Bought my First SKS, Identification help please!

[hawkeye4077]

Hello everyone. I bought my very first SKS today. I went to a gun show with the intention of coming home with one, however there were only two SKS's at that show and they had both  been bubba'd up and they were asking for 7-800 for them. What I wanted was a good ole plain jane SKS. So I went and looked around some gun shops in the area and happened to find the one that wound up following me home. It's Chinese, still had cosmoline on it (which I just got done cleaning off), and I would appreciate any info anyone could provide. It has all matching numbers on all the major pieces but does not have any factory mark. Let me know if you guys think it was a good buy and any other information anyone can provide on it is greatly appreciated.

[armedhippie]

Welcome Hawkeye 

You did great man. That is a nice, respectable 1st SKS.  I'd be proud to have it. Its Factory code is the [0129] , a low production code it seems and very nice for a [  ] SKS ( some of the later [  ] 1's can be rough, still good but rough ) I beleive it should be from '78.

Mind if I ask ya how much it set ya back? Again very nice and since you mentioned cosmo...Make sure and clean your bolt and firing pin well ( disassemble) I recommend it for every SKS but if you can see cosmo...its a given.

Enjoy it man. Welcome and have a look around to get yourself more familiar.

[Loose}{Cannon]

What he said. ^^^

Great first sks....  I bet it shoots great!     

[Phosphorus32]

AH nailed it. The millions prefix indicates the year of production (started in '56). Hard to say if it's a "good buy" without a price, but it looks to be likely matching and in good condition.

I second AH (or third, since LC just posted) on the importance of disassembling the bolt and cleaning the firing pin and channel too.  Don't want a Cosmoline impregnated bolt to cause a slam fire.

http://sks-files.com/index.php?topic=360.0

[hawkeye4077]

I paid $389 before tax for it and he threw in a soft case for something like 15 bucks. I had already done a bit of reading up, and first thing I did when I got it home was disassemble it and give it a thorough cleaning. The firing pin and bolt as well as the rest of the rifle are now cosmoline free and the firing pin shakes freely in the bolt with a nice audible clicking noise as it is shaken..

[Power Surge]

Very nice first sks....

Your bayonet is upside down also. Just unscrew the bolt, pull it out of the spring loaded collar, and flip it around. The flat side should face down when stowed in the stock.

[Justin Hell]

It is cool you have the full serial on the stock...you don't see that very often.  It is what appears to be a very nice SKS...the price, a little high in my opinion, but they have been climbing everywhere. From the gun show prices on the bubbas you mentioned...you are likely living in an area where the prices spiked and there isn't much of a market to work with.  Unfortunately, I see that a lot too...but occasionally will get a fair price.

Welcome to your new addiction.

[hawkeye4077]

It is cool you have the full serial on the stock...you don't see that very often.  It is what appears to be a very nice SKS...the price, a little high in my opinion, but they have been climbing everywhere. From the gun show prices on the bubbas you mentioned...you are likely living in an area where the prices spiked and there isn't much of a market to work with.  Unfortunately, I see that a lot too...but occasionally will get a fair price.

Welcome to your new addiction.

I would say you are right. I was pretty well determined to come home with one today as bad as that may sound. I went to about four different gun shops and pawn shops and probably called around 10 to find the one that I bought. They either had none or the four that I went to had one each and they were either bubba'd up or were just in really bad shape. One was an older chinese model very beat up, stock was all kinds of messed up and they wanted $330 for it.

[armedhippie]

I would say you are right. I was pretty well determined to come home with one today as bad as that may sound. I went to about four different gun shops and pawn shops and probably called around 10 to find the one that I bought. They either had none or the four that I went to had one each and they were either bubba'd up or were just in really bad shape. One was an older chinese model very beat up, stock was all kinds of messed up and they wanted $330 for it.

Doesn't sound bad at all man...Sounds like you'll fit right in here.  Don't over look those old beat up 1's...Sometimes they turn out to be treasures ( sometimes but not always now) and you can usually get 'em to come down on price.  When you get to jones'n for an SKS...those start looking better and better 

[Dannyboy53]

Hawkeye congratulations on a very nice snag, I think you did very well! That's a sharp looking carbine.

[martin08]

For what appears to be near excellent condition, I think you did alright on the price.  Nice ones don't usually come cheap.  Congrats.

[hawkeye4077]

Thanks guys, glad to hear you guys think I came out OK on it. I plan to take it out and give it a good test firing either tomorrow or Tuesday. I love how cheap ammo is for these, picked up a box of 40 tula rounds for just under 10 bucks before tax from Wal-Mart.

[Direct Connection]

Yep's, She's a keeper. Be careful, Now that you have your first one, you might own 2 more by Christmas 

[hawkeye4077]

Oh also, just for my own clarification, would this would appear to be a military issue rifle or a commercial rifle?

[Power Surge]

Oh also, just for my own clarification, would this would appear to be a military issue rifle or a commercial rifle?

It's a military spec gun. Commercial guns weren't until the mid 80s.

[hawkeye4077]

I thought so, but I just wanted to get confirmation from someone who's been in this for a while longer than myself. Thanks for the info.