Yugoslavian SKS

[badblu97]

I have a friend that has a numbers matching(whats that mean?) folding stock, grenade launcher sights, banana clip, and some some rounds. He said hes had it for about 6 years, brand new never shot it. He wants $500. He said he might take $400. is this a good deal?

[seanc]

Half that price would be a good deal for you. As a friend-to-friend transaction, he shouldn't feel ripped off either. $300 would be on the high side, unless he's throwing in a lot of ammo. If the mags are Tapco 20 rounders, there's value in those to, but if they're nameless metal jamb-o-matics, no.

Matching numbers means that the mechanical parts and barrel are a complete set and there shouldn't be any issues due to mis-matched parts. My last Yugo SKS was not all matching, but it was a reliable, accurate rifle.

[Texasfirearmfan]

Sorry if you consider this jacking your post, but i really need to know where to find an sks, i have looked in pawn shops and such and just can't seem to find one?

[Technosavant]

A numbers matching* Yugo SKS is going to be of slightly more value than one that's all jumbled, but even so, that's only really if it's in great condition. It's not a major collector's piece, nor is it likely to become so anytime soon. While the massive stocks of them has been sold out overseas and they aren't as readily available, there's still a bunch out there in circulation.

The "banana clip" sounds like he has swapped out the original fixed magazine for a detachable... if he no longer has the original, it isn't numbers matching. IMO, the detachables on the SKS aren't worth the trouble and just detract from the value (in collector's terms) and can even get you into a bit of legal trouble (there's debate on this, but it would seem that swapping the magazine with a detachable violates 922r... that's a whole mess on its own).

$500 for even a pristine example is way too much. I'd be overjoyed to sell mine for that (I paid $140 for the thing back in '05 or '06, and mine is in fantastic shape). $400 is even too much, but not as outrageously so. I'd consider $350 to be more in the ballpark. For $400 it had better look amazing (complete with a gas valve in perfect shape).

Looking at your picture, he's also swapped the stock with some monstrosity. Trying to turn a SKS into a poor man's AK (what he's basically been doing) just doesn't really work all that well and it destroys any collector's value. If he no longer has the original stock or magazine, I'd not spend more than $300 for it, and even then I'd just give it a miss.

Personally, I think your friend doesn't have a realistic idea what his is worth. It sounds like he's trying to get out of it the money he put into it... that just isn't going to happen unless he finds somebody who doesn't have the slightest clue as to what they go for. He might be able to find some sucker who thinks a Bubba'd SKS is as good as an actual AK pattern rifle for a shade less money, but I'd not recommend to anybody that they go for that kind of deal.


* As pointed out, that means all the various parts of the rifle that are stamped with the serial number agree... I don't remember the complete list of what is stamped (mine is down in the safe), but I think it's bolt carrier, dust cover, stock, magazine body, and receiver (that's the part that is "THE" firearm, the rest is just numbered for armory tracking purposes).

And Texasfirearmfan... keep on looking. They aren't as plentiful as they were, but they're out there. I see them pretty often at gun shows and in gun shops.

[Young.Gun.612]

No way its numbers matching with that stock.

As has been said, don't spend that much on that particular sks. If your friend is adamant about his asking price he's either clueless about what he has, or not that great of a friend...

[seanc]

Speaking of gun snobs...

The rifle doesn't loose all its worth just because it's no longer in factory pristine condition. That choice of stock and mag would not be mine, but that doesn't turn the whole shooting deal into a pile or junk. It's just not worth anywhere near what your friend is asking. Looking at that picture, there does appear to be a 922r problem, unless that monstrosity of a mag is US made, and even then, the foreign parts count doesn't look good considering it still has the grenade launcher and sight still on there. It will cost you to get that into compliance or hopefully, he still has the original stock and mag so you can reconstruct as-imported.

That magazine is quite the eye-catcher, isn't it? Those are usually called something other than bananna clip, but what is it....?

[Hansam]

I wouldn't spend $500 for that.

Your friend probably wants $500 because that's how much HE spent on the gun but no way is it worth it.

See its possible he spent maybe $150 on the gun 6 years ago, another $150 on the stock and maybe another $100 or so on magazines and parts to make that monstrosity of a mag fit. Who nows maybe he spent more. In any case he probably believes he the gun is worth $500.

In reality despite the add-ons its not worth $500. I would possibly realistically give him $350 if the magazines were proven not to jam all the time - which was typical of after market high-cap mags for the SKS. The gun would also have to be in PRISTINE condition and not have any wear on it for me to consider it at $350 AND I would want the original stock, magazine and other parts to come with it too.

If all those conditions were not met I'd offer no more than $200 for it. Oh and as others have said that stock isn't original, its an after market stock as is the magazine. That means it doesn't have matching numbers. Matching numbers to me doesn't make much of a difference anyway, not with an SKS.

[iamdb]

You could get an ak and a drum for that price if you look around. I've seen russians going for $500... a bubba'd yugo at that price is an insult. PASS on that deal. Offer him $200 tell him he can keep the magazines and stock.

[Technosavant]

Speaking of gun snobs...

The rifle doesn't loose all its worth just because it's no longer in factory pristine condition.

I'll let the gun snob comment slide, but you proved my point- the gun has lost all its collector's value with those parts installed... if the original parts he took off are gone, the value has indeed dropped. I suggest you investigate the price difference between guns in a pristine collectible condition and that of the same model but in "shooter" condition. It can be quite significant.

In the case of this gun, it's value is ONLY that of a functional SKS... the "numbers matching" is irrelevant without the magazine and stock, and that drops the value by probably at least $50, more likely closer to $100. Even then it assume it does function... that magazine has me doubting it will feed reliably.

Collectors will pass it by, and that means dollars lost. Somebody might buy it as a useful semiauto, but only at a price lower than that of the AK the owner tried to turn it into. You can get Romanian AKs at $500, a Saiga 7.62x39 at $400, and so on (classicfirearms.com has those deals going)... any of those would be preferable to that SKS in that condition at those prices. Hence my statement that a fair price for that thing is probably much closer to $300 than $400, despite whatever the owner might have invested in it. At $400 I'd take the Saiga over the SKS ten times out of ten.

[9mm]

! what the craps is that double banana magazine...................


Gun shows you can buy SKS'S bright wood finish for $375.

I guess he wants more due to the price of that stock, I rekon they go for $75-$100.

[iamdb]

Even then it assume it does function... that magazine has me doubting it will feed reliably. +1 on that.

I'm willing to bet the cost of the rifle that it wont empty that mag without a jam. I would take a Tula or Norinco over a Saiga in the $400-$450 range. Any arsenal ak for $500.

That "SKS" in the picture is just missing the gold plating and bi-pod :D:D:D

[raftman]

The rifle doesn't loose all its worth just because it's no longer in factory pristine condition. That choice of stock and mag would not be mine, but that doesn't turn the whole shooting deal into a pile or junk.

Unfortunately that's largely untrue. In this case we're dealing with a military surplus rifle and a significant portion of milsurp enthusiasts do prefer factory original configuration and value does come from what people are actually willing to pay. There is a hierarchy, and factory-configuration all-matching #'s fetches a higher price than ones in original factory configuration but some mismatched #'s, which in turn will fetch a higher price than something that's been festooned with a (potentially illegal) combination of low-quality aftermarket parts.

Therein also lies part of the problem, most aftermarket parts for the SKS tend to be of poor quality, mags that don't feed well, scope mounts that don't hold zero, etc. A rifle outfitted which such parts is likely to be less reliable than one in factory configuration, so even throwing all of the collect-ability aspects out the window it is likely an inferior rifle.

Unfortunately, in many (perhaps most) with milsurp guns, a heavily modified firearm is worth less than sum of its parts.

[springer99]

A "like-new" Yugo SKS will go for about $375-400 in my area. The gun pictured, with the ugly "duck-bill" magazine and plastic stock would probably fetch about the same or slightly less. That's assuming that it's still functioning well.

[USMCGrunt]

And you say this is a "friend" that is trying to unload this thing on you for $500? I got to say, if that's an example of your "friend", I'd hate to think of what the guy that hates your guts would be like!:eek:
Now as far as the rifle in question. If he has the original magazine, stock and accessories that came with the rifle so that it can be restored to it's original condition, then you can call it a matching number rifle and he might be able to get $300 out of it at best. However, if he doesn't have the original parts, IMHO, it's nothing more than a Bubba hack job and will never be considered a matching number gun. Personally, I have zero use for anything like that and won't even bother with them. I have had people that still try to press the issue though to try to unload these sort of things and for some reason, they tend to think of me as an a-hole when I offer then $20 but nothing more. Hey, you destroyed the rifle's history trying to turn it into cheap Charlie's AK so I'm not really serious about buying junk like that.

[Hansam]

You know this all reminds me of a Yugoslavian SKS I came across on Armslist.com a while back out of Milwaukee.

The seller wanted $1100 for it! Why? Well he took a $200 rifle, paid $200 to have a gunsmith cut a couple inches off the barrel then thread and crown it, put a muzzle brake on it, had another gunsmith alter the gun to take regular AK mags, bought a bunch of plastic AK mags (US made to be 922r compliant), added a plastic tapco tactical stock, mounted a Surefire flashlight, bipod, EoTech red dot with a 4x magnifyer and a whole slew of other additions.

He rationalized the ridiculous price by explaining and listing the prices he paid for everything he did to the gun - overall he claims to have spent over $2000 on it. All for a $200 rifle...

Anyway I remember it kept being reposted on Armslist for almost 6 months then the ad finally disappeared. I don't know if some idiot actually bought the thing for $1100 or the guy selling the rifle finally realized he wasn't going to get anywhere near that amount and gave up.

No matter what is done to the gun or put on the gun in the end it's still the actual gun that matters. In this case it's a Yugo SKS, a $200 rifle and nothing more. In some markets it might fetch $350 and in some markets it might not. Any more though and you're just getting ripped off.

[bustersmaster]

It's kind of hard to look at that picture with a straight face. Is there any chance we've been "had" ?

[seanc]

It's hypnotizing, isn't it? :D

[raftman]

And you say this is a "friend" that is trying to unload this thing on you for $500? I got to say, if that's an example of your "friend", I'd hate to think of what the guy that hates your guts would be like!

To be fair, it seems there are folks out there who genuinely don't know that it's virtually impossible to get all of one's money back from heavily modifying an SKS. That is, the individual in question may genuinely think the rifle is worth the cost of the original SKS+plastic stock+higher capacity mag+the work that went into it, and arrived at $500.

[chris in va]

I had a Yugo, finally got fed up with the fixed mag and all the added junk on he barrel and bought a Saiga.

Sold THAT for my AR.:cool:

[stu925]

As stated, even $400 for that rifle is a bit high. I bought my Yugo a few months ago all matching for $345 out the door and looked like it was unissued. The stock and Magazine on that rifle are definitely not original so factor that into the price. If the original parts aren't included, he wants way too much for it. By the way here's what an original Yugo looks like:
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc492/stu925/Gun%20Pics/DSCN2066_1.jpg

Stu