Classic firearms ChiCom SKSs with cracked stocks

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How tempting a price ? And what condition is the rest of it in? Stocks are available in both wood and synthetic and my decision would be based on my total cost for the SKS plus putting a nice stock on it...... Or could I get a better deal on a similar condition SKS on the open market?
 
$250 (with a cracked stock) for an SKS is not bad. I don't think I've seen an SKS for less than $400 or so in a long time...

I just wondered if anybody had one.
 
If you want an SKS as a shooter, then go ahead but be prepared to thoroughly clean and evaluate it before shooting. Cracked stocks are not usually difficult to fix but do take some attention. Synthetic stocks and old NOS replacement stocks are available.

As someone said, it has been awhile to see them at this price.
 
From the pics and vid they look pretty rough. So you sink 250 plus shipping in it and then average 100 bucks for a replacement stock your at/over 350. Might as well spend a little more for a good one.
 
If they work, it's pretty tough to find any other semi-auto battle rifle for that price.

It's not the '80's, don't expect to find '80's prices anymore.

Reading the revues on Classic's site, they talk of milled trigger guards, matching #'s. I'll assume these are all screwed in barrels, not pinned. Sounds good to me.

If I didn't already have one.....

But wouldn't look forward to the cosmoline cleaning. lol
 
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$250?.....
Not the easiest of decisions considering you can't inspect them first and given:

"Note 1 - We are selling all of these As Is at a deep deal discount price which reflects the stock condition with no returns accepted or allowed."

I'd be concerned that a cracked stock might end up being the least of a new owner's worries.

Todd.

 
With Classic selling those for $250, it indicates they are probably worth $200 when you see them up close.
Imagine trying to later get most of your cash back via Armslist TN. It will probably have about $150 in trade value. People who are indifferent to, or ignorant of these rifles' history want much better-looking guns.

I would much rather pay about $400 for a cut/scraped but solid stock, true "blade bayonet Chinese Type 56 SKS" which makes rare appearances nearby at the Germantown TN gun show.
 
If it was me, I would buy it purely as a project gun, or with the intention of buying a new stock and using the one old as firewood (with all that oil in it, I bet it'd burn good).

$250 + shipping/tax + FFL + your time or your money on a new stock... that gun is going to go from deal to not-a-deal very quickly.

I do admire how up-front Classic Firearms is about their description though - there are some places would go "battlefield pickup" or "as is" and leave it at that, but they make no bones about what you are and aren't getting.
 
I had a theory back in the 80s that the dealers put the cracked stocks on the scruffiest metal, knowing that they would have to blow those out at a lower price anyway. That may have been more trouble (labor cost) than it was worth, but I stayed away from the cracked stock specials and lowest-price dealers. I tried to purchase after the first wave had been reviewed but before they hit the bottom of the barrel, and was generally happy with the results.

$250 is an attractive price for a milled/screwed early military SKS if all that is needed is stock work, but waiting for early reviews would probably be the smartest route. I have not dealt with Classic, but have read many expressions of disappointment in rating/descriptions. That is not unusual for this type of merchandise, but AIM and the few others I dealt with never let me down.
 
Right before Christmas I was at a local gun shop that was selling SKS rifles for $800. I choked when I saw them and had to ask the salesman if I was actually seeing what I thought I saw. I laughed it off thinking I over payed a $100 and added a cheap synthetic stock for another $100. I didn't pay attention after that.

Now if you had one of those $800 SKS rifles that they were selling I'm sure they would offer something in the $300-450 range at best for best of the best numbers matching. Maybe even with a Russian letter gun.

If it is something you want I say get it and be happy. Im sure eventually if you hold on to it the value will eventually get there. If your like me the resale value doesn't mean anything because I don't sell guns.
 
I like SKS rifles .. I have two .... Norinco’s
One as new .. the other a paratrooper... Being a fan of the 7.62x39 , the SKS is the perfect platform

I have no need for a AR of AK variants

at $250. These rifles would be great project pieces
 
If there were a better description/gurantee of the condition of the barrel, reciever, etc. I'd probably think about it and buy my own stock. But, theres really no gurantee you won't get a heavily pitted rifle. That being the case, I'd pay more for something of both better and better known condition. If it was $150, I'd take the gamble.
 
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Reasonably priced if no rust pitting in particular under the wood line. I still have a few sets of new Chinese SKS stock sets that I bought over 10-12 years ago for $10 each, maybe I should get another SKS! SKS can have wide quality difference, Factory 26 should be good.
 
As I said, the condition looks rough besides a bad stock. Then this:
Note 1 - We are selling all of these As Is at a deep deal discount price which reflects the stock condition with no returns accepted or allowed.
Their color, not mine. Your money, not mine. I'm biased as I got 2 Norinco un issued paratroops 79.00 each, Russian Tula 79.00 and Yugo 59/66 unissued 129.00 first time around. The Yugos when first advertised were magically over 1K then dropped. So my point is. I bought new cheap. Now they offer junk not so cheap. Put some more money in and get a good one. JMHO but you asked.
 
Couldn't you just put some kind of gorilla glue in the cracks then put it in a vise until it dries?

Chinese Norincos are very well made, it would cost a lot today to make one to those standards.
 
A complicating factor with glue-ups is oil and cosmoline which interfere with bonding, especially if there is any rotting or other degradation going on. Deferred maintenance means what would have worked with fresh, sound wood may not work now that contaminants have had time to arrive via osmosis during extended storage. Some also have lost part of the stock where it is thinnest.
 
I did a quick search on eBay and found several buy it now options under $100 with free shipping. I'm sure there are plenty of after market options as well.

I bought a cheapo Monte Carlo stock for mine just so the wood stock wouldn't get dinged up. When I bought it back in 2000 I didn't know much about these guns. Turned out I ended up with a numbers matching letter gun minus the stock.
 
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