SKS's are worth more than AR15's

[live2hunt]

I was in Big 5 just last week. Can you say $499??? That's what they wanted for the SKS.

That seem to be a bit high for an SKS. There is one on the forum now for 650. Now I am no pro on SKS's but for 650 a guy could just about get an AR and surly get an AK. Have enjoy'd the feedback... and for the record, i will buy one for 150 if anyone has one to sell.

 

[mjbskwim]

I saw a very nice one go at the gun show for $300.Perfect wood.

And my guy today was asking over $400.Closer to $500

I remember back when they were a novelty and selling at around $100.
Shouda coulda woulda huh?

 

[rusobr2]

fellas-- a gun is only worth what you want to pay for it (like trks,cars,boats)! if you check out some of the auction sites,and these are listed at a price you don't want to pay-- send them a message ? if they only have one bid-- this is usually a friends bid to start the pricing--still send them a message ! i'v owned six diff. sk's & ak's--i'm down to three (nor.para.w/6 way folder--mac sport'r--rom ak) all go "BANG" everytime !! these are all 100 yrd. guns ! tweek um and you'll get more . i don't worry about moa's , but i do know i can hit a milk jug @ 100 yds.(even last shot in 30 rnd clip) if shtf i know i'm in my sk,and my wife allready has dib's on the mac spt. in my opinion the "AR's" are just a glorified version of all the above !! (and more money)

my thoughts only........steven

 

[mjbskwim]

Like I told the guy last week buying 4 30 round and 2 drums for his AK
Dud your not helping the prices any by buying all those.e panic and pay the prices and they will continue to go way up

I'm kinda done buying now that diesel is FOUR O FIVE a gallon

$4.05 almost made me sick

 

[toddt36]

Yeah pretty much going to hurt the economic recovery again for sure.

 

[Teufel_Hunden]

Somebody smoking something wacky. SKS's are not even close to AR-15 values. But remember you can advertise your item for as much as you want........the BIG question...? Will someone actually pay what you ask?

 

[Trlsmn]

My brother dropped a deer with an SKS.

I'm of the opinion that an SKS is worth $225 to $275 unless it "modified" then it's worth significantly less.

 

[trainsktg]

I'm of the opinion that an SKS is worth $225 to $275 unless it "modified" then it's worth significantly less.

Can I hear an 'Amen'?

Amen!

Keith

 

[MrNiceGuy]

More realistic sales figures:

OEM chinese/yugo $150 - $300

OEM Russian $250 - $400

OEM SKSm $400 - $600

These are closer to actual market value.
Nostalgic prices are good for conversation, but they wont help you buy/sell.

I remember when you could buy a new sks for $100
I remember when you could buy a new colt python for $375
I remember when you could buy a new s&w mod41 for $120

 

[live2hunt]

amen

 

[Ranger90]

SKS's are worth $300 to $400 in good to great overall condition and the prices go down from there. As for the SKS being a better rifle than the AK, it depends on the make of the AK and the type of shooting you plan to do. An SKS may make a good hunting rifle, but for a fighting rifle the AK is the more practical choice. If you buy a cheap AK don't expect it to be the most accurate rifle out of box, but I have seen more expensive AK's keep tighter groups than the SKS. Unlike the SKS the AK has actually been improved since it was first designed and implemented whereas the SKS was promptly dropped.

 

[rusobr2]

i remember the first sk (nor.)i bought was in "the dalles" in "03"--guy wanted 175.00 , and it come with 2 mags 5&20---when i looked at the gun, it looked like someone with studs had done a burnout on it + someone had been down at the river hitting rocks with it --pulled back the charger,and it looked like there wasn't enough room for a 9mm--we settled on 110.00 -went down to the pit--took my pocket knife,and dug out 3 chunks of whatever--poured some tranny fluid in it , and shot out 200 rnds. & never missed a beat--took it home ,give it a good cleaning,put a montie stock on it for 39.95--2 yrs. later & 1000 rnds down it--sold it for 350.00, then i was able to buy my ak--after shooting the ak for awhile i added another sk to "fun gun" collection-- i waited for the right deal to come along an picked up a para model w/6 way stock--i found out that if you like to shoot as much as i do ----both of these guns are a lot of fun , and they can't be fun if ammo is either hard to come by or expensive,and the 7.62 is "NATTA" on both counts! the only big drawback that i have found is the clunkiness of sk mags,other then that i give them both "thumbs up" . now i picked up a "mac sprtr"--oh ya !! we do have fun !
--all these guns are 200 to 400 give or take--

my opinion only..steven

 

[rdt]

amen.

correct me if im wrong but the ak was developed in response to the WWII realization that military encounters seemed to happen as close ranges and be decided by overall number of rounds fired, not accuracy etc. not sure if those findings still hold true today, or in asymetric/guerilla/mad max situations. . . .

or hunting situations. i havent heard hunters say volume of fire is more important than accuracy, tho maybe i havent been talking to the right hunters. . .

i think the price has risen in part because of a (not necessarily voluntary) growing appreciation for thrift and realism:
Thrift i could afford a nice sks + ammo enough to become very comfortable with it + a small ammo stockpile for what i would have payed for an ak/mini/cetme/m1 carbine/ar. . . .
Realism an sks is an appropriate tool for the most likely gun-necessary situations i will find myself in. i asked myself why own a neutered assault rifle when i have need for the services of a semi-auto carbine? the semi-auto-only ak is deprived of its primary purpose but left to perform its secondary purpose with its deficiencies intact. To take it a step further, why would i need a select-fire ak (or whatever) when i will not likely be operating in a squad-based situation (where such a weapon's primary purpose is tactically relevant)? If i do find myself in a squad based situation, such a weapon will likely be forthcoming. . . .

 

[rdt]

so of all the people buying and selling guns on America's gun forums i doubt there are very many active duty soldiers buying their primary service weapons on here, so buyers of sks's are probably not overly concerned with the sks' deficiencies as a front line service weapon.

basically the sks is rugged, cheap, and appropriate to the lives of most American gun owners in the early 21st century: increased demand. combine that with a relatively stable supply, plus the wonders of inflation and profiteering = higher asking price.

 

[whatzhizname]

While SKSs are my favorite types of firearms (the reason being a long story dating back to reading about them in old Shotgun News mags back when they were coming in for under $100 a piece) they are definitely not worth as much as an AR. For what they are, that is a basic robust, dependable carbine if left in their original configuration I think they are fantastic, but they are not directly comparable to a quality AR. Their prices have been creeping up and $300 seems to be more or less the going rate for SKSs in the PNW these days, which they're probably worth if you don't have at least one.
*(BTW... I did a podcast episode about the SKS a number of months ago, located here: <broken link removed> )

 

[best defense]

I don't know much about either the AK or the SKS. I did build an AK from a kit, but my old eyes would not do the iron sights justice, so I really never did get any good groups out of it. I sold it for $250. If anyone on this site has personal experience with AK and SKS and AR-15, and would like to state an objective opinion, I for one would be willing to listen.

 

[trainsktg]

Well, I own/have owned several examples of each platform (three ARs, half a dozen SKSs and about the same number of AKs in differing calibers). AKs are marginally less accurate than SKSs, in large part to the shorter sight radius. Both suffer somewhat from the primitive notch and post sight compared to the superior peep sight of an AR. If a skilled shooter is doing his part and using a quality ammunition (not Wolf), both the SKS and AK are capable of decent accuracy for a combat rifle, say 3 to 4 MOA, maybe a tad more, maybe less, with open sights. The 7.62x39 round is effective to 300 yards. The AR of course is the most elegant platform. It is designed for accuracy out to 500 yards. The schooled shooter described above, using a comparable milspec quality ammunition as was used with the above AK/SK, will most likely eek out about 1 MOA better with an AR than he could with an AK or SK.

The design approaches of the US and USSR towards their respective rifles can be fairly compared to an embellished, but stereotypical, story about writing implements that both countries designed for use in space. The US government required a pen be developed that would write in extreme heat or cold, underwater, while held in any orientation and in the absence of gravity. It reportedly cost $10million to design such a pen. The Soviets used a pencil.

Keith