I've been searching around and I can't quite seem to find the information I'm looking for...
I'm going on a trip out west and I'll probably be buying an SKS. I was in a shop a few weeks back that had a number of ones without the typical refurb marks - no squares with diagonal slash marks, no renumbered stocks, etc.. and a few "gold" bayonets.
Thing is, just how do you tell the difference between an unissued rifle versus an unrefurbished one? People behind the counters at these shops seem to assume that if the numbers are all matching, with nothing ###XX'd out, and no obvious refurbish stamps then the rifle is an unissued one.
I already bought a laminate stock one that I thought was unrefurbished (I now know better). I'd like to get a hardwood one to go with it, preferably unissued, since they seem to be floating around.
So does anyone have a link to a dummies guide to identifying unissued SKS rifles?
I'm going on a trip out west and I'll probably be buying an SKS. I was in a shop a few weeks back that had a number of ones without the typical refurb marks - no squares with diagonal slash marks, no renumbered stocks, etc.. and a few "gold" bayonets.
Thing is, just how do you tell the difference between an unissued rifle versus an unrefurbished one? People behind the counters at these shops seem to assume that if the numbers are all matching, with nothing ###XX'd out, and no obvious refurbish stamps then the rifle is an unissued one.
I already bought a laminate stock one that I thought was unrefurbished (I now know better). I'd like to get a hardwood one to go with it, preferably unissued, since they seem to be floating around.
So does anyone have a link to a dummies guide to identifying unissued SKS rifles?
Numbers all match, not much of a chance it's gone through a refurb. Original shiny blue finish, another clue. Very sharply defined edges and finish on internal parts get's another point. I don't buy into the theory that a laminate stock is a sure sign of a refurb. Got a battlefield pick up that definitely has not been through a refurb, with a laminated stock that matches the receiver. As well, the manufacture's identifying mark or lack thereof on the receiver cover only has meaning if it's serial number is the same as the receiver. Hear guys bragging I've got a refurb one of those or better yet one of another and think , Really? My theory is they're selling us the crap first, the better stuff to follow. 
