Refurb sks or not?

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762.39

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Are there any sks experts can tell me if the sks is refurb or non refurb? I can't find any refurb marks but I may be missing something? Also, what's it worth today??.. it's unfired by me and I bought it 5 years ago. Gun is still in the grease and bore is perfect. It has gone through some rework to pin it, and it has a light spray varnish on it that scratches off with my fingernail.

Pictures here::

https://photos.app.goo.gl/rBAiCHQUWyGPE38W9

https://photos.app.goo.gl/3VijdwwA99B6ETdr9
 
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You have a Д (D) series Tula laminate SKS produced in 1956. It seems to me that it is unrefurbished and unissued. I have a nearly identical И (I) series manufactured in 1957 and it has a penciled serial number on the butt plate which looks like brand new. That means a light refurb. The butt plate on yours is lightly worn out and pitted which looks like an original plate. The receiver cover is two-tone which is original. No refurb marks. All that indicates that your SKS was, most likely, not refurbished. That's all I can say.
Pricewise my guess is $400-450 at todays surplus prices?
 
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05RAV said:
You have a Д (D) series Tula laminate SKS produced in 1956. It seems to me that it is unrefurbished and unissued. I have a nearly identical И (I) series manufactured in 1957 and it has a penciled serial number on the butt plate which looks like brand new. That means a light refurb. The butt plate on yours is lightly worn out and pitted which looks like an original plate. The receiver cover is two-tone which is original. No refurb marks. All that indicates that your SKS was, most likely, not refurbished. That's all I can say.
Pricewise my guess is $400-450 at todays surplus prices?
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Thanks I'm a bit confused by the term unissued. It seems to me that this rifle is not refurbished but it is also not in new condition, it appears unfired bit has marks from the pinning process and it has some touch-up done. Does unissued mean new?
 
762.39 said:
Thanks I'm a bit confused by the term unissued. It seems to me that this rifle is not refurbished but it is also not in new condition, it appears unfired bit has marks from the pinning process and it has some touch-up done. Does unissued mean new?
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Unissued means that an SKS was not issued to the Soviet troops for any period of time. Whether or not your SKS was unissued I'm not 100% positive. It definitely has some visible nicks and dents on the stock that might be due to its service with the Soviet army. If it was lightly used in a short time service then they could preserve it with cosmoline and put into storage. Alternatively, the nicks on the stock could be due to a harsh handling during preparing for its storage and after the storage. Hard to say. You can also check the bolt if it has any signs that it was being shot. However, all the factors I mentioned in my post seem to indicate that, at least, it is unrefurbished although I can't guarantee it 100%.
The pinning process has nothing to do with issuing/refurbishing. It is done by the importer before the SKS is admitted to Canada. The unfortunate thing with your SKS is that it was "frankenpinned" as they call it, i.e. the mag at the bottom has a huge weldment. This is the worst method of mag pinning and can devalue the price to some extent. Like I said before, I also have a letter И (I) series SKS which also has that "frankenpinned" mag. I don't care though since I treat it as a shooter rather than a collector's item. In general, the "letter series" SKS's are not very rare so they may have more value only for dedicated SKS collectors. Like I said the price today may fluctuate around $400 (+-). You can check on the EE and have some comparison.
 
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It looks to be an all original parts gun. Possibly unissued.

The stock finish around the dents in the stock indicate that it was refinished after the dents were made. As well, the multiple staking marks around the bayonet lug screw indicate post manufacture handiwork, likely when the bayonet was removed for bluing. I don't believe any of these traits suggest refurbishment. Your rifle looks to have been kept and maintained in long term storage.
 
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762.39 said:
Thanks I'm a bit confused by the term unissued. It seems to me that this rifle is not refurbished but it is also not in new condition, it appears unfired bit has marks from the pinning process and it has some touch-up done. Does unissued mean new?
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The US and Canada imports seem to fall in to two general categories.
1) Unissued-storage carbines.
2) Issued service carbines.

Your rifle looks to be from the first category.

IMHO all of the Soviet imports have had some post production handiwork-- as there is significant evidence that the soviets had fairly organized system of maintenance for both storage and issued carbines-- but not all them are refurbs.
 
Can you post photos of the bolt?

Also, does the butt plate have a slight lip at top with a matching cut in the stock?
 
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Trapanese said:
To me it looks like the receiver cover is blued but the rest of the gun is painted over. Looks refurbished from here.
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I couldn't tell if it was because of the glare off the grease described in the OP. But if it's not grease glare, Trapanese may be right.

The bayonet was also blued or painted at one time.
 
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It certainly does look to have been painted. And bolt face wear and the traverse wear on all sides of the bolt indicate that it has been fired extensively. Did you get it as a new import or from a previous owner?

Also: does the buttplate look like the one on the left or the one on the right?


Original laminate stocks are generally thought to look like the one on the right, while a replacement laminate stock will have a buttplate like the one on the left.

Looks like the OP stock is a likely replacement, then.
 
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Boris Badinov said:
It certainly does look to have been painted. And bolt face wear and the traverse wear on all sides of the bolt indicate that it has been fired extensively. Did you get it as a new import or from a previous owner?

Also: does the buttplate look like the one on the left or the one on the right?


Original laminate stocks are generally thought to look like the one on the right, while a replacement laminate stock will have a buttplate like the one on the left.
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Interesting! I have never heard of this, now I need to check my rifle, I've got a laminate stock but didn't know there was a potential difference between original vs not.
 
Suther said:
Interesting! I have never heard of this, now I need to check my rifle, I've got a laminate stock but didn't know there was a potential difference between original vs not.
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I was only made aware of this recently. But I am uncertain if it can be applied to 100% of laminate stocks. But given the subject of the OP, it seemed worth it to ask.
 
Boris Badinov said:
It certainly does look to have been painted. And bolt face wear and the traverse wear on all sides of the bolt indicate that it has been fired extensively. Did you get it as a new import or from a previous owner?

Also: does the buttplate look like the one on the left or the one on the right?


Original laminate stocks are generally thought to look like the one on the right, while a replacement laminate stock will have a buttplate like the one on the left.
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It is laminate and looks like the right. I have seen many laminate stocks and I have never seen kne with a tab. I thought only the hardwood stocks had the tab? Are you saying that refurb laminate stocks have a tab? I haven't seen that mentioned anywhere.

I got this from wolverine new as an import a few years ago right out of a crate of 10 rifles.i have not fired it so I'm curious if is refurb or not, it has no refurb marks but it may be (a) issued and non refurb. or (b) issued and minor repair work or (c) normal refurb but just not marked.
 
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762.39 said:
It is laminate and looks like the right. I have seen many laminate stocks and I have never seen kne with a tab. I thought only the hardwood stocks had the tab? Are you saying that refurb laminate stocks have a tab? I haven't seen that mentioned anywhere.

I got this from wolverine new as an import a few years ago right out of a crate of 10 rifles.i have not fired it so I'm curious if is refurb or not, it has no refurb marks but it may be (a) issued and non refurb. or (b) issued and minor repair work or (c) normal refurb but just not marked.
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I suspect strongly suspect that yours is an all original parts carbine. Stock included. Definitely a keeper-- or in the current market an easy sale for good money. Just this month a 1954 refyrb sold for $2,500 USD on gunbroker. its absurd.

The tab on laminate stocks has been identified as a strong indication of post production replacement laminate stocks. It has been discussed on sks-files.com forum.

That forum is the de facto site for the most up to date research and populated by the most knowledgeable SKS collectors.
 
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Refurb. Stock is a replacement, bayonet is a replacement. Gas system and bolt pics will confirm this I expect.

Edit - just found the bolt pics. Looks good.
 
Imho, All Russian are either refurb ( may be minor refurb) or issued and not refurb, if you think you have a new non refurb. You or anyone else do not. You might have a very lightly used non refurb or a very lightly refurbed unissued since refurb. If you had a Chinese sks, you could have a non refurb non issued, there were thousands sold by Marstar and others very cheap years ago, still kicking my 6 for not getting one or ten!
Having said all that, it is a nice copy of a Russian sks, let us know how it shoots!
 
In Canada, the overwhelming majority of SKS's available PRIOR to 2018 were mild refurbs (after which many bottom of the barrel crap and lease lends were thrown onto the Canadian market). Mild refurbs meaning: stock replacement with either recycled hardwood stocks or new production blonde laminate stocks, blued or matte silver coated bayonets (matte silver was usually factory original on 1953+) and gas tube/piston replacement. I have handled more SKS's than most members here, and I can tell you I have seen zero barrel replacements. There are also heavy refurbs that got the BBQ paint treatment and/or are parts mix masters, but their status as refurbs was never in doubt. This nonsense about electropenciled buttplates and/or painted buttplates as being indicative of refurbishment is complete and utter nonsense--the later simply being a storage method.
 
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