Milsurp After Hours

Seems that sometime in the not too distant past a boatload or two of SKS rifles, found in Europe, said to be Albania in origin, came into the US. Right now Classic Arms has some for relatively cheap. However, the story is curious, and Classic Arms isn't telling it, but lots of internet message board "experts" are telling all about it. The story goes that the Albanian dictator back in the 1970's tied up with China as his favorite Commie regime. China, having gotten the SKS plans and blessing for making them from Russia, set up a Albanian factory for Albania and produced a version of their Chinese SKS that made the Albanian rifle somewhat unique. This production lasted during the 70's with some years with little to no production and then the worm turned. China and Albania broke up a ten year romance. However, China sold Albania their cast off Chinese SKS rifles for probably stockpile or training purpose on Albania's part. Of the true Albanian SKS rifles, when the AK became the commie rifle of choice an unknown number were sold to the US collector market and during the Balkan war the remainder were mostly destroyed of a total of maybe 20,000 ever made. The Chinese dumped rifles, some with allegedly modified Albanian design stocks, of general sub par condition are what Classic is offering and main stream message boards are talking about.

Here is a good video on the relatively rare actual production Albanian SKS rifles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... e=emb_logo

Classic Firearms is here:

https://www.classicfirearms.com/chinese ... le-762x39/

I happen to have one of the more rare actual Albanian made versions. I've posted about it before.

My SKS is from China, a "factory 26", made in 1961, not a Norinco.
1961 was first year of an all-Chinese built rifle, as they were no longer getting the
barrel/receiver assembly from USSR..... apparently, the honeymoon was over.
It is certainly not rare, but it does have the blade bayonet instead of the spike. 1961 was
a low production year of 15,500, later years were over 300,000 a year.
I like to change things around on my guns just for fun, but although it looks like this now,
it can be changed back to factory original in about 30 minutes. I never make any permanent
changes and have every original part. Oops I lied, I threaded the end of the barrel.
The fun news is that now it takes 20 and 30 round magazines....
So if you are a purist that think it should never be changed...... don't look at it.....

.

Now you have a "tactical" weapon I guess. If you were to see such a weapon for sale online and had a C&R it would probably not make the "curio and relic" cut. If you were to sell it to someone who had a C&R and had to ship it to them you would have to put the old wood stock back on it. The BATF is not altogether logical about things....and certainly if it were a black stock and if Mike Blumberg or other such num nuts, or no nuts, were President all such rifles would be confiscated and smashed into a thousand pieces to protect the world at large.

I think an AK47 would be more prestigious, particularly if still fully auto....which you can't officially buy without some special fully auto ownership license. But if you got one of the neutered AK47's it still may not be as practically wonderful as an SKS.

Take a look at this surmise. Disregard the weird religious message messed up in it. It's cheerful for us SKS owners who don't have an AK47.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYDQiOeThlU

After getting up to a dozen SKS's I have pared mine down to 2, and Albanian and a Chinese D Model. The Albanian is just a pretty with its longer hand guard and hook style charging handle. The Chinese D Model is just fun to shoot and can us 10, 20, or 30 round AK mags equally well.

My favorite of three is a genuine Russian SKS. One that was made in Russia.