popeye
Member
I bought a Chinese SKS "paratrooper" the other day. I paid $400 for it. Don't laugh, the days of the $80 imports are gone. I might invest in a Murray's firing pin assm.. Anybody else have any interest in these.
Chinese SKS
- Thread starter popeye
- Start date
- Status
P5 Guy
Member
I have a USSR refurb from the mid 1950s fun plinker with a bit of a punch.
cheygriz
member
I have a Norinco SKS (not a para) great little fun rifle
ColoradoMinuteMan
Member
- Joined
- May 8, 2015
- Messages
- 702
They are good little rifles. I grew up with surplus rifles and though I’ve moved on to mostly modern firearms for practicality, I still have a handful of SKSs left. There is no need for a Murray’s firing pin as long as your firing pin remains free floating. If you can’t shake the bolt back and forth and feel the foreign pin positively hitting metal in both directions, then your bolt needs to be disassembled and cleaned with mineral spirits until you can hear it. I always recommend dissambling it and cleaning it if the firearm is new to you. I’ve received SKS that people have owned for 20 years and pulled apart the bolt only to find that there is still cosmoline inside. That means nobody took the bolt apart since it came out of deep storage where they encase the entire firearm in cosmoline.
Treated with even a tiny bit of respect these are tough and reliable.
Treated with even a tiny bit of respect these are tough and reliable.
The only one I have left is a previously-owned Chinese government SKS, as in actual military grade that was part of the first wave of imports.
Mine was acquired in 1988, has markings indicating original ownership by a governmental agency roughly similar to our FBI, never issued. Had about 30 pounds of cosmoline in it, took all day and lots of brake cleaner to get that out.
Subsequent imports made strictly for the US commercial market were not the same quality.
I had two of those & sold 'em.
This one I kept & like.
Denis
Mine was acquired in 1988, has markings indicating original ownership by a governmental agency roughly similar to our FBI, never issued. Had about 30 pounds of cosmoline in it, took all day and lots of brake cleaner to get that out.
Subsequent imports made strictly for the US commercial market were not the same quality.
I had two of those & sold 'em.
This one I kept & like.
Denis
test drive
Member
Yes in my opinion the “ paratrooper “ is the best shooter even though they are commercial market. There are basically 3 types, cut down and purpose made. Cut downs are from completed rifles that have the front sight / bayo lug removed then cut down and replace lug. Purpose made the the barrel is 16 or so inch at time rifle is assembled and gun is marked SKS-S Also the gas tube and piston is 1 inch shorter This started in 1992 as a test run for the SKS-M which used AK mags. Look at your front sight lug if it is touching the gas tube it is a cut down if there’s about a1 inch gap it’s a SKS-S and will be marked that way on the receiver. Either way they are great rifles !!!
somethingbenign
Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2017
- Messages
- 944
The prices on these things are going crazy. A friend sent me some pictures from a gun show he was at. A few around $400 but most where over $600 and one for $1K. I guess some guys would rather show off their guns than sell them.
Have two SKS's and love them. My wife found a "cut-down" job at a pawn shop and thought it was cool and I would like it. As usual, she was right and it's been a reliable woods and truck rifle for the last 6 years. Accurate enough to hit steel plates out to at least 100 yards.
The other one I got from my dad, he sold it to me for what he paid, $40. Still had cosmoline in the bolt, small crevices on the interior and exterior, and the included tool/cleaning kit was 100% packed in Cosmoline. This is one of the guns I will never get rid of simply because of what it means to me. It lives in the safe for now, but know if I ever needed it, it would be ready to do whatever I asked of it.
There is no shame in paying $400 for an SKS nowadays. That's just what they go for. There aren't any sub-$100 Mosins out there either, I'd expect for part with at least $180 for a clean bore version.
The other one I got from my dad, he sold it to me for what he paid, $40. Still had cosmoline in the bolt, small crevices on the interior and exterior, and the included tool/cleaning kit was 100% packed in Cosmoline. This is one of the guns I will never get rid of simply because of what it means to me. It lives in the safe for now, but know if I ever needed it, it would be ready to do whatever I asked of it.
There is no shame in paying $400 for an SKS nowadays. That's just what they go for. There aren't any sub-$100 Mosins out there either, I'd expect for part with at least $180 for a clean bore version.
test drive
Member
Double post
chicharrones
needs more ammo
MedWheeler
Member
I missed one at just over $300 at my favorite pawn shop a couple of years back. I should have bought it, as I would always have been able to turn it back into money if I'd needed to do so, anyway. That's how I feel about the milsurps these days (though the "Paratrooper" and its counterpart, the "Cowboy's Companion" were never true "issue" guns.)
They hold their values well. I did end up with a beater Chinese (pre-Norinco) SKS from that same shop last year or so, for $275, I think, OTD. Haven't cleaned or shot it yet.
I'd pay $400 now for a good Paratrooper if I saw one, again, with the idea I'd get my money back if I needed it later down the line, so, no, I won't laugh at the OP.
They hold their values well. I did end up with a beater Chinese (pre-Norinco) SKS from that same shop last year or so, for $275, I think, OTD. Haven't cleaned or shot it yet.
I'd pay $400 now for a good Paratrooper if I saw one, again, with the idea I'd get my money back if I needed it later down the line, so, no, I won't laugh at the OP.
Last edited:
cheygriz
member
Norinco factory 20 ad 30 round FIXED magazines are available for the Norinco SKS. Takes 30 seconds to swap.
Mosin Bubba
Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2012
- Messages
- 1,936
I'd give $400 for a paratrooper SKS in a heartbeat. $400 is about the going rate for a normal Chinese SKS here, and I don't think I've ever seen a paratrooper one.
I've had my share of SKS's. I used to shoot them a lot when I was a kid and ammo was 2.99 for 30 rounds in stripper clips... Now I keep one or two just to have them in my collection but I don't really shoot them much anymore... If I'm just out plinking with a semi-auto I'd rather it be an AR, otherwise I prefer a lever or a bolt action these days... Kind of the same situation with my AK's, I don't want to be without one but I don't care about shooting them much anymore...
Cheapest SKS I ever bought was about $129... I've had both the military surplus SKS's and those supposedly made for US sale and while there are several differences between the two, the most noticeable being the pinned barrel, I've never been able to tell the difference from a performance standpoint.
As far as the Murray firing pin is concerned I think I'd probably pass on that if it were me. I've read of problems with the Murry pin and it's spring, some that involve the firing pin actually being jammed forward by a bent spring... I've seen bent springs that jammed the firing pins forward on other types of rifles. As for myself, I'm just extra careful about where, when, and as always, the direction the muzzle is pointed when chambering a live round, especially in a rifle with a floating pin... I'd also recommend keeping it clean if you want to avoid slamfires.. Good Luck with your new rifle...
Cheapest SKS I ever bought was about $129... I've had both the military surplus SKS's and those supposedly made for US sale and while there are several differences between the two, the most noticeable being the pinned barrel, I've never been able to tell the difference from a performance standpoint.
As far as the Murray firing pin is concerned I think I'd probably pass on that if it were me. I've read of problems with the Murry pin and it's spring, some that involve the firing pin actually being jammed forward by a bent spring... I've seen bent springs that jammed the firing pins forward on other types of rifles. As for myself, I'm just extra careful about where, when, and as always, the direction the muzzle is pointed when chambering a live round, especially in a rifle with a floating pin... I'd also recommend keeping it clean if you want to avoid slamfires.. Good Luck with your new rifle...
Last edited:
I traded my AR for an SKS a while back. I like it so far, tho I've only put a few hundred rounds thru mine.
I spent a bunch of time modifying it, it's now a pretty handy hunting rifle, tho I'm considering shortening the barrel. I need to reinstall the 5rnd fixed mag after I take it to the range to mess with another scope I've got for it.
I spent a bunch of time modifying it, it's now a pretty handy hunting rifle, tho I'm considering shortening the barrel. I need to reinstall the 5rnd fixed mag after I take it to the range to mess with another scope I've got for it.
Last edited:
saiga308
Member
i shoot the crap out of my yugo folder i bought for 180$ back in 2001 i dont want a safe queen, life is to short for me now to enjoy it
brasscollector
Member
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2016
- Messages
- 373
I picked up a norinco sporter from a friend a while back. This one has a tumbhole stock and takes AK mags. Now that I have it sighted in I can generally keep all my hits on an 8" shoot n see @ 100 yds using the irons. Overall its a nice gun that will have its place in my collection.
NIGHTLORD40K
Member
Wow, looks like a G43! Who makes that stock?
NIGHTLORD40K
Member
I've got a "Cowboy Companion." Century fitted them with non-chrome lined Green Mtn barrels and removed the bayonet and lug. Still uses the standard gas system. Cheaper, maybe, but runs just fine.
Also have one of the first-run pre-Norinco (Factory 26) military models with the screwed barrel and plastic upper handguard. Was unfired when I got it.
SKS's rule!
Even the cheap ones have more than $400 of quality built into them as far as I'm concerned.
Last edited:
It's modified Choate, the riser is From an ATI AR stock.
ontarget
Member
Yes, you must make sure that your firing pin is free to move back and forth without any hang ups. I have a 7.62 hole in my kitchen ceiling from when my son chambered a round in his new to him SKS. Firing pin was stuck forward. Thank God we always keep muzzles pointed in a safe direction. Before I get flamed for loading indoors, our firing point is right outside the slider and on cold days we load at the dining room table.
greyling22
Member
I like them. norinco sks is one of the few guns I've ever sold that I miss. I'd buy one back in a heartbeat for 150 or less. But an AR is just a better gun. even the $350 ones you can build now are way better. But I still love a beater sks. I actually know a guy with a norinco paratrooper. He's getting old. I may have one again yet.......
- Status
