The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

i've posted this on a couple of other forums but old outlaw informed me we just got a new sub forum here, so i'll post it here too. picked it up at the Market Hall Gun Show in Dallas this past weekend. it's a M21 still coated in cosmoline with french tickler HG. still debating whether to clean it and shoot it or store it.

I hoard everything away, I got an Enfield MKII that is brand new in the arsenal wrap I picked up 17 years ago that has still not seen the light of day. If you got one you shoot already squirrel this one away for a rainy day. No bayonet, must be one of the California sale jobs I remember seeing back in the 90's, they had to pull the bayo off to sell them in that state, at least the mount is still there.

I am pretty sure that the bayonet was just misplaced shortly before you took pics, right? Because installing one is unfortunately averse to Title 18 USC § 922(r), which makes it illegal to build any firearm which is prohibited from importation as “non-sporting”. And installing a bayonet is considered "building" by the ATF.

Very nice M21, BTW. Most SKS nuts consider this model as an offshoot of the last Jainshe factory /26\ models of 1979 and 1980. These have the best fit and finish of any Chinese variants, bar none.

Mine is still in cosmoline, too.

martin08 wrote:I am pretty sure that the bayonet was just misplaced shortly before you took pics, right? Because installing one is unfortunately averse to Title 18 USC § 922(r), which makes it illegal to build any firearm which is prohibited from importation as “non-sporting”. And installing a bayonet is considered "building" by the ATF.

Very nice M21, BTW. Most SKS nuts consider this model as an offshoot of the last Jainshe factory /26\ models of 1979 and 1980. These have the best fit and finish of any Chinese variants, bar none.

Mine is still in cosmoline, too.

When he first showed this one to me, I noticed that the stock looked glossy like my 1980 ?26\. Beautiful rifle.

imc8541, glad to see you are here my friend!
Keep that one in the Cosmo. Get something cheap to shoot. That one is too good for your Hog hunting.
If I ever run across one of those at that price, I'm gonna snatch it like a Hawk. Well,Bald Eagle up here I guess.

so these did not come with bayo? he gave me one with it still covered in cosmo. states the original owner took it off for compliance but i thought if it came on it should be ok, correct?

lmc8541 wrote:so these did not come with bayo? he gave me one with it still covered in cosmo. states the original owner took it off for compliance but i thought if it came on it should be ok, correct?

The one I bought in 1993 or 94 was brand new off the dealers shelf. The bayo was in the box with all the other accessories.Just in the box loose.
Dunno for certain, but I have one!

Ah, yes. If it came with a bayonet, then by all means please be sure that it is installed right side up!

I'm glad we got the new sub forum so you could post this. The more SKS's I see the more I want one.

OOPS! I forgot to welcome you to the forum imc8541.I forgot my manners,if I ever had any to lose.



Glad you are here my friend!!!!

lmc8941 welcome to the forum from a fellow Texan, as a matter of fact if my wife hadn't been sick I was headed to that gunshow myself, but I spent money at the doctor and pharmacy and decided to cool it for the weekend. So I have a question for you guys to answer just in case there is a SKS rookie out there wondering like bunkysdad . What is a M21 SKS? You see this is what is gonna happen on this forum with all the high power SKS gurus. There are gonna be posts just popped out there like it is written in some secret society code that half the people reading are gonna say "What the heck"? That is what I thought when I read a couple of guys talking casually about "Letter guns" and there was something else too but I forget now what it was. I know it happens all the time on the Mosin Nagant forum too and that drives me crazy. New guys are not gonna know what someone means when they make a new post about their first ever 43 Izhevsk 91/30 and someone right off the bat comments "You could have got a hex lammy for that price".

PS~ A quick google search and about 30 minutes of reading some very interesting SKS stuff and I can answer the question. The short answer is that the M21 is a Chinese commercial variant SKS. I must say lcm8941, the one you found looks very nice. Did you see many other notable milsurps at the Dallas show?

Actually as I recall,the M21 was originally produced as a rifle to send to Viet Nam. Most M21 rifles that came here were VN bring backs.In 1992 I think it was,a shipment of new ones came here.The M21 was for export to Chinese Allies originally. Ne just found a new one at that show!

Others will chime in if I am off very much. GOOD find!

That is what I was reading. OO, do you suggest a good book to read to learn the details of the SKS? I have not looked but I imagine there is a "for collectors" series for the SKS like the Terence Lapin bppl for the Mosin Nagant? I have several of these books and they seem pretty good for the basics.

bunkysdad wrote:That is what I was reading. OO, do you suggest a good book to read to learn the details of the SKS? I have not looked but I imagine there is a "for collectors" series for the SKS like the Terence Lapin bppl for the Mosin Nagant? I have several of these books and they seem pretty good for the basics.

The only reference book, to my knowledge, is The SKS Carbine by Steve Kehaya and Joe Poyer. And as with other books, it has errors and incomplete information. But its general overview is comprehensive.

As the M21 is listed as a commercial variant, its description is a bit misleading. It is most certainly a military firearm, and intended for medium range infantry application. The markings were distinguished from the Red Army munitions, as the M21's were initially distributed/exported to the SE Asian peninsula region during the Vietnam War.

The gun in the OP is considered to be the final production run of the SKS by factory /26\, though no documents are available to support. Observation ties its features to the particular factory, as all other factories had changed to the pinned barrel design by the time of its manufacture.

I'll get a post up soon on the initial M21 from the early 1960. All of these are considered to be in the United States as bringbacks, as none have ever been found with import marks.

Actually, I've already posted this early M21 once on this forum. Link below. JYD had an amazing supplement with papered documents to add to the topic.

http://www.russian-mosin-nagant-forum.c ... ache#p5302

The Hue city NVA SKS, that was one hell of a fight, and like every stand up fight our forces had with the NVA they won it and took their toys. That rifle was one of them.

Matt, is that incredible SKS another rifle that got passed over and missed by many? I never saw this post and incredibly interesting explanation of the m 21 variant. That is a great post and a beautiful SKS for sure. Thanks martin08 good job

I already know what is gonna he happen. I am gonna get SKS fever.

bunkysdad wrote:I already know what is gonna he happen. I am gonna get SKS fever.

They are fun to shoot, fun to collect, and if you know what you are looking at with one, they can be a good investment.
Carry a camera to the gun shops. See if they will let you take some pics's of it. Bet we can help you with it here.
If you run across a Russian, there are several things to look for on them in particular. If you know what to look for
the seller may not know what he really has. I've seen and bought a number of $300 to $450 Russians that were actually
very good buys. I'm only talking about a 12 month period of time, not years ago. Current so to speak.
Each one, the seller didn't know as much about it as I did. Knowledge puts you in the drivers seat the majority of the time.
Not always if the seller also has knowledge. If you will look at Boomers GB Sales reports, you will see quite a few of original non-refurb Russians
will sell pretty low at times for no apparent reason. With knowledge, their BIN button can be your best friend.
Or, you snag the big one from a dealer or gun show. Same as having to know a Mosin or a Mauser.

Have fun!