KBI SKS

[R L Suehr]

And as others have said, buy it at$450. I've seen refurbs bring 500+ you won't loose anything if it's Russian.

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

I am assuming the one your talking about was at C&D coin in Bethlehem.
If so.. I ended up snapping it up. Its a 1953 all numbers matching tula. When I got it home, I gave it a basic tear down and a cleaning... much to my surprise everything was in great shape, so not beat on in the slightest.

I took it out and shot it at 50 yds, it held a pretty good group for a surplus rifle. It's now cleaned up again and in the safe.

[ntouchet]

I happened to stumble across a KBI SKS on Guns International recently.

Original box, accessories, all matching numbers and unfired!

Since I'm both an SKS and KBI collector, I couldn't resist so I bought it.

Research indicates that it was made in 1956 and yes it's a refurb.

I replaced the Yugo on the wall with the SKS-45.

[abner13]

I bought several Russian SKS's in the early/mid 90's just like that for $90 each. KBI was the importer.

I still wouldn't pay $90 for an SKS.

[Hodgie]

I still wouldn't pay $90 for an SKS.

Then your a shitty business man since most variants are selling from 5 to 10 times that right now and in some rare cases much much more.

[esh21167]

I still wouldn't pay $90 for an SKS.

Then your a shitty business man since most variants are selling from 5 to 10 times that right now and in some rare cases much much more.

Probably only buys gas when it's 89 cents/gallon too.

[OldSchoolRanger]

Any SKS is worth over $300 nowdays! But seriously a Russian made SKS is worth more than, a Chinese made, over a Yugo made? They're basically all the same. Probably made on the same machinery, that Russia sold to China, etc.... Parts mostly all interchange.
Their great saving grace is that they go "bang" every time you pull the trigger.

[Hodgie]

Any SKS is worth over $300 nowdays! But seriously a Russian made SKS is worth more than, a Chinese made, over a Yugo made? They're basically all the same. Probably made on the same machinery, that Russia sold to China, etc.... Parts mostly all interchange.
Their great saving grace is that they go "bang" every time you pull the trigger.

Like anything else date, model, country of origin, variant, and the number made and imported makes a difference in the world of collectibles. Functionally there isn’t much difference between most.

Non refurb Russians
True NVA
Easy Germans
North Korean
Albanian (truly undervalued)
Yugo “snipers” with original scope and mounts

All the above are scarce, some more then others as compared to the average gun show find and your going to pay especially since imports are pretty much done. At least for the foreseeable future.

There are Mosin Nagants that sell for $3000 and ones that sell for $175.00, the prices come down to the details. Functionally they are the same which is mostly pretty rough and shitty.

[raxar]

I still wouldn't pay $90 for an SKS.

You couldn't make a commercial SKS and price it under $800. There's a reason why there are American AK's but no American SKS's

[OldSchoolRanger]

Like anything else date, model, country of origin, variant, and the number made and imported makes a difference in the world of collectibles. Functionally there isn’t much difference between most.

Non refurb Russians
True NVA
Easy Germans
North Korean
Albanian (truly undervalued)
Yugo “snipers” with original scope and mounts

All the above are scarce, some more then others as compared to the average gun show find and your going to pay especially since imports are pretty much done. At least for the foreseeable future.

There are Mosin Nagants that sell for $3000 and ones that sell for $175.00, the prices come down to the details. Functionally they are the same which is mostly pretty rough and shitty.

Not meaning to be disparaging, but your comment proves my point. "True NVA"? worth just under the "Non refurb Russians" in value?
I have an SKS, along with a Model 53, and a Model 98, that I brought home from Vietnam. The SKS was Chinese made, so does this qualify as a "True NVA" SKS?
Does my Chinese made type 53 model Mosin Nagant jump in value because it was acquired in Vietnam? For that matter, how the heck did the K-98 (German built rifle) end up in the hands of the Viet-Cong?
My guess is that it was taken to Vietnam, by the Chinese army during WW2, and was "inherited" by the Vietnamese. BTW, all three are functional, but beat up.
My sons want them as family heirlooms. But, to me they are basically worth the same as any other SKS, except for the fact that I personally bought these rifles home.