SKS Rifle - News - Sources say

[DuneHopper]

firearms are about the most ridiculous market I have ever seen. The speculation and fear mongering that drive prices up and down are nuts, and have no basis in reality, or at least in mine. I don't get why people even bother.

I never had a Mosin Nagant, SKS, or even an AK, and have absolutely no desire to get one at an inflated price, even if they will be gone for ever soon.

Well we all know why prices raise up, a specific party is involved in shenanigans, making the firearms market as volatile as the oil market. A great culture test study was the 2012 election, which boosted gun sales, and dried up ammo. A box of Federal 22LR was going easy 65.00 and easy 50.00 on this site. The Mosin, SKS, and AK are all victims of successful capitalism .
The AR is only, repeat only exempt to these prices due to the fact you can build and manufacture many parts often right at home with little training. The top three you mention are limited and can not be built at home easily.
We have to remember the AR is not innocent either in price gouging, anyone around the Clinton ban can tell you these sold top dollar and a premium before the ban went in to effect.
They all were not inflated just ten years ago 99.00 Mosins and 199.00SKS as well as 400.00 import AK's were still around. The import market dried up so the prices are not inflated they are reflective of the shortage. A great example is the Colt Python, which is not a $2000-3000, sure they are perty, but nothing that is worth 3K other then, there are very few left that can work on them, and there are no new ones made in a very long time. These three in a few years maybe 10 or so will be the new breed and in my opinion if one can be had under 350.00 id grab it.

 

[Boboclown]

AK prices went up due to: Sandy Hook panic buying, Russian sanctions which got rid of competition (so prices increase), and now limited imports due to middle east conflicts (Arsenal makes a lot of 5.56 and 7.62x39 AKs and sends us whatever they want, Zastava is busy, and only CAI can ask Cugir for stuff). Also surplus kits drying up, the Bush ban on importing barrels also killed kits.

The only new import are Polish pistols from WBP...

With the SKS its just surplus drying up. Only China is churning them out of factories.

 

[CLT65]

It's just supply and demand. I don't think that SKS and Mosin Nagant prices are necessarily inflated, so much as they were seriously deflated in the surplus heyday. I remember $49 SKSs in the early '90s, and $40 Mosins and Turk Mausers less than 20 years ago. I have a really nice Swiss K31 that I paid $150 sometime around 2000. Those were all seriously undervalued at the time, cheap because the surplus market was flooded. Can you imagine trying to manufacture something with old-school craftsmanship like the K31, for $150? Now the surplus supply has dried up and some people still want them. Maybe there's some politics involved but mostly it's just supply and demand. The price of M1 rifles and carbines has gone nuts in recent years as well; lots of demand.

People buy guns for a variety of reasons. If you want a modern, practical rifle based on functionality alone, don't bother with the old surplus rifles. Leave them for us geezers who appreciate them for what they are- a piece of history.

Added: speaking of supply and demand, can you imagine how cheap guns like the Mosin Nagant would be if a larger percentage of them were released on the American market? In the heyday of surplus they were imported by the hundreds of thousands. They were manufactured in the tens of millions.

 

[MrRob96]

Wish I could remember how much I paid for my Yugo SKS... Got it back in early early 2000s when they came in C&R. Got it in CA... Surprised they let that one into the PRK.

Love the rifle. Shoot it about 20 times every 5 years. I won't grab it when SHTF.

Small parts aren't necessary.

Is anybody putting high miles on these things? I never see them at ranges.

 

[CountryGent]

just not so well with the aftermarket 30 round detachable "USA" magazine. It turns out that it was the "USA" magazine that was a piece of junk that jammed all the time.

I forgot about the USA brand magazines. Wow, those were crap incarnate, and not just in the SKS platform.

 

[ditchtiger]

as are VC take homes if one has one of those I hear they get top dollar, problem is proving their origins,

Worked with an older fellow for a while. He showed me his SKS that he traded a VC a grenade for. A papered, battle damaged rifle was awesome to see. He also said the previous owner had no issues with giving it up.

 

[Phantom Man]

There is a very interesting YouTube video featuring Jerry Mitulek and his "Just in case" gun a SKS. He shoots at high-speed and says he keeps it in the corner. An odd choice to me as he says it cycles slow.

 

[revjen45]

I'm with Boboclown. The SKS is a great econo-rifle which is best left stock. People who think it's cheaper to deck out an SKS than buy an AK end up with less than they started with.