New guy! Need input on Chinese SKS purchase.

[Hghlndr85]

Finnneee you twisted my arm. I'll go get it tomorrow. So  was this a mil surplus item? From what i have seen, if the arsenal stamp is the triangle with numbers it was a military intended gun. Is this correct?

[Larry D.]

At tree-fiddy, I'd buy it.

Oh, and by the way, welcome to the Files.

[echo1]

If I were honest, which I do try to always be(lol), being the tinkerer that I am and not really an SKS "collector" like some of you guys here(although, you are rubbing off on me). I've always liked the Choate scope mount, but was always too lazy to go through the process of doing the D&T on one. I did mount a homemade setup similar to that on an M91/30 once and that was enough for me. Given that, if this SKS was near me I probably, and some of you know me well enough to know this, would have paid the $350+tax already and have been taking it home with me.

I would have done the same as well and it would now be sitting in my gun cabnet!   

Glad to know I'm not alone in this

Me three for that price. It's a good buy for sure, and pre-Bubbad makes it a candidate for further evil doings if desired. PAX

[Hghlndr85]

Wasn't sure if the scope mount would help or hurt the situation.

[Larry D.]

Wasn't sure if the scope mount would help or hurt the situation.

For the purists among us - it hurts.

For the bubbas - it doesn't matter.

As for the Smith - we have to ask GG....  

Do it have an optic on it, or just the mount.

[Hghlndr85]

There is just a mount on it as is. Has a few rounds with stripper clips included as well

[Greatguns]

Finnneee you twisted my arm. I'll go get it tomorrow. So  was this a mil surplus item? From what i have seen, if the arsenal stamp is the triangle with numbers it was a military intended gun. Is this correct?

Well gentlemen, we have certainly earned our ENABLER stripes today. Thanks you all for coming out to this newber hazing...er...I mean initiation. Consider yourself thoroughly inaugurated into the SKS-Files gang Hghlndr85. 

Hard telling with the Chinese. Kind of like the Remington M91s made in WWI, they were made for military purposes, but never made it over to Russia to be used since Russia turned into a Civil war before they got shipped. The later SKSs were probably either made for military use in China or for export to a warring area to also be used for military purposes, but with exports to the US happening at that time, this era of build may have never made it anywhere except into a CONEX to be shipped to the US.

As for smith value on the scope mount. This is a "permanent" change. If this were a more collectible SKS it would hurt its value for sure. The mount itself is probably the best out there for D&T mounts and it looks to have been done well. Kind of gives it that Cowboy Companion or Farmer's Friend look. These mounts sit lower than most, but you can still see the irons so my belief on a standard, run of the mill SKS, is that the rifle retains its value and maybe a $25-$50 premium for a quality mount. What would have helped would be if the OEM stock were removed and saved then an aftermarket stock were used and fitted around the mount. Too late for that now. Still it has that OEM Commercial SKS Import look to it with the OEM stock and you can fairly easily find a spike bayonet set up to put back on it as well as a cleaning rod and sling to further maintain that OEM look and feel.

[Larry D.]

Well gentlemen, we have certainly earned our ENABLER stripes today. Thanks you all for coming out to this newber hazing...er...I mean initiation. Consider yourself thoroughly inaugurated into the SKS-Files gang Hghlndr85. 

Maybe the boss can change "Trade Count" to "Enabler Stripes"........

[Hghlndr85]

Lol thanks guys, knew i came to the right place.my bsnk account however does not feel as happy.

[Greatguns]

Lol thanks guys, knew i came to the right place.my bsnk account however does not feel as happy.

Tell you what Hghlndr85, If you get buyer's remorse or otherwise decide you don't like this speciman of an SKS I'll give ya your $350+shipping to take it off your hands. Wouldn't want a newly enabled member to go away disappointed now would we, lol.

[Phosphorus32]

So was this a mil surplus item? From what i have seen, if the arsenal stamp is the triangle with numbers it was a military intended gun. Is this correct?

The hanzi characters 五六式 mean Type 56, hence originally issued to military or police units. 

There are over 100 different Chinese arsenal stamps, many with triangles, a lot of rectangles, some ovals, one circle and a few other special ones (DB, DP, M21)   

[echo1]

Lol thanks guys, knew i came to the right place.my bsnk account however does not feel as happy.

Tell you what Hghlndr85, If you get buyer's remorse or otherwise decide you don't like this speciman of an SKS I'll give ya your $350+shipping to take it off your hands. Wouldn't want a newly enabled member to go away disappointed now would we, lol.

Normally this would be me too but it's gotten $tupid expensive to bring stuff into Kali. At $350 the mount will have negligible effect on resale, and the Choate is s good one. A leapers fixed 4X will be surprisingly durable and cheap. PAX

[firstchoice]

i have always wanted a sks just never got around to finding one i like. Well i am in law enforcement and stopped by my lgs and he had just bought a nice sks off a guy.  The gun is in great shape. All numbers matching. Wood is in great shape. Gun looks like it was well cared for and stored. No gunk on it. I did a bit of research on the markings before posting. It does appear this is a chinese security forces gun. The mark is either /016\ or /416\ i have read the debates on this as well. To me looks like a 0 but ill let the experts decide.  So question is, is this a good sks to grab and what is a good price? It does not have bayonet on it and does have a old mount for a scope on the top dust cover. I am attaching a pic as well. Thanks!

Welcome to the Files, Hghlndr85! Looks like you've picked a great specimen of the Chinese Type 56 for your first SKS! The /416\ Arsenal made some nice carbines! This is the first 24MIL from /416\ that I've seen. As for the Public Security question, there are two ways to confirm that. First and most importantly, will be the two Chinese ideographs stamped into right side of  the receiver. This pic is of my /416\ PS carbine:



And for confirmation, look for the import mark and find the KFS ATL GA stamp. KFS is the only known importer of the Public Security Carbines. 

I'd have to see the condition of the entire carbine to put much more than an estimated value on it. If the serial numbers ALL match, the wood is flawless to VG-EXC condition, the bluing is 95% or better, and no pitting, the carbine should bring 400-500. If the receiver cover SN matches the rest of the numbers, there's an excellent chance it actually is all-matching. With the one small pic it's hard to say for sure, but the scope mount looks like it was professionally mounted. So I don't think it would take any value off this one. (Not to say a collector wouldn't call it a ding in value. Just saying if it looks good and was mounted strong and correctly, it will offset that "ding" in most people and possibly smooth it out some for the purists like myself.  I think you are safe in buying it for 350.00, no doubt! I certainly would!


firstchoice   

[Hghlndr85]

I went back and looked at it. All numbers match everywhere. No chinese characters on right side of receiver and only thing i can see bc of the scope mount is "sa. Atl ga". Not kfs.thoughts?

[Justin Hell]

For a lark, I just checked Armslist for my state, and there wasn't a single SKS for less than $700, most were much more.
I think the price you can get it for already is whetting the appetites of several folks here....besides, you will end up with more than one anyway...might as well get your feet wet.  I likely would get it locally at that price, I do scope some of my SKSs, and I have been interested in that mount, but didn't want to deal with the hassle of installing it any more than I could pick one of mine to alter permanently.

It is a pretty uncommon arsenal, and these days, a price you won't see much longer.
Like I said, chances are high you will end up with more than one...they are addictive.

[Larry D.]

I went back and looked at it. All numbers match everywhere. No chinese characters on right side of receiver and only thing i can see bc of the scope mount is "sa. Atl ga". Not kfs.thoughts?

Buy it.

You already have a standing offer here to get your money back. Likely, you'd make money on it if you put it on the open market.

[firstchoice]

I went back and looked at it. All numbers match everywhere. No chinese characters on right side of receiver and only thing i can see bc of the scope mount is "sa. Atl ga". Not kfs.thoughts?

Well, first thought is that we now know for sure that it's not a Public Security Carbine.

As far as the importer's stamp, it sounds like you may have a POLY USA ATL GA stamp which is partially covered by the scope mount.  The whole string would've read either:
     
     SKS 7.62X39 NORINCO CHINA POLY USA ATL GA 

or: SKS 7.62X39  MADE IN CHINA BY NORINCO POLY USA ATL GA

It was just another importer located in Atlanta, GA. Not to be confused with POLYTECH. Different company.

I hope you picked it up! It's a good buy even without being a PS carbine. Just my $.02, anyway.

firstchoice

[carls sks]

so did you get it? good to have you here and welcome to a great site.

[Matchka]

Welcome to the site! 350 (OTD) ain't too shabby these days. No shipping also helps.