Can someone give me advice on what a decent price would be on a used SKS? I had one years ago and wishing a wouldn't have sold it since. I paid 150 bucks for the one I used to have.

The biggest factor is the country of origin - is it Chinese? Yugo? Russian? The Chinese Norinco's are still the cheapest and I see them in decent shape in the $200-$250 range occasionally. Yugo models in the $250-$350 and Russians anywhere from $300 - $500. At gun shows I rarely see any model below $300-$350 so you've got to look hard to find a deal.

If you don't care about aesthetics then go for the Norinco. They'll still shoot great for you, but the stocks look like a roughly carved 2x4.

Bottom line - if you want one and you can find one below $300 these days - snag it.

That's odd, for my area your prices are all correct, if you swapped the Yugo and Norinco.

Really? That's odd since we are not that far apart. I will concede that I haven't been to a true gun show in about a year now, so perhaps things have swapped.

Russian models are obviously always going to be the leader given the quality of the builds. My personal opinion though is that there really isn't much difference between the Yugo's and the Norinco's. Pricing differentials might just come down to availability within the localized market - Last time I was shopping for an SKS I was starting to see more Yugo's so maybe they've flooded the market and lowered the market value of them.

Looks like I will probably have to spend in the 3-500 dollar range to get what I am looking for. I want to try and get one with the fold up stock and from the sounds of it most of the lower price models come with something similar to a 2x4.

By the way, any legal issues to worry about with these? I've heard rumors of clip size limitations and somebody once told me that the fold up stock was illegal in some states.

Like this but without the scope and with a 30 round clip.

Not necessarily ... the composite folding stocks you show in the picture are pretty cheap in the grand scheme of thing. Find the cheapest, functioning SKS you can and stick your own folding stock on it.

As far as clip size, the only limitation is if it used in a hunting application. States regulate how many rounds can be in a firearm while hunting - in Michigan its 5. Most SKS' have a fixed magazine though. In other words you can't easily interchange magazines like you can on an AK. There are options to get around that from the manufacturers - they make 30-rnd and 40-rnd mags that work with the non-detachable mag well. There is a model, the SKS-D that was produced to accept removable AK style mags, but you pay a premium for them. You might also come across a few on the market where previous owners have had a gun smith modify the original receiver to accept a AK style mag.

On the folding stock issue you need to check with your state. The minimum overall length of a rifle, as defined by the US Code and BATF is 26". The Feds interpret that to be measured when the stock is folded out and/or fully extended. Some states interpret that the measurement be taken with the stock in the folded position.

But in general, there are no legal issues with owning an un-modified SKS.

That really sums it up below.
I only buy used guns . . . prices vary wildly.

Posted by hoarznest Not necessarily ... the composite folding stocks you show in the picture are pretty cheap in the grand scheme of thing. Find the cheapest, functioning SKS you can and stick your own folding stock on it. As far as clip size, the only limitation is if it used in a hunting application. States regulate how many rounds can be in a firearm while hunting - in Michigan its 5. Most SKS' have a fixed magazine though. In other words you can't easily interchange magazines like you can on an AK. There are options to get around that from the manufacturers - they make 30-rnd and 40-rnd mags that work with the non-detachable mag well. There is a model, the SKS-D that was produced to accept removable AK style mags, but you pay a premium for them. You might also come across a few on the market where previous owners have had a gun smith modify the original receiver to accept a AK style mag. On the folding stock issue you need to check with your state. The minimum overall length of a rifle, as defined by the US Code and BATF is 26". The Feds interpret that to be measured when the stock is folded out and/or fully extended. Some states interpret that the measurement be taken with the stock in the folded position. But in general, there are no legal issues with owning an un-modified SKS.

Posted by hoarznest But in general, there are no legal issues with owning an un-modified SKS.

Thanks for the advice man, I appreciate it.