The SKS is the rifle that turned me into a "gunnut". Up until the time I saw, and purchased, a SKS at a middle of nowhere gun store, I had no idea that you could own such non-"hunting" rifles in Canada. I quickly started to go target shooting, and acquired more "evil military" rifles. I owned 4 SKS rifles; hardwood, laminate, and tapco. I found myself bored with them in recent years. So I sold them all when the economy left me unemployed for pretty much a year.
I figured that I should get another one just to hold on to as they are going up in price, and surplus is going to dry out one day. I finally was able to work last week, so I went to Canadian tire to see if they had a nice matching red hardwood sks. They were selling SKS rifles for $225, and "supergrade" for $315, but no hardwood. A red laminate stock caught my eye:
What's that? A stock that matches the rifle? The mag doesn't match, but it doesn't seem to have a serial number. I must look closer!
The salesman took it out of the case for me, and I couldn't believe it. The bolt and stock matched the receiver, the laminate was beautiful, the hand guard was tight, the bore looked great; this would be great for a collector sks I thought. $225? I laughed the whole way home.
more pics:
nice crown
what is the deal with these magazine markings?
proof marks
that stock! matching!
I did some searching, and I'm wondering if this is a non-refur
It has the star on the side without a date on the dust cover, meaning late production
no refurb square mark
This has the red laminate with proof marks, and that is consistant with late production laminate according to what i've read
some electro pencil (gas tube, buttplate, extractor) but no serial numbers crossed out.
what's the deal with the magazine? KB 5? That's not a serial number.
I'm happy with $225, but I think I got something worth a lot more.
I figured that I should get another one just to hold on to as they are going up in price, and surplus is going to dry out one day. I finally was able to work last week, so I went to Canadian tire to see if they had a nice matching red hardwood sks. They were selling SKS rifles for $225, and "supergrade" for $315, but no hardwood. A red laminate stock caught my eye:
What's that? A stock that matches the rifle? The mag doesn't match, but it doesn't seem to have a serial number. I must look closer!
The salesman took it out of the case for me, and I couldn't believe it. The bolt and stock matched the receiver, the laminate was beautiful, the hand guard was tight, the bore looked great; this would be great for a collector sks I thought. $225? I laughed the whole way home.
more pics:
nice crown
what is the deal with these magazine markings?
proof marks
that stock! matching!
I did some searching, and I'm wondering if this is a non-refur
It has the star on the side without a date on the dust cover, meaning late production
no refurb square mark
This has the red laminate with proof marks, and that is consistant with late production laminate according to what i've read
some electro pencil (gas tube, buttplate, extractor) but no serial numbers crossed out.
what's the deal with the magazine? KB 5? That's not a serial number.
I'm happy with $225, but I think I got something worth a lot more.
Anything that comes in must also be tested and rebranded. Anyways, I didn't word myself properly I guess, I'm a purist when it comes to collecting so those marks just burn my eyes and I consider it a modern refurb because rifle was rebranded and not in it's original state. That's why I had to hunt down one of Ukrainian (I think) untouched imports for collection. Have one all matching KO for shooting but I know that it has modern markings under the gas tube so it wasn't good enough 
