GB listings for January, 2017 - Albanian

[running-man]

Ok starting off a new year with new lists!   

I dropped year categories from the lists because, quite frankly, it really doesn't make one bit of difference with regard to price.  I also simplified the current condition category from 7 categories to 5 (dropped the perfect and excellent values).  This should reduce my workload (in theory) and help me to keep these lists going through '17.

• # sold: 3
• Lowest Sale Price: $650.00
• Avg. Sale Price: $716.67
• Highest Sale Price: $805.00
• As-Issued Avg. Price: $650.00

Item Link   Description   # Bids   Final Price   Arsenal Condition   Current Condition   RM's Notes

• 615513874   Uncommon 1970 Date Albanian SKS cal 7.62x39   5   $650.00    As-Issued   Good   Nice gun.
• 608594498   ALBANIAN SKS RIFLE-EXCELLENT-MATCHING-1969   17   $805.00    Bubba   Good   Nothing shines quite like polyurethane.
• 612953339   ALBANIAN SKS RIFLE-NICE-MATCHING-1971   18   $695.00    Refurbished   Good   That stock isn't the original stock this gun was born with….Gray carpet guy strikes again.

[CARBINE]

I don't think that one sold RM the reserve wasn't met as far as I can tell.

[running-man]

 



Not sure how I missed the huge red lettering up top that says "Reserve not met". 




Just one of those days I guess

[running-man]

Updated a second time to find the three guns that were listed in the collectible firearms category and not the firearms category.  Two guns from GCG.

Gotta love gunbroker for making my life difficult! 

[monkeyboy]

612953339   ALBANIAN SKS RIFLE-NICE-MATCHING-1971   18   $695.00    Refurbished   Good   That stock isn't the original stock

Why do you think the stock isn't original to the rifle?

[running-man]

I try not to let the seller (in this case gray carpet guy) cloud my judgment, but sometimes it's inevitable.  In this case, the divot in the stock is hard to ignore.  Alby divots are very consistent and I've only ever seen that divot on replacement Albanian stocks.   




The font looks correct enough (albeit filled in with finish), but with this seller and his known previous offerings, my thoughts immediately go to a gun that's been 'improved' to help it sell...  Just my opinion though.

Could be legit and it's just a simple gouge.  The gun didn't break $700 though.  I would have expected an as-issued Alby to run $800+  Maybe people were scared away by the finish?  Who knows?

[monkeyboy]

In this case, the divot in the stock is hard to ignore.  Alby divots are very consistent and I've only ever seen that divot on replacement Albanian stocks.

The "divot" you're referring to is very consistent on much cruder replacement stocks, but that isn't the style of stock we see here. The "divot" is in the wrong spot for it to be what you're referencing. It's simply a tiny gouge.


 

In this case, the    The font looks correct enough (albeit filled in with finish)

Sure it's filled with finish. The numbers were stamped into a finished stock.


 

In this case, the     Could be legit and it's just a simple gouge.

Yep, simple gouge. Yes, it's legit.

[running-man]

Could very well be.

[firstchoice]

I think the 1970 Alby was the best of the lot, going for the least, at $650.00. He undersold it a bit, but it ended up a nice acquisition for somebody.

615513874   Uncommon 1970 Date Albanian SKS cal 7.62x39   5   $650.00    As-Issued   Good   Nice gun.

firstchoice

[running-man]

Definitely a nice one FC. I'd rather have it than the other two as well.  Looking at all three of them again, those two from Gray Carpet Guy both give me the heebie jeebies. 

[wvsks]

I think the 1970 Alby was the best of the lot, going for the least, at $650.00. He undersold it a bit, but it ended up a nice acquisition for somebody.

615513874   Uncommon 1970 Date Albanian SKS cal 7.62x39   5   $650.00    As-Issued   Good   Nice gun.

firstchoice

That one is mine.  I already made one mistake with it though. I removed the cosmoline and have since fired about 200 rounds through it. It's really a joy to shoot.

[firstchoice]

I think the 1970 Alby was the best of the lot, going for the least, at $650.00. He undersold it a bit, but it ended up a nice acquisition for somebody.

615513874   Uncommon 1970 Date Albanian SKS cal 7.62x39   5   $650.00    As-Issued   Good   Nice gun.

firstchoice

That one is mine.  I already made one mistake with it though. I removed the cosmoline and have since fired about 200 rounds through it. It's really a joy to shoot.

  Nice choice wvsks! '70 is a good year and you got an all-matching Alby for a great price, as current pricing seems to be trending.

  No issue on cleaning and firing yours. As long as you don't try to "improve" the looks, degrade the condition by field use or accident, and always watch for corrosive ammo, which won't be too much issue as long as you clean it like a fairly rare SKS should be cleaned, I don't see any problem firing it every once in a while. It's a personal choice.

  I chose to leave my '69 packed in the cosmo, much as I received it, and haven't fired it since acquiring it. I have plenty of shooters, so I don't have any overwhelming urge to shoot every one I have.

  I did see this one (after the fact) on GB back in July, 2016 that I sincerely wish I would have seen and bought it! 







  This one is 39 digits younger than my '69. If I would've caught that one, it'd still be exactly as it's pictured then. Messy and packed with Cosmoline. The streaking in the wood grain is amazing and a small portion of my stock has streaking like it. Probably the same tree that both stocks were cut from. I wish I knew where it went. The guy would be getting some great offers for it!

  Congrats on the buy, wvsks!

firstchoice

[Phosphorus32]

I think the 1970 Alby was the best of the lot, going for the least, at $650.00. He undersold it a bit, but it ended up a nice acquisition for somebody.

615513874   Uncommon 1970 Date Albanian SKS cal 7.62x39   5   $650.00    As-Issued   Good   Nice gun.

firstchoice

That one is mine.  I already made one mistake with it though. I removed the cosmoline and have since fired about 200 rounds through it. It's really a joy to shoot.

Nice score!  Big mistake shooting it...soon you'll be tripping over SKSs and barking your shins on crates of M67 

[Garand1957]

I try not to let the seller (in this case gray carpet guy) cloud my judgment, but sometimes it's inevitable.  In this case, the divot in the stock is hard to ignore.  Alby divots are very consistent and I've only ever seen that divot on replacement Albanian stocks.   




The font looks correct enough (albeit filled in with finish), but with this seller and his known previous offerings, my thoughts immediately go to a gun that's been 'improved' to help it sell...  Just my opinion though.

Could be legit and it's just a simple gouge.  The gun didn't break $700 though.  I would have expected an as-issued Alby to run $800+  Maybe people were scared away by the finish?  Who knows?

The divit is a giveaway to a replacement stock but IMO it was an arsenal replacement.
Font on the serial # is size and style spot on. It would be very difficult to forge that.
Finish is redone but may be shellac the original type of finish and not some kind of poly or varnish.

[wvsks]

Thanks guys! I have zero plans of modifying it at all. I like it just how it is.  I was shooting Tulammo through it, it was a little dirty but I break it down and clean it after each and every trip to the range. I have a '68 Albanian I bought a couple of years ago as well, it's not in as good of shape as the 70 is though. Its got some trench art on it. One of these days soon I'll try and post some pictures.