Price check - Chinese SKS
- Thread starter Noban
- Start date
This may or may not help.
I went with a buddy to J&G in Prescott, AZ in his quest to buy a cheapy $149 Romanian (milled receiver) SKS. The salesman knew he was a buyer so he didn't have any problems showing him a few representative samples. The base-priced SKSs were functional but often had cracked stocks or had been "worked on", etc. My buddy was buying them (two) for his son and daughter and wanted ones in better shape.
He asked for samples of the next step up. For $20 more you got the "hand-picked" which had intact stocks but a goodly amount of dings. Still quite functional. But not good enough for his kids, I guess.
Then the salesman showed him Romanian SKSs in "collector grade" (I didn't know there was such a thing). The salesman showed him why they were considered the top grade. One was that it had the orignal bayonet (only two crimps rather than four) on the original lug. Stock was in essentially perfect condition and all the numbers matched. Original sights with no re-blueing on the rear flippy sight which was supposedly filed down by some unknown Romanian armorer to zero the rifle. Something about the bolt was different (can't remember what). The salesman also said that it was customary to not chrome the chamber of this type of SKS (can't remember the reason).
This rifle went for about $219 or $229 or something like that. It clearly presented itself as a better-looking rifle, and he was happy with the condition.
One of the other customers asked him why he paid another $ 70-80 for a rifle most people buy for its affordability. My buddy told him that his kids were worth it and after twenty years nobody will remember or care that he paid another few bucks.
"And neither will those who come to confiscate it," I joked.
He bought 1,000 rounds of 7.62 for another $80.
Dang. Remember when these rifles were going for under $60?
Rick
[This message has been edited by RickD (edited November 08, 2000).]
I went with a buddy to J&G in Prescott, AZ in his quest to buy a cheapy $149 Romanian (milled receiver) SKS. The salesman knew he was a buyer so he didn't have any problems showing him a few representative samples. The base-priced SKSs were functional but often had cracked stocks or had been "worked on", etc. My buddy was buying them (two) for his son and daughter and wanted ones in better shape.
He asked for samples of the next step up. For $20 more you got the "hand-picked" which had intact stocks but a goodly amount of dings. Still quite functional. But not good enough for his kids, I guess.
Then the salesman showed him Romanian SKSs in "collector grade" (I didn't know there was such a thing). The salesman showed him why they were considered the top grade. One was that it had the orignal bayonet (only two crimps rather than four) on the original lug. Stock was in essentially perfect condition and all the numbers matched. Original sights with no re-blueing on the rear flippy sight which was supposedly filed down by some unknown Romanian armorer to zero the rifle. Something about the bolt was different (can't remember what). The salesman also said that it was customary to not chrome the chamber of this type of SKS (can't remember the reason).
This rifle went for about $219 or $229 or something like that. It clearly presented itself as a better-looking rifle, and he was happy with the condition.
One of the other customers asked him why he paid another $ 70-80 for a rifle most people buy for its affordability. My buddy told him that his kids were worth it and after twenty years nobody will remember or care that he paid another few bucks.
"And neither will those who come to confiscate it," I joked.
He bought 1,000 rounds of 7.62 for another $80.
Dang. Remember when these rifles were going for under $60?
Rick
[This message has been edited by RickD (edited November 08, 2000).]