The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

Have the cash in hand to pick up one of these, but now I'm starting to think about it which is always dangerous. I know that Classic got these in some time ago, and they've said all along that they only had a "very small batch" this time, so I'm wondering if it's worth paying the extra $20 for handpick for all matching numbers and another $20 for handpick for cosmetic appearance, given that they aren't excluding "trench art" from handpick and if they only have a few left then I'd be paying for pretty much the best out of the worst possibly.... Total for one with both handpicks and shipping would be $375.00 SOG has them for the same price and offers a handpick as well but not specified for matching numbers.

BUT...I found a place I can get two of them with cracked stocks for a total of $418.98 shipped, and I have two stocks standing here in the corner...

I'd go for the damaged stocks personally. To me, matching numbers and or nice looks are good, but your trusting/paying somebody to possibly pick the best of 5 or so, who knows, they may just grab the next one in line. You know what the stocks you have look like and the cracks could simply be just be a sliver of wood missing. If you have to use the stocks, you would have 209 per shipped, plus the cost of your stocks.

But, thats just my thinking Once and a while I like a little gamble, especially on an almost 2 for one deal.

My thoughts on that are, what if Classic only has like say...ten left? I pay for handpick which is $20, and all ten are beat to hell? Or like you said, they send the low-man on the totem pole back to pull one and he's pissed because he has a hangover and grabs whatever the first one is and wraps it up. I see a lot of people that refuse to go the handpick route and get all matching Sino-Soviet's, but that's not the way my luck usually runs.

I'll have to call on Monday since they don't have weekend hours listed on their site and make sure that the stocks are the ONLY thing wrong with them.

You could always get lucky on the cracked stock deal and get a pair of matching Sinos, or a Russian and a Sino, or ????. Ohhhh, the possibilities of a gamble.

Probably gonna find out...I'll be sure and post, maybe get the wife to shoot an "unboxing" video. I watched a couple on youtube and busted up laughing at them, guy trying to open a box from Classic and video himself, no light to speak of, then he got the rifle out and it was all wrapped up in bubble wrap and tape, he's trying to cut the bubble wrap off with a knife while holding the camera in the other hand. I wondered how hard it was to get the cosmoline off the camera when he was done...lol

if i were you id go with the cracked stocks 2 for one price

Yeah I also say the two for one deal, because more is more gooder ;)

Honestly though if you did not like both, at that pont you can sell one, and have one for $100'ish..

I've hit my limit on C&R sales for the time being I think, I've sold four so if I replace them with two C&R eligible SKS's I would consider that "improving" my collection, as two of the four I sold were T53's...

Good luck on getting something good. As an aside... I do have a good spare Norinco SKS stock I picked up a long time ago. It's of the 1990's import variety but it is in good shape.

I have one that I picked up for $5 but it was screwed up by the PO so that he could use the Tapco mags and he did a really crappy job of sanding out the stock where the mag goes, but I can at least use it to see if a modern stock will fit. The kid that bought one of the T53's has one that he's looking to sell cheap so there's one good one if it'll fit right.

One thing to look out for with Chinese stocks, some are blade cut, others will have a spike cut. While they are pretty much interchangeable, the bayonet wont sit right and will look kinda goofy.

I've got one spare, the reddish brown fiberglass jungle stock with matching handguard. It still has the little "Made in China" sticker on the butt stock and the cleaning kit under the butt plate. I paid something like 5 bucks for it years ago.

I've seen the fiberglass ones on ebay, not too bad prices on them, just wonder what the weight difference would be between all these. The newer Norinco stock weighs only 1 lb 10 ounces according to my postage scale, I'm sure the older cosmoline soaked ones would weigh a lot more, lol.

I didn't realize it, but this fiberglass one weighs in right at a pound and 15 ounces , cleaning kit removed, the chu wood would be lighter. Yugoslavian elm or Russian laminate would be the heavy weights I would imagine.

Wife came in and asked if I bought them yet...lol

Called Royal Tiger Imports this morning and asked Sue whether the cracked stocks were the only deficiency on these, she assured me that they were complete and were just a batch that have been put aside while filling orders as they come across them. Ordered two, total was $418 and change, the only TERRIBLE thing is that they are at 15-25 days delivery time although she did say that was an outside quote. Now for the waiting....

If you go to replace a Chinese stock, remember the blade diff mentioned above. More important is that the Chinese stocks are cut two ways. One stock is for a threaded barrel and the other for a pinned barrel. These rifles I have seen so far are blade type and cut for a threaded barrel.

hopefully they'll just have minor cracks that I can repair easily so as to keep them as they come, I already have a late stamped and pinned barrel one that's not original but a hell of a shooter since it was basically unfired when I got it.

What website is SOG?

Southern Ohio Guns

Hey y'all I wanted to chime in here on the sks at SOG. I ordered one couple weeks ago and payed the 25
Hand select fee. The rifle is in beautiful shape and is a sinco soviet
There is a 5 digit serial number only and no other markings
On it. All parts match including the stock. Bad thing is
I just had a stem cell transplant and
Can't touch it yet. My wife got it out of the box for me to see and it looks like they were stored in a barrel of grease. They running a little higher now and mine was '350 at the door. Oh.....blueing appears to
Be nice as well. I'll try to get ya some pics when
I can