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I see Classic Firearms now has Chinese made SKS rifles available. They have them in 50 rifle crates and have quite a few crates. They claim they are from a neutral country and they have had them for over 20 years packed away. Is demand for the Chinese SKS that great that the price is justifiable at $420.00 for the standard ones and all have been used? I paid $89 for mine over 25 years ago and it was as new then but this is a big increase in price.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuna
seems to be the norm nowadays. I was at a gun show in PA over the weekend and didn't see a sks under 400.00.
And the Russian makes are even higher.
that is not a bad price, depending on condition,
I've sold a few chinese, in great shape, for $499, recently
There are different versions of the Chinese SKS. Some are called the paratrooper model with a shorter barrel and a detachable AK magazine but back when I bought mine and before this variation came about there were the ones with all milled parts and a screwed in barrel. I believe these were the ones used by various military's or made to military specs. The other was a model made for civilian use with stamped parts and a pined barrel. These had a prettier bluing but both had crappy looking stocks that appeared to be some kind of sprayed on chink yellow/orange paint mixed with varnish. I refinished mine and looks very nice. Although I believe they would use any wood they found most of them (I'm told) are made from catalpa. I elected to buy the milled parts model. It looks like it was used very little or never issued. Some of the gun shops had these for as little as $60 that "had been there and done that", obviously milled parts, crappy stocks and a fiberglass or plastic hand guard, no metal finish or old bluing that had turned brown. Still, a buy at this price. I think I paid about $125 for mine sometime around 1995 or so and it still has the original spike bayonet on it before they were banned. It shoots very good. I don't recall it ever jamming and that was with the Chinese Norinco ammo.
Like everything else inflation has taken a toll and you can no longer pick one of these rifles out of a crate of new or near new rifles that had been dumped in huge numbers on the market like you could 25-30 years ago.
If they are the better screwed in barrel rifles in very good condition or better the price is more than fair and if I wanted a good shooter SKS I'd surely consider one. I think they'll get the price even for swaged in barrel in good condition considering what a ChiCom version is going for in stores around here ($400-$550,00 depending on condition.)
I have a Chinese SKS I bought in 1990. $99.00. Pre Norinco manufacture. I had a list of prefixes of the serial numbers that would identify the year of manufacture. Mine came out as 1973. I wonder if this rifle was destine for North Vietnam, but didn't go because of the end of our involvement. It was packaged with a chest cartridge carrier, spike bayonet. Also pressed and pinned Barrel. Stock had S/N stamped on the side. No varnish. Just a sort of greased stock.
I have 2 bought back in the 90's. One has a purple stock the other yellow. Paid $69.95 rand new for the yellow one.
Here is a link to Cabellas. They are selling for $229.99 in Canadian dollars (about $175 USD). See https://www.cabelas.ca/product/11038...hardwood-stock
You can still get firearms and ammunition direct from China. We cannot here thanks to Billy Boy Clinton as he banned all imports from China.