Thread: Can we have an honest discussion about SKS prices?

I keep seeing wildly different prices on SKS rifles on all of the firearms websites I see.

Is common opinion that these rifles are still $150 at most?

I only bring this up because I just saw an SKS for sale for $550 obo with a $50 tasco stock on it and some other small extras.

To me this seemed extremely off base... is this just my perception of the firearm? or is this a legit asking price?

While the SKS appears to lead the pack as far as "firearm inflation" goes, the same affliction seems to have heavily impacted most firearms over the past two to three years. Suddenly, every decent used firearm is at least $300 while new prices for mid-range firearms approach $1000. Firearm prices are seemingly tracking the price insanity of ammunition without the recent relief we have been experiencing with ammo.

You are not alone in thinking that an SKS is a $150 firearm... at best. It's rather like my old 98 Mauser that now appears to be worth $350 to $400 when I wouldn't pay more than $100 for if I were I buying it.

i keep seeing them at the gunshows - standard, stock SKS - in the low $300's. some of the specialty ones carry a premium. If the market says they are a $150 gun, then SKS has not suffered from gun inflation as much other type guns. Probably because the market was flooded with them when the import doors opened up years ago.

Yup you can get a new AK for sub $400

200 for a good condition SKS is a fair price... like new condition I can see $250

Do all the sites not let people comment on for sale posts, cause here it seems like guns actually appreciate. If i see another used glock full size for $500+ i'll puke. I can get a new one down at fishermans for $500 OTD. Or use GSSF and get it for $425 w/3 mags at keiths.

Originally Posted by Somenewguy

Do all the sites not let people comment on for sale posts, cause here it seems like guns actually appreciate. If i see another used glock full size for $500+ i'll puke. I can get a new one down at fishermans for $500 OTD. Or use GSSF and get it for $425 w/3 mags at keiths.

There was one on ifish this morning (2nd Gen .40) asking 10k

I paid $79.95 for my Russian sks. I have a hard time paying more than that now.

How about the lovely "Trade for sks?" posts that I see nearly every day?

It really depends. These days, IMO the SKS is worth well over $150, unless it's a bad example. The stock Norincos are probably $175-225 and I'd consider that a decent price. The Russian ones, assuming good condition, I would pay $300-325 for. The thing is, even at these increased prices (I know, I know, there was a time when one could get a Norinco in excellent shape for $69, and they were so common people were tripping over them at a gun shows), you still get an excellent rifle for the money. If something like the SKS were to be produced here in the USA today, they would easily be $550 or so... so I'm not at all troubled that they're selling for more than $150. What other intermediate caliber semi-auto rifle can you get for under $200?

I think the local prices of SKS reflect the value of a well made, well designed gun, compared with what else is available on the market. They are still a great value compared to similar rifles, in my opinion.

lol physicsguy...

Looks like the common idea is that over $300 is too much. Thanks for helping ground me. I knew I wasn't alone.

To me an original SKS in good original condition is worth $200-$225, if it has been "improved" it's worth $100-$150

I still have my Original $79 Norinco SKS in unfired condition.

IMO, a stock SKS with minimal wear can go from $250-$275. Yes you can get an old issued one with a cracked stock for less than $200. Any extras should boost the price up relative to the price of the extras. That said, a SKS with all the after mark accessories could be worth maybe maximum $400. Throw in some relatively good functioning magazines and the price could go up.

We all know that if we bought a weapon at the top of the market we have the right to try and recover that money at resale. Realistically nobody is really buying anything today in Portland; people just don’t have the money. Your best bet as a buyer, is to offer what you want to buy it for and see what the seller is willing to give it up for. If the seller wants to take a loss on the weapon, that’s their prerogative. As the buyer don’t get into an argument with the seller. Don’t tell the seller that you could buy the weapon for xxx amount of dollars someplace else, the seller would just tell you to go and buy that weapon.

Originally Posted by Somenewguy

Do all the sites not let people comment on for sale posts, cause here it seems like guns actually appreciate. If i see another used glock full size for $500+ i'll puke. I can get a new one down at fishermans for $500 OTD. Or use GSSF and get it for $425 w/3 mags at keiths.

If the person's price is out of line with the market, it will not sell. No comments are needed. Negative comments about price would predictably spawn all kinds of nasty fights. People have different ideas of what guns should sell for. Part of it depends on what their frame of reference is and part of it depends on how they deal. And then there are the low-ballers who are always seeking to stick it to the seller.

While I have seen some bone stock, no extras, used Glock pistols for over $500, usually the Glock pistols I see for sale here include at least one of the following: night sights, a trigger job, extra mags, or a holster.

The thing that bothers me is when I see someone put up a few guns for sale, one of the other members buys them for the sole purpose of listing them a few days later at higher prices. Yes, it's capitalism at work but it destroys the community feel of the place when you have people being sharks. -If a person wants to be a gun dealer, get the license and open a gun store.

Regarding SKS prices, I remember when they were about $100 (some less, some more) in the 80's. One of the things that affects price with the SKS is where it was made i.e. Russia, China, etc. and which version it is. I'm not into the SKS rifles but I recall hearing the model that can accept an AK-47 mag going for a premium.

Often what you get with the SKS, AK, and even the AR rifles is the seller who doesn't know what the differences are (between makes and configuration) and then chooses to list his rifle at the top price. This can be an innocent mistake where he has not researched it. It can be him passing along the rifle at the inflated price he paid. Unfortunately, it can also be someone seeking to take advantage of a buyer who is not knowledgeable.

unfortunately, you get those inexperianced, new to firearms people out there that have heard someone that seems knowledgeable raving about thier new toy________(insert toy here) and fail to do the proper research about said toy and end up paying premium price for sub premium equipment. Thus justifying the outrageous price.
I totally agree that the price of the item, with extras should reflect proportiantly, but I do research what I want for many days before the purchase/trade and usually end up with a on par equivilent for much less (RIA/Springfield ECT)

I agree with a lot of points here but one thing that I keep hearing is people saying , "I remember when I paid $xxx for my gun..." well that's all fine and good but how long ago was that? Remember when a mini-14 was $150? When a 10-22 was $60? Yeah, so do I. I also remember when a candybar was $0.10 and a can of pop was $0.25 and a gallon of gas was $0.89... Now don't get me wrong, people trying to get $550 for any sks in my opinion is ridiculous but I do think $250-$300 is accurate for the current market.

Originally Posted by Outrider

If the person's price is out of line with the market, it will not sell. No comments are needed. Negative comments about price would predictably spawn all kinds of nasty fights. People have different ideas of what guns should sell for.

Exactly, the market will do the talking in the end.

Now what does bother me about SKS's and prices is that people that do all sorts of ugly aftermarket modifications expect that the rifle is now worth the original price plus the cost of the junk they've added to it, and a little extra for the work that was put in. When I see an SKS with a bad polymer stock, unreliable aftermarket mags, lousy scope mount, etc I am really just looking at receiver+barrel assembly that needs lots of parts; thus it's actually worth less to me than a factory SKS.

I don't see the point. If you want an intermediate-caliber semi-auto with a mag capacity greater than 10, a pistol grip, and some provision for mounting optics, all without breaking the bank... just get yourself an AK. The costs are gonna be about the same.

Let's say you get a decent Norinco SKS for $225 and keep all the mods low cost, throw in a Tapco polymer stock for $80, a Tapco 20-rd magazine for $20, and a replacement receiver cover with scope mount for $30, assuming that all can be found locally (and you don't incur shipping costs or have to drive far to find it all), you're up to $355, which is within AK territory. Except with an AK, you get a gun that was designed with a pistol grip in mind, detachable standard capacity magazines that actually feed reliably, and a rail that lends itself to actually holding zero. Why ruin a rifle by trying to turn it into something it was never meant to be and can't really be... and then expect people to pay a buttload of money for it when you realize it after you've already done it?

I mean sure, it's their gun and they can do with it what they will, just seems silly is all.

One of the big reasons SKS have gone up in price is availability, there just isn't as many any more. Used to be able to go and buy a pristine model for $150, now they have all been purchased and all we can find is rusty models for $150. Same goes with the Garand. It ain't like they are still making them.

Another reason why SKSs are going up in price compared to AKs. ALL SKSs in this country, with the exception of few certain Chinese models, were actual military-issued weapons at one point in their lifetime. ALL AKs in this country (with the exception on a precious few authentic full-auto examples) are merely semi-automatic mixmaster clones of their full-auto AK and AKM counterparts and were never military-issue rifles. Very few AK clones (the preban PolyTechs come to mind) have any kind of collectable status at all.

For what they are, even though I paid $60 for a Chinese SKS and $150 for a Russian refurb SKS in the mid 90s, I would still consider an unmolested $300 Chinese SKS and a $400 Russian refurb SKS to be 'fair' deals these days.

Keith

Originally Posted by Mookie

One of the big reasons SKS have gone up in price is availability, there just isn't as many any more. Used to be able to go and buy a pristine model for $150, now they have all been purchased and all we can find is rusty models for $150. Same goes with the Garand. It ain't like they are still making them.

The overseas market is starting to dry up somewhat and countries are asking more as the dollar falls.
I received two excellent conditions and “new” all numbers match out of the crate M-59 SKS’s yesterday and the grand total with shipping was $354.00 each, and a fairly rare new un-issued 1952 Polish M-44 Mosin @ $234.00 with shipping. These prices are not a secret, just hit the importers websites and see for yourself. Mediocre Yugo bolt action 24/47’s run $200.00 at Big 5 stores.
Take a look at these for example, most sell out very quickly.

Yugoslavian SKS 59/66, 7.62x39. Very good condition.


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