Purchasing a Russian SKS for sale at any place, be it on the internet, or at a local auction is always a good decision for any gun enthusiast. This charming Soviet era semi-automatic rifle is designed for the 7.62×39 and M16 round. The gun was invented by Sergei Gavrilovich Siminov in 1943. Actually, for the young collectors who do not have any idea what SKS stands for; it is an acronym for Samozaryadnyj Karabin sistemy Simonova, which is Russian for a “Self-loading Carbine of the Simonov system”. The Russian SKS for sale is basically a smaller version of the powerful PTRS-41 anti-tank rifle.
As you would expect, it was also designed by Sergei.
Although the SKS carbine was quickly replaced with the AK-47 by the Russians, it still remained as the weapon of choice for the second-line service for many years. Today, it is only used as a ceremonial arm. The gun was widely produced as exported by most of the former communist-leaning nations like East Germany where it was referred to as the Karabiner, China (type56) and North Korea (type 63).
Most of Russian SKS for sale rifles that are in the market today are either shoot-ables or collectibles. In fact, over 90% of them are refurbished models. However, they are usually in excellent shape, and they are often better than the new ones. Refurbished Russian SKS for sale rifles are professionally overhauled to look like new. These guns are simply great since, they do not loose their value by shooting and having fun with them. You should also note that, refurbished Russian SKS for sale are usually listed as ‘new’ and ‘new-in-box’ and ‘unfired’ or ‘mint’. When buying one, you should be careful with these words. A good refurbished Russian SKS for sale costs about $350.
If you are looking for a collectible Russian SKS for sale rifle, there are several ways of identifying these guns. Firstly, always look for a special ‘refurb mark’ on the cover of the receiver. It can be a cross, a diamond mark, a diamond with a line or diagonal line. If you are buying this gun for the first time, insist always look out for this mark.
Another feature that can help you to identify a collectible refurbished Russian SKS for sale is the presence of refurbishing paint. If you find blue or black paints on bayonets and bolt carriers, the gun is a refurbished one since the originals were white. A darker magazine, a shinier barrel or gas tube goes to show that, these parts have been replaced.
Original Russian SKS for sale rifles have stocks that are made from Arctic Birch hardwood. These stocks come in orange, reddish or brown shellac colors with the familiar swirling wood pattern. Most of these stocks have been lost, and you can only find the ones that have been laminated. Any gun with the original hardwood stock, then, it is not a refurbished one. However, if the stock of the Russian SKS for sale is laminated, then, you are dealing with an original refurbished gun.
Note that, both laminated and hardwood stocks have been used as replacements during refurbishment of these Russian SKS for sale rifles. Consequently, you will always see laminated stocks being produced every year. Originally, hardwood stocks used to be refurbished and re-serialized to match a refurbished rifle, later these stocks were switched to laminated ones after matching the serials. This resulted to some Russian for sale SKS rifles that have been refurbished twice.
Russian SKS for sale rifles with laminated stocks are more heavy and stronger than the ones with hardwood stocks. On the other hand, their color finish is generally lighter than those with hardwood stocks. These guns are very durable, and they are bound to last for a very long time. However, many most gun collectors prefer the ones with the authentic original look of the 1950′s.
When evaluating Russian SKS for sale, you will come across terms such as un-issued or non-issued, as-issued, non-refurb, refurb or re-arsenalled, all-original or all-matching and unfired of new-in-the box. The term “un-used”, stands for a gun that has never been used. However, this may not be true. The “as-issued” is a collector’s item. This comes with original guns that were manufactured in Izhevsk or Tula. The “non-refurb” Russian SKS for sale are rifles that were issued without full commitment. The refurbor re-arsenalled Russian SKS for sale rifles are ones that have been taken back to the factory for refurbishment before getting imported back to the United States. The all-original or all-matching Russian SKS’s are the ones that feature replaced laminated stocks. Finally, the unfired or new-in-box Russian SKS for sale rifles for sale usually refer to the ones that are in mint status.
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