretty neat. I looked at the year of manufacture stamp on the stock when I got home and it is definitely a 1953 which matches the year of manufacture stamp on the top of receiver. It looks like 1963 in the pic due to a combination of a very closed curl on the bottom of the five, glare from the light, and a dark spot in the wood.

I think at this point I'm feeling comfortable marketing it as "as issued"
 
tarosean said:
Not really, its mediocre at best. It was a simple gun stamped out by the millions. I bought em buy the truckload back when they were under 70 bucks.
Dont own a single one now-a-days nor would I ever again.

Yes I realize, Banned gets a certain uptick in $. Just as "Pre-Ban" gets an uptick in certain states for various firearms.
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It's not a "tack driver" but it works. I think of it as AK-47 1.0.
 
Well yeah, it will work. Again, if I couldn't grab my M1, I'd not feel helpless with it. However, some guys really hate them, and that's okay.
 
I bought one 30 years ago for my kids to hunt with but I shot it alot more than they did including some deer. I sold it to buy an Ak-47 and after that several more. The only with not terrible accuracy was a Saiga. Fun truck gun but not real useful. I might still have some oil bottles and stuff.
 
Perhaps compared to a post-war standard but for the time it was designed (WWII) it’s a decent firearm. It’s one of the most reliable surplus semi-automatic rifles. If it had been more quickly adapted to a box magazine and it had a real safety it would easily be a contender to best semi-automatic military rifle ever made.

tarosean said:
Not really, its mediocre at best. It was a simple gun stamped out by the millions. I bought em buy the truckload back when they were under 70 bucks.
Dont own a single one now-a-days nor would I ever again.

Yes I realize, Banned gets a certain uptick in $. Just as "Pre-Ban" gets an uptick in certain states for various firearms.
Click to expand...
 
And of course "mediocre" does not mean "not serviceable". It's a reliable rifle, combat accuracy. It would be "useful" in many situations. It is "decent". Can it compete in a shooting contest against static targets, in a timed event that relies on mag changes...no. Could it put the hurt on a bad guy? yeah. However, yeah perhaps mediocre...but that's not a terrible thing.

What I like about it is, and what I see as it's strong point, is that with a 200 round "bra", and throw another in the bottom of the pack, you can carry 400 rounds much more easily than 400 rounds in magazines. (and still carry other gear to stay out in the field for extended periods of tiem) But that's just me. I like the M1, but 400 rounds of .30US would be quite a load. So it is a good rifle in my mind, if one wants to carry a high round count.
 
I am going to have a great estate sale. I have a couple of Russian SKS's and three or four Chinese SKS's. I could not stop myself from buying extra Chinese SKS's when they hit $65.00 each.

Russian SKS's took ordering from the importer, they were harder to find. Don't remember any at the gun shows, but could have been. Mine were rebuilt, one has pitting in the barrel. Hard to say it is "better" than a Chinese SKS, the finish is better, the trigger is just as awful. None are target rifles, they all go bang, and that apparently was enough.

These things may have appreciated better than gold.
 
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