All,

I found a Chinese SKS at the local pawn shop. I learned that it had been there at least 2 weeks. They want $439 for it.

I have no idea if this is a more desirable gun or not. I did take some crappy cell phone pictures of the markings on the left side of the gun.

Does anyone know anything about Chinese SKS's that could tell me if this is something I should snag tomorrow or if it is a run of the mill cheaper "commercial" model?

The marking are a triangle with 3 digits in it. The digits are either a 456 or 156 (the stock was covering the bottom of the mark). Following the triangle is 3 Chinese characters then the serial number of 1502278.

Further back on the receiver are the following import marks:

SKS 7,62 CHINA
CJA SOUTHFIELD, MI

It does have a spike bayonet and a blond lacquered wood stock.

I have been looking for information on the web, but there are a bunch of websites and forums that seem to contradict one another with respect to what some of the markings mean.

I am not looking for a collectible, but I want something that is known to be a "good" example that will not fall apart on me.

Any experts out there, I would appreciate your advice.

I am going back to look at it tomorrow, so if there are any markings I should be looking for, let me know. I did not check for matching serials or any other markings. I was in a little bit of a rush today.

Thank in advance...

The gun shop my daughter works at has a Chinese and a tula sks in stock right now. Both are fantastic examples. His are 400 for the chicom and 600 for the tula. Both are super clean.

quote:

Originally posted by DSgrouse:
The gun shop my daughter works at has a Chinese and a tula sks in stock right now. Both are fantastic examples. His are 400 for the chicom and 600 for the tula. Both are super clean.

local? I'm on the hunt for one.

Brothers N'Arms
2978 River Rd W, Goochland, VA 23063, United States

(804) 556-0119

Thanks....always looking for other shops to hit when down south

The quick check:

Military = Threaded barrel and milled trigger guard

Commercial = Pinned barrel and stamped trigger guard

Look at where the barrel meets the receiver.

A threaded barrel threads into the receiver and has a locking nut that looks like the flared bottom of a chess piece.

A pinned barrel just goes straight into the receiver with no fancy look to it; plus you can see the pin in the side of the receiver.

Both work fine, but the threaded is true to the military issue configuration, while the pinned were slapped together for commercial consumption. Some people prefer the threaded barrel models (as do I) but having had a few dozen over the years, I couldn't break any of them.

Check out the link:

SKS Primer

The pinned barrels started in the 70's, it wasn't only for commercial sale, same with the stamped trigger guards.

quote:

Originally posted by Mettlepig:
The pinned barrels started in the 70's, it wasn't only for commercial sale, same with the stamped trigger guards.

exactly,

my understanding is the commercial entities (NORINCO and Poly Tech to name a couple) were created to sell Chinese firearms,

and the SKS's we just take out of storage or the armories and sold,
some older, some newer, some brand new,

all made in Chinese Military Arsenals,