Please help me to identify these 49 and 58 sks rifles.

Dmitri

Dmitri

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Hey guys. I had these two SKS rifles for some time, and im still not sure what they are. i would really appreciate if someone could share some sks knowledge. I would like to know if these rifles are arsenal referbs, what are they worth and if you wanted to keep one, which would you choose and why ??

First up is letter "k" series (1958 ?) All numbers matching, beautifull laminate stock , mirror like bore, no marking on top of the dust cover, just the star few inches away from the receiver serial number. Appears to be unfired or very low round count. No repairs or blemishes on the stock and bluing is excellent. Has a small rivet on the bottom of the mag. Please see pics...
http://imgur.com/a/DF3IyW0

Second is 1949 sks with all the correct early features, all numbers match including the laminate stock , mag is internally limited with no visual signs on the outside. No repairs or blemishes on the stock, but all the exterior metal parts are painted with BBQ type paint, excellent bore.
Please see pics...
https://imgur.com/a/5AuyOnN

https://imgur.com/a/dRe9lS6
 
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Dmitri said:
Hey guys. I had these two SKS rifles for some time, and im still not sure what they are. i would really appreciate if someone could share some sks knowledge. I would like to know if these rifles are arsenal referbs, what are they worth and if you wanted to keep one, which would you choose and why ??

First up is letter "k" series (1958 ?) All numbers matching, beautifull laminate stock , mirror like bore, no marking on top of the dust cover, just the star few inches away from the receiver serial number. Appears to be unfired or very low round count. No repairs or blemishes on the stock and bluing is excellent. Has a small rivet on the bottom of the mag. Please see pics...
http://imgur.com/a/DF3IyW0

Second is 1949 sks with all the correct early features, all numbers match including the laminate stock , mag is internally limited with no visual signs on the outside. No repairs or blemishes on the stock, but all the exterior metal parts are painted with BBQ type paint, excellent bore.
Please see pics...
https://imgur.com/a/5AuyOnN
Click to expand...

The 1958 is a correct "letter series" SKS. The laminate stock is period correct. I have a very similar one from 1957.

The 1949 looks like a "Molot" modern refurb. The laminate stock is incorrect for that period (1949). I think that the gas tube is not from 1949 but later. There is also a refurb mark on the stock above SN. Looks like the 1st GRAU Arsenal in Balakliya which is located in the present Ukraine but at the Soviet time was a part of the SSSR. You should check if there are some white markings on the barrel under the gas tube. That usually shows the year of refurbishing by the Molot factory in Russia. Usually it's 2014 or 2015. I have one from 2014. I would be sure if I see these white markings.
 
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Thanks 05RAV, good info, so the 58 is possibly non refurb? And the 49 has the later year stock that was force matched .. interesting, ill check for white marks under the gas tube. How about the value?
 
Dmitri said:
Thanks 05RAV, good info, so the 58 is possibly non refurb? And the 49 has the later year stock that was force matched .. interesting, ill check for white marks under the gas tube. How about the value?
Click to expand...

Yes I'd say the the 1958 SKS is collectible. The 1949 SKS seems to be a motley of parts put together so not really a collectors item. On the other hand, it could be a good shooter. It's hard for me to put any specific value without a close inspection. I guess that the 1958 would be worth $350-450 depending on finding a collector.
You should also take into account the fact that at the present moment the market is in a state of chaos due to a gun ban announced by the Libs. Nobody knows whether or not the SKS's become prohibited or not. Pretty bad time for selling any semi-auto firearms.
 
That is true, very bad timing..
Here, i took few more pics of the 49.. i dont see any white marking under the gas tube.. and the stamped serials on the metal parts look legit everywhere except the stock, there it does look like it might have been force matched. Here are few pics if that helps.


https://imgur.com/a/dRe9lS6

05RAV i really appreciate your help !!
 
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Dmitri said:
That is true, very bad timing..
Here, i took few more pics of the 49.. i dont see any white marking under the gas tube.. and the stamped serials on the metal parts look legit everywhere except the stock, there it does look like it might have been force matched. Here are few pics if that helps.

49 izhevsk
https://imgur.com/gallery/DAZxKFp

05RAV i really appreciate your help !!
Click to expand...

I can't open your Imgur picture. It says: "Zoinks! You've taken a wrong turn".
Nevertheless, if the 49 SKS does not show any white markings under the gas tube it is not a Russian Molot refurb. Then it looks to me like a pretty recent Ukrainian refurb (that black "barbecue paint" was not used 40-50 years ago). Like I said earlier it has a refurb mark of the 1st GRAU Arsenal (a Soviet nomenclature) in Balakliya (Ukraine). This Arsenal is still active today and if you perhaps remember a huge ammunition explosion occurred there a year ago or so. This way or the other it's a refurb. It has a value only as a shooter.
 
(OP, Some links seem to be out if order)

Molot stamps the right side of the sks receiver. So the 49 is likely not a Molot rework. It looks like an arsenal refurb instead, with a replacement laminate stock. (Its a Tula, not an Ishevsk,)

The trigger looks to be early Type1 design. Does it have the leaf spring for the safety latch?

Is the spine in the magazine continuous (right), or does it have a small notch just below the trigger retaining lug (left) ?

Also,
Nice pair of carbines
 
Dmitri said:
Now the link should work..

https://imgur.com/a/dRe9lS6
Click to expand...

After examining all Imgur pictures I'm quite positive that you have a refurbished 1949 Tula-made SKS. Period correct things are a spike bayonet, square gas block (90deg), single indent gas block latch, ring-type top cover latch etc. What is incorrect is a laminate wood stock which appeared only around 1955. That indicates a refurbished SKS. A matte barbecue-type finish is another indicator of refurbishing. Judging by a very nice condition of the laminate stock and paint/finish I have a hunch that this particular SKS belongs to a batch of SKS's that were refurbished quite recently in Ukraine and exported to Canada. A month ago I purchased a Mosin Nagant 91/30 which also has a laminate stock which looks like a brand new stock. The bore is immaculate. It came with a batch of Mosins imported last year from Ukraine and sold by Bullseye and a few other vendors here in Canada.
For your info, the 1949 SKS's do not have chrome-lined bores which makes them a bit more prone to premature wear when shooting corrosive ammo. Keep this in mind.
 
The SKS platform is so rugged and overbuilt that a lot more of the 1949 rifles survived (mechanically) than people realize. Many of them have come into Canada over the years.
It's only a matter of the refurbishment level and amount that dictates their desirability...and obviously the ones with the least amount of refurbishing fetch the most cash.
 
Boris Badinov said:
(OP, Some links seem to be out if order)

Molot stamps the right side of the sks receiver. So the 49 is likely not a Molot rework. It looks like an arsenal refurb instead, with a replacement laminate stock. (Its a Tula, not an Ishevsk,)

The trigger looks to be early Type1 design. Does it have the leaf spring for the safety latch?

Is the spine in the magazine continuous (right), or does it have a small notch just below the trigger retaining lug (left) ?

Also,
Nice pair of carbines
Click to expand...

Boris thanks for the input, i dont think there is a safety leaf spring at the back of the trigger group, and the magazine does have the notch in the spine.
 
05RAV said:
After examining all Imgur pictures I'm quite positive that you have a refurbished 1949 Tula-made SKS. Period correct things are a spike bayonet, square gas block (90deg), single indent gas block latch, ring-type top cover latch etc. What is incorrect is a laminate wood stock which appeared only around 1955. That indicates a refurbished SKS. A matte barbecue-type finish is another indicator of refurbishing. Judging by a very nice condition of the laminate stock and paint/finish I have a hunch that this particular SKS belongs to a batch of SKS's that were refurbished quite recently in Ukraine and exported to Canada. A month ago I purchased a Mosin Nagant 91/30 which also has a laminate stock which looks like a brand new stock. The bore is immaculate. It came with a batch of Mosins imported last year from Ukraine and sold by Bullseye and a few other vendors here in Canada.
For your info, the 1949 SKS's do not have chrome-lined bores which makes them a bit more prone to premature wear when shooting corrosive ammo. Keep this in mind.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the info 05RAV and others. This is exactly what i needed.
I decided to sell the 49 and keep the 58. If we still have ability to buy in the future, i will probably find another 49 sks that is a bit more original.
 
Lol.. my next thread will be " please help to identify these two nice SVTs " looking forward to your help on that as well. The collective knowledge on this website is incredible..
 
Dmitri said:
Boris thanks for the input, i dont think there is a safety leaf spring at the back of the trigger group, and the magazine does have the notch in the spine.
Click to expand...

In the US, that 49 would sell for a hefty premium-- even with the replacement stock. The magazine and trigger designs are both consistent with first year of production.

If it still has the early carrier and bolt with a spring loaded firing pin, its very likely that major component parts are original to the rifle, despite the heavy refurbishment.

The added bonus is that the magazine has not been irreversibly mangled with a Franken-pin.

Hope you can hold on to it.
 
Quote Originally Posted by Dmitri View Post
Boris thanks for the input, i dont think there is a safety leaf spring at the back of the trigger group, and the magazine does have the notch in the spine.
Click to expand...


Boris Badinov said:
In the US, that 49 would sell for a hefty premium-- even with the replacement stock. The magazine and trigger designs are both consistent with first year of production.
If it still has the early carrier and bolt with a spring loaded firing pin, its very likely that major component parts are original to the rifle, despite the heavy refurbishment.
The added bonus is that the magazine has not been irreversibly mangled with a Franken-pin.
Hope you can hold on to it.
Click to expand...

In this country (Canada) the SKS is still the cheapest semi-auto rifle in a serious caliber good for hunting. Even nowadays the SKS's are widely available and prices do not much exceed $300CDN for a nice Russian one. Chinese military beaters can be had for $200CDN. The collectors market is quite saturated so not much interest there. On top of it, we are waiting, trembling, for the semi-auto ban announced by the Socialist Government of Canada. Nobody knows what types of semi-autos will be included in the ban and the rumors are that the SKS will be there. Then its value would drop to ZERO! It's the very last moment now to sell it.
 
05RAV said:
Yes I'd say the the 1958 SKS is collectible. The 1949 SKS seems to be a motley of parts put together so not really a collectors item. On the other hand, it could be a good shooter. It's hard for me to put any specific value without a close inspection. I guess that the 1958 would be worth $350-450 depending on finding a collector.
You should also take into account the fact that at the present moment the market is in a state of chaos due to a gun ban announced by the Libs. Nobody knows whether or not the SKS's become prohibited or not. Pretty bad time for selling any semi-auto firearms.
Click to expand...

whats the star on the receiver worth today after a year and half?
 
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