My local CT has had SKS's for 209 for the birch and 219 for the laminate for some time and I finally decided to pick one up. Obviously I'm a Mauser guy mostly but I did have a decent collection of SKS's in the past and I had a large sum of CT money saved up so I figured I'd grab one to have around. I asked the manager (a SKS owner and shooter himself and was very helpful) if they had a list of years/makers and he said they didn't but he would look if I was looking for something specific. Of course I asked if they had any 1949 dated ones or Ishevsk made but all they had were Tula in the 50's.
The example in the display cabinet looked pretty decent so I said I'd take an early Tula if they had and they brought me out a 1951 dated one but after a quick examination I could tell the one in the cabinet was far better condition. The one they brought out appeared to be painted (bolt was silver) and had several large repairs to the wood and most or all the numbers had been force matched.
At that point I asked if I could look at the one in the cabinet and immediately knew I was buying it. From what I can tell it doesn't appear to have been refurbed. No refurb stamp and no numbers ground and restamped, x'd out, etc. Sadly and it appears all the ones they have, have m/m mags. I would guess the importer removed all the mags, had them pinned (tastefully) and then reinstalled them on rifles with no regards to serial. So I have a non refurb (I think) all original finish SKS mag m/m. Shame really.
Any way, you guys are probably bored of SKS's here but since I don't post in this forum often and this is my only SKS I thought I'd share.
The example in the display cabinet looked pretty decent so I said I'd take an early Tula if they had and they brought me out a 1951 dated one but after a quick examination I could tell the one in the cabinet was far better condition. The one they brought out appeared to be painted (bolt was silver) and had several large repairs to the wood and most or all the numbers had been force matched.
At that point I asked if I could look at the one in the cabinet and immediately knew I was buying it. From what I can tell it doesn't appear to have been refurbed. No refurb stamp and no numbers ground and restamped, x'd out, etc. Sadly and it appears all the ones they have, have m/m mags. I would guess the importer removed all the mags, had them pinned (tastefully) and then reinstalled them on rifles with no regards to serial. So I have a non refurb (I think) all original finish SKS mag m/m. Shame really.
Any way, you guys are probably bored of SKS's here but since I don't post in this forum often and this is my only SKS I thought I'd share.
