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Value: 1951 Russian SKS?

hnevets
I am thinking of selling my SKS. It is Russian made, 1951, and the serial numbers do not match. It is in very good condition. It has the bayonet, sling, and cleaning kit. The wood stock has several x's on it perhaps saying something about its history.

I have no idea what the rifle is worth. Some say it's a $275 rifle, similar to the Chinese SKS's out there. I have had a couple of folks say it worth around $450.(They are not offering to but it for that price, however.) Should I hold on to it as acollectible, or sell it because there are a lot out there? Are the Russian SKS's more valuable than the the others? And how significant is it that the serial numbers do not match?

Thanks.

Steve
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • rufe-snow
    The "X's" on the stock and mismatched serial numbers, most likely mean it's a arsenal reworked parts gun. This would take it out of the top dollar collector catagory, and more then likely price it as a shooter.

    Check the on-line auctions for the actual selling prices of shooter grade SKS's. Things have been going crazy in the gun world over the last 6 months, with prices of semi-auto rifles. You might be surprised at what SKS's are going for. As the prices of AR's and AK's rise, it also affects the value of other more affordable semi-auto rifles.
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  • vicg1
    Sold a lot recently, all in 100% new appearance, all sold for about $350... some a bit less, some a bit more (the ones with black bayo seemed to pull more $$$ at auction).

    If it's like new, it's a $350 rifle.
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  • bobinwis
    Hello....Look at the 'x's on the stock. Does it appear as if they were stamped on to overlay some numbers, ie, original stock numbers?? Is the stock solid wood or laminated?? They originally used solid wood and when that ran out went to laminated. If reworked in an arsenal, they may have taken a good stock from another rifle which was use for parts, 'x'd out the serial number, then refitted it to your rifle. Is there a small rectangle (perhaps 3/4 inch by half inch) stamped into the stock with a diagonal line through it?? If so, indicates that the rifle was arsenal repaired or overhauled. For top price, all parts should be from the same original rifle and have the same serial numbers and no 'rework' stamps.

    Regards, Bob
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  • beantownshootah
    You pretty much can't find ANY SKS for under $200 nowadays, and even the Yugo ones in excellent condition are running $250 and up.

    The Russian ones should still be worth more than the Chinese and Yugoslavian ones.

    I'd imagine ANY Russian SKS in good shape with original accessories has got to be worth at least $300, regardless of the serial numbers.

    One from the '50s with matching numbers in like new shape could be worth $450, sure.
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  • nmyers
    Recent sales on GB have been bizarre. Prices have ranged from $300-$600+. Really nice original guns (blued, matching) didn't always bring top dollar, & arsenal rebuilt (matt black, mixed) weren't necessarily at the bottom.

    There are too many buyers out there who don't know what they are looking at, & this is one item that causes "auction fever". If I were to sell one, I'd list it at the lowest price I was willing to accept, & be happy if I got a lot more.

    Neal
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  • redman.com1
    beantown has got it about right. around $300. if you pay attention you will see that the obama scare is going away. ak and sks prices have droped significantly in the last 6 weeks or so. ecspecially ak's! could also be because the market is so flooded? sks's are holding their value a little better.
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  • beantownshootah
    quote:Originally posted by redman.com1
    beantown has got it about right. around $300. if you pay attention you will see that the obama scare is going away. ak and sks prices have droped significantly in the last 6 weeks or so. ecspecially ak's! could also be because the market is so flooded? sks's are holding their value a little better.

    I agree that prices are dropping pretty much everywhere you look. Retailers have dropped the prices on AKs, and even AR-15 style rifles are starting to become available again.

    I don't think its because the market is flooded, so much as because by this point pretty much everyone who wanted to buy one of these has done so already. In other words, demand has dropped back to normal again.

    One reason there is that its become clear to anyone paying careful attention that Obama doesn't have the votes to pass any major gun control bill right now, and that issue is effectively shelved until post-election 2010. So any sense of urgency has passed.

    Further, along those lines, 7.62x39 ammo which was completely unavailable 2 months ago, is now in stock in multiple places. (Not brass-cased .223, or most pistol calibers. . .but its a start).

    I was actually just contacted last week by a retailer who offered to fill my order on an unissued Yugo SKS rifle I wanted to buy in November! He had no unissued ones for me to buy (those have totally dried up), but I took him up on the offer for an excellent condition one instead, figuring that I really can't go wrong with one of these, even at the "astronomical" price of $250.

    Anyway, with regard to SKS rifles, in my opinion, these are definitely a future collectible.

    That may sound puzzling to shooters accustomed to seeing these cheap and plentiful over the past ten years, but that's always the way with these things. First the surplus guns are cheap "junk" guns that flood the market and nobody wants. . .then the supply dries up. . .then the guns get "rediscovered", then they increase in value. . .(then everyone who didn't buy one kicks themself thinking, "I could have had one of those for $X, and now they cost $3x!")

    In this case, the original supply of Yugo SKS guns has mostly dried up now. (Let alone rarer ones like Russian SKS guns, where the supply dried up years ago). The surplus dealers don't have that many (or in most cases ANY) left, and most of the ones that are left aren't such good specimens. This partly explains the rapid increase in prices on these in particular.

    With AKs, those aren't going away anytime soon. They're still churning out buckets of parts in Romania for importation, and there are multiple current production American-made receivers around to put those together. So there will be plenty of new-production AKs available for the foreseeable future.

    On the other hand, the older SKS rifles are C&R guns that aren't going to be brought into the USA any more. There are a fixed number of those, and they are probably the last of the true military surplus-type semi-automatic guns ever to be allowed into the USA.

    Remember, after the 50s and 60s, most militaries went to select-fire rifles. Those guns may wear out and go into the global surplus market, but they're never going to be permitted into the USA.

    Apart from being C&R guns, SKS's also have the advantage of ordinary stocks and fixed 10 round magazines, meaning that they actually do NOT qualify as "assault weapons" in many jurisdictions that ban AR-15s and AKs and the like. Unlike stamped receiver AKs, the SKS guns have full wood stocks, and milled steel parts.

    Anyway, the point is, that I think the days of under-$200 SKS guns are permanently gone, and that these rifles are only going to increase in desirability over the coming years.

    I think the earlier Russian ones in particular are going to be the most desirable from a collector's standpoint.

    So personally, no, I wouldn't sell mine, but that's going to be situation dependent. If I needed the money, or knew for sure I was unlikely to ever shoot it, then sure, I'd sell it.
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  • hnevets
    Thanks, everyone, you have been very helpful.
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  • Inked
    Hi, I have a 1950's Yugo SKS with wood not laminated stock, all matching serial numbers. All the metal is in superb condition, and the wood has only a few imperfections, which include the name 'Pakah' carved into the stock, I'm guessing from the issued soldier. I was wondering what I am looking at in the worth of this gun, I can't seem to find a way to price this piece. I also have an original mosin-nagant with all matching serial numbers in mint condition, with the original strap and ammo pouches on it which I'm also having a hard time pricing. I have found a base value for them, but I need to know what they are worth as far as a collector's standpoint. Thanks!
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  • beantownshootah
    quote:Originally posted by Inked
    Hi, I have a 1950's Yugo SKS with wood not laminated stock, all matching serial numbers. All the metal is in superb condition, and the wood has only a few imperfections, which include the name 'Pakah' carved into the stock, I'm guessing from the issued soldier. I was wondering what I am looking at in the worth of this gun, I can't seem to find a way to price this piece. I also have an original mosin-nagant with all matching serial numbers in mint condition, with the original strap and ammo pouches on it which I'm also having a hard time pricing. I have found a base value for them, but I need to know what they are worth as far as a collector's standpoint. Thanks!


    Your Yugo SKS is probably worth around $250, give or take a little. The carving on the stock may add a little novelty value. . .or not.

    If you want to know EXACTLY what its worth, take NUMEROUS high quality pictures of it from all angles, and list it for auction and the free market will price it accurately for you.

    The value of your Mosin is going to depend on exactly which model it is. They've just started to dry up from the surplus market recently, but there have been a GAZILLION "re-arsenaled" WWII era Mosin Nagant rifles on the surplus market over the last several years.

    These are older guns that have been refinished (stock and or external bluing) into like-new condition. Usually the "kit" includes bayonet, sling, cartridge holder, and a few other accessories.

    Anyway, if that's what you have (and it most likely is), then your gun is worth in the ballpark of $75-100. A great bore, or other desirable features could add a bit. If you have a "sniper" version with a bent bolt, that would be worth more, etc.

    http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php/c/c-r-guns/p/mosin-nagant-91-30-hex-receiver-rifle,-standard-grade,-7-62x54r-caliber-/cPath/290/products_id/1524?osCsid=2567a87f3660665d1d3765737743ba6c

    If you have the shorter carbine version with built in folding bayonet (the M44), its going to be worth more than the standard long (M91/30) version. If you have one of the unissued M44s, it could be worth as much as $240 or so.
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