canoeguy
US Veteran
I visited a pawn shop the other day near my new home in Marion, Va., Broad Street Pawn in Downtown Marion. Wound up making trade for a like new Chinese SKS rifle, he had it priced at $350, I traded even up for a rifle I figured I had $300 in....
It was refreshing to see a Chinese SKS priced at a reasonable, approachable rate. For the last year and a half, seems everyone wanted an arm and a leg for a desirable SKS. Worn ones have been priced at $300 or more. Even more refreshing to be able to make a good trade at a pawn shop, a good trade where both parties walk away happy. I'll be doing some more business with Broad Street Pawn.
This one has the "26" rifle factory mark, indicating it was made at the Jianshe Arsenal in China. Serial number places it at being made in 1966, a very tumultuous time in history. All matching serial numbers, original bayonet, totally unmolested. It is like new, fired very little if at all, just like all the new SKS's that were imported to the U.S. in the late 1980's and early 1990's. A great time to buy military surplus rifles, these SKS' were being sold for $79-89 dollars back in the day. I bought a bunch, shooting them with all the cheap 7.62 X 39 ammo I could afford, and I could afford a lot when it was being sold for .07 cents per round.
I once traded a G.I surplus Aircrewmans survival switch blade, with the orange plastic handles, for a beat up Chinese SKS, I think the asking price was $60 at the time, around 1992. I carried that SKS for years in the bottom of my canoe, hunting Nutria in the marshes of North Carolina. There were times when I shot ten Nutria (big water rats, an invasive specie which destroys marsh habitat) a day, putting a serious dent in the local population near my home.
I have had some fun in the past few days, shooting and cleaning the rifle, rounding up a proper Chinese sling, chest bandolier and stripper clips on Ebay. This rifle will be my "Walking the Perimeter" rifle, accompanying me on hikes on my property. I let my other SKS's get away from me, I think I'll hang on to this one.
Here's a pic of the rifle with Chinese canvas SKS case:
It was refreshing to see a Chinese SKS priced at a reasonable, approachable rate. For the last year and a half, seems everyone wanted an arm and a leg for a desirable SKS. Worn ones have been priced at $300 or more. Even more refreshing to be able to make a good trade at a pawn shop, a good trade where both parties walk away happy. I'll be doing some more business with Broad Street Pawn.
This one has the "26" rifle factory mark, indicating it was made at the Jianshe Arsenal in China. Serial number places it at being made in 1966, a very tumultuous time in history. All matching serial numbers, original bayonet, totally unmolested. It is like new, fired very little if at all, just like all the new SKS's that were imported to the U.S. in the late 1980's and early 1990's. A great time to buy military surplus rifles, these SKS' were being sold for $79-89 dollars back in the day. I bought a bunch, shooting them with all the cheap 7.62 X 39 ammo I could afford, and I could afford a lot when it was being sold for .07 cents per round.
I once traded a G.I surplus Aircrewmans survival switch blade, with the orange plastic handles, for a beat up Chinese SKS, I think the asking price was $60 at the time, around 1992. I carried that SKS for years in the bottom of my canoe, hunting Nutria in the marshes of North Carolina. There were times when I shot ten Nutria (big water rats, an invasive specie which destroys marsh habitat) a day, putting a serious dent in the local population near my home.
I have had some fun in the past few days, shooting and cleaning the rifle, rounding up a proper Chinese sling, chest bandolier and stripper clips on Ebay. This rifle will be my "Walking the Perimeter" rifle, accompanying me on hikes on my property. I let my other SKS's get away from me, I think I'll hang on to this one.
Here's a pic of the rifle with Chinese canvas SKS case:
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