I met a guy at a gun show selling a Russian parade sks. It was beautiful, with not a single scratch or ding on it. He claimed it has never been fired and it also had matching numbers. It was not nickel plated like some Russian parade sks, but blued. He wants $800 for it, is that a fair price?
Russian parade sks?
- Thread starter Ransome
- Start date
"...some Russian parade SKS..." Most of those in the U.S. were plated by Bubba. A blued one may not be Russian either. There are pictures here of blued SKS' from Bulgaria.
https://m1-garand-rifle.com/garands-on-parade/sks.php
Boat load of pictures from everywhere. Most of the SKS' are blued too. Appears to be mostly about how much money the local Communists had to play with.
http://www.yooperj.com/SKS-28.htm
Anyway, without some kind of documentation that proves it's a Parade rifle, you really need to assume the guy has made up a marketing story. Buy the rifle, not the story.
Personally, I don't think there's an SKS on the planet that's worth $800USD. $600US will buy you a 1951 Russian SKS in excellent condition on Gunbroker.
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/780868701
https://m1-garand-rifle.com/garands-on-parade/sks.php
Boat load of pictures from everywhere. Most of the SKS' are blued too. Appears to be mostly about how much money the local Communists had to play with.
http://www.yooperj.com/SKS-28.htm
Anyway, without some kind of documentation that proves it's a Parade rifle, you really need to assume the guy has made up a marketing story. Buy the rifle, not the story.
Personally, I don't think there's an SKS on the planet that's worth $800USD. $600US will buy you a 1951 Russian SKS in excellent condition on Gunbroker.
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/780868701
Man, I remember SKSs selling for $50 in the 1980s, and we wouldn't have them because they were Soviet rifles (guns of the enemy, so to speak). $800? Never. They are one of the most reliable rifles in the world, and they shoot minute of man out to 250-ish yds, but they are one of the crudest made rifles ever in existence.
Back in the 1990's, some importers of surplus SKS rifles were advertising some of the highest quality SKS's as parade rifles and charging a premium for them.
They reportedly had nicer bluing and stock finishing.
I think that one of these premium guns would be worth paying a premium price.
Since those premium "parade" SkS's may have cost an extra $50 back in the 90's, they should be worth close to the extra $200 today.
At least you know what you're getting.
Some individual guns are simply better & more desirable than others.
Personally I would not buy that one on Gunbroker for $600, especially if there were a mint unfired one available, even if it cost $800.
When I see a gun at a gunshow that I'm on the fence about, I try to get his business card or contact info. so that I can contact him after the show if I decide that I want to try to buy it.
I'm curious if you did the same?
He may accept a close offer for it if you wanted to haggle a little over the price.
Unless you want to watch or attend a lot of gun auctions with hopes of winning a similar USSR SKS for a lower price, you may never see as nice of an SKS for a much lower price than that.
They reportedly had nicer bluing and stock finishing.
I think that one of these premium guns would be worth paying a premium price.
Since those premium "parade" SkS's may have cost an extra $50 back in the 90's, they should be worth close to the extra $200 today.
At least you know what you're getting.
Some individual guns are simply better & more desirable than others.
Personally I would not buy that one on Gunbroker for $600, especially if there were a mint unfired one available, even if it cost $800.
When I see a gun at a gunshow that I'm on the fence about, I try to get his business card or contact info. so that I can contact him after the show if I decide that I want to try to buy it.
I'm curious if you did the same?
He may accept a close offer for it if you wanted to haggle a little over the price.
Unless you want to watch or attend a lot of gun auctions with hopes of winning a similar USSR SKS for a lower price, you may never see as nice of an SKS for a much lower price than that.
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Glad I have one
89 bucks each for Russian SKS's and this was mid to late 1990's.....and I only bought 3 of them.
I always remind my minister of finance (wife) of that......because I wanted to buy 10.
Oh well, she is a keeper anyway. As is the one SKS I have left of those three.
89 bucks each for Russian SKS's and this was mid to late 1990's.....and I only bought 3 of them.
I always remind my minister of finance (wife) of that......because I wanted to buy 10.
Oh well, she is a keeper anyway. As is the one SKS I have left of those three.
Didn't some of the reconditioned ones have replacement numbers engraved with electro-oencil engraving tools on many of the replacement parts?
While the free-hand penciling may not have appeared to be done very professionally, at least some of them were were reported to be good shooters.
While the free-hand penciling may not have appeared to be done very professionally, at least some of them were were reported to be good shooters.
Not a firearm I've ever followed so I went to GB to get educated. Forget the story, if the gun looked proper to you I would say its a fair price. Also forget that 30 years ago they were dirt cheap. Changing times, my friend. Looks like there are a lot listed on GB and most seem to be receiving bids so I take that as a good sign. Will you double your money in ten years? Probably not. If it is a gun you would like to own, why not. At least you can see it and touch it. We all enjoy finding a "steal" but for the most part my collection is not based on price, its based on what I want to own and enjoy shooting.