what to look for, unissued/non refurbed sks?

It can be a refurb,and not be marked as being one. The main things with the stock are:

Year,serial number and factory stamp(1949-55) Letter series usually only have serial number. Some early "D" have had factory stamp along with serial number(hardwood only)

Any laminate stock is a refurb,except for some Letter Series which were the only ones with original laminate stocks.

On the right side of the butt stock look for a final acceptance stamp.

At least one side of the cross bolt should have inspection stamps.
 
flying pig said:
Awesome thank you. Looks like an original. Is there any premium for these as of yet? I have put a few hundred rounds through this one.
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People who collect generally want their rifles unfired as well. But I look at it as a bit of a sliding scale, with the biggest premium belonging to desirable variants that are also unissued, non-refurbed, and unfired, then stepping down in value until to get to the common refurb. The max 'premium' is probably about $100, starting from around $200 (cost of a common refurb) up to around $300.

If you show us some pictures, we can help you figure out if its non-refurbed.
 
I had one that was definetely refurbed but had no refurb marks. Check serial numbers on all parts, check to see that the same font was used for each number/letter. The stock is usually the first thing to look at. They started fitting laminate stocks in '54 from the factory, so it doesnt quite guaruntee that its a refurb. '53 and older SKS in lam are refurb. Be sure to check your rifle out with Curttons sticky, its packed with tons of great info. As mentioned pics would be great, there are some serious guru's lurking in this forum :ninja:
 
supernova said:
I had one that was definetely refurbed but had no refurb marks. Check serial numbers on all parts, check to see that the same font was used for each number/letter. The stock is usually the first thing to look at. They started fitting laminate stocks in '54 from the factory, so it doesnt quite guaruntee that its a refurb. '53 and older SKS in lam are refurb. Be sure to check your rifle out with Curttons sticky, its packed with tons of great info. As mentioned pics would be great, there are some serious guru's lurking in this forum :ninja:
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Yea, definately a lot of refurbs out there with no refurb marks. The absense of a refurb mark doesn't really mean much.

I believe it was 1955 that the laminated stocks were introduced, mostly on the last (1955/56) model. Seems like there's a lot of refurbs with brand new laminate stocks (no '######X').

To the OP... the one thing I would caution against is thinking that the bayonet is a way to tell a refurb. Its not a reliable indicator of refurb/non-refurb status at all. Very little certainty with bayo types beyond the fact that 1949's had spikes and the rest, blades.

I can also tell you that in most cases, the refurbs have a nicer finish, and perhaps some wood repairs. The originals can still be nice, but often have some scuffing & scratches that indicate their age.
 
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