What to do with a Russian SKS 7.62

[BornLoser]

I love my SKS. It belonged to my Grandad. I put a Druganov stock on it and it's a joy to shoot. I ended up losing the cleaning rod bayonette somewhere though.
What you need now, are Stripper Clips. Keep the 10 shot mag box on it unless you plan to get a conversion kit for it to take AK mags.. which you can do. One thing I learned, is that SKS mags are fairly hard to change out, and they screw up when you try to use a stripper clip on them. Whenever I tried pushing the bullets down in mine, it would unlock the bolt and it would throw the stripper clip off track and the bullets wouldn't go down. I don't seem to have this problem with the orginal mag box.

As my daddy once told me: "It's the worlds best 10 shot battle rifle"

 

[AZAviator]

Those aren't "my" prices - lots of folks buy guns in gunbroker

Im sorry, I thought you ment Great Britain :banghead:

 

[MachIVshooter]

$600 seems rather steep to me, but I remember when you could buy Yugo's for $79.95 at the local shop (only a few short years ago). I paid $350 for my laminate stock '53 Tula BBQ at a show in 2006.

 

[stubbicatt]

The 1949 and 1950 rifles have different barrel tenons on the receiver, and consequently bring more money as they are relatively rare. If it were otherwise in original nick, $600 is not too much over the top for one.

The run of the mill Tula 1954s will bring maybe $400, Izhevsk's a bit more.

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

since it's a rebuild the user value is worth more than the 'collector' value.
it's sort of like 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. you got a 'fair deal' but not 'great deal'. just IMO.
I've never owned a russki but they are reputed to be reliable, accurate and durable shooters.
if you or family/friend actually needs it then it's worth far more than what you paid for it. buy some ammo on strippers and practice loading.

 

[BRad704]

I was in a local gun shop last week, and a guy brought in a Russian with the grenade stuff on it... it all looked pretty clean and average... he said he would take $150 for it, and the store owner told him that local wholesale was $90!!!! If I would have had the $150, I would have a russian in my closet today, but I think I talked the guy into just selling it himself for more (plus the store wouldnt buy it)....

 

[9mm+]

Sorry, guys, but I had some business to attend to and haven't had a chance to look over the SKS until now. I *promise* to get photos posted of it this weekend.

I looked at the receiver again and it is black and *not* blued. It doesn't look like it was reconditioned/rebuilt, but if the original bolt should be stainless, then something may be askew. Also, I paid only $300 for it, not $600, so I think I got a good deal. I do plan to shoot it at a local range once I get some strip clips for it.

 

[stubbicatt]

9mm+ look for the "diver's flag" on the receiver or receiver top cover which indicates a rebuild. Sometimes they are on the stock. I can't draw for squat with the keyboard, but it is a square with a line from upper right corner to lower left corner.

[/] sorta like that... Indicates re-arsenal.

 

[9mm+]

Thanks, Stubbicatt...I will look for it when I get the SKS out of the cabinet tomorrow. I have a good idea what you're describing re: the "diver's flag". I remember seeing this before on other firearms. Cheers.

 

[Kernel]

should I have the stock and metal refinished by a professional

ROFLOL. That’s precious.

These POS were $100 a few years ago, and THAT was a rip-off price.

 

[chevyforlife21]

russian sks were 60 bucks 8 years ago.

 

[9mm+]

ROFLOL. That’s precious.

These POS were $100 a few years ago, and THAT was a rip-off price.

I don't understand your point. What may have been true a few years ago has no bearing on an object's market value today.

 

[.45Guy]

I don't know what magical land of bargains everyone else is living in, but Chi coms weren't going for $60 8 years ago, though the Yugos were. 15-16 years ago the Chi-coms were, but the Russkis where always a tad more.

 

[DAVIDSDIVAD]

I won't EVER buy a coke for $1.00!

You used to be able to buy those for $0.05!




Cool gun, OP.


A friend is letting me use his SKS (yugo) for a while, and it's made me want a russian. (rifle, that is. I already have a girlfriend from Balakovo )

 

[Sam1911]

I think you probably got a very decent deal -- and can pat yourself on the back, if you like, that you didn't pay anything close to the prices some of these were being offered at in the height of the bubble.

I bought my non-refurb Tula 1954 SKS in about 1992 for $212. I had lots of friends who were buying Norincos for about $89 at the time, but I really liked the look and quality of the Russian one and $212 wasn't going to kill me, so I bought a little "high."

In 2005 I saw practically the same rifle on my Mil-Surp dealer's rack for $450. I was happy with the deal when I bought it, happy with the deal in 2005, REALLY happy with the deal in the bubble of '08-'09, and am still quite pleased.

Anyone who thinks an SKS is a rip-off at $100 is a fool. They are quite a gun. "Worth" far more than their market price. A reliable, durable, and plenty accurate semi-automatic rifle in a decent mid-range caliber for a couple hundred bucks? What's not to love about that?

For $300 you did fine -- shoot it and enjoy it. Chances are, when you've had yours 15 years (and I've had mine 30), we'll both still be plenty happy with them!

-Sam