Time Period of TGI Albanian Imports?

[Ol Relic]

Title says it all-when did the Albanians with TGI import mark underneath the barrel (hidden by closed bayonet) come into the US? 

I did a bunch of searches, but couldn't turn up anything conclusive. 

[running-man]

I don't know the exact dates.  I'm certainly not any big time collector (aka a 'real' collector...sorry that's an inside joke  ), but I can give you some anecdotal info from my bound book:

My first Alby with a Tennessee Guns stamp came in from AIM surplus on 11/8/2002.  I don't recall how long they had been for sale before I finally pulled the trigger, but it couldn't have been that long...maybe they came in at the beginning of that year?  It's an all matching gun in decent enough condition. 

My second TG Alby came from AIM surplus as well on 10/7/03.  These were the fire sale guns they had.  Most of the albys that came in had condition issues (as I'm sure you well know) and they really weren't moving well.  $79.99 with free shipping to my door.  It's not much of a gun (fair condition and mismatching with a Russian trigger group), but it's one of my top three absolute favorite SKSs.  I use it as my 'ranch gun'.  I wish I had bought 10 of them at that price.

Here's an AIM flier I've got from Fall 2002:


Hope that helps. 

[Ol Relic]

Thanks for the info, RM.  I picked up a TGI imported Albanian still in (very nasty) cosmoline, tags, and bubble wrap among some other stuff over the weekend at a dispersal auction for the stock of a pawn shop whose owner passed away.  I was pretty sure none had come in over the last few years-guess it was just sitting around that shop for a long time. 

[running-man]

No problem, glad to help!

I believe they only came in through a pretty small window of time and that would make sense as there simply aren't that many them, no more than a couple thousand in the US I'd guess.  Yugos seem to continue to come in small batches here and there even to today.  Not so with the Albys, they came and then there were no more after that. 

[Loose}{Cannon]

Someone had albanians just a few years ago...  SOG?     My ole ban bought one.

[running-man]

Seriously?  Man, how did I miss that sale?! 

Pretty small batch?

[Ol Relic]

Someone had albanians just a few years ago...  SOG?     My ole ban bought one.

I wouldn't be surprised if the one I got was from before that SOG batch, though.  There was a bunch of "stuck in time" stuff at that auction-I also picked up an old Century import Finnish capture M91/30 still in cosmoline and with the tags still on it, and there was a "new in box" refurb 1954 Tula sks complete with mint-condition box, manual, oiler/cleaning kit/sling.

The Albanian isn't much to look at, but it's sound.  I'll post it when I get some pics ready.

[Loose}{Cannon]

Seriously?  Man, how did I miss that sale?! 

Pretty small batch?

Yeah... I dunno.   Guys were buying them like hot cakes.  Bbwag had called and cherry picked all the early guns.  Beleive this was right before the first banians and they were $350

[Phosphorus32]

Someone had albanians just a few years ago...  SOG?     My ole ban bought one.

I wouldn't be surprised if the one I got was from before that SOG batch, though.  There was a bunch of "stuck in time" stuff at that auction-I also picked up an old Century import Finnish capture M91/30 still in cosmoline and with the tags still on it, and there was a "new in box" refurb 1954 Tula sks complete with mint-condition box, manual, oiler/cleaning kit/sling.

The Albanian isn't much to look at, but it's sound.  I'll post it when I get some pics ready.

Cool, sounds like you made quite a haul Don't have to worry about a fake SA stamp on that old 91/30