Price Check

[Flat Water Bob]

A (very lucky) friend of mine came into possession of a number of firearms, including 6 SKS still in the cosmalien (SP???). He has sent me cellphone photos showing two with longer barrels than I have ever seen on SKSs. Looks like any other....just really long barrels? Anyone out there have the long barrel SKS? Any idea on a price? I might try to buy one off him.

[Snakebite]

Where were they made? Sounds like they might be Yugos

 

Snakebite

[Buckshot Frank]

The longer barreled ones might be CA-legal Yugos with the grenade launcher attachment on the end of the barrel. I'll never understand the gun laws in that state...

 

I haven't bought an SKS in years, but I'd guess that the price would be about $250 for one in VG condition.

[Capt. George Baylor SASS#24287L]

I would love to help, but I stole the only SKS I ever had.

[Cat Brules]

To determine a good price on an SKS, go to GunBroker.

 

If you are not signed up as a memeber, then do so. They ask a few questions, but sign up.

 

In the query section, select "advanced." Then, run a query on "SKS" after selecting the firearms category, otherwise you'll get parts and everything else.

 

In the advanced section, select "completed auction." That way, you will limit the query return to only those guns that have sold. This tellsy you, realistically, the wapons' value. Of corse, you have to go in and read the descriptions. Some SKS'n are worth more than others for various reasons.

 

You can average out the prices to come to a realistic value for ones you are interested in.

 

My guess ... (?) is that an SKS in used-but-excellent condition, with the wood stock and various unmodified stuff on it is probably worth no more than about $350.00, max. And that number might be generious But, that's my opinion and not what they are selling for. You also might consider that buying on line means there is also shipping and handling expenses, etc., which might make the on-line value less that the face-to-face value. You'll have to judge that for yourself.

 

I don't consider the SKS to be a real "collector" gun unless you have a large number of them and you are collecting variants of them, but again, that's my opinion.

 

What you may want to check out is whether one of your pard's guns is a Chinese "carbine" or "paratrooper" model, which is a short-barreled SKS, made (I could be wrong about this part) by Norinco to appeal to the American market, before Norinco's US activities were restricted. This short rifle is is a heck of a lot easier to handle and shoot.

 

There are available aftermarket, inexpensive (and expensive, if that's what you want), composite, "sporter" stocks (Choate Machine & Tool and others) for the guns and there are 5-round magazines available to replace the ugly 10-round mags (this streamlines the gun, so the mag doesn't hang off the bottom of the weapon, plus it makes it a legal hunting rifle). Wilson makes a replacement rear peep sight, too. And, you can remove the bayonet and toss it, the wood stock, the 10-round magazine and the factory rear sight in the trash, or sell or give away those items. At that point, you'll have a fairly decent little ranch rifle for close-in coyote and deer. The ammo = 7.62 x 39mm, which essentially approximates the Winchester .30-30 round. That rig is exceptionally sturdy and will take a real beating. Those few little modifications make a big difference and they aren't megabucks in cost.

Cat Brules

[Badlands Bud #15821]

What you may want to check out is whether one of your pard's guns is a Chinese "carbine" or "paratrooper" model, which is a short-barreled SKS, made (I could be wrong about this part) by Norinco to appeal to the American market, before Norinco's US activities were restricted. This short rifle is is a heck of a lot easier to handle and shoot.

 

There are available aftermarket, inexpensive (and expensive, if that's what you want), composite, "sporter" stocks (Choate Machine & Tool and others) for the guns and there are 5-round magazines available to replace the ugly 10-round mags (this streamlines the gun, so the mag doesn't hang off the bottom of the weapon, plus it makes it a legal hunting rifle). Wilson makes a replacement rear peep sight, too. And, you can remove the bayonet and toss it, the wood stock, the 10-round magazine and the factory rear sight in the trash, or sell or give away those items. At that point, you'll have a fairly decent little ranch rifle for close-in coyote and deer. The ammo = 7.62 x 39mm, which essentially approximates the Winchester .30-30 round. That rig is exceptionally sturdy and will take a real beating. Those few little modifications make a big difference and they aren't megabucks in cost.

Cat Brules

Do make sure that if you are making such modifications you are doing so with either a chinese rifle (imported before GCA 1968?) or you replace enough components to make the rifle compliant with federal firearms import laws, specifically 922®. These are federal laws, not just CA.

 

In the free states where these rifles may have detachable magazines, it is much easier than states such as CA. Until a US manufacturer starts making magazine wells and followers there is pretty much no way to modify a non-chinese SKS such that it will be 922® compliant.

 

edit for: darned html... I did not mean to have registered trademark signs in that post, the section is section 922 ( r )

[Badlands Bud #15821]

For a little more help:

 

SKS Build Worksheet

 

I am not a lawyer and I hope nothing I have posted here is construed as legal advice.

[Cat Brules]

Do make sure that if you are making such modifications you are doing so with either a chinese rifle (imported before GCA 1968?) or you replace enough components to make the rifle compliant with federal firearms import laws, specifically 922®. These are federal laws, not just CA.

 

In the free states where these rifles may have detachable magazines, it is much easier than states such as CA. Until a US manufacturer starts making magazine wells and followers there is pretty much no way to modify a non-chinese SKS such that it will be 922® compliant.

 

edit for: darned html... I did not mean to have registered trademark signs in that post, the section is section 922 ( r )

 

I don't think these Norinco Chinese guns and other items are importable any longer because Norinco got sideways with US arms laws for a host of violations. Point is, (to my knowledge) if you can find one of these short guns it was imported prior to the imposition of the percentage rules regarding parts make-up. However, that doesn't necessarily mean they are exempt from those rules. BUT, the gun is 100% Chinese anyway, having been imported prior. Therefore, if you put ONE US-made part on the gun, I imagine you would be in "compliance," but who knows? Personally, I'm not concerned.

 

But, first, one of the parts I talked about (the bayonet), under my scenario, would not be replaced, thereby reducing the number of parts on the gun.

 

Second, the replacement of the ten-round, fixed box magazine (loaded through the breech one-at-the-time or by using a stripper clip) would be a similar fixed box magazine, but half the capacity (five rounds). These fixed box magazines are removable via a disassembly procedure, NOT via a magazine release button or latch. Such a modification to the weapon is NOT to allow for "removable," quick-replacement magazines, but simply to reduce the gun's ammo capacity to fall within sporting rules of most states and to streamline the weapon for better handling.

 

Third, I belive the replacement stock I recommended (Choate Machine & Tool) still is US made and comes from Bald Knob Arkansas. But, even if it is not US-made, or you select an imported replaceent (if you even decide to replace the stock), you would be replacing like-for-like ... an imported part for either a US-made or imported part.

 

Fourth, the Williams peep sight, I am pretty sure, is still made in the US.

 

Sure, no one wants to deviate from the law. In this case and under my scenario, which is specific to a Chinese short-barreled SKS imported prior to the "percentage" rules, you are essentially creating a five round-capacity "sporting" rifle out of a ten-round capacity "assault" rifle. You can read up on the legalities of this sort of thing, to become familiar with the legalities of switching parts out, if you are dealing with a weapon that was imported after this "percentage of parts" rules were adopted. Those rules are available on-line, if you wish to review them.