Importers...how important is this piece of information?

[Bob_The_Student]

    OK, so I have seen under the Russian gun section the importer tab and I'm sure they are under the other guns as well. I am wondering should the importer be considered when I am buying an SKS. I have been away from caring about guns for about 25 yrs. I wish I could get a time machine but because I can't I need to gain a lot of knowledge I probably should've already had.  Anyhow, how important/relevant is the stamp if at all to purchasing a SKS or any gun for that matter.

    This is a general question and I will study the importer's if need be.

Thanks!

[Greasemonkey]

Most collectors prefer to avoid the CDI Swanton Vt because of the semi gawdy CCCP style billboard stamp.. On the flip side of the coin, the who and where on the import stamp to me, is irrelevant, for the simple fact of they are not imported or manufactured(short of commercial variants we will never see touch our shores) any more. Whats here is here...


Ideally....... if you really want the proverbial needle in a haystack and a checkbook buster all rolled into one.....find one with no import stamp with providence to back it up. 

[Phosphorus32]

Yup, what GM said.

1. No import mark Vietnam bringback is the high end of desirability

2. Gaudiness of the import mark, is the only other consideration so the CCCP####### SKSs are to be avoided in general, especially when they also are BBQ painted refurbs. That said, it wouldn't keep me from buying a desirable maker/year variation.

[GT_80]

Yup, what GM said.

1. No import mark Vietnam bringback is the high end of desirability

2. Gaudiness of the import mark, is the only other consideration so the CCCP####### SKSs are to be avoided in general, especially when they also are BBQ painted refurbs. That said, it wouldn't keep me from buying a desirable maker/year variation.

  exactly it always goes back to "if you want it, who can say it's not worth it?" Getting one with the import mark on the bottom of the barrel, below the cleaning rod where you cant see it is better than one with a huge import mark on the receiver... Again, if you want it, no one can tell you it's not worth it... sometimes, you need to just look it over well, and make sure it isn't rusty in the barrel, or missing parts, etc...

If you want one, and like it, who cares? it may not be as collectible as bring backs, but if you plan to shoot it, collectibility really doesn't matter... If it's a rare bring back, and you shoot it regularly, the likelihood of something breaking is greater than it sitting in your safe, so it may not be worth buying a highly collectible on if you want to shoot it... Although, if you are like me, all my guns will be fired. I don't care if it is collectible or not...

[Bob_The_Student]

Most collectors prefer to avoid the CDI Swanton Vt because of the semi gawdy CCCP style billboard stamp.. On the flip side of the coin, the who and where on the import stamp to me, is irrelevant, for the simple fact of they are not imported or manufactured(short of commercial variants we will never see touch our shores) any more. Whats here is here...


Ideally....... if you really want the proverbial needle in a haystack and a checkbook buster all rolled into one.....find one with no import stamp with providence to back it up. 

To be absolutely clear.... this is the only importer that created the huge CCCP? I know exactly which stamp it is but just verifying nobody else did that correct? Thanks

[Phosphorus32]

Yup, that was CDI's gift to the collector community.

[GT_80]

Yup, that was CDI's gift to the collector community.

"GIFT"   

[running-man]

I think importer stamps are inconsequential in the overall context of SKS collecting. One has to have the money, time, and inclination to purchase only non-import marked firearms or firearms of a certain importer.  In the grand scheme of things if a gun is a nice enough specimen or a rare variant, the import mark just doesn't have a major influence on the price or desirability.  (On the dime-dozen firearms like BBQ russian furbs, yes it certainly does make a difference.) 

[Greasemonkey]

Yup.... Don't judge a rifle by it's import stamp, they all deserve an extra look, even oddities exist. A prime example Bob, look up a Soviet-Sino SKS.  A Tula Russian sporting a Norinco or other Chinese import stamp.  Few and far between, they do exist. I had never seen or heard of one till I ran across a local listing maybe about 10 years ago.. for a nice looking blade bayonet Norinco... And there it was and it came home.

[Bob_The_Student]

OK, great info and much appreciated.

Just curious on a stamp one guy told me over the phone. He said the importer stamp said (I think)  "Norinco Sporter"? If it states "Sporter" on the stamp should that be avoided? Is it truly a "Sporter"? I passed the minute he read "Sporter". Thanks

[Phosphorus32]

It’s a commercial variant. 420mm barrel, short gas system.

Scroll down towards the bottom of the Chinese list
https://sks-files.com/index.php?topic=251.0

[Greasemonkey]

An SKS Sporter could very well have been an SKS-M or SKS-D... a variant designed to take an AK mag. Not a true military design, but still an SKS none the less. I also told myself for years, I would never own one of those commercial clunkers........ I will admit, the last two I purchased, were in fact SKS Ak mag para-length variants, they were the less common variants, the Type 84 and the SKSNR.   If I ran across another commercial short barreled, Ak mag design for a good price, I admit it...I'm there and it would probably come home.

While not military design, they hold their own, even have a collector niche due to their hybrid design, some had a low production number or small production time frame, and value wise, a few get up too and even exceeding the price of some more expensive military models from other nations, especially if you find one unfired in it's original packaging with all the accessories.

Again, like I said, don't judge it till you lay your eyes on it, or at least put your hands on it for a closer inspection, you could end up with a slamming deal even on a purpose made commercial model. I've kicked myself down that road of remorse, saying no, then finding out all the pertinent info that says I just walked away from and let a $1000 rifle slide through my fingers that was being sold for $500.

I'm doing the can kicking down Remorse Avenue right now over a High Power pistol I let go.......

[running-man]

Sporter is also the nomenclature found on a majority of B-West imports of common run of the mill type 56s.  They used the 'Sporter' text as either a selling point to differentiate it from the other thousands of plain Jane type 56s flooding the market or perhaps it was used to show the import was deemed "recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes" by ATF as only C&Rs deemed to be 'sporting firearms' can now be imported due to their most recent interpretation of Section 233 of the Trade and Tariff Act of 1984 98 Stat. 2991 (which allows for the importation of military arms that were previously banned specifically by 18 U.S.C. § 925(d)(3)), and it's effect on 18 U.S.C. § 925 (which governs arms imports in general).

[echo1]

Like the boys have said, the importer is mostly moot, with a few exception. The lack of an import stamp can bring musings of a bring back, but without the documentation, or M21 stamp, it's just wishful thinking, even if probably likely. PAX