GB listings for June, 2016 - Russian

[running-man]

We had 44 Russians change hands this month. 

Lowest Sale Price: $350.00
Avg. Sale Price: $552.81
Highest Sale Price: $830.00
Tula Avg. Price: $543.17
Izhevsk Avg. Price: $523.50
As-Issued Avg. Price: $645.92

Please let me know any feedback (good or bad) to these.

If you have an objection or observation to add to anything I've listed, by all means call it out.  Let's look at it long and hard (I only look at each listing for a minute or two at most) and maybe everyone can learn a thing or two! 

-RM

Item Link   Description   # Bids   Final Price   Year   Arsenal   Arsenal Condition   Current Condition   S/N   RM's Notes


562472062   Tula Russian SKS 1952r UN-REFURBED #s match $99 NR   53   $730.00    1952   Tula   As-Issued   Good   ЗГ224   I waffled on this one between as-issued and light-furb.  It's certainly a nice gun, but w/o having it in my hands, there will always be questions.  That prominent "H" stamp on the receiver cover bugs me badly... In the end, the last photo with the Tula acceptance stamp on the stock pushed me towards as-issued.  I had to laugh a bit when I read this one though: "Diamond Cartouches at crossbolt = not refurbished (they put diamond cartouches on them when they came back to the factory but did not need any work at all)."  Aside from the "not refurbished" nonsense, that's news to me & I've been doing this a long time.

559429500   Russian SKS Tulsa 1952 Matching w/Box Nice NR!   25   $670.51    1952   Tula   As-Issued   Very Good   MЛ3213   Very nice gun here.  I wonder how the seller knows it's a pre-ban?  Russians were imported after the 1994 AWB as the VRA wasn't signed until 1996...

564639032   Russian SKS 7.62X39, 1954 Tula arsenal, Collector   2   $650.00    1954   Tula   As-Issued   Good   AM7046   Nice gun, good price.

566492336   Russian SKS Matching #'s 7.62x39 w/extras CLEAN   10   $630.00    1953   Tula   As-Issued   Good   HP331   Pretty nice looker here.  Very decent price for an as-issued '53

565283672   Russian SKS Rifle Tula 1952 matching   9   $615.00    1952   Tula   As-Issued   Good   MП1855   There is one large missing area of shellac on the buttstock, but other than that, looks like a good one.

565282123   Russian SKS Rifle Tula 1954 matching   7   $580.00    1954   Tula   As-Issued   Good   ИA133   Looks legit even if it's not a knockout looker.  I really don't care for the Ansel Adams isometric view photography by these guys.

565010307   Russian SKS-45 1954 MATCHING ORIGINAL   2   $525.00    1954   Tula   Bubba   Fair   ЗK5549   Ok, you put "MATCHING ORIGINAL" in the title.  Then you have the AUDACITY to say "All visible numbers match, besides the magazine floor plate."  C'mon man!!  That's like me saying "Yup, I've got all my limbs, well except for my left arm, right arm and left foot.  This would be funny if some poor noob collector wasn't going to lose hundreds of dollars on a deal like this...

567740954   SKS RUSSIAN Tula Izhevsk All Matching Numbers 7.62   6   $482.00    1954   Izhevsk   Bubba   Fair   C897_K   Not a big fan of this one.  Bubba has almost gone too far.

562598771   Russian Tula Mfg. SKS 7.62x39 Matching numbers   2   $470.00    1951   Tula   Bubba   Poor   MO1822   For those of you guys who want to 'improve' your guns by removing the BBQ refurb paint on them, take heed of this disaster.  You've got to understand the consequences of not knowing what you're doing.  It makes me sick to my stomach to see guns like this. 

559787506   Russian SKS   7   $406.00    1951   Tula   Bubba   Good   ИП1551   Pretty light bubba if it's just that receiver scope mount.  I don't understand what the plastic handguard is from in the second photo though.

562340401   KBI Russian SKS 7.62x39MM Item-S192   12   $385.00    1956   Tula   Bubba   Good   KP6367_Д   All I can say, is dang, I wish I hadn't missed this one - even with the missing magazine. Letter D gun, KP prefix, S/N in the 6k range, receiver cover has at least the Tula Star on it.  I'd have to say this is a no date Transitional '55-'56 gun.  S/N's KP6338_Д & KP6640_Д have no date receiver covers, I'd expect this one to have the same.  Charcoaled stock look screams Liski refurb as well.  Man I'm sorry I missed this one, awesome price for a neat gun.

563017955   * Russian SKS 7.62x39 Russia Rifle * Tula 1953   14   $375.00    1953   Tula   Bubba   Fair   Uncertain   Not a great listing.  That Chinese stock looks so out of place it's not funny!

564055546   Russian SKS semi-auto 7.62x39mm rifle, Xclnt!   2   $355.00    Uncertain   Uncertain   Bubba   Good   Uncertain   Meh :/

561294940   Russian SKS 7.62X39 Rifle !NO RESERVE!   23   $350.00    Uncertain   Uncertain   Bubba   Uncertain   Uncertain   H-O-R-S-E-T-R-A-S-H!!!

566721884   BEAUTIFUL TULA Russian SKS Matching 1955 7.62x39   10   $699.00    Uncertain   Uncertain   Heavy Refurbished   Uncertain   Uncertain   Horsetrash, Horsetrash, Horsetrash.

563191028   Russian Tula SKS 1951 #s Matching Excellent   11   $640.00    1951   Tula   Heavy Refurbished   Good   AП3682   Bought for $440 in May, sold for $640 in June...that's what a good listing will do for a gun.

566101463   Russian SKS Tula 7.62x39 1954 Matching Unissued   25   $582.00    1954   Tula   Heavy Refurbished   Good   HO5253   I'm surprised this one got 25 bids.

567003996   Russian SKS 7.62x39 1954   2   $550.00    1956   Tula   Heavy Refurbished   Good   HO4768_Д   Not a bad little gun.

559664220   MINT UNISSUED RUSSIAN SKS 7.62X39 MM 20 1/2" BBL.   28   $550.00    1958   Tula   Heavy Refurbished   Good   TУ7871_K   Get rid of that ridiculous Chinese 2 rounder and you've got a nice enough letter K gun here.

562973904   Very Nice 1954 Matching #s Russian Tula SKS Rifle   9   $540.00    1954   Tula   Heavy Refurbished   Good   HП4999   Nice little '54 refurb here.  Solid looking gun for a shooter.

563734410   Russian Tula 1954 SKS   15   $495.00    1954   Tula   Heavy Refurbished   Good   AK8892   Pretty poor listing.

563392915   RUSSIAN IMPORT SKS SEMI-AUTO 7.62x39   9   $470.00    1954   Tula   Heavy Refurbished   Fair   Uncertain   Not a great auction...

564143841   Russian SKS Tula 1950 all matching, good condition   1   $450.00    1950   Tula   Heavy Refurbished   Good   ФA2639   Decent little shooter at a below avg price. 

566060768   RUSSIAN SKS MATCHING NUMBERS   5   $450.00    Uncertain   Tula   Heavy Refurbished   Good   Uncertain   Not a great auction...

563168421   Russian SKS Tula 1957 Matching KBI w/ Box   15   $830.00    1957   Tula   Light Refurbished   Good   УK3873_И   Liski refurb with a replacement amber laminate stock.

563636186   Nice C&R Russian 1957 Tula SKS Carbine, No Reserve w/ Original Sling, Matching #s, SVT, M44, M91   15   $695.00    1957   Tula   Light Refurbished   Good   TB161_И   Not sure what's going on with the stock at the right rear, but 7 bills for this one seems a bit excessive to me.

564101592   Russian Tula SKS 1954r MINTY   9   $607.03    1954   Tula   Light Refurbished   Good   ИЛ5685   Not a great auction.  Seller still managed to attract 9 buyers on a very common year refurb.

566490998   Russian SKS 7.62x39 Tula 1952 Unfired   1   $599.99    1952   Tula   Light Refurbished   Good   Ю0975   Dreaded droopy bayo on this one.  Looks like an angled collar on a square cut bayonet lug.

560901616   Russian SKS 1953 7.62x39 SKS-9919231   4   $565.00    1953   Izhevsk   Light Refurbished   Good   ЛH242   It's definitely an Izhevsk, might not be a '53, but definitely an Izhevsk.  Receiver cover is not original to the gun as evidenced by the wrong font and two line stamping.  That's one of the heaviest light forbs I've ever seen.  EP'd carrier and bolt along with a sanded and deep XX'd out stock. 

564425045   * Russian SKS 7.62x39 Rifle * Tula 1952   4   $555.00    1952   Tula   Light Refurbished   Fair   ЗM1678   I wouldn't call it 'non-refurbished' ever, but especially not with that stock...  Still not a bad rifle all in all if you get rid of the bubba crap.

565290311   Russian Made SKS   12   $550.00    Uncertain   Tula   Light Refurbished   Fair   ДH2066   Not a great auction...

566127867   Russian SKS Tula 1953 7.62x39mm Soviet   1   $549.99    1953   Tula   Light Refurbished   Fair   ИП660   Interesting bayo EP markings on this one.  Don't usually see that!

562760500   Russian SKS Made 1952 by Tula cal 7.62x39   8   $545.00    1952   Tula   Light Refurbished   Good   MП1273   Another nice looker.

566474058   Russian SKS 1954 Tula   2   $500.00    1954   Tula   Light Refurbished   Good   ЗE4682   Not my cup of tea, but it's an honest to goodness Russian.

561353716   SKS Tula Arsenal 1952   6   $455.00    Uncertain   Uncertain   Light Refurbished   Fair   OЗ4191   H-O-R-S-E-T-R-A-S-H!!!

560984760   Russian Tula 1954 SKS 7.62x39 with bayonet   18   $455.00    1954   Tula   Light Refurbished   Fair   KB7825   Things *not* to do in an auction listing: Include blurry photos.  Include photos of parts of the gun that nobody cares about like a dirty, poorly lighted, out of focus bolt face.  Include photos of a gun that's not the one for sale.  Neglect to include photos of the receiver cover and bolt while claiming "all matching". 

564434895   Russian SKS 7.62 x 39mm semi-auto extras ORIGINAL!   23   $550.00    Uncertain   Uncertain   Uncertain   Uncertain   Uncertain   H-O-R-S-E-T-R-A-S-H!!!

560872153   1950 SKS   1   $500.00    Uncertain   Uncertain   Uncertain   Uncertain   Uncertain   H-O-R-S-E-T-R-A-S-H!!!

567250618   Russian SKS 1954R   1   $450.00    Uncertain   Uncertain   Uncertain   Uncertain   Uncertain   H-O-R-S-E-T-R-A-S-H!!!

562719741   Russian SKS 7.62x39MM Item-S257   23   $430.00    Uncertain   Uncertain   Uncertain   Uncertain   Uncertain   It's a letter gun, but what letter?  Your guess is as good as mine.  Horsetrash listing.

563555388   Russian SKS 7.62x39MM Item-S235   15   $400.00    1954   Tula   Uncertain   Fair   Uncertain   Man, terrible auctions from King's this cycle.  Their prices reflect it too, cost themselves many hundreds of dollars this month with craptastic auction listings / photos.

567384917   Russian SKS 1953   1   $375.00    Uncertain   Uncertain   Uncertain   Fair   Uncertain   I can understand why the guy didn't want to post more photos of this one.  Definitely an Ugly Betty.

562873478   SKS, Chinese, 56.   1   $369.00    Uncertain   Tula   Uncertain   Fair   PB2841   Sino-Banian Russian sneak here.  Late '50 to mid '52 gas block on it and a '49 to early '52 bayo lug helps to narrow it down just a little bit.

[Dannyboy53]

I agree with you on Bubba almost going too far (I think he did go too far). But my question on this is..."Tula Izhevsk", what the heck is that?    Maybe that's one like mine, a mix-master!

567740954   SKS RUSSIAN Tula Izhevsk All Matching Numbers 7.62   

[running-man]

Just a way to get more keywords into the mix so people searching for either Tula or Izhevsk will find it. 

As it is, that rifle can be saved with a generic 10 rounder and removal of the wart up front.  It'll never be much of a collector's piece even with the 'all matching numbers', but it's an Izhevsk, and for some people that's all that matters.  At $482, it wasn't a terrible deal though...

[Dannyboy53]

Yes sir, I would have bought it without hesitation to try to restore it as much as possible. It is a nice looking rifle. Do you think the bluing was another product of Bubba or a refurb?

[Greasemonkey]

559429500   Russian SKS Tulsa 1952 Matching w/Box Nice NR!   25   $670.51    1952   Tula   As-Issued   Very Good   MЛ3213   Very nice gun here.  I wonder how the seller knows it's a pre-ban?  Russians were imported after the 1994 AWB as the VRA wasn't signed until 1996...

  One of them there uber rare Tulsa rifles     And of course it's "pre"ban, if it were a "post"ban rifle it wouldn't be here..


562598771   Russian Tula Mfg. SKS 7.62x39 Matching numbers   2   $470.00    1951   Tula   Bubba   Poor   MO1822   For those of you guys who want to 'improve' your guns by removing the BBQ refurb paint on them, take heed of this disaster.  You've got to understand the consequences of not knowing what you're doing.  It makes me sick to my stomach to see guns like this. 

A Dewalt grinder with a wirebrush wheel, been just as easy to chuck it in a bead blasting cabinet..

And where is this place...           
     
Characteristics for Item # 562598771
Manufacturer:     Russian American Armory   <------ this ain't on any list we have 
Model:     SKS
Caliber:     7.62x39
Barrel Length:     20 inch
Capacity:     10

[Phosphorus32]

559429500   Russian SKS Tulsa 1952 Matching w/Box Nice NR!   25   $670.51    1952   Tula   As-Issued   Very Good   MЛ3213   Very nice gun here.  I wonder how the seller knows it's a pre-ban?  Russians were imported after the 1994 AWB as the VRA wasn't signed until 1996...

  One of them there uber rare Tulsa rifles     And of course it's "pre"ban, if it were a "post"ban rifle it wouldn't be here..


562598771   Russian Tula Mfg. SKS 7.62x39 Matching numbers   2   $470.00    1951   Tula   Bubba   Poor   MO1822   For those of you guys who want to 'improve' your guns by removing the BBQ refurb paint on them, take heed of this disaster.  You've got to understand the consequences of not knowing what you're doing.  It makes me sick to my stomach to see guns like this. 

A Dewalt grinder with a wirebrush wheel, been just as easy to chuck it in a bead blasting cabinet..

And where is this place...           
     
Characteristics for Item # 562598771
Manufacturer:     Russian American Armory   <------ this ain't on any list we have 
Model:     SKS
Caliber:     7.62x39
Barrel Length:     20 inch
Capacity:     10

You've got to understand the consequences of not knowing what you're doing. Words to live by.

As my teamster bicycling buddy likes to say: "People are all puckered up"...except he uses a different consonant.

[Dannyboy53]

I'm shocked GM, you never heard of the TULSA Russian American arsenal? That's where Bubba is employed.

[Greasemonkey]

I'm shocked GM, you never heard of the TULSA Russian American arsenal? That's where Bubba is employed.

woe is me   guess I'll go to the front desk and trade my SKS man card in for my usual dunce cap    I didn't know or I missed the memo on this uber super secret arsenal 

[running-man]

Yes sir, I would have bought it without hesitation to try to restore it as much as possible. It is a nice looking rifle. Do you think the bluing was another product of Bubba or a refurb?

Finish on 567740954 is std bbq paint Danny. Only bubba'd stuff I see on it were the detachable duckbill mag and the twist on muzzle brake.  This is likely what 562598771 looked like before being 'improved'. 

Yeah I wondered if any of you would catch the "TULSA" arsenal.   

[firstchoice]

566721884   BEAUTIFUL TULA Russian SKS Matching 1955 7.62x39   10   $699.00    Uncertain   Uncertain   Heavy Refurbished   Uncertain   Uncertain   Horsetrash, Horsetrash, Horsetrash.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=566721884

And still pulled in $700.00! A nice refurb, it sure could've used some better pics.


*I'm not that familiar with the Russian SKS. Is this sling a common one? Mine are more of a tan color.




Overall, after looking through all these auctions, I wish I had the money that these Sellers cost themselves by throwing up lousy auction layouts/pics. Money wasted and lost.

firstchoice

[running-man]

I've seen them from a straw yellow all the way to a very dark green.  This one looks more blue than anything else, though it could just be the lighting causing it to look darker than it really is.