When I bought my SKSs I paid no attention to matching serial numbers. I figured they were all armory reworks being dumped on the market. Here lately I was told that matching numbered SKSs were worth a small fortune. I looked at mine and they are all matching numbers. If this is really the case, what can I expect to sell them for?

Drew: I don't think matching numbers make a big difference in SKS values unless you have one of the rarer variants in pristine, as-issued condition.

Bill,

I know very little about the SKS rifles. Which variations are rare?

Off the top of my head Russian models as opposed to Chinese. I don't know if the bayonet was serialized or not, bu tmost of the SKS's I run across are Chinese and still marked at $400.

I bought mine for $69.99 each for the Chinese. I paid $125ea for the Russians.

quote:

Originally posted by drewhenrytnt:
I bought mine for $69.99 each for the Chinese. I paid $125ea for the Russians.

In the southern US and in EXC condition, you could quadruple what you paid for those rifles if you found someone willing to pay top dollar. Matching serials will not bring much of a premium that I am aware of. That may change in years to come.

Doubtful prices will ever come down on them again as those two are gone from the wholesale surplus market. You can still find Yugo and some other Eastern Bloc examples coming in but their prices are ballpark for what you have.

2 Chinese, 99.99 and 109.99, mid 90's. Both are in synthetic stocks now. The wood's in the closet.

I bought a Chinese one in Bonners Ferry ID 1992 for $110. Matching ##'s completely covered in cosmoline.

Good little knock-around gun but not real accurate.

An SKS over an AK? Since I'm also a newcomer to this aspect of riflery, I'm curious...why?

quote:

Originally posted by Sam:
Off the top of my head Russian models as opposed to Chinese. I don't know if the bayonet was serialized or not, bu tmost of the SKS's I run across are Chinese and still marked at $400.

The rarest are the East German, very small number available, followed by the Albanian, Romanian, Russian, Yugoslavian, then Chinese. All are pretty much in order as per availability, and the quality is really not that much different. The exception is the Chinese who imported many SKS's with stampted metal trigger housings. All the rest use billit machined trigger housings to the best of my knowledge.

Eric

I'll have disagree with the quality ratings. Although I've never handled an East German SKS I hear that their quality is quite good. I think the Yugo's are the most robust and excellent quality of the main SKS's out there. I feel they are better quality then the Russians. Being the Romanian AK's are recognized as the el cheapo's of AK's I can't see how their SKS's could rank high. The Yugo's are quite accurate too.

I would believe that the mythical East German SKS would have been the highest quality of all the SKS's ...... BUT has anybody here ever seen one or fired one? Were they ever imported into the US? (I don't think so).

I've had two Chinese SKS's. The one I kept was one of the very earliest threaded barrel models which were actually made for Chinese military issue. Mine is a Jianshe Factory 296 (Triangle 26).

I can get 2 - 2 1/2" groups with iron sights and good ammo at 100 yds.

The other (also Chinese) was a pinned barreled Norinco. These were made for the export market exclusively. It was a 6-7" proposition at 100 yds. no matter what ammo I used. I got rid of it pronto!

Don,

I've seen quality pictures of the East German SKS and they appeared very well made. I wonder what happen to them. Even when the CZ pistols were very hard to get, they did show up. It is funny the East German SKS's don't. I've heard there weren't very many of them made and that many of them were destroyed. Some showed up in use in Vietnam and were brought home as war trophies. A rare bird indeed.

quote:

Originally posted by TAO:
An SKS over an AK? Since I'm also a newcomer to this aspect of riflery, I'm curious...why?

Oh, longer barrel means somewhat better ballistics and longer sight radius for better accuracy. Right now I don't need 30 round mags (that could change in the future) so the tenner is sufficient. Plus it was a damn sight cheaper than an AK!

I would think the upper one would be the least desirable of all. Chinese with a built up stamped receiver and pinned barrel. Trigger guard stamped and welded as well



Grizz

quote:

Originally posted by tenmikemike:

quote:

Originally posted by TAO:
An SKS over an AK? Since I'm also a newcomer to this aspect of riflery, I'm curious...why?

Oh, longer barrel means somewhat better ballistics and longer sight radius for better accuracy. Right now I don't need 30 round mags (that could change in the future) so the tenner is sufficient. Plus it was a damn sight cheaper than an AK!

Plus SKS use 10 round stripper clips so pretty fast to reload. Might not need that 30 round mag. AK's don't use a stripper clip system, strictly magazine fed.

In 1991 I was offered a brand new SKS and 1000 rounds of ammo for $150.00 Eastern European manufacture, dont recall exactly who built it. Still kicking myself in the butt over that one. Who would have known they would take off like they did.

I am thinking of getting one of the Yugoslav SKS M59/66 model rifles with the grenade launcher attachment and the folding bayonet. Does anyone know if the grenade launcher and the bayonet can be easily removed? Also, does anyone have any knowledge (accuracy, reliability, etc.) about these Yugo rifles? Thanks in advance,
Bill.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Thibeault:
I am thinking of getting one of the Yugoslav SKS M59/66 model rifles with the grenade launcher attachment and the folding bayonet. Does anyone know if the grenade launcher and the bayonet can be easily removed? Also, does anyone have any knowledge (accuracy, reliability, etc.) about these Yugo rifles? Thanks in advance,
Bill.

I have one of those and did remove all the junk. Don't let anyone tell you the grenade muzzle device is welded or silver soldered on, they are not. They are threaded and have a pin through them. After removing the pin they screw off but are VERY VERY TIGHT! I even applied a little heat to mine and they are right hand thread to turn counterclockwise to remove.

The rifle are robust and very accurate for an SKS. The one I have was unissued so everything was pretty minty. The Yugo's don't have a chrome chamber and bore because they had no chromium disposits and Russia wouldn't supply them as they had their own economic problems at the time. This is no big deal and if you do use any corrosive ammo it's an easy clean out.

I can highly recommend getting a Yugo SKS.

Agreed.

I bought a very clean 59/66 for $250 cash a couple weeks ago. Grenade launcher model. I like it better for cast bullet load work, because you can turn the gas off and work it like a T-bolt Browning 22.

On my Yugo SKS when you turn the gas off the button on the gas valve you do that with protruded up enough that it obscures my sight picture so I made a replacement with smaller button.

the scope clears it with an inch to spare...

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
the scope clears it with an inch to spare...

When I first got the rifle I shot it with issue sights. After I scoped it the rest was history. Not everyone scopes them.

A must have for the SKS owner.

The SKS Carbine by Steve Kehava & Joe Poyer

quote:

Originally posted by Hizzie:
A must have for the SKS owner.

The SKS Carbine by Steve Kehava & Joe Poyer

Hizzie, I agree! I need to get the new 4th Ed. I've got the original 1st Ed. (1996 green cover) and it doesn't cover the Yugo and Romanian versions very well. This could be because they hadn't started importing these to the US in numbers back then.

Does anybody here have a red dot mounted on their SKS? I think this would be a slick set-up provided it is mounted forward (to allow use of the standard strippers) and can be returned to original military configuration (ie. no tapping of receiver). I'm thinking a mount utilizing the rear sight housing would be the way to go.

If you can find a decent after market receiver cover mount you can put a red dot behind the stripper groove. I have one that mounts fairly secure the other one flops around all over. I think I've seen a weaver rail mount that replaces the rear sight also.

quote:

Originally posted by TAO:
An SKS over an AK? Since I'm also a newcomer to this aspect of riflery, I'm curious...why?

I actually like the ergonomics of my SKS (Russian) way better than my AK (Romanian). It just feels better in my hands. The only thing I use either one of them for is plinking, so it's not like I'm handicapped by the ten round magazine of the SKS vs the 30 rounders for the AK.

My Russian SKS shoots better then my Romanian AK,and I've NEVER had any kind if issue witht he SKS functioning properly. My Romanian AK will choke and puke is it's not fed Bulgarian magazines.

Is a chinese sks with a milled receiver and threaded barrel rare? I have one, but it does not have the origanal stock... thx

I have a couple of these rascals with threaded barrels. One was $89 when they first came out and then the other was $169 a few years later.

The older will actually group at 3.0-3.5" at 100 yds which I think is great, while the newer one is around 5-6" at 100 yards.

Fun guns to shoot but not accurate.

quote:

milled receiver

Most of the milled receivers are Russian.

If it's chinese AND has a milled receiver, it must be a pretty early chinese model.

posted 29 December 2017 07:04

I recently acquired a Chinese made SKS and trying to decipher the exact place it was produced. The gun is marked with a triangle with numbers 906 inside it after that it has serial number 1720115 says Made in China by Norinco CSI ONT CA. I have an excellent book that is for collectors with tons of info. From this book my best guess is the gun was made in 1957 and in #720115, but 20115 is the only number stamped on everything else. Also I find nothing about factory 906, I found 96, but not 906. Anyone have a better handle on this for me? I have the book mentioned and it is greatI also just rad that in pursuant as of 1990 it is illegal to install a bayonet on the Chinese version SKS. WTF? All the others made somewhere else it is ok. According to the law if installed it make the Chinese SKS an "assault rifle". Oh Duh! Anyone got a handle on this too..

SKSs?

Meh, blah, ... I don't know. I owned a few back in the day, then got rid of them. While I wouldn't call them "junk," they were hardly accurate with the 7.62x39 Commie fodder I shot thru them. Good riddance.

Kept my most awesome M1As and Garands though ...