Posted on 01/13/2014 3:44:06 AM PST by JoeProBono
My local gun shop is advertising the RUSSIAN SKS 1951 TULA for "$500.00 Excellent Condition with Bayonet Attached".
I'm sorely tempted to break open my piggy bank. Freeper opinions appreciated.
good job Joe.
Cept they ususally come 10 wrapped in that same paper with a nicely tied ribbon though without the stripper clip.
Yes...the only thing I can say is if you see a vibrated engraver number on it or even a laser-dotted SN, it is likely not worth the $500 price tag.
Of all the Russian/Yugo imports, I think the SKS is the least valuable. I used to see these things go for $100 over a decade ago. Heck, I once bought 6 of the folding bayonets for a dollar each to use as tent stakes (work great for that).
lot of ranges run by ex American solders do not like you to shoot Russian guns like Dragonov as they were used against them.
But when you show up with a real good one Everyone on the range takes note.
LOL!
Tent stakes!
There ya go!
That’s a true story....saw them at that price and snapped them up. I just couldn’t resist. Probably for a Yugo SKS folder bayonet, but who could argue with the price?
First you should make certain all the numbers match. There will be matching serial numbers stamped on the trigger guard, stock, receiver, bolt carrier, bolt, receiver cover and magazine. Sometimes they stamped only the last 3 or 4 digits of the master serial number that is on the receiver to the other parts, sometimes the whole number. See if the numbers are all stamped or electro-penciled.
Next see if the stock is laminated or solid wood. Laminated would indicate it was an arsenal refurb. Also the finish should be blued. Painted indicates a refurb. Bolt and carrier should be bright steel, unblued.
There should be a blade bayonet attached and cleaning kit in the buttstock.
Finally look around on the barrel and receiver for electro-stenciled importer's marks. Usually will say something like Century Arms, St. Albans, VT or some other importer. This will indicate a recent import. If you can't find an importer's mark then the value will be considerably higher indicating an older import possibly even a war trophy from Viet Nam (most of those were Chinese)
If the bore , wood and metal are in excellent condition and the numbers match then the price is good even for a refurb.
If there are no importer marks it would easily sell for double that price assuming original parts and everything matches.
My son did the same thing to a Chicom SKS and created a Jam-o-matic. I brought it back to its original configuration and introduced him to stripper clips and their proper usage. After a bit a practice you can actually reload from a stripper clip as quickly as swapping out a detachable mag. The only advantage to the detachable mag is capacity. That advantage quickly evaporates if you get even one jam per mag.
Yep....that’s the ones I got. Except they had a spring loaded collar on the black part that also had the barrel mount on it.
the SKS was surplanted by the AK in 1947, they still made SKSs for decades....the one my friend had was Chinese and cost him less than $100. the store owner did not tell my friend that there was a tool needed to adjust the front sight and the thing was shooting around a foot off, vertically (can remember high or low). He finally found out about the tool and zero’d it in for 100 yds. not very accurate but minute of deer...so good enough...for what that is worth.
never jammed....pretty reliable....he went and sold it a few years later for what he paid for it....I never found the piece that interesting....
It’s hard to believe I bought a Chinese SKS, with the bayonet, for $79.95 about 20 or so years ago. You also could get a 1,000 rounds of norinco 7.62x39 for $69.95. Those were the days.
I bought the Tapco kit for mine to do this. It functioned flawlessly with their 20-round mags. Except for the very first trigger pull. I didn't get the mag fully seated. After that, it went bang every time. Wish I still had it. Ammo's dirt cheap for it.
***I still have my VC SKS and it works***
I remember going to a pawn shop, back in 1970, and seeing war trophy VC SKS rifes on the racks. No one wanted them as you could not get ammo back then.
Fifty years ago it was common to see a barrel full of Civil War bayonets for sale in the army surplus stores.
I remember those days well.. I built a semiauto AK (probably the world’s first) on a Valmet receiver and it took a lot of chicanery to find a magazine’s worth of 7.62X39 to test it. I eventually found 30 very expensive CIA no-head stamp rounds and went a friend’s farm to shoot it the first time. This buddy said “can I try it?”. I said “sure” and he promptly fired all 30 rounds!
Ah well.
I just sold one last week for 300, with the bayonet!
Thanks for sharing;-{)
Look for a rearsenal mark...a square or diamond with a slash through it...on the receiver cover. Also, the ‘51 is notorious for not having a safety spring. Is the bayonet black?
The Soviets tried that, early on. Wasn't necessary. AK's, AR's M1A's don't have a firing pin spring, either. Soft primers are the only thing that have given me problems.
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