Unissued Numbers Matching SKS?

International Harvester said:
I'm buying an SKS and have been offered an "unissued numbers matching" Russian SKS from the Ukraine. My questions are do these exist in unreferbed new condition? And what is the best and least corrosive surplus ammo I can get?


Regards,

IH
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If you were to ask this question about 1 year ago, the answer would have been "yes". Now, I am fairly certain the latest imports are all refurbs. Nothing wrong with refurbs, especially as shooters.

I purchased 4 non-refurbished SKS's from weimajack over the past 4 years. Two were literally "brand new" condition (a '51 and a '55). Definitely unfired. The other two non-refurbished specimens looked nearly new as well. I can tell use by examining the bolt head, carrier, etc.

I also have an non-refurbished, unfired, and likely unissued '53 Izhevsk from a CGN member. The jewel of my collection. You would be hard pressed to find one of these for sale, but there are a few owned by CGN members.

So, they exisit, via EE.
 
Yeah, I bought about a half dozen out of that import. GREAT rifles. Eventually whittled my SKS collection down to just two. My tiger stripe stock that is a refurb (but is my shooter) and the best looking out of all the unissued ones, non-refurbished ones I had, which remains a safe Queen. I think they're both 1950 from Tula
 
I have a couple of unissued ones. I want $1000 for one or else I'm going to spraypaint the stock in purple and white zebra stripes, put a door hinge in the middle so I can call it a folding stock, and grind off the bayonet lug to make room for a tactical flashlight.
 
mdmaroon said:
I have a couple of unissued ones. I want $1000 for one or else I'm going to spraypaint the stock in purple and white zebra stripes, put a door hinge in the middle so I can call it a folding stock, and grind off the bayonet lug to make room for a tactical flashlight.
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Even though you're joking (though some bubba's would think you're serious)... I seriously wouldn't part with my 1953 Izzy, even if somebody offered me $1000! :)
 
I just buy Barnaul (MFS). Excellent stuff. It's $197.74 for 500 rounds (with taxes in). Non-corrosive and accurate. I find it pretty clean burning as well.
Another brand that I find exceptional is Prvi Partizan. More expensive, but very accurate, clean burning, and the brass cases are reloadable.
I don't find the Hornady stuff any more accurate than either surplus or Barnaul, and it's pretty pricey at about $1 per round.
 
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I tend to take a very close personal examination of any perspective rifle said to be "un-Issued". They do exist, I have the odd one hiding away... or maybe two.... or....


I'm not aware of whats come out of the Ukraine lately, so....
 
mdmaroon said:
I have a couple of unissued ones. I want $1000 for one or else I'm going to spraypaint the stock in purple and white zebra stripes, put a door hinge in the middle so I can call it a folding stock, and grind off the bayonet lug to make room for a tactical flashlight.
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Kool!
 
fiddler said:
I tend to take a very close personal examination of any perspective rifle said to be "un-Issued". They do exist, I have the odd one hiding away... or maybe two.... or....


I'm not aware of whats come out of the Ukraine lately, so....
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I tend to agree....I'd pretty much bet money that anything being claimed a "unissued, unrefurb" is not that....some are more obvious refurbs then others, between the many arsenals and many private companies that reworked these, some were sloppy and ###'d or electro pen'd, some refurbs would be done to like new condition...new stocks with new stamped s/n, new bolts/carriers stamped to match, etc. Unless someone can prove that it is unissued with LOTS of photo's of all the markings and small parts, and you know what to look for, it's likely 99% certain to have been through some refurb of some kind.
 
Almost all my collection are unrefurb except my three 49's and my 53 Izzy, and "D" and "K" letter guns. Unissued is hard to prove for sure for sure. I claim mine as As Issued/Unrefurb but they are clean in excellent shape. I have ones from all years and both factories. I am sure some are Unissued, just hard to be for sure about the unissued part.
 
To be sure its unissued, you have to look at the condition and all the litle details like gas port residue, copper traces in the barrel and crown. If there is no clues like that and all cartouches are intact, then it should be legit. Once you start shooting it corrosive or not, you have to clean it anyway.
 
I disagree with the title un-issued WRT Russian SKSs. They were all issued at one time or another as they shared time and space with Mosins and AKs. The early ones went to infantry while the mosins M44 went to non-infantry combat arms. When the AK was issued the SKSs replaced the M44s in the non-infantry combat arms. You may well find un-fired un-refurb but every SKS had an user at one time even if he was just a Gulag guard. The number of users in the USSR was that large of a pool!
 
I would say they exist ,,however i do not see the point of paying extra for one but hey to each their own.
As for ammo i really like MFS ,i have shot a lot of it and never a issue
 
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