SKS value

[jim in Anchorage]

Here's what I have and what I think I know. Chinese triangle 26 marking, SN [1956 + first 2] places it at 1963 production. all matching # but for the stock that has no #. Spike bayonet [incorrect for 1963 ]
Heres what I was told. Chinese rebuild. Spike bayonet because the knife was missing/damaged. No SN on stock because the stock was replaced to accommodate the spike. Condition as new.
A interesting thing that I have never seen on any SKS is a factory dovetail type scope mount on the left receiver flat.

I have a firm offer at $400. Sound right?

 

[Reloadron]

Your call Jim, but $400 seems reasonable to me. Around here in shope they run between $400 to as high as $500 for a basic SKS with the Chinese being on the lower end.

Ron

 

[ID-shooting]

Not sure I would pay $400 for a Norinco SKS but one is not high on my want list. If you are comfortable with that amount, go fot it. If not, you can always counter. Come back at $500 and see what the guy says. The haggle is half the fun.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Don't believe it's a Norinco, no such marking can be found on the gun. And yes the barter is the fun This deal has been going on for 3 weeks

 

[JERRY]

wow, i have a yugo sks that i bought right out of the crate... wonder what they go for now...

 

[The_Armed_Therapist]

I recently sold an SKS that sounds identical to the one you're selling. I had 250 rounds to go with it. I listed it for $400. After a week or two of getting offers from $275 to $350, someone gave me $400. At the time, $400 was about the lowest you could find one, much less with 250 rounds. However, I don't think most people were happy about the price having risen as much as they did. Not surprisingly, the person who bought my SKS was a younger guy looking for the least expensive SKS he could find. He said he found a few around $400, but no others with ammo. Also, I had to drive an hour to make the deal, and I'm not sure if prices have come down a little bit since the panic.

Just a case study for you.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

As an example. These are Chicom military SKSs for $319(add $20 for select).http://www.classicfirearms.com/c-r-eligible/chicomsks

 

[TIMC]

I recently bought a norinco SKS off gunbroker for $350 which is a decent price.

 

[ObsceneJesster]

Back in February I picked up a unfired Norinco in perfect condition for $400. The fired ones were going for $350.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[frankenstein406]

The ones that take ak mags were going for $500 before this so $400 seems good unless its a rare model.

 

[easy]

Pics would be a great help in IDing just what you've got. Also try Survivors SKS boards. Lots of good folks and information.

http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php

 

[Ignition Override]

"Sksboards.com". Sorry-did not see the previous suggestion.

Anyway, the ammo has been back to .25/rd. for almost two weeks or so.
When the Next panic hits-"Nobody told us that prices could jump!"-the SKS might continue to be the "sleeper gun".

Prices on GB during the recent panic were fairly normal. Asking/seller "bid prices" for most Norincos, and even for some Russians, were not bad at all, considering the mindless prices for ARs and AK clones (or Vz-58s).
Remember-back in March '08, months before that election panic began, most typical Norinco SKS rifles were priced by GB sellers at about $300.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

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[ColtPythonElite]

I sold a nice one not long ago for $275.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

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[Doug S]

Jim,

That is what is referred to as a "Cowboy Companion" SKS. From what I understand they were sometimes surplus, or modern production (regular size SKS), that were cut down in the states for the civilian market. Yours is a Triangle 26 so it was originally military production. It's the scope mount that makes it a CC. Sometimes the bayo is removed on the CC versions. Without the scope mount, they are called "Paratrooper" models (even though they were cut down for the civilian market). The cutdown versions command a little higher premium, because they are more handy in size. Don't know what they are going for these days, but based on what they cost 8 or so years ago, I don't think I'd come down to anything less than the $400 asking price.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Thanks for all the replies. Now I don't know if I still want to sell it:banghead:

 

[Ignition Override]

jim i. A.: For a $50 or so TS 200 Tech Sight, the sight distance will improve a good bit, and the new aperture is much better, in my opinion. Only takes a little muscle to remove the old leaf sight. It is like an AK with better ergonomics and chrome-lined bore + bolt hold open feature (BHO).
And... the shorter magazine doesn't provoke the negative reactions noticed with the appearance of a classic AK-even among US gun owners.

I've had my common length SKS since March '08. The only regret is not buying the Tech or the rifle much sooner.
Just think, .25 per round and the price might even fall lower.....
What will You guys pay for centerfire ammo during the next panic-if unprepared? It could last much longer.

 

[Reloadron]

Nice clean little SKS there Jim. This is a pretty good link covering many of the SKS flavors.

The #26 in the triangle .....

JIANSHE ARSENAL. Aka factory 26.
China did not have a long history of firearms manufacturing. The oldest factory was Jianshe and it was built in 1889 during the Imperial Dynasty in the city of Chongqing.

Prior to the arrival of the SKS in 1956, Jianshe was producing bolt action rifles.

By the 60s, Jianshe became the largest SKS producer. China decided to further expand production by adding more factories. The majority of these factories were small and they were scattered throughout the country to aid the local economies. I'm not quite sure how many factories were actually built but probably far less than the 150 known factory codes. Most of these factories used more than one code.

eg: factory 26=126=136=296, factory 36=386, factory 96=9616.

The late 70s to early 80s was a period of uncertainty for Jianshe. The Vietnam war ended several years earlier, Chairman Mao had passed away, New leadership was more focussed on economic reform than with building bigger armies.

The writing was on the wall for this nearly 100 year old factory. Its fate was decided when the Army dropped the SKS and the AK from its front line. It was replaced by the newly designed Type 81 rifle. However, other branches of the military: the militia, border guards, honour guards and security police continued to use them as second line weapons.

Today, the SKS is mainly used by the honour guards, troops on parade and for training by militias and cadets.

The arsenal history has some humor to it. Check out the link. Note the picture where Chairman Mao takes a closer look at Jianshe in 1964. Then note the latter picture "The present, girl sitting on ATV built in Jianshe".

To sell or not to sell as I mentioned earlier is your call. Years ago we were buying those things for $59 to $69 and selling the rifle, two boxes of ammunition on stripper clips and a manual for $99. Of the hundreds we sold I have one single Chinese I kept. I haven't shot it in at least a decade and likely have 2,000 rounds of ammunition for the thing. I have just never had a reason to part with it so here it sits.

Ron

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Some details here. I am more swapping then selling. Buyer is a renter moving out of a apartment I own. Great renter for 2 years now just out of the army. Well I need to give him his $800 Security deposit back and he always wanted the SKS so I asked him how much he would pay[in other words how much less of a SD refund would he take.]

Kids maybe 25 and has a 1 year son , and is first class all around, and a real gun buff[Though I had to do him some learning on some fine points]
$400 is fine with me, I feel good to pass it on to a good guy I think will enjoy it.

 

[Chevelle SS]

Sounds like a good price to me.

 

[VVelox]

I would be a bit hesitant as it is Chinese surplus. A lot of those that came over were stored in terrible conditions rust and wood wise, which is probably why the wood has been replaced as IIRC there is no cut difference between in regards to the bayonet.

I would see how the inside of the barrel looks.

 

[Reloadron]

I would be a bit hesitant as it is Chinese surplus. A lot of those that came over were stored in terrible conditions rust and wood wise, which is probably why the wood has been replaced as IIRC there is no cut difference between in regards to the bayonet.

I would see how the inside of the barrel looks.

The original poster is the seller (so to speak) and not the buyer.

As to the wood, stocks were replaced for any number of reasons, however, during the early to mid 90s I sold hundreds of those things. Most of them came in in excellent condition as unissued and having been stored correctly and just fine. Part of the rifles history reads this way:

China has been manufacturing SKS for over 50 years producing more SKS than any other nation. During this period, we've seen how it has evolved from the original design to the many variations. The main driving force for the changes was purely economics, a need to produce more at a lower cost. Faced with an over supply in a saturated North American market, several new variants were created and marketed.

Initially the rifles that poured in were 100% military surplus in excellent condition. Interesting part of the above quote is in bold. The same driving forces that applied to the SKS (Chinese Flavors) also held true for the US Rifle M1 Garand. Initially many parts that were milled were replaced by stamped. There were at least three variations of how the barrels were attached to the SKS rifle ranging from screwed into the receiver with a full lug to half lug and finally to a pinned barrel.

When China began exporting the millions of rifles they had to the US they were into a good thing and they knew it. While they were saturated in the US market with true military surplus rifles they got innovative. The SKS was never designed to take detachable magazines but... we have seen them adapted to take AK type magazines. The original SKS was never designed in a "Paratrooper Version" but we have seen those too. China does not even have paratroopers that I am aware of. All of those rifles were made current production They were made for export to the US and are not exactly true military surplus rifles. Most of the last of the rifles actually imported from China before the infamous Clinton ban were all new production, pinned barrel. stamped parts SKS rifles. These all came in with a light coat of oil rather than enough cosmoline to preserve a half dozen rifles a lifetime. Those early rifles were in excellent condition as far as a SKS battle rifle goes.

There were beater rifles also. This link is a good example of the beater rifles but during the peak of import those rifles were few and far between. They were mix-masters cobbled together seldom having matching parts let alone serialization.

The link I posted earlier gives what is in my humble opinion a pretty good overview of the SKS type rifles made in China. This includes the stocks and bayonet cuts.

While I do not disagree with your post, I am saying it goes against my experience with the Chinese SKS rifle based on my experiences with them.

Ron