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Chinese SKS Type 56 Rifle - Original Military Turn In Rifles. 7.62x39 Semi-Auto W /Spike Bayonet - C&R Eligible

MPN: chicom-sks  |  UPC: ITM468

Customer Reviews

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Great Value!
Review by Comrade on 5/27/2015
Great historical value and easy to shoot. This was my first semi-automatic rifle, and I highly recommend it. All matching numbers (I chose the hand select option, so maybe that helped) and there was only slight surface rust. The bore is crystal clear and the rifle functions flawlessly. A great deal for the price!
Better than expected
Review by BoBK on 2/20/2015
These two SKSs were picked up during Classic's B-Grade sale. Were caked w/ grease and gunk when first getting them--I'll be honest, I was a little apprehensive at first and wondering what I had gotten myself into. But after a LOT of cleaning and a LOT of time working on them, they came out beautiful. I'm not even sure the pictures do them justice. Still wondering whether I want to re-blue them or not, but for now I am pleased. A couple mismatched numbers, but they appear to be the earlier Sino-Soviet what what I can figure--don't judge me, I am just getting into the SKS :) . Overall I am happy for what I got for what I paid. Am guessing the regular SKS (not B-Grade) would be very worth the cost. Thanks again, Classic!
You need one
Review by Jeffrey on 12/27/2014
If you have not gotten one of these yet you need to. This has been one of the best shoots I have gotten so far from Classic. The price is far less then what you get. With a little cleaning and time you can get a real part of history.
Refinished the Chinese SKS Type 56
Review by Rusted KC Channel on 11/8/2014
I originally completed an unboxing video and review and wanted to do an update with my refinished product. After quite a bit of elbow grease, I was able to get this gun into good working order. Check out my video for the final product.
Great for "Sporterizing" if you Like
Review by Kevin on 9/27/2014
After claiming I would never "sporterise" my Sino-Soviet SKS, I lied. Here's a before and after video of the transformation using the Choate Machine and Tool SKS M4 Telescoping Pistol Grip Stock system and the Tapco magazine and extended mag release.
Amazing rifle at great price!
Review by John on 8/16/2014
Awsome shipping time. Amazing rifle! I wish this rifle could talk, I would love to hear some of it's stories. I paid for all matching, got all matching. The rifle is about 95% blued and the wear on the wood is absolutely beautiful! The rifle shoots like a dream, the boar is great and the action is nice and smooth. The rifle is all milled. It appears to be Russian parts, but assembled in China. There are no factory markings. This information leads me to believe it was made in 1956 when the rifle production was switched from Russia to China. You can't go wrong with this rifle!
Nice SKS Beater! Lots of Character
Review by Frog on 8/10/2014
Video uploaded. I got them hand select and matching number. These rifles are a bit beat but they are as described and great value for ~$300!

Thanks!
Great gun with a small issue
Review by Anthony on 8/2/2014
The rifle came packed in cosmoline as expected, the stock was also in rough shape, both of which I was expecting. The issue I was not expecting however was the large amount of rust on the rifle, the bottom portion of the bolt as well as the top front of the bolt was covered in rust, I removed a majority of it. (I wish I did a before and after video)

The firing pin was also stuck in the forward position not due to cosmoline but due to rust, after cleaning it up it now has no issues and free floats very well.

I took the gun to the range last weekend and put about 100 rounds through it and didn't have a single issue.

All in all im happy with the purchase, I am a bit disappointed having paid for the hand select for exterior to have received a rifle with so much rust.

Would I purchase again? Yes I would.
overall a great purchase of my first SKS.
Review by c4snipar on 7/24/2014
First SKS and first time order from classic firearms. Took only a little over a week and arrived at my local gun store. This is a quick look before cosmoline removal. It appeared to be in good condition, numbers does not match. I did not pay the extra $40 for hand select or number matching. It appeared to be a "ghost rifle" as doesn't have any Russian or Chinese writings on it. It would be better if comes with the little cleaning kit. Will try to do another review after cleaning and the range. Overall, would buy again and recommended.
Just as described
Review by Monty on 7/23/2014
Just as described. Take a look at my YouTube video.
Great rifle for the money !
Review by Rob on 6/15/2014
Overall great rifle for the price.Yeah the stock wont win any beauty contests but that patina was almost 60 years in the making.Thanks Classic Firearms for making this purchase easy,fast,and affordable.I hope to do more business with Classic in the future.
Good rifle
Review by Keith on 6/10/2014
Overall, I was impressed with the condition of the rifle. I opted for the add'l cost for matching numbers and exterior cosmetics. There were only a few spots with rust. Now comes the fun part of cosmoline removal!
Excellent condition for the age!
Review by Clayton on 6/4/2014
I was expecting a slightly better rifle for the extra $20 I payed for cosmetics, but I didn't expect it to be in as nice shape as it was when it arrived! The cosmoline certainly did its job protecting the metal! The stock, while rough, is in surprisingly good shape with only a couple of major gouges. No hairline cracks as far as I can see. The bore is absolutely spotless, and when I took it apart, there was no carbon build-up in any of the internals, including the gas piston and operating rod! While I missed the sale price on this particular SKS by about 8 hours, it was still worth the original price of $319.99!
SKS REVIEW
Review by CHRIS on 6/4/2014
I PERSONALLY GIVE THE GUN OVERALL A 3 OUT OF 5 STARS OVERALL, ( I AM A PERFECTIONIST). BELOW ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF THE RIFLE.

EDIT NOT AK AN SKS SORRY FOR THAT.

PROS: BARREL EXCELLENT 110% A+++, WOOD AND BLUING IN GOOD CONDITION. CYCLES, FIRES, AND IS ACCURATE.

CONS: HAD RUST SPOTS ON THE RECEIVER, BOLT, BOLT CARRIER AND DEEP RUST SPOT ON THE MAG. THE FIRING PIN AND THE FIRING PIN RETAINER HAD TO BE REPLACED SINCE BOTH WERE DAMAGED. LAST ODD ISSUE IS THE FACT THAT THE TRIGGER ASSY. IS SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT IN THE RECEIVER, ITS NOT CONTACTING THE INNER PART OF THE RECEIVER IT HAS CLEARANCE ITS JUST A BIT TO THE LEFT THIS WAS NOT CORRECTED WHEN I INSTALLED ANOTHER TRIGGER ASSY. FROM ONE OF MY OTHER EARLY CHINESE SKS'S SO IT MUST BE AN ISSUE WITH THE RECEIVER ITSELF WHERE IT BOLTS INTO IT. IF IN THE FUTURE THE GUNS TRIGGER GROUP GIVES ME ISSUES WITH RUBBING ON THE INNER OF THE RECEIVER I WILL PROBABLY CALL CLASSIC FIREARMS AND SEE IF THEY CAN EITHER REFUND ME A PORTION OF THE PURCHASE PRICE OR ISSUE ME A IN-STORE CREDIT BECAUSE OF THIS ODD ISSUE.
Bear approves!
Review by Jagrmaister on 6/2/2014
This is my second Sks from classic. The first time I chose to go only for the matching option. Opted for the hand pick matching and exterior options due to the sale on the new delivery. I received what looks to be a very nice example of a 5 digit "ghost". Bluing is worn as expected, but the stock is in excellent condition. This one definitely rivals the first in appearance. That one shoots nice, so let's get this one cleaned up, inspect what's under the wood, and see who comes out on top. Very happy out of the box for price paid, we'll see after she's clean.
BUY IT FROM CLASSIC THE BEST DEAL AND FAST SHIPPING.
Review by Blackberry55 on 6/1/2014
VERY HAPPY WITH MY PURCHASE FROM CLASSIC FIRE ARMS. AS DESCRIBE ON THEIR WEB SITE AS GRADE B ON SALE FOR $269 PLUS SHIPPING. GREAT VALUE FOR THE MONEY AND LEAST PRICE ALL OVER THE WEB. CUSTOMER SERVICE VERY GOOD. PURCHASE FEW RIFLES FROM CLASSIC AND THEY ALLWAYS GO ABOVE MY EXPECTATIONS. I DID NOT PAY FOR MATCHING NUMBERS OR THE HAND PICK AND AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE VIDEO ALL NUMBERS MATCH. STOCK AS CLASS B HAVE SOME WEAR BUT ITS OK . WILL GO TO THE RANGE AND TEST IT. WILL POST VIDEO LATER. VERY HAPPY.
Chinese SKS Type 56, Milled Parts - UNBOXING
Review by NicTaylor00 on 5/30/2014
First impressions are exactly what was described. I expect it to run great once I get the rifle cleaned up and put a few rounds through it. Only wish I had waited for the $50 off sale to avoid paying full asking price at the time I purchased.
Quality Rifle
Review by Blake Devlin on 5/29/2014
Overall this was an amazing rifle. Packed heavy in cosmoline as it was clearly mentioned in the description.

The only problem I encountered was some rust spots on the magwell and on the barrel (under the stock). Also I ran into a beat up firing pin, which classic is working with me to resolve that issue.

I opted for the hand select and matching serial number premium and it turned out great for me. I already want to buy more SKS's from Classic. If you're in the market, do not hesitate to purchase from Classic.
Follow up review Frist shots and refinish
Review by Matt on 5/29/2014
This is a follow up after shooting review, Wow what a great shooter. After my first outing with this rifle I found that I still had cosomoline oozing out of the stock a full refinish was in order. I must say this ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan and has become my favorite SKS. As for the scratches an dings in the stock 95% of them disappeared when the finish was removed. Not a bad shooter for a stock military surplus rifle. I know if I add a rear peep sight and a trigger job those groups will tighten up even more. If you are on the fence about these rifles “get off” I would say pick up one of these today before they are gone.
2 Chinese Type 56 SKS - NO hand select OR Matching number select
Review by Jim on 5/23/2014
I rolled the dice and ordered two Chinese Type 56 Rifles. I think I did OK! check out the short review. I have ordered some Mosin Nagant's in the past and have been pleased (my only issue ever is that I did not receive 1 bayonet with my 6 pack order. So classic if you read this send a bayonet my way please! I am a satisfied customer and will be ordering again!
Classic does it again
Review by Josh on 5/14/2014
Ordered some more of these Chinese Sks's and wasn't let down. As usual customer service was and is excellent. Chose matching serial #'s and hand select. I am very pleased with my purchase. Thank you Classic.
Chinese SKS review
Review by Alberto on 4/30/2014
Another great gun from Classic Firearms. THANK YOU
I was one of the lucky ones that took the SKS gamble and it paid off.
Review by MrPEZO on 4/24/2014
What an awesome gun, I got it about 5 days after purchasing it. I was one of the lucky ones that took the SKS gamble and it paid off. I ended up with this beautiful Russian letter gun; it appears to be an all original 1957 (no re-furb markings). I paid for matching SNs and hand select. The gun has a beautiful deep red laminated stock (very few dings/dents), shiny/clean bore and the rifling looks great. There was some deep pits (corrosion) on the magazine and trigger group, I have it cleaned up nicely and will re-blue that area only. The over bluing is 0-10% but I can live with that. It had a cleaning rod, no cleaning kit (purchased separately). I hope to shoot it in the coming weeks. It was full of cosmoline. Thank you Classic for this beautiful piece of history!
Rifle as described
Review by MATTHEW on 4/20/2014
Brutus' must have been looking at my rifle when he wrote his description. Is the stock a little beat up? Yes! Is the bluing faded? Yes! Is the bore mirror bright and the action smooth? Yes and yes! I don't look at the outside finish as a negative on this rifle, I look at it as a beautiful patina that has taken 58 years to perfect. After spending a few hours on a Saturday evening digging this rifle out of its cosmoline and cleaning up a little bit of rust that had formed under the stock. I am very happy with the ghost rifle I received form Classic. If I had the funds I would buy another 1 or 10. If your worried about the exterior of the rifle being reflective of the inside, don't. Mine has every indication that it will be a great shooter, and isn’t that why we buy them.
Great Rifles
Review by Josh on 4/15/2014
I've purchased 2 of these rifles so far from Classic. I received one Ghost Rifle last summer and one Sino-Soviet SKS last month. Both were all matching, hand selects. The stock on the first one was in good condition. The second one was a little ugly so I refinished it. Bluing on both is good. Both rifles shoot great. Will be buying more. Thanks Classic.
Ordered out for Chinese .. and got a Russian Bride!
Review by Boris on 3/28/2014
The rifle was advertised as an "early Chinese SKS" with a chrome-lined barrel and milled receiver. This sounded great on its own, but when I received the rifle I found matching Russian serial numbers. Bonus!

The transaction went smoothly and Classic Firearms did a great job as always. They remain my "go to guys" when it comes to C&R firearms.

Cosmoline removal went smoothly and the rifle has shot a wide range of ammunition flawlessly without the slightest problem. If you have the opportunity to pick an SKS up from Classic, don't wait. I hate to sound like "Brutus", but they won't be around forever.
Great vintage military rifle
Review by William on 3/26/2014
This was a great purchase. It does come packed with cosmolene but boiling water takes it right off. This rifle shoots great 100 yards with iron sights no problem. I fired 200 rounds from it with no issues smooth firing weapon. If you are in the market buy from classic arms.
I'm still loving my SKS!
Review by Swiss Mister on 3/23/2014
My last video review was some Classic Firearms SKS along with 2 other guns. THIS video is ALL about my new SKS! I hope you enjoy watching as much as I enjoyed shooting!
Solid shooter and piece of History!
Review by 03GeeTee on 3/18/2014
Ordered my SKS a few weeks ago and am very pleased with the rifle I received. I did not pay extra for any hand pick fees but I still received an all numbers matching low serial number Sino-Soviet SKS! And on top of that it also came with the cleaning kit still in the buttstock. One of the more exciting things about this rifle is the name that I found carved into the handguard (Serja Avdulaj) as a fan of military history I thought that this was awesome. Classic took a bit longer on shipping than usual but I am very happy with the result. Overall, besides the wood being dinged up (I thought about refinishing it but decided I like the battlefield look) I really can't find anything negative about the rifle. Thanks Classic!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review by Swiss Mister on 3/16/2014
I'm super happy with my SKS purchase from Classic Firearms. I will order from them again!
Love my 2 Sino-Soviet SKS's
Review by Mike D on 3/3/2014
I received two Sino-Soviet SKS's last month from Classic. Both were all matching, hand selects. Classic did not disappoint. The stocks are in very good condition, and the bluing on both are excellent. There was an issue with the firing pin on one, and Classic came through to make it right. Thanks guys, love the rifles.
Might not be the prettiest SKS on the block...
Review by Jagrmaister on 2/26/2014
Received my Chinese SKS from Classic. I asked for numbers matching and received just that, an all matching Sino-Soviet. She's definitely not the prettiest SKS ever, but I'll forgive it if it shoots well, which I'm sure it will. Was absolutely packed in cosmoline as other reviews have suggested, but that's also expected. Once it was cleaned up, the bluing was nearly absent and the stock was discovered to have been dragged behind a truck. I know things were hard in Albania, and this rifle has the scars to prove it. Mechanically this rifle is good to go, however. All clean on the inside, and the barrel is pristine. All said, I'm still happy with the purchase. Word of caution, DO take down your bolt. I soaked mine in mineral spirits, and then busted it down. Even after the soak, it still had a good channel of cosmoline built up and the firing pin would move and function but was not completely free. Surely, this would've been a "slam-fire" situation down the road. I'm tempted to order another and see if I can get a bit better cosmetics, but I suspect these are all pretty rough around the edges and just good shooters. Sweet addition but only 4 stars because even though it's a cool piece of history I cjust an't give a rifle this rough 5.
Good Rifle
Review by Henry on 2/21/2014
When your baby momma wants a gun get her an SKS :D, The stock was in dirty but otherwise good rugged condition, the rifling groove is decent and will make the target with your due practice. The skewer is in good shape >:D.... Need a rifle that can stick it out with you and your family, this is the one can go for. Thanks Classic :D.
Great gun, super fast shipment
Review by Casey on 2/14/2014
Opted for exterior cosmetics on this SKS, gun arrived less than 48 hours after I placed the order. It looked better than I expected. I've removed the cosmoline and am now refinishing the stock. It shoots like a dream. It's now one of the favorite guns in my collection. I'm very happy with the service at Classic Firearms and will very likely order from them again.
Awesome shape, just what I hoped for
Review by Chad H on 2/13/2014
Paid for #s match and cosmetic band select. Well worth it, got a great matching 1956 arsenal 26 gun with a low serial number.
Second SKS from classic!
Review by Jason on 2/10/2014
This is my second Chinese SKS Purchase from Classic I did go with both hand select and number matching options This one was a 5 digit serial # my last being a 6 digit both being 1956 production Now i have 2 of the first year of Chinese SKS production noted only 4 stars because of several spots of rusted metal. Otherwise a nice buy! Thanks Classic!
sinosoviet!!
Review by graciela on 2/9/2014
received a sino soviet. Letter followed by four numbers. original type 56 "carbine" as designated by the Chinese. excellent bore. wood was beat but what can you expect for a rifle this rare. Matching wood and parts.
MADE my son make a video it's so nice lol

Graciela
Great shooters, almost had nimbers matching ghost rifle but both in good shape.
Review by BigHintBaikal on 2/1/2014
Ordered two got a nearly ghost , bolt is different number. Chinese is numbers matching.
Classic firearms.com Chinese SKS
Review by Michael on 1/21/2014
Excellent piece if history added to my collection. Cosmoline all iver but that's fine. After a thorough cleaning, she' is ready for outside adventure.

Great and fast shipping from Classic firearms.com. Looking to do more business with folks.
You NEED one of these!
Review by Marc on 11/27/2013
Don't think about it, just get one or three like I did. The first was a type /26\ and the second two were "ghost" rifles. The two ghost rifles had most of the bluing left and the stocks were a little dinged up and the /26\ had no bluing whatsoever but had a really nice stock. I will mention that the bores on all 3 are chrome lined and pristine! They are absolutely caked in cosmoline but that is to be expected. By the way I paid for matching and hand pick on all 3 and I am very happy that I did that. All my stocks are useable with no cracks and should all be great shooters.
Inexpensive and accurate. Fun to shoot
Review by Elwood Blues on 10/16/2013
This is my first SKS and it's everything I expected and more. It came with all numbers matching and shiny bore. It's very accurate and cheap to shoot. I will definitely buy more of those. If you like firearms, you should own an SKS!
Solid quality firearm and loads of fun
Review by Leethegeek on 10/6/2013
This is my first SKS and now I want another, it is fun to shoot, the ammo is cheap, it feels nice and solid, really just a great gun to take up into the mountains for the weekend.
Great buy and worth the price
Review by Nightstalker1964 on 9/25/2013
I purchased two of these fine examples of simple yet efficient battle rifles from another time period. As has been stated by others, the metal parts were in great shape, but the stocks were most certainly in very used condition. Although many people complain about cosmoline on these rifles, it is what has kept them safe for fifty years. Thanks, to Ben K.
Pretty where it counts
Review by Lauro on 9/19/2013
Like most Type 56s, the stock is pretty beat up and the bluing is pretty worn but where it counts, the bore is super shiny and is a great shooter.
Got a Sino-Soviet, early '56, all matching serial #'s!
Review by Mordib1 on 9/5/2013
Did not expect it, but after cleaning all the cosmoline off, I realized I had a prize in my hands. Very good bluing, only light spots of rust on some fittings, but not on the main parts. The chrome of the barrel and the rifling is exceptional. All the serial numbers matched and to my surprise, after identifying features in other parts of the rifle, I found I had a Sino-Soviet early 56 SKS, out of the Jianshe factory (26).

Thanks Classic! I'll be looking for more C&R purchases with you in the future!
Authentic Sino-Soviet Type 56
Review by Crucible Arms on 9/4/2013
I was fortunate enough to get a true Sino-Soviet Type 56 from Classic Firearms. It's a matching numbers gun and the serial number confirms it was manufactured in the first half of 1956 when they were put together by the Chinese under Soviet oversight as the tooling, parts, and drawings were all transferred to the Chinese.

Classic Firearms does a great job of telling you what you are and/or aren't getting and making the buying process painless.

I did pay for the hand select and while it's a numbers gun, the stock was really, really beat up. That's the only reason for the nick to 4 rather than 5 stars.
Great rifle , will purchase again from CF.
Review by El Basquero on 8/30/2013
Please watch my video review as I am impressed with the rifle. The condition was exactly as expected from reading the descriptions and reviews. Baking the gun at the oven's lowest setting for 20 minutes proved to be an easy cosmoline removal. The rear sight ladder was bent but I didn't care because I installed a Peep Sight from Tech Sights. I can't wait to shoot this rifle! Thank you Classic Firearms!
Excellent gun at a really good price considering others are charging hundreds of dollars more!
Review by Louis on 8/26/2013
Couldn't be happier with this purchase. All matching numbers. The stock has a some nasty dents and a big chunk knocked out of it around the magazine but other than that I haven't got any complaints. 5 digit serial number with no factory marks so I can't really tell how old she is but she's definitely old!

Can't wait to clean her up and feed her!
Get one while you can
Review by Will D on 8/24/2013
Bought this sks to replace one i had sold about 8 years ago , this was my first internet firearms purchase , it was a smooth and fast transaction. The sks i recieved was in good shape the stock was scarred with dings srapes scatches, and best of all some trench art , some names and symbols, there is more on the stock but need time to make it all out. Grab one from this batch, I know im going to try to get another one.
Excellent Shooter and Survival Rifle
Review by Stephen on 8/19/2013
Great rifle for the money. Sure they have seen better days cosmetically, but they are tried and true shooters. You will not be disappointed.
Buy one before they sell out!
Review by ronki53 on 8/13/2013
Mine is a Sino-Soviet SKS with a numbers matching Soviet stock. All numbers minus the top cover match. The bore is excellent. This thing was covered in cosmoline when I got it and took about 2 days to clean. I highly recommend getting one of these rifles before Classic sells out.
Great Sino-Soviet SKS
Review by Shane on 8/9/2013
I'm going to say that this was my first purchase from Classic FireArms, and I couldn't be happier (thought it was a simple military model, but no, turns out (to my surprise) that it was a Type 56 Sino-Soviet model (tracked its # number and found out it was made is 1956, go figure huh?), said rifle came in a long cardboard box and bubble wrap, coated in cosmoline, which I didn't mind (took a while to clean, but was worth it), had a hard time to pound the pin out of the bolt, but finally was able to do so, cleaned the bolt and gun well, put the rifle back together, noticed it didn't come with a cleaning kit (simply bought one off E-bay, not a problem), though I am glad it did come with a cleaning rod in perfect condition, and the same day fired 5 PPU 7.62x39mm rounds though it, fired like a dream I tell ya. so I can't say enough good things about the rifle and will say last that I will definitely come to Classic Arms for my future Firearm purchases, Thank You.
Great SKS!
Review by John C. on 7/28/2013
I coudn't be happier with my purchase. I chose the hand select and received the highly sought-after Sino-Soviet first production version from 1956 when the Soviets supervised the new factories before turning the operation over to Arsenal 26. This was exactly what I was hoping for. Thanks again, Classic Firearms!
Sino-Soviet SKS
Review by John C. on 7/26/2013
I did a hand select of the Chinese SKS and was pleasantly surprised to see the rare 1956 Sino-Soviet SKS. The first year Chinese SKS was produced under direct Soviet supervision before turning over the factories to Arsenal 26. Great find and a very welcome addition to my collection. Thanks again, Classic Firearms!
type 56 video and review
Review by jason on 7/1/2013
This is a review and video of my type 56 (unboxed) appears to be all matching numbers nice clean minus all the cosmoline bluing is fair good about 75% wood is in good shape minimal dings with some finish wear thanks classic for the fast shipping ordered Thursday at noon arrived Wednesday
Amazing!
Review by Jeff on 6/28/2013
This was my first C&R Order from Classic, Ordered it Wednesday, Was at my Door at noon on Friday! Very Fast and cheap shipping, Also this has got to be one of the Greasiest Sks's i have handled, BUT It is a Russian Sks! It has a Tula Stamped 195(?) Stock, Which matches the Receiver. Everything matches except the dust cover, Which is a Chinese one. Over all the rifle has about 95% Blue, Except the Dust cover which has almost no finish, I am extremely pleased to have gotten a Russian Sks from this shipment, The stock is still not in the best of condition but still i am Very, Very, Very Happy with this. I Will make sure to order again from Classic Firearms soon!
AWSOME RIFLE AWESOME WEBSITE
Review by Erik on 9/14/2017
I bought this rifle and it was the best $300 bucks I've spent. Accurate as can be at 100 yards iron sights and really mean looking. Really great quality by Norinco and excellent prices and service from Classic Firearms! Keep up the good work Classic Firearms and I'll keep coming up with excuses to save money and buy more guns.
Great weapon for great price
Review by Jerry on 7/9/2017
I purchased mine from the first batch they had and it was coated in grease all over, inside and out. After wiping I knew I made a great decision. It was beautiful. The stock did have some dings and scratches but since there was no trench art, I decided to refinish the stock. All matching s/n made it even better. Refinish turned out great and looks brand new. I took everything inside apart too and cleaned, oiled, and inspected it all just to make sure all was good, and it was fantastic. Then came the final test at the range. It didn't fail to impress there either. After a few adjustments it was hitting right on target. I wasn't expecting sub-moa for this weapon but darn if it wasn't close. With a bit more tweaking, it will get there. Bottom line, this is a great weapon for the price (first offering was the best prices I've seen bar none) and I will not be parting with it anytime soon. The more scarce they get the more collectable and these are hard, if not impossible to get at the low prices Classic Firearms has them. Thank you Classic Firearms for such great weapons and service.
Very good value
Review by Ray on 7/17/2015
Very quick shipping, excellent rifle. Easy to put together after shipping (minus all the cosmoline that covered it, but who doesn't love the smell of cosmoline to start their day? Very reliable, had it for a while and hasn't jammed once. Very accurate as well, with minimal recoil and the ammo is easy to find and cheap. It was a little rough on the edges, but to a person like me, it addsa touch of charisma and history to the firearm.
Rust, pitting and more rust....
Review by Jace on 5/28/2015
I understand that with military surplus rifles the buyer is often taking a chance. Sometimes you get a gem and other times a lump coal. Nonetheless, my review is an objective evaluation of the product, and it is not a review of Classic Firearms; I enjoy the convenience of purchasing the unique military surplus items Classic Firearms offers, but I am not satisfied with the rifle I received. My review is taking into consideration that these rifles were not advertised as beauty queens, and this is not the first SKS I have purchased from Classic Firearms, so I thought I had a good idea of what to expect.
The good points:
• The rifle was package well.
• The Classic Firearms site allows you to track the progress of your order.
• The rifle is functional.
• The bad condition is a good excuse to customize the rifle.
The bad points:
• There wasn't a part on the rifle that did not have some kind of rust.
• The butt plate, bolt, and gas tube had deep pitting.
• The dust cover looked like someone repeatedly took a hammer and chisel to it.
• The bayonet blade was bent.
• Most of the metal was in the white.

I have media blasted the rusted metal, hand polished as many of the pits out as possible, and I have ordered an aftermarket stock and new gas tube; it is shaping up to be a fun project, and I am putting my metal polishing skills to the test. I was on the losing side of this gamble, but I will most likely continue doing business with Classic Firearms.
chinese SKS
Review by cgrand on 5/28/2015
"They have been checked to ensure that there are no missing parts"

not really true, apparently. this is likely on the importer, not classic, but mine was missing the piston extension and spring that goes in the gas block, and the gas piston was frozen in the block. had to have a gunsmith remove the barrel ferrule to get the gas tube free, and order the missing parts from numrich. so, while the rifle is now solid and functional, a 300 rifle became a 400 rifle all said and done.

so...check your rifle carefully for missing parts
Good Shooter after Some Work
Review by AJ on 5/26/2015
It took 7 days for the order to ship and 2 weeks from the time that I placed the order to receive it. Box had no square or rigid shape left to it, from the friendly UPS handling. I figured it couldn't be any more beat up right? Rifle was packed in plastic bag and bubble wrap and as expected, it was beat up but not anything that I could say was new scars. Front sight pin was broken and will need to be replaced. Packed to the gills with cosmoline that took a couple of cleanings to get it all off. Bluing was perfect under the covered areas and worn mainly on the left side and dust cover. Overall about an 80% blued rifle. Stock was beat up and had swastikas engraved in the bottom of the stock. There was a cleaning kit which was also caked in cosmoline and an oil bottle. The rifle had a couple spots of rust that cleaned off with steel wool. My only complaint after it was completely cleaned and re-assembled was that it would not fire as a semi. It would fire the first round and load the second and "click". I got 3 out of my first 10 rounds to fire as a single shot. The gas piston was too large in diameter for the gas cylinder to properly travel and was sticking. I used another SKS as my guide on how that piston should move and had to chuck it into a drill and sand the piston to a smaller diameter so that it had the right clearance. Minus the cosmoline and the small amount of gunsmithing, this is a good shooter once again. I give 3 stars because of the broken and wrong sized parts.
Great job Classic
Review by Cuomo hates me on 5/23/2015
I received my Type 56 SKS on May 9 but haven't had the chance to write a review until now. I normally don't take the time to review things that I buy but I felt that I owed one to Classic. The SKS that I received is an all matching number 1963 series. Although it is absolutely smeared in cosmoline it appears to be in great shape. The stock has a few dings but that is to be expected. I paid the extra for hand select and I feel that it was worth it. I will clean it up today and hopefully be able to test it out next week at my friend's home range. This is the third gun I have bought from classic and each one has met or exceeded my expectations. Additionally the customer service at classic is awesome. I am a C&R license holder and initially I had trouble getting my info into Classic's system via computer. I called, talked to someone in their office and within hours I was set up and I have been ordering ever since. My only wish is that they are able to get some more of their C&R type rifles back in stock, so many seem to be out of stock at the moment. I am glad I was able to get this SKS when I did, it seems as if they ran out just days after I ordered it. My next step is to get some ammo, but as you can tell from my screen name, I live in NY under perhaps the most corrupt state government and most restrictive gun laws in the nation and it is impossible for me to order ammo directly. Thanks Classic for Great Customer service, quality guns, and and excellent purchase & delivery process. I will be making future purchases for sure.
I must have got the last one...
Review by Christopher on 5/18/2015
I will say first off that Classic Firearms is top notch in customer service and shipping speed. I took a chance on this and lost. A couple hours after placing the order they were out of stock, so I know I got one of the last ones. The wood was so deteriorated that the hand guard on the gas tube could be removed without any effort after wiping off the cosmoline. The stock itself had a crack on the left side near the barrel that when gently cleaning off the cosmoline just broke off. About a 1/2 inch all the way down. No biggie, the stock had been carved up so much by everyone who touched it in addition to their kids, grandchildren and pets. Not one Chinese marking carved on it, appeared to be Russian/Romanian children's writing. Now it was stamped in China and after removing all the rust and pitting you can see it was a Chinese stamp. The metal was poor at best, I could not salvage the gas tube, it would have likely blown from rust and pitting besides the wood was rotted. The gas piston was also too marred up too much to save. The serial numbers only matched the dust cover and bolt. The stock was like balsa wood and not safe to use. The butt plate screws were stripped and held in with cosmoline only. it appears this one was soaked in salt water for two weeks before sealing it up with cosmoline. The magazine box hinges were rusted shut. The bayonet tip was bent and a hairline crack prevents repairing it. Oh well "Live and Learn." I won't be purchasing another C&R rifle again . I should have bought another AK instead. I will be able to salvage the non matching serial number parts and with a lot of work, re-bluing the barrel, new trigger assembly springs, and will turn it into a 922r compliant Tapco Tactical. It's too bad, I really wanted something original and functional. This one could have possibly hurt someone if just cleaned and fired. This little gem will end up costing a fortune to get it functional. Congrats to those that got a good one. I wasn't that lucky this time.
Good purchase
Review by Alan on 5/17/2015
Took two weeks to fill the order, after order was shipped had the gun the next day. SKS was not in the plastic bag as shown on the video, placed in the box with no packing material. Wood stock was not the original, appears to be for spike bayonet, it was beat-up but can be cleaned used as is. The bluing is worn from the metal but overall metal is in GOOD shape with MATCHING NUMBERS. I would buy this product again.
SKS
Review by Luke on 5/14/2015
I went ahead and made my fourth SKS purchase from Classic and I am very glad I did. The rifle has no pitting or rust anywhere on the rifle, other than a few dings on the stock it looks amazing. Thank you Classic for another amazing rifle.
skYes!
Review by bob320fa on 5/12/2015
This is my second purchase from Classic (the other a 44 Nagant that I love). I was looking for a new project gun and this seemed to fit the bill. No beauty queen as advertised but surprisingly better condition than I expected. I did pay for the hand pick and received a numbers matching rifle with pretty good bluing (I'm not sure on the percentage but it's pretty good). The stock has pretty high mileage but no cracks, gouges, etc. It did take a couple three hours to initially clean up since the Chicoms used 55 gallons of cosmoline (wish I owned the production of that crap, they must have been billionaires). It will take some work to get it where I want it but that was the idea. I'm very pleased with my purchase. If Classic can get more C&R stock in I will definitely be back.
Bought Five of these rifles
Review by shines on 5/12/2015
So bought five of these rifles from Classic Firearms. I posted pics of four of them. Two had cracked stocks, one was near the for end and the other was almost completely cracked in half. The one that was cracked in half, even though the stock was pretty much junk, the actual rifle was in excellent condition, almost completely rust free and had really nice bluing. One looks like it was built with Soviet parts, had the Soviet star and a very nice laminated stock. The fourth one had a nice stock, no cracks and was in pretty good shape. On all four of these rifles all the numbers matched. So all of the first four I was very happy with and would give them all five stars. Now onto the 5th one, The stock has a lot of trench art, not an issue, was pretty cool. I cleaned all of the cosmoline off this rifle and sadly it was very rusty and pitted. The rifling was very good though. The rust isn't a huge deal, I can clean it up and re blue it. My only real issue was the fact that the trigger doesn't work. It was very rusted, I cleaned all the cosmoline out and oiled it. When you charge the bolt and pull the trigger, it does nothing, the trigger is dead. When you release the trigger and it resets itself, the trigger then works. So there is something very wrong with it. I did figure on rust, cracked stocks, but I did not expect to get a non functional rifle. This was the last rifle I cleaned up, and sadly for me, its past the 15 day return policy. So now I will have to try and find another trigger assembly so my rifle will work. So my advise, make sure you clean your rifle as soon as you get it and make sure it works.
Great addition to the collection
Review by murrah on 5/12/2015
The rifle I received is absolutely amazing, the stock is solid with the expected minor scratches and dings, but those could be fixed but I kind of like it the way it is. The metal has maintained most of it original finish, no pitting or rust, and the bore is nice and shinny with nice rifling. This rifle with take some time to clean because its completely covered in cosmoline but CLP, soap and water, and a lot of paper towelswill take care of that. Over all im im super excited about this purchase, but my rifle didn't come with the cleaning rod which would have been nice to have, but Tthank you Classic Firearms, I love the rifle.
sks review
Review by whmil43 on 5/6/2015
Overall very pleased,came from new latest batch. added handpicked option, received all matching #'s , 1963 production, once cosmo was cleaned very mirror bore, 80-85%bluing wood a bit dinged up (as to be expected) but nothing some sand paper and tung oil couldn't beauty up. mineral spirits or heat gun helpful in cleaning up, its a bit of a project degreasing but in my opinion one that's worth while when you see the after result of the nice gun underneath all that commie slime,overall great accurate shooter and vietnam issue collectible at a very reasonable price, no other vendor has these in this shape. very good customer service and helpful with requests.
One pretty nice chinese sks
Review by mikelv on 5/6/2015
Wow seems like just yesterday that I ordered it. Its about 3hrs after unboxing and its now cosmoline free. Yep, it was slathered in the stuff but it did its job well NO RUST. Gotta love that cosmoline Bluing is darn good. Just some wear in the expected spots, muzzle, moving parts of bayonet mech and the buttplate. Bore is nice and shiny, rifling pretty good but definitely not brand new. Did I mention its all # matching. Even had a cleaning rod and most of a cleaning kit. The stock is dinged and scratched nothing big.However, It has a nasty 3 way crack at the back of the trigger area. Looks like someone ran out of cartridges, started swinging it like a club and connected with something. This was way better than I expected especially with these getting so hard to find now. Just wish I had ordered a couple more before they sold out. Nice find Classic, Thanks
Great buy
Review by Paul on 5/5/2015
I bought one last year and love the character of the used carbine! In fact, I bagged an 8 buck with it last season--distance 80 yards. Love it. Completely functional and runs great.
Mil-Surp Piece of History
Review by Phillip on 4/28/2015
I bought my SKS towards the end of the last batch that Classic had, and while it is far from beautiful (there was a bit of rust and pitting on the metal under the edge of the wood stock on the magazine and trigger group), I was still very happy to receive an all numbers matching rifle from Factory 26. When I got it, it was well coated in cosmoline, so I had my work cut out for me in cleaning it up. Once I made certain that it was clean, and that the bolt was free (YOU MUST BE ABLE TO shake the bolt and see and hear that the firing pin moves freely inside the bolt, in order to prevent dangerous slam-fires), I took it to the range. Upon firing my SKS, I found that the sights were already DEAD-ON accurate and needed no adjustment. It truly is, "A GREAT SHOOTER!" Thanks again for another happy purchase!
Love it
Review by Thomas on 12/22/2014
Okay, she is not in perfect shape, but was in better than expected condition. Yes, there was a LOT of cosmo on/in it, but what do you expect? I disassemble the weapon and laid the stock on cardboard in the sunlight and let mother nature remove what I couldn't wipe off. (NICE stock) After a day of sunning and wiping cosmoline off the stock, I moved on to the metal parts. I filled a section of capped off rain gutter with boiling water and dropped the action, barrel, butt stock plate and anything else metal into it,,,,, twice. (90% rubbing alcohol gets rid of a lot of moisture guys.) After a good cleaning , I now have a very nice Russian/Sino SKS with matching numbers that I am anxious to get to the range with. Classic has always delivered weapons as described to me and I will continue to shop their site/store.
Cool rifle at a fair price, but not a deal...
Review by Jace on 12/21/2014
I purchased a standard grade SKS rifle, and the total was $309.00 including shipping. I also had to pay another $20.00 for the FFL transfer. For a total of $329.00 for a neat rifle, but it looked like it was dragged through a gravel pit and then submersed in a barrel of cosmoline.

When I picked up my rifle at the FFL, another guy was picking up his SKS that also came from classic firearms. He purchased a grade B rifle, so we unpacked our rifles and compared them. I was shocked to see his rifle appeared to be cosmetically in much better condition than mine. His stock was decent, and his bluing was better than mine; this made me wonder what I paid extra for? On a positive note, my rifle was numbers matching and I did not pay the extra to get a numbers matching rifle.

It took me several hours to clean and massage the rifle to make it functional. Last weekend, I tested it at the range and I cycled through a few boxes of ammo without any issues. In summary, my SKS is a fun gun, but I should have purchased a Grade B and saved $50.00.
Fantastic deal - for a Sino-Soviet SKS "Arsenal 26 "Letter Gun"
Review by Jim on 12/5/2014
I recently purchased this Chinese SKS Type 56 rifle on 11/27/14 while it was on sale for $289.99 without paying extra for matching numbers or better stock condition. Not expecting much, I thought it would just be a nice project gun addition to my collection. However, upon unwrapping (yes, it's totally packed with a boat load of cosmoline, so stock up on your cleaning solvents), I found it to be an original Sino-Soviet SKS Arsenal 26 "F-series, 4 digit Letter Gun" having all matching serial numbers including the stock throughout the rifle. The stock itself is in quite good condition considering its age. No splits, deep gouges, etc., just standard small dings and dents from general use. Even the stocks inspection stamps are visible. Bluing is about 75-80% depending on the specific area. An excellent purchase for the price and a nice surprise. Thank you Classic Firearms. Well done!
SKS Type 56 Purchase fromCLASSIC FIREARMS
Review by Geno on 12/3/2014
I purchased my Chinese SKS Type 56 on 11/21/2014 and my FFL dealer received it on 11/28. The rifle was as described in their ad, bluing was worn, stock had some dings and a few small rust spots on the receiver assembly and magazine. I am currently in the process cleaning out the cosmoline then touching touching up the bluing and refinishing the stock with Min Wax red chestnut stain and Tru Oil. I can highly recommend Classic Firearms as very good dealer and plan on purchasing from them again.
Great piece of histroy
Review by Bruce on 11/24/2014
I did not choose all matching #s, but that is what I got. Thank you. There was a lot of service wear on stock, including a piece of uniform stuffed in the stock used for cleaning. There was also initials craved in the stock. This is a great piece of history and good addition to my collection. It did take some cleaning and a surprise of seven inches of cosmoile in the barrel, but now I know the weapon. Thank you Classic.
Preserved
Review by Josh on 11/24/2014
Bought this SKS because they are getting harder to find and more expensive. This thing was COATED when I unpackaged. It took me almost three hours to clean the cozmoline off the gun. LOL. Gun is Sweet. I wish I would have bought a couple more.
Buy One!
Review by tilly on 11/21/2014
Once you dig under the cosmoline...it's all good!
Gambled and lost, but a real Sino-Soviet
Review by James on 11/21/2014
After reading previous reviews testifying Russian stamped rifles, I was hoping for a Russian marked Sino-Soviet. It is a real Sino-Soviet but has the Latin letter F as the prefix to the serial number which is not a Russian letter. I was pretty disappointed. I paid for a hand pick and as promised everything matches. The bluing is run nearly to the white metal. The stock looks like it was pulled through a marble quarry and then handed over to the children of Lord of the Flies who descended upon it with forks and knives of various sizes, carving lateral streaks and scrapes as well as Vietnamese obscenities into the fragile and porous arctic pine. After what appears to be a long, and very nihilistic career in the jungle of southeast Asia, the rifle appears to have been placed in a box by a inefficient Chinese arsenal worker who was paid per barrel of cosmoline he used each day. After the seven barrels of cosmoline were placed onto this ill-fated rifle, she sat in a dark and cold warehouse until god knows when, causing the congealment, and eventual fossilization of said cosmoline onto the various cracks, nooks, crannies and, indeed, every orifice of the rifle, frozen in place as a sort of primordial ooze long turned to stone. I have sent the rifle to the nearby natural history museum, and am hoping that the local paleontologists, through the use of state of the art 3-D imagine and painstaking reconstruction can begin the process of re-articulating the rifle, or at least create a scientifically accurate illustration of what the rifle used to look like when it was alive. The specimen was sent to me in a timely fashion, and without incident as is usual from classic firearms. I wish you all better luck with your purchases, this rifle is worth maybe two hundred bucks tops. I bought a beautiful Russian stock, and actually the rifle is made with Russian tooling and obvious Russian font. No Chinese characters just the triangle proof mark. Great service, will buy from you again. I wonder what the B grade look like.
Perfect!
Review by Mike on 11/14/2014
Received mine a few days ago. Regular purchase not a hand-select and buried in cosmoline. After cleaning I discovered a Sino-Soviet SKS that was beautifully worn from years of use with a very nice stock bearing the arsenal number “54.” The bore was bright and shiny and the rifle performed flawlessly when I brought it to a local indoor range and put 40 rounds of Golden Bear through it. This weekend I will take it to an outdoor range and cycle an additional 100 rounds. I couldn’t be more pleased with this gun. If you’re the type who appreciates functioning well-worn and not-too-pretty rifles you can’t go wrong with one of these little gems.
Outstanding
Review by Uncle Sam on 11/8/2014
Numbers match and barrel is chrome perfect! Thanks C.F.
Very bad cracked stock
Review by Bon on 11/5/2014
Know the stock was gonna be pretty ugly I never thought it would come cracked in 3 places right where the trigger sets in. On top of the I paid the highest price at 319.00 +19.99 for matching #'s. had to buy another stock hope my next purchase is a better one.
overall great shape
Review by hunter on 11/5/2014
this was my first purchase from classic firearms. it was a great transaction. rifle shipped fast. the rifle was as described. it was in nice condition, good bluing. the stock was scratched and a few gouges, but in great shape for a surplus gun. it came with the cleaning rod, but unfortunately its the wrong cleaning rod, and the bayonet cannot be extended wile the rod is on the rifle. im going to try to find a rod and cleaning kit to go with the gun to try to make it complete. thanks classic firearms. hope to be ordering from you again soon!

ONE OF A KIND!
Review by Robert on 10/29/2014
ONE OF A KIND! I ordered the SKS as an early birthday present for myself. I paid the extra $20 for all numbers matching. What I received I did not expect. I received an all-matching 5-digit Ghost SKS WITH NO IMPORT MARKS! I could not believe it! There was about 75% bluing left and the stock was in really good shape! The bore was in fantastic shape. It took an entire weekend to remove all the cosmoline but after it was all said and done I ended up with a great rifle. I cannot wait to get to the range.
It's Ok, not worth hand select with with surface rust and pitting
Review by Thomas on 10/26/2014
It's my first SKS. I did hand select and matching numbers. it arrived coated in cosmoline. It wasn't like the cosmoline my Mosin's came in. This stuff was dirty and not as viscous. The stock isn't bad and the bore looks ok after cleaning. After getting apart and cleaned I realized there is a fair amount of rust and pitting on the barrel and in other spots. It's a straight shooter and I enjoyed shooting it. Giving it 2 because payed for classics' top tier and hand select and I got surface rust and pitting which they describe in the for grade B's..
Satisfied overall. [thumbs down] to cosmoline.
Review by Mike on 10/14/2014
The SKS I received is a 1956 Sino-Soviet that arrived in 3 days just about exactly as described, including a 4" crack in the stock. However, there was significant rust and some pitting on the receiver and in the bolt assembly. I soaked a few parts in solvent in order to free them up, and unfortunately, the corrosion issue isn't entirely beneath the stock where it isn't apparent.

The stock remains imbued with cosmoline despite everything I've done to remove it, and that issue is a problem as far as repairing the crack. Nothing adheres so far to affect a repair.

That all said, I am satisfied with this purchase overall and would/will do business again.
Ugly, stinky, but a fun shooter.
Review by Paul on 10/8/2014
The rifle was shipped promptly and I found it to be well packaged when I opened the box. I also found the most cosmoline goobered surplus rifle I have ever received. It smelled like a Vietnamese fish market. I couldn't really see the rifle whatsoever under all the gunk. It took many hours, several pots of boiling water, and much cursing to get it cleaned up. With the boiling water on the metal parts you save a ton of time, rags, and patches by the way.

I've had a couple of SKS's before; one Yugo and one Type 56, and this one is by far the ugliest. The stock is actually not too bad, but the wood doesn't seem the typical grain of the Type 56. There is a strange pin through the wood near where the bayonet ends. A repair? The pitting is pretty substantial on the magazine, the trigger assembly, and the place where the two pistons meet above the barrel. The bayonet shows use with some nicks and darkening from shooting. There are a couple of carved words (I think) on the stock that are in written in some sort of Latin-based alphabet, which is cool. Everything matches except for the dust cover.

For all of that ugly, however, this is also one of the neatest surplus rifles I've had. It has the two letter, four number (AB 1234) serial numbers typical of early Russian SKS's, a Chinese dust cover, and strange carvings in a Latin-alphabet. My only guess after many hours of research is that it is probably a rifle that had made it through Albania at some point, but who knows? Modern Vietnamese is also Latin-based, but I don't think it is a Vietnamese rifle.

Another great thing about this rifle is that it shoots like a champ. I had concerns dry firing before the range that the trigger had a particularly bad break. It did for the first twenty rounds. The gunk in the assembly must have knocked or melted loose, and my girlfriend and I were nailing targets at 100 and 200 yards no problem.

All in all, I'm very happy with the purchase. However, if this is what paying extra for cosmetics gets you, they must be running out because pretty this wasn't. I understand, though, that most of the wear was under the stock, so it's not really Classic's fault. I guess my question would be how do they see if it is nice or not if it is so covered in cosmo? The bottom line is that this is a random surplus with some neat history, and therefore some cool battle scars, which is what I want anyway. Thanks again Classic! I will be a customer in the future.
Excellent Rifle and Excellent Service!!!!!!!!!
Review by LP on 10/8/2014
Man I love doing business with classic firearms! Great prices great products!!! Fasssst shipping!!!!

I purchased the Chinese SKS not quite knowing what to expect but after reading and seeing other's happy reviews; I decided that I would purchase from them. Man am I glad that I did. I got a gun made in 1956 that is a ghost gun. Russian parts; stock and metal no country or factory markings what so ever. Low six digit serial number the stock was some what beat on but what can you expect for a 58 Year old used firearm. Bluing is about 50-55%. Bore is PRISTINE!!!!
Everything that Classic Firearms said the firearm would be it was, PLUS it was much better than they even said it would be. I, like a lot of the other reviews that I read, am very happy with my purchase from Classic. Thanks guys!!!
Awesome!
Review by james on 9/27/2014
Being only 2 states away i received the rifle in 2 days, unwrapped it to find out (after researching) it was a Sino-Soviet. the metal was in decent shape most bluing still intact and everything seemed to be working well. I cant wait to fire it, i plan on refinishing the stock its not horrible but just make it look better. in all great price service and awesome weapon.
Nice Rifle, this is a good deal
Review by Hugh on 9/24/2014
I received my rifle and picked it up from my FFL 2 days ago. All in all, a very pleasant experience and I feel that I got a good value for my money. I missed all the legendary '50$' sks rifles, and decided to take a chance on a nice Chinese type 56. But to the review!
-All numbers matched [I picked the optional hand select for matching #s']
-Cosmetically, the bluing was in excellent condition, with some minor wear in the bluing where it appears the bayonet was deployed a few times. The crown and bore looked great The biggest disappointment was the stock, however this rifle seems to have been previously issued as it had some trench art and dings that made me think it was likely in use before being stored. This added to the 'real weapon' appeal for me, however I am going to strip the finish to assist in the cosmoline removal [I know I know .. its too cold here to bag and leech it out the normal way]. There was very minor rust on the bolt carrier where the notches are for the stripper clips. The rifle did come with the cleaning kit in the cloth pouch, and an oil bottle, however no stripper clips were included [or expected].

I was somewhat disappointed by the packaging. Looks like someone just wrapped a few thin layers of bubble wrap around the rifle and threw it in a box. We know they are tough, but I dont like the idea of my rifle bouncing around in a box maybe standing on its barrel, however it did not appear to be damaged, other than a fresh ding on the stock near the recoil lug. I have no idea if this ding was caused during shipping or on the rifle when it was selected, however it will be steamed to remove dents then sanded [in places where there are no arsenal or serial # marks] and then refinished.

I would rate this a good value for someone interested in a real rifle that has a history. If you're expecting a 'brand new looking' rifle you may be better off ordering a Norinco or an unissued weapon -if you can find one.
This is my rifle, there are many like it but this one is mine...
Review by Zero Dark Thirty on 9/23/2014
What can I say. Authentic Chinese SKS rifle that is downright cool. It came all covered in cosmoline but once you strip it down and clean it up. It looks friggin awesome. And it shots great. Those Chinese make good SKS rifles. Mine was stamped 1955 so there you go. I take it to the range and fire off about 40 rounds with it. Then I extend my bayonet and charge up Hamburger Hill for some hand to hand combat action. How cool is it to own a piece of history. This rifle was probably slung over some North Korean soldier as he tredged around Korea trying to smoke Americans back in the Korean war. But now it's mine so crawl back into your hole Kim Jong-un cause I'm coming for ya mother-fo. :)
Excellent
Review by AJ on 9/18/2014
Came packed in cosmoline as most old rifles do. Looks great no missing or broke parts all matching numbers except the bolt and top cover. Shoots great the bolt, bore, barrel, and action are in great shape for the age. The stock had no cracks or major dings and is in great shape for the age. Over all I'm very happy with this rifle and with Classic Firearms! Thanks!
Great SKS
Review by Eric on 9/17/2014
I got my SKS after one week. It was indeed covered in cosmoline. After spending the weekend cleaning it I discovered that I had a very nice Ghost SKS. All parts matched and were in great condition. The stock had some very nice trench art and the usual dents and scratches but no cracks. It performed very well. I was very pleased with the purchase.
Better than expected.
Review by Jack on 9/16/2014
Initial Impressions:
I ordered one during the sale with 3 other rifles. The packing step took a little longer than usual. I think it was only because of the sale and my other 3 rifles having to be packed also. Shipped fast and was packaged good as usual. 
I paid the extra $40 for hand select and all matching. Upon disassembly not only the parts guaranteed by Classic was matching but the stock and bolt was matching and the electro penciled extractor and gas piston and gas tube was matching also. At this point I couldn't tell how the stock was with all the cosmoline over it or how the finish was. 
How I removed the cosmoline:
First wipe off what you can with a towel you never will use again. 
I got out my camp stove and a 4gal pot and set to boil 2gal of water in it. In went all the field stripped parts. (Trigger assembly, magazine assembly, bolt carrier, bolt assembly, bayonet parts, stock hardware, recoil spring assembly, gas piston, and the rear sight block piston/rod and it's spring) cosmoline has a melting point of 135degrees I think so boiling water melts it off and a thin film is floating on top. It took about 20min to boil it out of the springs and I ended up taking out the trigger and magazine assemblies and wiping them and boiling again for an extra 10min. When you pull them out of the water the cosmoline on top will reapply a little thin coat back on the part so wipe them off with some paper towels as soon as you pull them out and it comes right off since it's still hot. I them refilled the pot to 3.75gal or so and placed the barreled receiver in. After it got to a good boil I pulled it out wiped what I could and stuck the muzzle end back down. (Oh I did my bayonet too since it's pretty long and the cleaning rod at this point also. ) The only cosmoline traps on this half are the front sight, bayonet lug, and the cup that the stock slides against. (by the way the bore was free of cosmoline when I got the rifle. Looked very nice too.)
I only boiled the muzzle half once but did the receiver half ( take down pin up to covering the rear sight block) three times. Wipe your pot out as soon as you dump the water to get most of the cosmoline out. 
For the stock and gas tube/ upper hand guard I lined the bottom of my oven with tin foil. Heated the oven to 175 and set the stock in and the gas tube assembly in propped up. A ton of cosmoline is in the gas tube. Get what you can out with a screwdriver and a cloth but the rest your gonna have to melt out. Every 15 min I wiped off the wood stock and handguard with paper towels from the cosmoline that sweated out. I did this every 15min for an hour and a half. Each time putting the stock in at a different position or angle. (My oven isn't big enough to lay it flat down ) The stock looks so good now. The original finish is 60% on the wood I say but a much prettier stock than I expected. No cracks or chips. Only 1 shallow gouge but a lot of dings and dents and scratches. I put a nice coat of CLP on the metal parts and ran the boresnake down the barrel a few times. (Great bore!) 
Conclusion:
Once assembled and cleaned off I have a 6 digit (no factory codes or characters) sino-soviet rifle. Bluing is most worn on the muzzle and front sight, magazine and edges of receiver and buttplate. 5% left on the buttplate, 40ish% on magazine, and for the rest I would say 60% overall. Import marked on the right side of the barrel under the gas tube. 
Overall I'm happy with my purchase. It's better than I expected. You really can tell a difference in quality compared to stamped receiver SKSs. 
AWESOME GUN FOR THE PRICE
Review by Adam on 9/14/2014
This was my first purchase from classic. I have put about 200 rounds through my gun so far with no problems. As the description said the guns are a little beat up but functional. This is a very cool peace of history I would recommend getting one while you can.
Great gun, service is meh
Review by XBunny on 9/13/2014
This gun is just what I needed since I converted it anyways and didn't need the stock. But it was shipped without a piston and the company was unwilling to even resolve the issue. So the gun is good, the service is questionable.
Great Buy, Check closely!
Review by Raiden on 9/12/2014
I purchased the SKS back in Feb. 2014. I just got around to removing the cosmoline, and getting the firearm function tested and ready to go to the range. After all the elbow grease to remove the cosmoline, as I was assembling the firearm, I realized I had a problem. During function testing, I realized the safety would not stay in place. After some research, I found that safety spring was missing in the firearm. Since I had not taken the trigger group assembly apart, I knew it had to be missing before I received it. What turned out to be a great deal, ended up averaging out to the non-discounted price, by the time I purchased a replacement spring to repair the safety. Other than that, the firearm is in pretty good shape. The one I purchased was not hand select, and so had a few non-matching pieces. One main one being the trigger assembly. Overall, I am still happy with the purchase.

Good luck
Really happy
Review by Gregg on 9/9/2014
This turned out great. Lots of cosmoline to clean up but wd-40 & paper towels, q-tips, cotton balls and a dental pick worked wonders. Shoots great! Just a cool rifle.
Very Impressed
Review by Gunny on 9/5/2014
Well I received my recent SKS from Classic Firearms last week and believe it to be one of the Early "Ghost" Chinese SKS based on the information that I have researched and that's it only a 5 digit serial number with no Factory Stamp markings.

I took it completely down and took 5 days to clean it up and get rid of the packed cosmoline and scrub and worked the stock to where its now much cleaner and nicer.

The stock is rough but that was to be expected upon ordering it.
I opted for the 2 extra options, for exterior condition and all matching numbers

The rifle certainly is all complete matching numbers which consists of stock, mag well, both bolt parts, receiver cover and receiver and barrel. I was surprised to find it so completely matching.

There were also a lot of " 33" stamp markings through out the rifle as some others that I have no clue as to what they are.

Rifle is made up of all milled parts and has the early bolt with the relief slot.
Barrel is threaded and not pinned. The Bore is truly exceptional, bright, and
nice rifling.

The stock is marked with a Triangle stamp on right side of butt stock
with a 21 marked inside the triangle

The gas piston I found, after fighting to get it out of the cosmoline that it had some very fine rough edges on the piston head, but that was quickly remedy and fixed.

Due to the heavy cosmoline the rifle was a bear to disassemble but cleaned up exceptionally well. Rifle also did come with the correct Chinese SKS cleaning rod which is a plus.

I am still going over some of the markings through out the rifle as to try and determine little more about the rifle. Classic Firearms did take 10 days before shipping the rifle after I made my purchase date. It seems they are still running couple weeks behind on shipping.

They did package up the rifle well and shipped in study box.
Over all I am pleased with the rifle and its condition

Click on this link to view Full Set of Pictures: http://imgur.com/a/J54u3
Fantastic deal
Review by Anthony on 9/3/2014
Being able to purchase a piece of history is amazing. Yes, there is ALOT of grease...but that just means it's well protected. It was a great project. Disassembly for cleaning just makes you more affluent with this rifle! So quit your whining about the packing grease and buy one!
Great rifle
Review by Jonathan on 9/2/2014
Simple review; great rifle! The rifle was delivered to my local FFL in 5 days. I elected not to do the hand select or matching numbers. It came packed as expected in bubble wrap and heavy cosmoline. The SKS rifle was in awesome condition (for a rifle of this type). The bluing was approximately 90%, the stock was rough as expected, it had all matching numbers, and was a Sino Soviet! The internals of this rifle were in excellent condition, the bore was in exceptional condition with an almost mirror finish, the bolt and bolt carrier group are smooth within the all milled receiver. Overall, this product was worth the money.
Great deal!
Review by Jonathan on 9/2/2014
This is a simple review! Great product, and great service. The rifle was delivered within 5 days of purchasing. The rifle was advertised correctly with no unexpected surprises.

I also received a Sino-Soviet!
Better than what I expected
Review by Joseph on 9/1/2014
Very happy with SKS. Came packed in cosmoline as expected. Bayonet and cleaning rod were included. Stock in excellent condition for surplus weapon, all numbers matched. Definitely worth the extra $40 for hand select and matching numbers.
Very happy with purchase.
Will recommend Classic Firearms (already have!)
Thanks for the Great Service!
Good rifle for the money
Review by matthew on 8/31/2014
This is a great rifle for the price point have fired about 500 rounds
through it with no problems. the only concern I had was a lot of rust
on the barrel and mag. over all solid shooter classic was awsome only
took 3 days to ship!
Almost great,
Review by Crash on 8/30/2014
> - Great customer service from Classic, look forward to more purchases.

> - Ordered Chinese SKS, + numbers matching, + exterior select

> - received a 100% numbers matching SKS including the stock - super awesome.

> - exterior select, well not so much. If it weren't #'s matching I'd complain. hand guard has a significant chunk and stock looks like it's been used as a bat, but no cracks or splits, just in "really used" condition. I'm still trying to get all the cosmo out/off of it, in the mean time I'm using a replacement stock. I don't want to sand and refinish it, destroying the trench art.

> - mechanically the firearm was in great condition. Tomorrow is the 1st time at the range, and I'm really looking forward to it.

> - Cleaning cosmo off metal parts was a chore, but didn't mind it too much. This was my 1st cosmo experience and have some tricks for next time.

> It did come with a cleaning rod, tool kit, and little oiler can that's coated in more cosmo than the rest of the SKS. However did not come with butt stock cleaning kit, though none of these items were expected.
cleaned up in no time
Review by Ross on 8/29/2014
took it apart and soaked it in kerosene for 3 hours and all the cosmoline disappeared. went and shot a few rounds out of it and it fires like new!
Good shot
Review by USMC1991 on 8/27/2014
Purchased to SKS rifle when in was on sale at $269.00. Blued where needed. Stained stock red. Fired the rifle today @ 100 yards. Needs adjustment of elevation. Fired at bottom target and hit top target. Some bulls eyes, but all within circle, torso size of an adult. Get one. AR shooters snubbed me. Still happy.
happy, happy, happy!!!
Review by Darryl on 8/26/2014
this review is for the 2nd SKS i got from CLASSIC FIREARMS. y'all know what it came like already, cosmo. after cleaning it was another great rifle with 90% bluing, paid for hand pick and numbers matching got that also the stock number matched and had most of the shellack on it. have sent the trigger to Kivaari's to have it smooth up so that it works safe, all though my first one was so smooth that you would have thought it had already been worked on. these are such great rifles even if you have to a different stock which you can find used ones for sale on the inter-web for not much money. i got the first one just to have something different to shot the same ammo as my AK and got bit by the C&R bug. have 3 now from CLASSIC and getting ready to buy 2 more from them. these are really fine down to earth people and very helpful with anything you need. so if your thinking of getting one of their guns do it you won't be sorry. and yes i have read some of the bad reviews at other sites but have not had any of these problems others talk about. could be the ones writing them may have not been very nice on their part. the people at CLASSIC FIREARMS are good god loving people that are hard to find now a days. god bless to all and enjoy your new to you guns.
Splendiferous? Yes.
Review by Jeff on 8/20/2014
Bought this rifle last fall and loved the look and feel of it. Was in great shape, dinged up here and there as it should be but nothing deeper than light cosmetic blemishes. Finally got to shoot it a few times in the last 2 or 3 weeks and loved it! Great accuracy, very comfortable to shoot and no issues at the range of any type. Thanks classic firearms for a great item and a hassle free buying experience.
Great deal!
Review by Michael on 8/16/2014
I think this is currently the best deal going for Chinese type 56s. I ordered hand select and got a 5 digit serial numbered from early in production. No arsenal marks, no country of origin. I am more than happy with my purchase!
great buy, shoots great too...
Review by shannon on 8/15/2014
I chose the hand select and was very happy with the condition of the rifle.It does take a bit of effort to remove all the cosmoline inside and out.There were dents and dings in the stock as expected but nothing that would effect the function and no cracks.The finish as well was 80% or better and aside from the dust cover the numbers matched on the rest of the parts.This rifle is a great example of a 62' Norinco that has plenty of life left in it.I expected some quirk on my initial function test but it functioned and maintained great accuracy which made for fun shooting.I would recommend these to anyone that isn't looking for a brand new SKS.I'll try for some pictures or video on my next trip out..
I already got two of this and they are beautiful!
Review by Bernardo on 8/11/2014
I should explain that only one is clean and in working condition, the 2nd one is still wrap up waiting on some free time to clean the cosmoline and get it range ready. Therefore this review is for the 1st one that is up and running.

The PROs:
- Rifle got character
- Mechanism works perfect and shows little “mechanical” wear.
- Stock shows a lot of wear but it is functional, the serial number is still visible
and it is overall beautiful.
- The serial numbers for the major components match, I did pay for this
option and feels like is worth.
- Rifle is quite accurate at 100 yards.

The CONs:
- I am sure must be one but did not find it yet. The rifle is not perfect but I
knew it was surplus.

Bottom line, get yours ASAP.
Should have had hand picked.
Review by Ferdinando on 8/4/2014
My first order with Classic and was very pleased. Rifle was just as described and has cleaned up amazingly. My only regret is not spending the extra $20 bucks.
Great Project Rifle
Review by Chris on 8/2/2014
I ordered this SKS after CF put it on sale coincidentally on my birthday. Fast shipping, arrived at my FFL in 3 business days. This is my first gun Ive owned and I'm in love. I will say that I have not gotten the chance to fire this baby yet, but I'm sure it will be fine, everything looks good with the firing pin and trigger, the action is nice and smooth after only a quick 15 minute polish job.

The description says it comes smothered in cosmoline and they mean it! I had to spend an entire afternoon cleaning this gun. I pushed gobs of cosmoline out of the barrel and the gas tube. I even took the bolt apart and cleaned the firing pin up nicely to prevent slam firing. But seriously, these guns were submerged in cosmoline and it is in every little nook and cranny.

The original bluing has faded off but all of the metal is still in great condition. I'll just get a bluing kit online and refinish the metal. The stock is kinda dinged up, and theres tons of cosmoline absorbed in the wood, but no major damage or cracks. I plan on refinishing the stock with a deep red stain which I think will look great with the new bluing work.

I think this gun is excellent for new shooters who want a decent semi auto rifle for cheap. This gun is a great gun for novices since there arent too many parts and since its military surplus, the gun is very dependable and rugged. Ammo is also very cheap for this gun so keep that in mind as well. If you dont mind spending some time cleaning grease out of the gun, this is the way to go!

Thanks CF
BEST ONE YET
Review by DAVID on 8/1/2014
JUST AS ALWAYS A CLASSIC FROM CLASSIC BEST OF FOUR SKS TYPE 56S ORDERED LETTER GUN THANKS AGAIN 3 LETTER-1 GHOST WHATS NEXT.
Awesome Buy- better than described
Review by Christopher on 8/1/2014
This is my first order with Classic Firearms and my first SKS. I am very pleased with it. They had it at a great price. Given the low price and the warnings about the condition of the gun, I was very pleasantly surprised to see in how good of condition the gun was in. The stock has wear and there is tons of cosmoline, but no cracks or serious knicks, and there was no rust to be found and the bore looks great. Very happy with this. I paid the extra 20 for cosmetics, and they did a great job of picking one, and in picking this one, they happened to give me one with matching numbers, a nice bonus.

Great buy.
From China With Love
Review by Carlo on 7/31/2014
Classic Firearms does it again. I ordered an SKS with exterior cosmetics, and I couldn't be happier. Much to my surprise, the rifle was all matching, and had a Russian Laminate Stock! It also had authentic trench art in it. Very excited indeed! Cleaned the cosmo off and gave it a good bath. Took her to the range and she shot excellent. Rifle was pretty much zeroed and I was getting some excellent groups as seen in the photos. Overall, great rifle for a great price! This is my 3rd one from Classic Arms and I will be ordering again! Thanks!
Just as described
Review by William on 7/31/2014
The SKS I received was exactly as described. Found a oil bottle and small tool set in the box with the rifle ( an added bonus!! ). Now to clean it and prepare it for the range. Thanks,
Good rifle - ordered a second one and its just as good
Review by Framus89 on 7/30/2014
Ordered one of these a couple of months ago when tehy were $269.00- paid the extra$20.00 for matching SN's. Rifle was delivered as described - not much bluing , excellent bore, matching letter+4-digit sn's and rough but servicable stock. Very heavy cosmoline. No SKS tool kit but did come with an 'odd oil/solvent bottle and a Mosin 91/30 tool kit.... No rust anywhere except on the anti-rattle-spring. Cleaned it up and took it to the range. Rifle functioned flawlessly and was suprisingly accurate. Was so Pleased with it, when they dropped the price back to $269.00 I ordered another one - this time, I rolled the dice and and did not pay extra for any hand select. Second rifle is actually nicer than the first one. SN's do not match but the only place they dont match is the Bolt carrier and bolt - all Letter+4 digit sn everywhere else. Bore looks great. Some light surface rust on one side of the magazine . Stock is in better shape that the first rifle but still rough...can't wait to get it to the range.
Great stuff! Get 'em while you can boys!
Good rifle - ordered a second one and its just as good
Review by Framus89 on 7/30/2014
Ordered one of these a couple of months ago when tehy were $269.00- paid the extra$20.00 for matching SN's. Rifle was delivered as described - not much bluing , excellent bore, matching letter+4-digit sn's and rough but servicable stock. Very heavy cosmoline. No SKS tool kit but did come with an 'odd oil/solvent bottle and a Mosin 91/30 tool kit.... No rust anywhere except on the anti-rattle-spring. Cleaned it up and took it to the range. Rifle functioned flawlessly and was suprisingly accurate. Was so Pleased with it, when they dropped the price back to $269.00 I ordered another one - this time, I rolled the dice and and did not pay extra for any hand select. Second rifle is actually nicer than the first one. SN's do not match but the only place they dont match is the Bolt carrier and bolt - all Letter+4 digit sn everywhere else. Bore looks great. Some light surface rust on one side of the magazine . Stock is in better shape that the first rifle but still rough...can't wait to get it to the range.
Great stuff! Get 'em while you can boys!
OK - Some Problems
Review by budoboy on 7/29/2014
I received my SKS on June 11th, but didn't get around to cleaning it until recently. First, I noticed that the exterior cosmetics were pretty rough(I paid the $20 extra for hand select). I figured that the SKS pickings are getting kind of slim so there may not be many more left in good shape. As I disassembled the rifle for cleaning, I noticed that the gas tube would not come off. It turns out that the gas piston extension and spring were missing and the gas piston had traveled too far in the tube towards the breech and was therefore stuck in the gas tube and protruding into the spot where the piston extension was supposed to be. I was able to use a punch and hammer and tap the piston loose(so it would fall back into the gas tube). I contacted Classic and they immediately sent out a piston extension and spring. I received the extension and spring and went to go disassemble the rifle again and this time, the gas piston had slide back towards the breach again and was severely jammed. Yes, I probably should have kept the rifle disassembled while I waited for the part. I tried for two hours to tap it loose, but this time it would not budge. I ended up having to cut the gas tube off the gun. I ordered another gas tube off of eBay and I have replaced the part. Now it appears that she is all together. I look forward to seeing how the gun functions at the range. I know buying a milsurp can be a crap shoot sometimes and you can have more trouble than you were expecting, but it's never fun when you run into problems. I am not turned off of Classic Firearms, but I hope I'll have less problems next time.
1 good 1 very good
Review by Stalin on 7/29/2014
First off, thank you classic!

I ordered two rifles did not choose either of the $20 options, and I will list pro's and con's on both.

1st rifle had cleaning rod, no cracks in the stock, year of manufacture 1956 with proof marks on all parts. Cons, serial numbers were half and half, gas piston needed about 1 hour of filing because it did not want to operate smoothly in the gas tube. Bayonet tip was broken off, probably 1/12th of an inch. Overall rating of the rifle is good, I paid $270 for it and it was worth every penny and then some.

2nd rifle had cleaning rod, no cracks in the stock, year of manufacture was also 1956 with all the proof marks. However the stock was mint condition, all serial numbers matched, had a whole lot of bluing left on the visible parts. Cons, none. Overall rating of the rifle is very good, I honestly think someone made a mistake and sent me a $330 rifle. But hey, I am not complaining!

P.S. gotta love boiling off cosmoline.
Great addition to my C&R collection.
Review by David on 7/28/2014
Classic did a great job. From order through delivery was less than a week. I did not take advantage of either hand select option, but I am very pleased with the rifle they sent to me. It is a 6 digit, below 150000 without arsenal marks with the numbers matching on the stock, receiver and trigger group. The bolt and bolt carrier numbers match with a Russian-type letter and 4 digits. All of the metal parts are in great shape with just a little corrosion on the receiver below the stock. The barrel is beautiful. The stock was a little beat, but once the cosmoline was sweated out followed by careful sanding and 5 coats of tongue oil, she looks pretty sharp. I found another supplier with real Chinese surplus slings, cleaning kits and loading clips. I am looking forward to getting her out on the range. I wouldn't hesitate to order another from Classic.
GHOST RIFLE
Review by DAVID on 7/24/2014
ANOTHER CLASSIC FROM CLASSIC GHOST RIFLE VERY PLEASED AS ALWAYS GAVE THIS ONE 3 STAR CRACKED STOCK BUT REPAIRABLE 30% BLUE ALL NUMBERS MATCH 3RD ONE JUST ORDERED ANOTHER ONE BEFORE THERE GONE 2 SINO/ 1 GHOST 1 ? THANKS AGAIN +++++++++++CLASSIC
Just Buy One Already!!!
Review by Matt C. on 7/23/2014
I chose both the hand selects for exterior cosmetics and matching #'s. I received a matching 5-digit serial rifle without any factory markings - perhaps a Sino-Soviet "Ghost" if my research thus far is accurate. Stock was pretty beat up as per the description (no trench art though). Also, metal was a bit rough in some areas with some small rust spots on the receiver (under the wood) and the mag well areas. The stock cross bolt is basically corroded in place (so I left it in the wood during my cleaning but I'll probably have to replace it soon).

From a positive perspective, the barrel seems bright with good rifling with a slightly rough muzzle appearance. It shot really consistent when I took it to the range the first time and I really enjoyed myself. I'll be ordering another SKS from Classic in the near feature before they sale out of them for good.
love it
Review by jonathan on 7/18/2014
Love this SKS. As stated, was totally covered in cosmoline. Cleaned up very nice. Great gun for the price.
far better than expected
Review by Alan on 7/18/2014
Class I shipped the rifle very quickly, as usual. The rifle I got has all matching serial numbers, including the stock and receiver cover. Based on its markings, it is what is referred to as a "ghost," which is an early 1956 Sino-Soviet rifle. I'd say 90% of the bluing is there! and the stock, though a bit rough! is better than many of these Type 56 rifles. The bore is bright, with strong rifling. The only issue was a nearly broken piston return spring, which is a cheap and easy fix. Not bad at all, considering I did not opt for hand select. I'm quite pleased and looking forward to shooting it..
very happy
Review by Darryl on 7/18/2014
got my rifle today. paid for the matching numbers. got it disassembled. only part that didn't match was the gas rod, but it wasn't suppose to per their description. plus, it was a sino-soviet with letter and 4 digit serial number and had the triangle 26 stamp after number. looks to have 100% of the bluing on it. i mean no wear. it did have 4 or 5 spots of rust under barrel covered by the stock, not a problem. now the strange part it looks to have a Albanian stock that had been cut down at the front because they are the longest of all the stocks. i say Albanian because it has a butt plate with 2 trap doors and 2 holes in the stock behind the plate. there are no marks or stamps on it. another strange thing is that the measurements from the front end to the bayou slot and the lug come out to what it should be for a chinese stock so not real sure what is up. stock is in pretty good shape with only one chip at the front about 1.5 inches by 1/2 inch broken off. will clean up fine and look very good. just know that i'm very happy with rifle and Classic Firearms and look froward to doing business with them in the future.
SKS
Review by Fine on 7/17/2014
I just received my sks and I have to say it is everything I hoped it would be, beautiful and fully functional. Thank you very much classic firearms for adding another wonderful rifle to my collection.
Good SKS, just needs some TLC
Review by Rifleman11B on 7/15/2014
When I ordered my SKS, paid for the "hand select for cosmetics" option., and decided not to pay for "numbers matching" option. When my rifle arrived about a week later, I was surprised to find a low serial Sino Soviet SKS (all matching # except for the stock). The stock was in pretty rough shape (as expected) with many old dings and scratches, and 2 fresh chips in the stock that I assume happened during packaging or shipping. The gun was absolutely drowned in cosmoline.

Once I got the rifle home and got enough cosmo off the gun to see it, I noticed that almost every major part of the gun had a small amount of minor rust/pitting. The bolt, however, had a large amount of rust (so much, that I will probably have it refinished).

I was a little surprised to find this much rust on a rifle that I had paid "hand select for cosmetics" for, but I don't blame Classicfirearms. With the amount of cosmo caked on this rifle, it would have been near impossible to see.

Overall, I'm very excited about my project SKS. If you are on the fence, I'd say buy one. Best case, you get a great condition SKS. Worst case, you get one that needs a little work and TLC. Either way, you'll be glad you did.
Good
Review by Markscycles on 7/10/2014
The stock is rough and the bolt has some rust on it but shoots great! I didn't buy it for good looks, I didn't pay for hand select but like I said it shoot great!
It Goes Bang... Every Time
Review by Matt on 7/10/2014
This is my 1st SKS but not my first (and certainly not last!) purchase from Classic. Went for matching numbers and cosmetics. Received an early Sino-Soviet "Ghost" rifle with zero rust. The stock is worn but perfectly serviceable. The bluing is worn in spots but that is to be expected. It took 3 days and a copious amount of hot water, solvent, soap, and profanity to remove the Cosmoline, but I didn't mind too much given that the accursed grease is the reason there was no rust. 100% satisfied.
Exactly what I expected!
Review by Gunnut14 on 7/10/2014
I was looking for a project gun with character when I bought this piece was not disappointed.
It came out of the box caked in cosmoline, so much so that the bolt would not cycle. It took me forever to get the weapon field stripped and when I did, I discovered that not a single crevice had escaped the cosmoline's reach.
The stock was covered in dings and scratches, all cosmetic. It looks like it had been used as a training rifle at one point.
I took the matching serial numbers option and sure enough, all the components on my rifle match up fine.
She cycles fine now and looks great, especially in light of her original condition.
If you buy this product, you'll be getting a quality SKS, but be aware that there will be "some assembly required". It's a retired military battle rifle and will look like one.
Good Buy
Review by C&R Al on 7/9/2014
Ok, so Classic wasn't kidding that the stock was rough, much of the bluing was off and it was oozing cosmoline.

The good news is with a little elbow grease, actually a lot it can look beautiful again. Keep in mind its not the final product but the effort put into it to bring it back to what it was.

You will not be disappointed.
Another "Peace" of History...
Review by John on 7/7/2014
Another good firearm from Classic. Arrived jam packed w/cosmo (a nasty good thing!). Stripped and refinished stock. Works great. The entire family loves it.
Dissapointed
Review by MichaelTzu on 7/7/2014
Paid the extra $40.00 for matching numbers and cosmetics. numbers matched, but stock was really bad and cosmoline soaked still haven't been able to get that out of the stock, bayonet was chipped and had a kunk out of it, and barrel and receiver very rusted and pitted. Overlaa gun isn't in very good condition . Paid 89 dollars for one a few years back that was in pristine shape, so feeling very let down !!!
good price for an early Chinese sks
Review by anthony on 7/5/2014
All milled SKS with chrome lined barrel and much lighter than my Yugo, not as accurate but accurate enough for a battle rifle
Good shooter after all
Review by Don on 7/3/2014
OK..My Third and final update...I had some issues with the bolt and firing pin but was able to get them freed-up and cleaned to my satisfaction . I paid the extra $ for matching serial numbers and got an early sino-soviet - really pleased with that. Almost no bluing left but no rust either - cosmoline works!. Barrel is like new inside and all interior metal surfaces show minimal wear. The stock is really rough but no cracks anywhere. Anti-rattle spring is badly rusted due to absolutely no cosmoline inside the stock. No proper SKS cleaning kit but it came with a unusual combo oil and solvent can I have yet to identify along with a standard Mosin tool kit.
Took it to the range last week, It functioned flawlessly and was much more accurate than I expected. Now I wish I had bought a couple more...may buy another anyway. Be prepared to deal with a LOT of cosmoline - but that's a GOOD thing where these rifles are concerned. Only giving it four stars because of the Firing-pin/bolt issue, but that did turn out to be fairly easy to correct. Get them while you can, definitely worth the $$. .
got what I paid for
Review by goldstar1963 on 7/2/2014
I purchased two of these model 56 and didn't go for the extra $20 for cosmetic or the matching numbers. First, the shipping was very quick, and was packed with bubble wrap for protecting my investments. Though the rifles both came with the oil/solvent bottles, the tools that came with them are to the Mosin Nagant bolt-action rifles and not for the SKS/AK47 butstock. Second, I've never seen that much cosmoline and rust on the same rifle as I've seen on these two. Two hours each to remove the packing grease, and another hour and a half on each for the rust. It looked as if they sat in water for a week, and then poured and packed them with cosmoline. Thirdly and lastly, after taking both to the range, I was very pleased with the performance I got out of both guns! The feeding was flawless. The accuracy was spot on, and the looks, though a little on the ruff side, is satisfactory. They won't win any beauty contests, but at 100yd. I can get some nice groupings. Thanks for the deals.
Goldstar
Really gotta' love it
Review by Jim on 7/1/2014
I got lucky and received an early manufacture rifle with a DXXXX serial number. It has tons of character and seems to be in working order. Still need to take it to the range but I bet it will shoot pretty tight groups. This was a great deal and a valuable addition to my collection.
Type 56 Chinese SKS
Review by Timothy on 7/1/2014
Ordered on a Thursday, received at FFL on Tuesday. I did not order the extras, just the basic rifle and I couldn't be more pleased. I received a 5 digit serial number gun with all numbers matching except the dust cover and stock. The stock is also an early 5 digit number and in great shape. Comoline coverage is amazing and will be "fun" to remove. Can't wait to update with a range report. Thanks Classic!
Type 56 Chinese SKS
Review by Timothy on 7/1/2014
Ordered on a Thursday, received at FFL on Tuesday. I did not order the extras, just the basic rifle and I couldn't be more pleased. I received a 5 digit serial number gun with all numbers matching except the dust cover and stock. The stock is also an early 5 digit number and in great shape. Comoline coverage is amazing and will be "fun" to remove. Can't wait to update with a range report. Thanks Classic!
Awesome
Review by Edub on 6/30/2014
Shipped quick. Had it at home from the FLL 4 days after I ordered. Was covered in goo, got all clean and it looks great. Small spot on bolt with rust but was able to buff out. barrel and the rest of the components look good. Paid for the extra service and was well worth it. I replaced stock with tapco kit. I plan to refinish original stock in the near future
Very Nice SKS! Thanks Classic!!
Review by Midway on 6/29/2014
Received an unfired all matching 5 digit "ghost" 4 days after ordering! Internals are all brand new and rust free. Barrel is shiny and never been fired. Paid extra for both matching numbers and cosmetics. Stock has just normal dings from storage with almost no finish left and there is some pitting on the receiver and where barrel is threaded that was under all the cosmoline. Classic did a great job picking this one as the pitting was under the wood or cosmoline and they couldn't have seen it. Thanx Again Classic Firearms!
best fathers
Review by RICH on 6/26/2014
The SKS is a Fathers Day Gift, Best Ever I may add. The shipping was very fast and the price was great, just sorry I missed the 269.99 deal by a few days. I am happy with the SKS and it is in better condition then I expected. HATS OFF TO CLASSIC FIREARMS.
Sino-Soviet Ghost
Review by m151a2 on 6/24/2014
Received a all numbers matching but stock (replacement w/o number) about 90% blue with a little rust below the wood. I rolled the dice with just ordering the rack grade rifle and got a great deal. Thanks Classic.
Great old gun!
Review by PastorAmmo on 6/23/2014
They aren't playing when they say it is packed in heavy cosmoline but I always enjoy that part. Chose both upgrades and did in fact have all matching numbers as well as a good clean stock in decent shape. Bluing was around 75% all over. Don't miss out on these great shooters! As always Classic was great!
John
Review by Smithd754 on 6/22/2014
But a smiling visitor here to share the love , btw outstanding layout. dbgecedddeeaedcf
John
Review by Smithk584 on 6/22/2014
Yeah bookmaking this wasn't a risky conclusion outstanding post! adekabkgeadddebd
Nice "Ghosts"...
Review by JAC on 6/17/2014
Ordered the 1st of 2 when Classic first offered them for $269.99. When the sale was extended, opted to purchase a 2nd one. Paid the extra $40 for hand select (matching and exterior cosmetics). Both were all matching (including the stock). Bluing is worn but still satisfactory given the age of these beauties. The 1st one is a 5-digit "ghost" and is gorgeous. The 2nd one is a 6-digit "ghost" and is a bit rougher. That said, it wouldn't be bad either if not for the lengthy crack in the stock. It is located where the receiver sits. It extends up through the tang inlet and around the side of the stock and is separating a bit. Otherwise, I truly love both rifles and they cleaned up well. This was the only disappointing thing given I selected the hand select option. I plan to give Classic a call to let them know now that I have them both cleaned up. That being said, overall I am pleased with my purchases. Thanks, Classic!
Happy with this SKS order!
Review by Per on 6/17/2014
Thsi SKS came as usual...smothered in cosmoline! I did not choose handpick for either option. It came with all matching serial #'s and it was a Russian Tula bulit SKS to boot! This SKS was "i" series according to an SKS site and the photos matched to a late '55 or early '56. Very pleased with that! Always pay attention to the firing pin block to avoid a serious slamfire or full auto burst! Wood turned out good after cleaning and touchup. The only down side was the the sliver split on the left side, but I sanded it and is less noticeable. Thanks Classicfirearms for two good examples of a very historic rifle. You made me a return customer!
Mixed Emotions
Review by Scruffy on 6/17/2014
Ordered two, took the gamble of no hand select. When they got to the dealer, one serial number didnt match the paperwork sent. Got that fixed in a hurry. When I took the first rifle apart i expected lumps of cosmoline to fall out of the stock and receiver area, but instead had a huge mass of rust pile out. Looks like that one is gonna be an expensive wall decoration.
$269 SKS
Review by Mike on 6/17/2014
I paid for matching numbers and cosmetics. Received a Chinese E Letter rifle. I love these old guns! Cleaning the cosmoline to revive these old scarred up weapons is like therapy for stress relief for me. Pictures of the un-box and cleaned up were submitted to Classic. I think it cleaned up pretty darn good, if you ask me.

I located a sling and tube style cleaning kit to go with weapon as well.

I haven't shot it yet, but I believe it is going to be just as accurate as my Ghost that I received earlier in the year from Classic.

Inside the butt stock was also a piece of cloth about 5x5 inches in size, as bonus! The rifle also came with the cleaning rod.

Classic did a good job with the picking, packing, and shipping of this order and at a very reasonable rate.

Also Janet provided excellent customer service! I have spoken with her on several occasions and she has always been great to work with. Classic's staff has always been very professional, honest, and reverent! Thanks Classic Firearms for the service you all provide and may the good Lord bless you all!
Not too shabby at all!
Review by Alex on 6/16/2014
A local shop had Chinese SKSs for $350 a pop (before tax), but were rather beat and none were numbers matching. When the sale came on, I decided to take a shot and spend the extra $40 for #'s matching and hand pick. With my 03 FFL, this thing was at my door for $330!

Rifle was in good shape, probably 90% bluing and a minty bore. Stock is beat up, but no structural cracks and is sound.

The only issue I had was carbon buildup in the gas tube, causing the gun to not cycle. A bore brush on the end of a drill took care of that, and the gun runs flawlessly now!
Happy and Surprised
Review by USMC1991 on 6/16/2014
Received my SKS this past Thursday. Even caked in grease, I could tell it was a good looking rifle. Started cleaning today. Excellent barrel and crown. Chamber nearly 100 % bluing. Bluing on outside about 90 %. Matching numbers. Stock is very good. Some sanding, red stain, and tru oil should do it. Touch up the bluing and a fresh looking rifle ! Only real hiccup is there is no spring for the safety. Simple fix. Minor surface rust and pitting near rear of the receiver that can be cleaned and smoothed out . Anxious to shoot it. Also recommend the AK sling.
Discription is Correct
Review by Marty on 6/15/2014
Finally got my SKS, did not realize Classic was so backed up in shipping. It took 10 days to ship my gun, another four to get to my FFL Dealer.
Gun arrived as described; stock, pretty rough, loss of much of the bluing, covered in cosmoline, and in my case, a lot of carbon cleaning of the gas tube, and I have a good shootable gun.
I paid for the extras, may not pay for hand select again, stock will be replaced.
I did take the gun to the range and the gun functioned correctly and I got fairly good groups for the first time out.

Rusty
Review by Auto on 6/15/2014
I had great hopes for this rifle. When I first saw it, it packed in quite a bit of cosmoline. However whoever did the packing with cosmo was negligent, the weapon was not cleaned prior to packed and had powder residue and rust ...... all over the bolt face, bolt, extractor, stripper clip guide, the inside of the dust cover, and even the bayonet!!! It took me a few long hours to try and scrub the rust off, luckily the rust wasnt deep except for the bayonet locking mechanism. Most of the rust scars are on the front of bolt. I also believe water must of dripped on it at sometime, because there is a noticeable discoloration on the dust cover where there was rust. The stock is definitely in bad shape gouges and trench art on it. Bluing is in great shape except the previously mentioned line on the dust cover. This was chosen with hand select for Exterior Cosmetics and Matching numbers. Did great on the matching serial number, Backwards J and 4 numbers even still has a Russian rear sight so quite early if I have read correctly. Exterior cosmetics...I know in the summary that they wouldn't exclude trench art but I figured gouges would be taken into account, and also since most/all the rust areas are on the front part of the bolt and under cosmo that isn't covered by exterior cosmetics unfortunately. Bore looks good, gas piston in a little chewed up and binds on full compression. Hopefully this will be a good rifle, I just need to sand the gouges down and get some new finish on the stock.
Firing pin was rusted in place
Review by Donald on 6/15/2014
This is an update to previous review.
The firing pin was rusted/corroded in-place. Finally got it out thanks to WD-40 heat and a brass punch. The firing pin cleaned up well and looks useable. The bolt is rusted inside
. I am not sure I will be able to remove the rust and still have a functioning bolt. I improved my rating to three stars, since there is now a chance that this rifle can be fired safely.
Firing pin wasrusted in place
Review by Donald on 6/15/2014
This is an update to previous review.
which seems to have vanished for some reason.
The firing pin was rusted/corroded in-place. Finally got it out thanks to WD-40 heat and a brass punch. The firing pin cleaned up well and looks useable. The bolt is rusted inside
. I am not sure I will be able to remove the rust and still have a functioning bolt. I improved my rating to three stars, since there is now a chance that this rifle can be fired safely.
Fine Weapon
Review by David on 6/14/2014
I ordered one, liked it so well I ordered another. The first is very accurate, I have not shot the second yet. Each rifle has a personality of its' own. Takes a little work to clean up, but these are well made rifles. I've owned Norincos in the past, but the workmanship on those was fair at best. The second rifle was pretty dirty inside, a lot of grit, some rust, but good bluing. Both bores good. I think they are great rifles for what I bought them for- working, not modeling.
Hard To Beat For The Price
Review by JJH on 6/13/2014
Delivery took a little longer than normal, but that was to be expected with the sale going on at the time. My SKS, which appears to be an early Izzy with 5 digits in the low 52000 range, appears to be a genuine battle rifle...moderately dinged up, metal finish worn bare in heavy use areas, but with an very bright bore having excellent rifling. Did find one surprise... I stuck my finger in the cleaning trap in the buttstock and felt what seemed like cloth. I hooked the cloth and pulled it out to find what appears to be a torn piece of uniform shirt material that is sort of tan with a yellow tinge. And...it has a dark reddish/brown stain the size of a quarter in one quadrant. Creepy, if it is what I think it is. Just makes one wonder even more about the history of the rifle. Regardless...well pleased with what I received.
Great old rifle for the price
Review by Raymond on 6/11/2014
Although a C$R with stock scar marks that show age, bore was in great shape and everything functioned well after clean up. Make sure you take it down and do a good cleaning. Especially the gas piston area.
Great looking gun
Review by Nando on 6/11/2014
This was both my first buy at Classic Firearms and my first SKS and I could not be happier, I am planning to visit the range this weekend and see if the rifle shoots as good as it looks (maybe after this visit I will change from 4 to 5 stars).

It is worth to mention that I did paid the extra $40 for the matching serial number and the hand pick for exterior cosmetics, that brought the price to $350 including S&H and the FFL fee and I think it is worth every single dime. Very little rust, very good barrel and matching serial numbers everywhere (including the stock); I was even planning on replacing the original box magazine and maybe the stock but it looks so good that I will keep it as original as possible.

Sadly I cannot get another, at $319 plus all the extras it is not such a great deal, after all locally I can get another one around $400 without the cosmoline.

Bottom line, great gun and great deal. Will be back to Classic Firearms looking for more deals like this, you cannot beat quality that is affordable.
Decent rifle for the price.
Review by Jeremy on 6/9/2014
I received my rifle about 2 weeks after ordering due to the volume of orders. I was pleased to see that i got a matching numbers gun with cleaning rod and oil can. The gun was caked in cosmoline and took some time to get it all cleaned up. I was expecting less rust considering a paid extra for cosmetics, but due to the amount of cosmo I don't think it would have been seen anyway. The bolt and carrier also had a decent amount of rust on them and the firing pin was very hard to get to come out. Overall I am very pleased with my purchase and would again order. Thanks Classic.
Sks review
Review by Todd on 6/9/2014
this is sks #2 from Classic Firearms and all I can say is they never disappoint. I did have a issue with the gas tube and they said they would take care of it. The rifle was so nice I didn't want to send it back and I didn't. THANKS AGAIN, Classic Firearms
Decent Rifle
Review by Jeremy on 6/9/2014
Rifle came packed in cosmoline. I did pay extra for both hand select and matching numbers. Overall after a lot of work I am satisfied with the sks. Had a little bit more rust/ pitting than I thought it would. The bolt, mag well, and barrel had rust/ pitting but will not effect function. I also had a very hard time getting the firing pin to come free from the bolt. The rifle I received did come with a cleaning rod and oil can. I would buy this again from classic. If you buy be prepared to put some work in!
Chicom sks
Review by Hondo on 6/9/2014
Rifle came exactly as described, old and covered in in comsoline. Condition looked very rough at first glance but after hours of cleaning it turned out to be a cool old rifle. I would have given it 5 stars but the firing pin is broken and the recoil spring is too short ( probably just wore out). It is infact a Sino-Soviet Sks with a faint factory 26 stamp.
CLASSY RUSSIANS
Review by Bob on 6/7/2014
I purchased two of these Classic Russian SKS Rifles. First one was what they call a
"Ghost" with all matching numbers. Ugly at first, but after a few days of hard work she cleaned up nicely and shoots like a dream.

The second was also a "Ghost" with all matching numbers except for the stock which is laminated. It also cleaned up nicely. This one does not shoot well at all. The gas tube and piston are badly rusted and will have to be replaced. I have had it apart several times and cleaned and polished the piston with no luck.

Not a big deal when you realize how old these rifles are and where they have been sitting for who knows how long.

I had so much fun working on these that I am going to buy another right now!

Thanks Classic!!
Good price but? Don't choose hand select for exterior cosmetics
Review by Doc on 6/7/2014
Its a good rifle bought one took 2 weeks to deliver too slow, i choose hand select exterior and matching no., it was matching alright but the cosmetic is bad crack on the stock, lots of dings, and rust on the metal , dont select hand select exterior cosmetics waste of ur money
Happy
Review by mandruch on 6/7/2014
I received exactly what I paid for and I'm happy with my purchase. It's an early Sino-Soviet with some mismatched number and a beater, uncracked stock. It has a lot of character and that is what I was looking for. Half the fun is not knowing what you're getting. Great price!
Very Happy With The Rifle
Review by OTD on 6/7/2014
I felt that it was a gamble getting the SKS based on the product definition. I got a 1960/61 SKS from factory 26. It is an early gun with lots of external wear. Some minor pitting in areas that don't matter. Everything matches and I am planning on not restoring the stock but keep it in battle scared shape with the trench art that it came with. Like I said I am very pleased with this SKS. Thanks Classical.
OTD
Beautiful gun, if you can get past the stock
Review by Richard on 6/6/2014
Ordered up #2 on this new sale with all matching numbers option. Previous order received an all matching Sino-Soviet, received a mostly numbers matching ghost rifle this time. Although I had paid for matching numbers they were not entirely, and this is not Classics fault, but the stock numbers do not match and they are very hard to read so I will not hold it against them. The rest of the rifle was pretty well, it had definitely been used in some water, as the hand-guard had rust between it and the gas tube, but otherwise the rifle was pretty good conditioned. Bluing at about 90% and some interesting marks on stock that may or may not be trench art. Classic even threw in a special treat in my box that I was surprised and pleased to find. Overall very pleased, 4 stars only due to the stock not having the matching numbers. If you have the opportunity to buy, take advantage of this sale. These will not be around for long and there are some nice rifles in this lot.
Recently received my Classic Firearm Chinese SKS
Review by Gunny on 6/5/2014
Well I received my recent SKS from Classic Firearms last week and believe it to be one of the
Early "Ghost" Chinese SKS based on the information that I have researched and that's it only
a 5 digit serial number with no Factory Stamp markings.

I took it completely down and took 5 days to clean it up and get rid of the packed cosmoline
and scrub and worked the stock to where its now much cleaner and nicer.

The stock is rough but that was to be expected upon ordering it.
I opted for the 2 extra options, for exterior condition and all matching numbers

The rifle certainly is all complete matching numbers which consists of stock, mag well, both bolt parts,
receiver cover and receiver and barrel. I was surprised to find it so completely matching.
There were also a lot of " 33" stamp markings through out the rifle as some others that I have no clue
as to what they are.

Rifle is made up of all milled parts and has the early bolt with the relief slot.
Barrel is threaded and not pinned. The Bore is truly exceptional, bright, and
nice rifling.

The stock is marked with a Triangle stamp on right side of butt stock
with a 21 marked inside the triangle

The gas piston I found, after fighting to get it out of the cosmoline that it had some very
fine rough edges on the piston head, but that was quickly remedy and fixed.
Due to the heavy cosmoline the rifle was a bear to disassemble but cleaned up exceptionally
well. Rifle also did come with the correct Chinese SKS cleaning rod which is a plus.

I am still going over some of the markings through out the rifle as to try and determine little
more about the rifle. Classic Firearms did take 10 days before shipping the rifle after I made my
purchase date. It seems they are still running couple weeks behind on shipping. They did package
up the rifle well and shipped in study box.
Over all I am pleased with the rifle and its condition

Click on this link to view Full Set of Pictures: http://imgur.com/a/J54u3
Great carbine
Review by Per on 6/4/2014
Past all the cosmoline was a very class rifle. After reading so much about "slamfire" I had to make sure the firing pin was loosened and the pin was free. It was solidly in the forward position. I did disassemble and freed up the pin and removed a lot of crap. Fired it today with no issues. Very happy with it. I ordered one more today with no hand pick since it wasn't worth the cost again. I'll take my chances. That was my second purchase from Classic and hope this one is not too bad. So now I am a return customer! Do buy one if you are on the fence. It has a lot of history and a very cool semi!
Chinese SKS
Review by Richard on 6/3/2014
Ordered Chinese SKS and received a Sino-Soviet dated 1956 from factory 26. Did not do hand select and did not receive matching numbers. Found a few rusts spots near rear sight and inside trigger assembly area. Still very pleased with this piece of history. The price was perfect.
Early " GHOST " Chinese SKS
Review by Gunny on 6/3/2014
Well I received my recent SKS from Classic Firearms last week and believe it to be one of the Early "Ghost" Chinese SKS based on the information that I have researched and that's it only a 5 digit serial number with no Factory Stamp markings.

I took it completely down and took 5 days to clean it up and get rid of the packed cosmoline and scrub and worked the stock to where its now much cleaner and nicer.

The stock is rough but that was to be expected upon ordering it. I opted for the 2 extra options, for exterior condition and all matching numbers

The rifle certainly is all complete matching numbers which consists of stock, mag well, both bolt parts,receiver cover and receiver and barrel. I was surprised to find it so completely matching.

There were also a lot of " 33" stamp markings through out the rifle as some others that I have no clue as to what they are.

Rifle is made up of all milled parts and has the early bolt with the relief slot.
Barrel is threaded and not pinned. The Bore is truly exceptional, bright, and
nice rifling.

The stock is marked with a Triangle stamp on right side of butt stock with a 21 marked inside the triangle

The gas piston I found, after fighting to get it out of the cosmoline that it had some very
fine rough edges on the piston head, but that was quickly remedy and fixed.
Due to the heavy cosmoline the rifle was a bear to disassemble but cleaned up exceptionally well. Rifle also did come with the correct Chinese SKS cleaning rod which is a plus.

I am still going over some of the markings through out the rifle as to try and determine little more about the rifle.

Classic Firearms did take 10 days before shipping the rifle after I made my
purchase date. It seems they are still running couple weeks behind on shipping. They did package up the rifle well and shipped in study box.

Over all I am pleased with the rifle and its condition

Thank You Classic Firearms !!!
Ok All Around
Review by Alex2012 on 6/3/2014
I just unpackaged this today and began the tear down. I will say when they state heavy cosmoline they mean HEAVY cosmoline. After takeing everything down I noticed a good bit if pitting on the barrel on the section within the stock, and some pitting on the receiver and bolt alike which I was not happy to see. Stock is pretty much a throw away.
Excellent!
Review by Mikey on 6/1/2014
I received my SKS last week packed heavily in cosmo. I took my time cleaning it and removed any trace of Cosmo. After the cleaning I inspected it and was very pleased! My SKS is the best condition SKS I have ever seen. And I've seen and owned quite a few. From gun shows to guns stores I am yet to see one in such good condition. I was able to take it out to the range today and, not only is it a looker, it's a darn good shooter. I have no complaints. I don't know if mine is a rare case or if the majority of their SKS's are in such good condition.
A+++++ again
Review by John on 6/1/2014
Once again Classic comes through with flying colors. I happened to be one of the lucky ones who received all matching #s even the bolt and pin. These guys are top notch!Read the descriptions they tell it straight. Once again a happy customer!! This rifle was perfect beautiful wood, not much bluing left but I like that it tells me this rifle has history. I could not stress enough if your looking for good service and quality you have come to the right place!!!Thank you Classic!!!
Very Happy
Review by Chris on 5/31/2014
I just received my first purchase from Classic .
These guys are great to deal with! I was pleasantly surprised at the condition of my SKS they sent me. After cleaning of the mounds of cosmoline I saw the riffle was in much better condition than I expected. I have since placed an order for one more SKS and a Mosin with the hex receiver. Hope it arrives soon.
Cosmoline is your friend
Review by Edward on 5/31/2014
finally decided to crack and purchase this rifle. In the description they said that it is caked in cosmo but that is a huge understatement but do not let t hat stop you. I opted for the exterior cosmetics and matching numbers and was not disappointed. upon cleaning i discovered that the stock was in great shape and i had a complete Sino Soviet rifle!. Once i finish cleaning it i know ill have a blast at the range thank you classic! will definitely buy from again
awesome condition. a best buy!
Review by cogcon on 5/31/2014
Ordered 2 at the Memorial Day price. Both looked awesome. Matching numbers, no cracks in stock, well packed with accessories. These things will only go up in price. Glad I got a few before the supply drives up.
OK. Most of the finish is gone. And theres rust on every part.
Review by Cliff on 5/30/2014
At first glance looks okay other than finish being gone. Which i don't mind makes it look well used. Its when I got it tore all the way down to clean that I found all the rust. Every part has rust or pitting somewhere. Bolt, barrel, receiver, magazine, the works. Kind of disappointed this is my 5th rifle from classic and second SKS. The other 3 mosins and SKS were more than i hoped for. Probably got a lemon. Not really Classics fault you couldn't see 90% of the rust/pitting without disassembling. Did hand select and matching serial numbers. Your mileage may very. It's like there is sand or something mixed in with the cosmoline and formed some kind of abrasive anywhere where 2 parts meet.
Bought 5 So Far!
Review by John on 5/30/2014
The first one got me hooked, all matching Russian with serialized but scrubbed top cover. Get them while you can, all we will have one day is the secondary market and those won't have cosmo on them. :o(
$269 Special Price SKS
Review by Mike on 5/29/2014
Order was placed after hours on 5/15 and the order was received on 5/29 due to the massive orders that were placed during the special sale. I was fine with the fine wait, because the staff at Classic is always First Class. Thanks for the wonderful customer service.

I received a numbers matching F letter series factory 26 sks (Sino-Soviet). The best part was the stock was in awesome shape!!! minor scuffs, but no gouges or minor cracks. A cleaning rod was also on the rifle as well.

The reason for the 4 star rating is with the rifle bluing. I haven't cleaned any cosmoline yet or disassembled the rifle yet, but it appears that the butt plate,dust cover, and magazine doesn't have much bluing left. It might look better once it is cleaned up. I did pay for the two upgrades so I was expecting more blue, but hey this is still a good gun and I am a believer in Classic Firearms does the best they can. I can only image having to hand pick these guns that are all slopped in grease and having to do in a quickly manor to keep up with the orders.

I ordered one a few months ago when the price was $299. I received a 6 digit ghost (Soviet-Sino) 95 percent bluing, but the stock had some big gouges from being knocked against other charging handles while being stored over seas I assume.

Thanks Classic for lowering the price, that made it even easier to hit the "Add to Cart" button. I look forward to making more purchases in the future. Keep up the Good Work!

I will submit pictures in the next week or so of the before and after clean up.

See Review...
Review by cracker boy on 5/29/2014
Purchased at the sale price and paid the extra for hand select & matching numbers. Matching numbers came through all the way. Hand select on the stock lacking. Bayonet bent at the tip. Took care of that myself. Make sure U. know how to disassemble this rifle and reassemble!!! Loaded with grease throughout!! But that's a military weapon in for long storage.Do not attempt to shoot it it until cleaned if your smart. Not really disappointed with the weapon, just paying the extra for what I don,t think I got. I am a good customer of Classic and recommend them highly. This is my honest review of this purchase and I will continue to do business as such with them...
Cracker-Boy in S. Fla.........
Verrrry Happy
Review by Gary on 5/29/2014
I went the full option route and was very happy to receive a numbers matching, lettered prefix, 4 number serial number rifle. By my understanding, this makes mine a Sino-Soviet produced in 1956. Although the cosmoline is yet to be dealt with, looking through the goo I can say the stock is 'wounded' with the usual dings from use, but the wood and metal finish is not too bad. The bore looks shiny with life left in it. The rifle looks complete and in working order. I'll know more after the cleanup task. This purchase met and even exceeded my expectation in some ways.
Two "Ghost" Rifles from Classic
Review by strykpilot on 5/27/2014
I ordered the first of two SKS rifles (unfortunately right before their sale) from Classic on a Friday. It shipped the next Monday and I picked it up Thursday afternoon. The first rifle was a six-digit "ghost." Although I did not pay extra for either of the hand select options, the rifle was all-matching. There was very little to no bluing left on most of the metal. Despite the lack of finish on the metal, there was very little rust or corrosion damage to the metal. The rifle came with the cleaning rod and even a "gift" left for me in the buttstock - what was possibly the last cleaning patch run through it since it was stored however many years ago. The import stamp is subtle and located on the right side of the barrel below the gas tube. After I cleaned out the barrel, I discovered that the bore is in great shape.

I ordered the second rifle on a Monday, but it did not ship until Thursday afternoon. I picked it up on the following Wednesday. Like the first rifle, I gambled and did not select either of the hand select options. The second rifle was a mostly-matching 5-digit "ghost." Unlike the first rifle, much of the finish was left on the metal, but this rifle had more rust and corrosion damage than the first. Despite metal pitting and occasional rust, the metal was in adequate condition and cleaned up well. All of the numbered parts matched the serial number on the receiver with the exception of the stock, which looked like it came from a "ghost" with a different serial number. The bore of the rifle, while not as pristine as the bore on the first rifle, is in great condition.

Some reviewers have complained about the condition of the wood stocks. I was satisfied with the condition of the wood stocks and did not find the condition to be excessive for a military surplus rifle. The stocks do not have any cracks or severe damage. The first rifle does not have "trench art," but the second rifle has what appears to be initials (M + M) carved in the buttstock. These carvings, however, are not deep. Both stocks have some moderate damage near the magazine that could have occurred when the rifles were packed. A light bit of sanding fixed this issue easily.

Both rifles were completely coated in cosmoline and required a lengthy cleaning process. Because I am somewhat new to these rifles, this process took several hours. Make sure to thoroughly clean out the bolt to ensure that the firing pin moves freely. If you are looking for a fun project, removing these rifles out of their cosmoline time capsules will keep you busy.

After cleaning to cosmoline, I took both rifles to the shooting range. The first rifle functioned flawlessly, while the second rifle only had an issue with sight adjustment. The front sight of the second rifle had cosmoline build-up that made it difficult to adjust the sight with the sight adjustment tool. After ensuring that all of the cosmoline is cleaned from the sight, I am confident it will function well. Aside from the sight adjustment, both rifles functioned well and emerged as excellent shooters.

Overall, these rifles are excellent projects that result in great shooters. If you're looking for a pretty rifle that is ready to fire out-of-the-box, you should definitely consider a different outlet. Classic describes these rifles accurately, ships fast, and has excellent customer support. I wish I had waited, however, to take advantage of their special sale.
Nice collectable Sino Soviet
Review by RichG on 5/27/2014
Got the hand pick for #s match. All did match. Mine is a Sino Soviet with letter and 4 digit serial. Bluing is very nice at about 80-85%! Did have a bit of surface rust on the bolt and carrier. Stock had no cracks but some gouges from storage. Lots of cosmoline to clean. Bore looks new. Very happy with purchase. Just bought it 3 days before the sale price, but still think it was a good deal.
Russian SKS
Review by Luke on 5/23/2014
I received my SKS today and found I had a Russian letter K rifle. I will be purchasing another rifle to see what I get next.
Great service for a pretty darn good SKS.
Review by Bryce on 5/23/2014
Can you say cosmoline? Yes it was caked with the stuff when it arrived. So much so, that I couldn't tell if it was in decent shape or not. After a good mineral spirit scrubbing, I was very pleasantly surprised. The stock was a little rough, but cleaned up well and has that character that says "I saw battle". Good bore, and good metal, and by that I mean no rust. A great addition to my collection.
Awesome purchase
Review by Matt on 5/22/2014
If you can get over the fact that the 10lb package is 5lb of cosmoline, this gun is for you! The rifle will be a fine shooter once it is cleaned up. Havent checked markings because that is not why I bought it. I bought it because they are durable and awesome rifles. If you want a inexpensive rifle, look no further!
excelent rifle
Review by 2curly on 5/21/2014
You coulda greased a train with all the cosmoline on this thing. Took 2months to get the stock to where I wanted it . Had a broken safety spring when I received it, but no way classic would know that . Classic makes it so easy to purchase from them. Will be able to shoot for 1st time memorial day weekend. Will update after that, buy am very satisfied with purchase. Will always check classic first.
As usual, Great Servie!
Review by Redman on 5/21/2014
Just received my Type 56 on sale from Classic, Very Happy! Bluing was overall very good, the stock was in great shape, no splits, carvings, gashes, just very dark wood. All #'s matching, has a 5 digit serial, no Chinese. Of course packed in cosmo, but that comes off! Thanks Classic for great service and product!
Wasted money on the "Hand Select for Exterior Cosmetics"
Review by Ted on 5/19/2014
I recently ordered a Norinco SKS and a Molot Mosin Nagant M44. Both weapons were shipped quickly and I was kept informed of my order's status throughout the entire process. The Mosin I ordered was in great shape as I paid extra for Matching Numbers and Bore Hand Select. The SKS, however, is another story. I paid for hand select for cosmetics and matching numbers. The numbers matched but the cosmetics of the weapon did not seem to be "the best of 5". If it was the best of 5, I'd hate to see what the other 4 weapons looked like. I do realize that these weapons are used milsurp and aren't going to be grade-A weapons. However, I wouldn't expect a hand select for cosmetics weapon to have "1986" primitively carved 1/8" deep into the stock. And the bluing on the weapon was almost non-existent. I look forward to restoring the SKS to its once known glory but am bummed I spent extra money on the cosmetic hand select. Overall I am satisfied with my purchase and look forward to purchasing more weapons and ammunition from Classic in the future!
excellent
Review by ben on 5/16/2014
I am very happy with this purchase. It took me awhile to decide but when I did my only regret was I did not decide earlier.
What did i get? a matching sino soviet cosmoline soaked rifle, stock is not that bad - really!!- but its not perfect either. I went with the matching and hand select option.
After a day of cleaning and making sure the firing pin is free floating! I am off to the range. Thanks guys!
Remember - cosmoline is your friend!!. This particular rifle had no rust!
There are still really nice rifles available from this batch of rifles
Review by T.J. on 5/16/2014
Ordered one of these Chinese Type 56 SKS, was a little hesitant as due to funds I was coming in late in the game on these rifles. finally decided to go for it and ordered it with hand select for numbers matching and for condition. From time of order to when the rifle arrived at my door today was 7 business days. As always with classic, shipping was quick.

I must say that I am very pleased with what I received. I kind of had an idea what i would be getting as I helped a friend clean his a couple weeks ago. As stated these are packed in grease, but i have never been one to turn down a rifle due to cosmoline. Per the hand select all visible numbers are matching (I say that because when i got it all apart the number on the bottom of the gas tube doesnt match but im ok with that, i dont expect them to take it apart and check everything)

stock is solid just dirty. bore is pristine as to be expected on these. cleaning rod was present which was a nice surprise. bluing is at a 95-98%

the clean up is going well and i am very happy with my purchase and only regret not have a little extra money to order a couple more.

be ready for a lot of cosmoline, but dont let that scare you away. because of that cosmoline these rifles are very well preserved. i would recommend the hand select options its not a lot extra and i feel that it was money well spent.



Chinese SKS Type 56, Milled Parts - UNBOXING
Review by NicTaylor00 on 5/15/2014
First impressions are exactly what was described. I expect it to run great once I get the rifle cleaned up and put a few rounds through it. Only wish I had waited for the $50 off sale to avoid paying full asking price at the time I purchased.
Decent all around.
Review by Jeremiah on 5/15/2014
a lovely rifle so far, which i have only just recently finished cleaning enough to get into a serviceable state, due to a mix of my own laziness and lack of cosmoline cleaning skills.
right out of the box was expected, looked more or less like the example picture. used stock, dark, and soaked in cosmoline. i noticed right away though that there was something wrong with the cleaning rod that was in the rifle, and upon inspection, seems to not be one for my gun, as it is both too long (bayonet wont fit with it) and will not lock into place. i will have to look into replacing it sometime in the future. i checked the compartment in the stock for a cleaning kit, but no luck. oddly, there was what i assume is a Chinese mosin cleaning kit in the box with my rifle? eh, thanks for the spare Classic :)

in disassembling the rifle, i found little to nothing out of order. the dust cover had a few spots of deep rust pitting, and the bolt carrier has some rust spots as well, but its fine. when i cleaned the cosmo out of the bore i was suprised to find a mirror finish inside, i can only assume that i have been the first person to fire this gun.
the one problem i have had...was with the handguard and gas tube. the pin which keeps the handguard on the tube was riveted in place on both sides, and as such, i was unable to completely dissasemble the handguard/gas tube. nor can i without completely destroying the handguard and pin. a shame, but i personally preferred the wood anyway.

just yesterday i took the rifle to the range, shot quite a few rounds through it and every time it went bang (barring one aftermarket mag i was using) so it works nicely, which is great!

i currently am using an aftermarket stock now, as ive yet to fully clean the rifle, but ive no complaints with my purchase :)

will definitely buy somearms from classic in the future, if i see something i like.
very pleased, great for a 58-year old rifle
Review by jeff on 5/14/2014
No surprises, no issues- just a good solid firearm. Being familiar with surplus and C&R weapons helped, since there was plenty of cosmo and crud to clean out over the course of a few days, but well worth the effort. All matching, first year manufacture. Didn't request anything special, got one anyway. Have about 60-80 rounds of Wolf thru it so far without a hitch. I did add a recoil buffer, but removed it after 20 rounds...2 stovepipes. None since removing it. Wouldn't recommend adding one in case one might be considering it. Fantastic first purchase!
is what it is
Review by Marc on 5/12/2014
Isn't an SKS that will not win any beauty contest. Get ready to clean. This rifle has been used but still is a shooter
Beaten Beauty
Review by GenericNickname on 5/11/2014
Got it yesterday and cleaned well into this morning to get it ready for a trip to the range. Heat gun & mineral spirits are plenty enough if you dont mind putting in some elbow grease. I asked for a laminated stock, but I didn't get one. Didn't really expect one anyway, but the stock I did get is gouged to hell. It looks like somebody took another sks's bolt and forced it 2/3 way through the stock in a variety of places. Assuming it was the importer. To be fair it is the original stock from 1956 though. I'm a purist, but I might have to refinish, or buy another "shooter" stock for this gun. Everything matches except the gas piston, which as far as I know, isn't always numbered anyway. It looks more or less new, but the serial would suggest it came off of a 200Kish number, sooo.... Anyway, the bluing is nice aside from the dust cover, which has a naked spot for whatever reason, and a few scratches. Took it out today and fired 220 rounds of wolf and R.A. standard, only had an issue with one round, which rather than feeding, the bullet decided to get pushed back into the case due to a bad crimp. Imagine a turtle with a cartridge for a shell. Thats what it looked like. Not the rifle's fault at all though, just bad QC in ammo factory. I was getting oblong, but approximately grapefruit sized groups at 50, and gallon jug sized at 100. Awful sights as with most commie guns, but if you can bear to put on some new aperture sights on, you could probably coax a little better accuracy at longer ranges. Ive always been a little scared of semi auto rifles ever since my first ever semi-auto, a marlin 60, exploded in my face the first time out, but I'm starting to really like this thing. Very light, very sturdy. Btw, I found a little present in the way of a strip of rice bag in the cleaning kit hole. Smells tantalizingly of solvent.
First Impressions Misleading
Review by David on 5/5/2014
Yes, I had read the description about the rough appearance, but when I first opened the box, my first reaction was "Yuck!". Most of the bluing was gone, the stock was heavily carved and the gas tube was stuck. Some cleaning, TLC and investigation later I'm very happy with the rifle and an contemplating another. All matching numbers on a 1956 "ghost" - Russian proof markings, no Chinese anywhere. Albanian carvings indicate military aid at some point. Lots of interesting history. Gas tube just needed to be cleaned. Bore shiny and smooth. Shoots like a dream - dead on at 100 yards with no adjustments. Much better than my AK. As stated above, first impressions can be misleading - love the SKS!
1st purchase, no regrets!
Review by Peter on 5/2/2014
This is my first purchase from classic. I payed for hand select and matching numbers and got what I payed for. Cosmoline for days but thanks to my brother-in-law's auto shop, had access to his solvent tank. I was blown away by the quality of the blueing and smoothness of action once it was cleaned and oiled. With the addition of a Tapco stock from the sportsmans guide it is my new favorite rifle. Dead on accurate out of the box! Thanks classic
My first Classic SKS
Review by David on 5/1/2014
I received my Chinese SKS from Classic and this was my first purchase with them. I read a lot of the reviews before deciding to try my luck. I got the hand picked and matching numbers. I received my SKS very quick "thanks Classic!" It is a 5 digit serial #. They are packed heavily in cosmoline. The stock was dinged but no cracks. The metal retains some bluing. Under the wood which was not visible to Classic was some heavy pitting on the trigger housing and magwell. I am thinking about purchasing one more to see if maybe I could score another war relic. Classic has been awesome to deal with and A+++ in my book! I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet as I am still cleaning the cosmoline from the stock. Hope to post some pics soon, Thanks Classic
Great Buy
Review by Douglas on 4/30/2014
I received an as advertised excellent condition Russian parts SKS. Just a little surface rust for character - easily removed. Classic comes through again. Buy these while you can.
great buy
Review by ryan on 4/29/2014
I was somewhat nervous about buying my sks, but ended up very happy with my purchase. The stock was a little beat up and the bluing was about 80% but I ended up with a very nice sino-soviet, already purchased a mosin I was so pleased. Thanks classic firearms.
Classic does it again!!!! Great SKS
Review by Dave on 4/25/2014
I just received my SKS today and I can say that I am extremely happy with my newest purchase. I received an early Sino Soviet Type 56. I chose the hand select /matching numbers and received a pretty nice rifle.

Thank you Classic, you guys have come through every time!
Love it.
Review by Brian on 4/24/2014
I couldn't wait to get this thing and I wasn't disappointed. When they say heavy cosmoline, they mean HEAVY cosmoline. But I am experienced in removing it so it was cool. The rifle was exactly as described. The beat up stock was not cracked and I am presently refinishing it. I put on a Tapco stock and grip and my SKS is zombie apocalypse worthy. Next week I will be putting it through some range testing. Great rifle for the price.
Another nice Sino Soviet SKS Thanks ClassicFirearms
Review by Mark on 4/23/2014
After purchasing one with no grading, received what I expected a barely blued cosmoline covered gem that is a great shooter. This time I opted for matching numbers and cosmetics. Again, no disappointment. Nice bluing, decent wood and crisp clean chrome bore. I have not had this one out to the range yet but expect will perform just fine. If you are into military arms as I am, even at 319 base it is a good buy.
great buy
Review by zach on 4/23/2014
I ordered my sks on a Friday and had the ffl faxed the same day. I picked it up from the ffl one week later on the next Friday. I wish it would have come sooner because I was dying to get it, but it came within the 7 days so I cant complain. It was just as described covered in cosmoline, which was removed with a hairdryer, with some dings in the stock but other then that in great shape. The bore looks like its new and the bluing is all but new. There is a little bit of rust on the magazine, the gas tube, and a couple of screws but other than that it is in great shape and the rust doesn't look like it will rust to nothing anytime soon especially with semi-regular oiling. I have shot it a little and it shoots great. The action is smooth and solid and I haven't had any problems. I'm anxious to get enough ammo to and time to really shoot it a lot and see how far I can hit a target. I also payed for the all matching numbers and everything matched all the way down to the gas cylinder, except for the stock. Great buy I can't wait to get some surplus cash to buy something else!
Pretty good for hand select.
Review by Minuteman on 4/21/2014
I ordered this rifle the 11th of April and it got to my FFL on the 16th. When I got to my FFL I slid it out of the box for a quick peek and realized they had slipped a mosin oil bottle in with the rifle which is a bonus I guess even though I have a few of them already. I checked the box for hand select for cosmetics. I wasn't too overly worried about matching numbers I just wanted a nice looking rifle. I got home and began the cosmoline removal process which took about 2 days to complete. I am still finding little bits here and there but once I shoot her it'll all ooze out from places I never thought of.

Anyway, on to the $20.00 hand select I paid for... Okay, maybe I have a little too high of expectations (which I shouldn't have because my friend bought one of these rifles a while back) about the hand selected option. When I finally got this rifle in smooth functioning order, It has almost 100% bluing all around except a few spots here and there. I'd say the bluing is about 96%. There was minor pitting in some very small un-noticable spots like on the mag near the hinge, on the rear bottom of the receiver and the trigger assembly. Like I said, they were less than dime sized spots that are pretty minor. Other than that, the bluing was Very good/Excellent. The bolt carrier and bolt were pretty flawless except a couple of small dark spots that seem to be tattooed on. I can't for the life of me get it off. The bore is in excellent condition the crowning is very strong and there was no fowling what so ever. The wood on the other hand, was a slightly different story. I am a wood kind of guy.. I love wood grain and the way old military stocks look (if they aren't too beat to hell). The wood looks good as far as dings and gouges go except in 2 spots. There was a minor chip on the stock near the rear sight block and a gouge in the top hand guard. The varnish on the wood was really worn and missing on about half of the whole stock. Very patchy looking. But the overall stain on the wood is a really nice rich dark red color like on the Russian models. I am going to end up refinishing it hopefully I can keep the original color. The butt plate is very worn down and missing a lot of bluing. As for matching parts, everything matches except the dust cover. Which is okay by me.


On to a little history of my particular rifle and maybe some things you didn't know about Chinese SKSs. For some unknown reason China did not date SKSs. But I know my SKS was made sometime in early to mid 1956 because there isn't a letter included in the beginning of the serial number and it is in the low 100,000s. In the early manufacturing stages of these rifles, Russian supervisors were sent to the Jianshe arsenal (factory /26\) to oversee and get China going on developing their new adopted rifle. So if you receive a rifle that says ex. F0000 or L0000, then your rifle is an early 1956 manufacture. Sometime later on as the rifle production continued to grow, the letters were taken out. If your rifle's serial number is 2,000,000 or higher your rifle was probably manufactured sometime in 1958. 10,000,000+ 1966 etc. 1956+10= 1966.You would just add the number (in the millions) to 1956 to figure out your date. My rifle has a bunch of cool little markings all over it that I haven't seen before which is cool. The triangle /26\ on my rifle is literally non visible. I have to move it in the light and look very very hard to try and find it but it's there. Well I hoped you enjoyed the review and I will throw up a picture or 2 of my rifle pretty soon. Hopefully Classic makes it to where you can pin photos to your review that way you can read an compare words to photo. Thanks for reading!
A Labor of Love
Review by Steve on 4/21/2014
Just cleaned up my second SKS. It looks lovely with great character. It is a lot of work (Labor of Love) to transform a old relic to a reborn new rifle. It will be passed on from generation to generations! Side effect! Your nose will remember the smell of cosmoline every time you see a picture of old caked rifle on any website. Hey hey hey!
Great Purchase
Review by swatdaddy on 4/18/2014
Took the plunge and ordered a luck-of-the-draw rifle with no hand-selections. I feel that I got very lucky with an all numbers matching Sino-Soviet model. The rifle has a lot of character, i.e. worn bluing and a beat up stock, however there was little to no rust and absolutely no visible pitting. The cosmoline removal is still an on-going process, however I am liking this rifle more and more as I go over it in great detail. Once the stock is fully cleaned and some tung oil is applied, I think that it will be quite impressive. Customer service was great and this was my first C&R purchase through Classic and I hope to do more business.
As advertised
Review by Joseph on 4/17/2014
As usual Classic Arms delivered as advertised. Shipping was quick and my SKS was just what I expected.
better than expected
Review by smokinggun01 on 4/14/2014
Got mine last week and was surprised at the quality of these guns. Yes most of the blueing is gone and there are dents and dings but what do you expect from a almost 60 year old rifle that may have seen battle in more than one war.
Buy 10, It's more fun!
Review by Alex on 4/14/2014
Some friends and I went in on an order of 10 to get the discount. We had a good time all working together cleaning them up, they were VERY heavily packed in Cosmoline (Coleman white gas works wonders on the metal parts!). We received a wide variety of conditions, from Very Good (like new or replaced stocks, good bluing, functional) to quite poor (every part of one had at least some rust, inside and out, stocks barely recognizable as such). One wouldn't fire at all, had to do work on more than one of the bolts (you really want to disassemble and clean them ALL THE WAY). SO... that said, we now have 10 functional SKS! Took some work, helped having multiples to swap parts for testing, they all shoot. They are quite accurate, my best group (with the rusty one, no less!) is 11" at 200 yards, iron sights, with an old tire for a rest. Pretty respectable for a 60 year old gun and a novice shooter! My SK has replaced my .22 for my woodchuck gun, to great effect! Might get together more friends and order 10 more! It has been a blast cleaning, restoring, adding aftermarket parts and shooting with friends. Would definitely recommend, if you and your friends are into gun projects!
very happy with this purchase
Review by jban on 4/13/2014
when I got it all cleaned up better than expected. That may not have been a good thing because now I want to buy another
Good deal
Review by Johnny on 4/11/2014
The discription covers what I recieved well. Rough looking but functions great. Overall happy with the purchase.
Chinese SKS
Review by Nathaniel on 4/11/2014
Came fast to my local FFL dealer. And when I opened it much to my surprise (Sarcastic voice) it was caked in cozmoline, but that's half the fun right? The wood is to be expected, some minor scuff's and dings but the bluing on the rifle is absolutely phenomenal! L:ike It just came out of the factory and they submerged it in cozmoline and then handed it to me. The rifling is amazing as well it shines like diamonds. If I had the money I would buy 10 more and just stock pile them.
A little rough but happy to get one at all.
Review by Randy on 4/10/2014
They aren't kidding when they say heavy cosmoline.

Wood is very rough and very little bluing left.

Barrel and bore look very good.

Good for the price, would buy again and probably will soon.
Russian Tula
Review by James on 4/8/2014
After cleaning all the coso off I found a numbers matching (except for cover)Russian Tula with a lamanated stock. Must be my lucky day.
great service from classic. overall a very nice gun
Review by racerone3 on 4/8/2014
As always, the service I received from Classic was spot on. Ordered the gun Monday morning, and got a call from my FFL Wednesday morning that it was ready to be picked up.

As expected, the gun was caked in cosmoline. Once I got enough off to tear the gun down, I boiled the metal parts. Found that I had a 1956 (5 digit SN) All #'s match except for the receiver cover. Metal has almost no bluing left, and a little bit of rust.
Moving on to the stock, I had an issue. Every bit of Shelak came off with the cosmoline. I really wasn't wanting to refinish the gun, but had to protect the wood. I ended up gently media blasting the stock to remove what little finish was left,(media blasting does all areas evenly, so unlike sanding I was able to keep all the bumps and battle scars) then lightly sanding and applied a polyurethane sealer. Once it was dry I used 00 steel wool to remove the shine from the Poly.
Ended up with a great looking gun.
My only 2 grumbles with the gun are more an importer issue than anything else. The importer info is in fairly large font in a very visible area. Both of the major gouges in my guns stock had no cosmoline in them, telling me they were recent. Looks like the importer just tossed them back into a crate after engraving their info
SWEET!
Review by milo on 4/7/2014
This is my second SKS from Classic Firearms. I can't say enough about this company and their employees! So nice to talk to! I received 2 great rifles that I'm really happy with. After getting them cleaned I took them to the range and both functioned flawlessly and were really accurate! This company is by far the best to order from anywhere! Fast shipping, hard working employees, great service, awesome products. Thanks again Classic Firearms!
Well worth it
Review by Vince on 4/7/2014
I've ordered 3 over the past month, I'm currently waiting for the 3rd to be delivered. So far I've received a ghost and a sino soviet both #'s matching. The first one I ordered(ghost) I opted for both cosmetic and matching, the rifle I received was both except for a new looking gouge on the stock. The 2nd(sino-soviet) I opted for matching and no cosmetic, #'s matched and the stock was in good condition with some nice trench art. Classic has been top notch with their service,I'll definitely be buying more of these! C&R is eeeeeeeevil!
Happy, happy, happy!
Review by cvhelleri on 4/7/2014
Bought 2 of the Chinese SKS rifles with hand select and matching serial number options. I got a beautiful 5 digit rifle with no arsenal marks, an excellent stock, and lots of nice bluing. Most have been a rarely used rifle. The second rifle was an early Sino Soviet rifle. It had less bluing and a rougher stock. Both rifles had excellent bores and were an excellent value. I ordered 2 more after seeing them.
Can't get better than this!
Review by Derek on 4/5/2014
This is the best to buy firearms that are old. My sks shipped within a week after order. Covered in cosmoline but the more cosmoline the better. Only tok about 4 day to get the gun cleaned, and to restain the stock. Has little rust spots in some parts of the gun but after bluing the barrel I am not worried about rust anymore. All around amazing gun for the price can't find one cheaper anywhere else but classic firearms.
Chinese SKS
Review by Jon on 4/4/2014
I'm a little dissapointed with this rifle. Like some of the other reviews, the stock on this one looks like it was dragged behind a truck!

I guess I wasn't expecting this, since I paid the extra $20 for hand-select for appearance.

I did get a gun with all matching numbers, but I'm having some real difficulties identifying where this rifle was produced or the year of production. It has a six-digit numeric serial number, no alpha prefix, no chinese markings, no russian markings - I'm really baffled by this. I don't see anything on the web that helps me with this either.

I may change my mind about the rifle after I've cleaned off the cosmoline, but I'm not sure anything will make this stock look nice!

Sorry, Classic, but this isn't one of my best purchases.
Met my expectations
Review by jimraynor21 on 4/4/2014
Classic, as the other times Ive dealt with them before, was fantastic with shipping/tracking info/updates. It took a little longer to ship than my last firearm but I truly believe that Classic experienced a large influx of orders on these before the price went back up(I purchased mine a few days before that occurred). With that in mind a week(including a weekend) from clicking Submit Payment to in my hands is a superb turn around time.

First and foremost...the cosmoline cannot be understated. Be prepared to do some serious work with degreasing before you even think about firing your rifle. It was caked in every place possible. I will let you decide which methods are best. I also HIGHLY recommend(as most who know these rifles well) disassembling the bolt and making absolutely positively sure that you do not have any gunk inside allowing the pin to stick. Spraying it out assembled is really not enough to ensure you have a clear channel(and I think we can all agree that it would be devastating to have an out of battery FA volley with the potential of landing you in jail, in the hospital or 6 feet under).

Now the good stuff....I opted for the #s matching option after reading many of the other reviews of what people were receiving, and I got exactly what I wanted. I received what many refer to as a *Sino-Soviet* SKS. My serial # is a letter followed by 4 digits, and my receiver has the Arsenal 26 stamp on it as well. All of my numbers matched as guaranteed in Classics description, except the barrel(not guaranteed). The barrel, all I can say is wow. I am 99% sure that the barrel on my rifle is a retrofitted Russian. My friends and I agree also that it looked to be brand-spanking-new and unfired. The bore still looks like glass with absolutely no marks on it, beautiful sharp rifling. I believe it is Russian based on the Russian character(I could be wrong here) and serial number stamped into it.

The bluing was about 75% but that was nothing a little steel wool and $6 bluing paste couldn't handle. It was missing on about half the top cover and magazine body/trigger guard. All of the metal parts are in great shape otherwise.

As Classic disclosed and many have described, the stock is pretty beat to hell. To be accurate though, there is only a small chunk of wood(about the size of a dime) actually gouged out and the rest of it is intact. The rest of it is dented and dinged almost all over but if you are willing to put in some time and innovation there are crafty/easy ways to bring dents out of wood. Despite having the methods available to me I opted to allow the stock to retain its character. I planned to refinish it upon purchasing so I cannot speak for the stock finish as the chemicals I used removed to cosmoline also aided me in stripping the old finish. It is now a dull/semi-gloss Garand/GI-issued finish.

To my surprise the front sight was set dead windage wise and I only had to compensate the elevation slightly to make a 3-4" pattern at 100 yards right out of the box(minus the comosline of course). I also had a Tech-sight in route and after getting that installed/adjusted I was 100% honestly able to put 6 shots in a 1 1/2" group@100yards with a few flyers(plain-jane Wolf ammo, seated with no rest). So I would have to say that its very accurate and unless I got an exceptional specimen I dont buy the hype about the inaccuracy of these rifles unless the barrels are worn/shot-out although Ive yet to read anyone describing a bad barrel from this batch. Im sure with better/custom loads and a steadier hand that the rifle could easily do better. It has functioned flawlessly with 300 or so rounds down the pipe this far.

Hopefully this gives you a fairly clear idea of what you can expect in buying one of these. IMHO its a great rifle for the price if you are willing to put in some elbow grease, something I personally love to do. A few other sites have these listed ever so slightly cheaper but I value customer service as well as the product, which is why I will continue to deal with Classic.
Friendly service, Good product
Review by ramblin84 on 4/1/2014
This was my first SKS so I wasn't sure what to expect. At first glance when it arrived it looked a little more worse for wear than I thought it should but, once I got it cleaned up and ran it by my set of SKS experts, everyone agreed I got a great buy. Just returned from a weekend range event and the rifle shoots great. I will definitely purchase from Classic again. And, they're friendly people to talk too.
Got what I expected
Review by Jeff on 3/31/2014
Got a wonderful early sino-soviet SKS completely caked in cosmoline missing most of the bluing on top. This is by no means a bad review as this is what I expected. The rifle has a very tight action and a brilliant chrome lined bore.The rifle has since been completely stripped and parkerized. Picks to follow once I have the stock done.
excellent
Review by none on 3/31/2014
great rifle as always
Hand Selected
Review by Daryl on 3/30/2014
I was very impressed with the Chinese SKS I received. The stock was a little rough but with strong character. The bolt, action and barrel looked perfect. I recommend the extra hand select, they must have someone looking at the guns picking out the best one they see. I think I got one really nice. The SKS was very clean and almost dry. You still need to examine and clean everything then lubricate and shoot it as soon as you get the chance. I am waiting for some warm weather to test fire mine. It's a keeper.
All in all. Very happy
Review by Stewart on 3/28/2014
I chose just the hand picked for cosmetics. I have to tell ya, I was impressed. I have seen these SKS's going for a couple hundred more and you don't know what your gonna get. Classic did very well again! If course I have seen lots of cosmoline and these are slathered in it. With the hand pick for looks I did not make a mistake. I got a very nice rifle and am very satisfied. I tell ya folks, order from these guys and you can't go wrong.
Great buy!
Review by Michael on 3/27/2014
After considering getting an SKS and reading the many reviews about them I knew that it could be a real mixed bag as far as the condition of the gun I received. I was more than thrilled with the SKS delivered from Classic. I did pay extra for cosmetic condition, which was very good, but was also presently surprised with a matched number rifle as well!
You can't ask for more than Classic delivers. Will definitely be back! Thanks, Classic!
Great price great shooting rifle
Review by William on 3/26/2014
Great value for this vintage military rifle. I have shot 200 rounds with no issues at all. Shooting 100 yards with iron sights and hitting 6x6 plate targets and my eyesight is not great. Really nice rifle. Buy one now
Very Nice Weapon
Review by Bill on 3/24/2014
Thanks Classic. Received my SKS a few days after I ordered it. Lots of cosmoline, wood was a little dinged, but in good shape.
Bore is like new. Cleaned it up, sanded down the stock a little and rubbed it down with tung oil. Very nice gun for the money.
SKS & Cosmoline Initial Impression
Review by Patrick on 3/23/2014
First I did not opt for any extras just a straight purchase, When UPS Dropped it off it was cold out and when I tried to unwrap it everything stuck to the Bubble Wrap!!
So after it had a chance to warm up in my work area I got around to giving it a once over and I discovered that the Cosmoline was on thick REAL THICK..
The photos will show a nice thick glob around the Bayonet, The Bluing Appears wore out.

This is going to take me some time, after I strip it down and Soak the Metal in a Cleaner I will move on to the stock, This may be a case for Duracoat on the Metal and Wood. This is going to take some Time to Complete and that’s ok. Thanks Classic I now have a mate for my Yugo.
Great gun with rich history
Review by Steve on 3/23/2014
This is a great rifle and it gives you goose bumps when you hold it! It worths every penny! It will make you a happy person!
Nice rifle with a suprise
Review by nick on 3/23/2014
The rifle looked horrid when I opened it, but cleaned up nice. All numbers matched except the cover. It was re-arsenaled with an Albanian stock. The stock was meant for a spike and never fully modified to fit the blade. If i could go back in time and slap the guy who re-arsenaled it I would. To my surprise there was a broken casing still in the chamber. Took me about 5 minutes to take it out with the proper tool.
Seriously Awesome!!
Review by Michael on 3/22/2014
I had hesitated in buying one, but finally made the plunge, and am now regretting not buying one sooner. I ordered the hand select and matching numbers, and I was not disappointed in the slightest. Classic sent me a beautiful rifle that while it's not the prettiest rifle out there, she's still a beauty. I got one with no arsenal markings on it and a five digit serial number, so one of those that some people are calling "ghost" rifles. Not sure what the history is, but I am not complaining. It took me awhile to clean it, but when she was all cleaned up the wood was in very nice shape and the metal was without rust. A good share of the bluing is gone, but to me it adds some serious character to the rifle. I took it out today and fired it and a Romanian SKS. Both shot wonderfully with no issues at all. This rifle shot a bit high, but some adjustment on the sights will fix that, so it's not an issue with me. I actually had a guy come up and ask me what I was shooting, so it caught the attention of people. I actually liked this so much I bought a second one, which again yielded me a five digit rifle with no arsenal markings. To say I am happy with both purchases would be an understatement. Classic was outstanding as usual, and I can't say thanks enough for sending along such a fine firearm. This is one that will have a special place in my collection. Do yourself a favor and order one now while you still can as you will not be disappointed. Many thanks Classic, you guys are the greatest!!
Great deal!
Review by bikermike on 3/22/2014
Ordered my SKS a few weeks ago and am very pleased with the rifle I received. I paid the extra for hand select and got a very nice, all matching. Sino-Soviet SKS. I was kept up to date on shipping and such and it arrived on schedule. I always enjoy dealing with Classic!
ANOTHER GREAT PIECE OF HISTORY 2
Review by Denny on 3/22/2014
Received my 2 SKS's today. I paid for cosmetics and received the rifles in very decent condition. Both stocks were in good condition and one of the rifles blueing was good. One is a sino-soviet (arsenal 26) but the other has a Tula star on the side of the receiver and appears to be a last run Russian, late 55 to early 56. The rifles were shipped fast and packed good. Thanks Classic !
All numbered parts...
Review by routeus1 on 3/22/2014
All parts numbered are matching, circle k & circle y, barrel marked. < 145,000 serial #.
No factory marking. Birch stock. Makes this a...
WINNER!
Sks
Review by DSA on 3/21/2014
Recently bought one of these .
It is an awesome gun and fun to shoot.
Very easy to take apart and clean. I would highly recommend that you purchase one of these. Plus the ammo is cheap and easy to get .
Better than expected!
Review by redman on 3/21/2014
Delivery was fast, and when I opened the box, first look it was about what I had expected, covered in cosmoline. Upon taking the rifle apart, and thorough cleaning, the metal parts were in great shape. I've seen better stocks, but overall mine was a well used military look, no carvings, etc, just rugged use in it's lifetime. Mine is def dated a 1956. Very proud to own a piece of history. Thanks Classic Firearms for a wonderful product!
Chinese SKS ALL number matching "Ghost"
Review by Brandon on 3/20/2014
I ordered with the hand pick for matching serial numbers, and cosmetics. To my surprise after picking this up from my FFL dealer, it was an all number matching 4 numeric serial number with no arsenal markings before or after the number. stock also had the 4 digit matching number as well, and the stock is in excellent shape. I WILL be purchasing from Classic Firearms in the future!!!! I will post pictures in the near future after I get it cleaned. Thanks again Classic Firearms for the great gun at a great price!!!!
great gun
Review by ricky on 3/18/2014
Great gun great price and lots of cosmoline lol
Got 2!…one for each son
Review by Michael on 3/17/2014
Bought 2 while they were still around. Have 2 sons 3 and 5 and I am keeping them in the cosmo so they can have some fun at 18 in experiencing the joy of cleaning off an old milsurp rifle with trench art and history. They should eek up in value by the time they get to cleaning them off. Need to add a couple of m44's to the stash for them also. Always a good buy when sinking some cash into old military firearms.
NICE
Review by H T P on 3/14/2014
My father was a partner in a gun shop since he returned from the Vietnam war until he died last October. As a kid I cleaned more of these guns on summer break than you can count. And as a late forties guy, I assure you the same guy coated these in guns (cosmiline) was the same one I cleaned as a kid. Which is a good thing. As they were well preserved.

I went with matching numbers and better quality. Got the numbers got one SKS almost unused and one with trench art and used and repaired (spring) and hammer wear. Some small amount of rust, if u call it that, bluing excellent on one good - on other. This does not concern me. I cleaned them as we all do. NOTE: if this is you first SKS clean the firing pin, nothing like this old grandpa slam firing at range, talk about clearing out firing line :).... Overall, very happy I shot them today with no problems. Will do business again with Classic Arms!
old one, but a good one!
Review by brownbear on 3/13/2014
First off I got mine at $299 back in feb. Compared to what they cost in canada it is still a bit high but even at $299 they are still an excellent rifle for the money. I paid for matching serial# and for cosmetics and that is exactly what I received. Very strong rifling and excellent bore. The only complaint I have is lack of blueing which is to be expected. The rifle I received is a very early factory 26 model with a 5 digit serial# and no arsenal stampings on receiver etc.. in this sks circles referred to as "ghosts". After ALOT of cleaning and cosmoline removal what I ended up with is an excellent strong rifle chambered in one of my favorite cartridges. With just the right amount of character! Home run classic!
I love cosmoline.
Review by Jon on 3/13/2014
You had better like it too, this thing was caked in it. I got it cleaned up and found a nice tight rifle with a lot of handling marks and body oil/sweat stains underneath. The import mark was no where near legible and there are a couple of minor rust divots but hey, some of this is just 'history'. There are also 4 distinct and separate small 'nicks' in the bayonet edge, all within about a half inch. The imagination runs wild but I imagine it was probably banged around on a rock or something but who knows. Gonna try to get out and shoot it soon.
Very satisfied
Review by Scott on 3/12/2014
I wanted one of these for awhile and when I finally got this one, I was very satisfied overall. As was expected, I got a rifle that was completely covered in a thick layer of cosmoline which did a pretty good job of preserving this old rifle. All the numbers matched and the stock was in pretty fair condition considering its age. After spending a couple of days cleaning the metal parts, there was a small amount of rust on the barrel exterior under the front handguard but the bore looks great.

I don't know a whole lot about these rifles, but from what I was able to determine I'm almost sure this is what is called a sino-soviet SKS and a fairly early production.

The action cleaned up nice as did all the metal parts and it feels good. The wood has numerous small dents and dings but it adds a real nice character to this rifle. I decided to refinish the wood and I stripped off all the old finish but I intentionally left all the dings and dents and only gave it a real light sanding. I wanted to try and preserve the original appearance and age of this fine rifle. I finished it in gunstock coloring and gave it four coats of tung oil and it came out beautiful; a real testament to how good these relics can look!

I feel lucky I got this rifle and I will definitely buy again at Classicfirearms.com again!
Great 1956 Sino Soviet
Review by Robert on 3/11/2014
I opted for both hand select options. I couldn't be more happy!! What arrived was a 40xxxsn first year production Sino Soviet with Russian stock. It even came with a russian oiler and cleaning kit!! Every component was sn matching, what a deal. I have read other reviews and a quick google search will help answer peoples questions. Basically any rifle with 1,000,000 sn and below is a first year production. 2 mil 1957 ect. Thanks a ton to Classic arms for this real treasure.
Super Company!
Review by milo on 3/10/2014
Classic firearms ...one of the best to deal with! Great customer support awesome products nice people! I love my sks rifle and I'm going to buy another. If you haven't yet, buy from classic firearms!
Awesome as expeted
Review by patrick on 3/9/2014
After what seems like a year of cleaning I finally got to put 'er back together yesterday afternoon. The first thing I noticed was that the stock was in great shape with only a few nicks and scratches. I also noted that there are not any numbers on the stock. Not sure what that means exactly, but the mismatch with the upper hand guard leads me to believe that the stock may not be original. Not a biggy to me in any case as the guts of the gun are awesome.
Bluing is probably around 90% -much better than expected. She,s a '56 with matching numbers as requested and sharp as a tack to look at imho. The chrome lined barrel is pristine--good as new. Ran a few rounds through 'er this afternoon. Shoots consistently high and slightly right so I know when I have a bit more time I can dial it in . All in all a great purchase and one that I feel will grow into one of my favorite shooters.
Really nice and solid SKS
Review by K-9 on 3/9/2014
The stock and metal are in very good condition. Really worth the money! Great rugged shooter! Thanks, Classic! Yet again, another winner!
SKS
Review by Michael on 3/8/2014
I purchased a SKS with both upgrades during the February special price period. The customer service is always great from Classic! Thank you guys very much. I received a 6 digit serial numbered rifle with no factory stamp. All numbers match from the gas tube piston to the bolt. The bluing on the rifle was magnificent, really worth the extra money for that upgrade! The stock was expected in very rough shape. I spent about 3 hours de-cosmolining the rifle. i used simple green on the metal parts for while, then I went a head and heated them up in the oven at 150 degrees to melt the cosmoline. I should have just used the oven it worked very fast. The stock was also soaked in cosmoline and I used Murphy's Oil Soap on it. The stock didn't have much finish left on it. I guess I will find another one to put on to shoot the rifle and keep the number matching stock put up.

Overall, I'm pleased with my order and excited about shooting this rifle very soon. Oh, yeah I almost forgot to mention that I also got the cleaning rod with it, kudos!

Thanks Classic Firearms for your excellent service.
Great gun for the price
Review by Kevin on 3/7/2014
I ordered this gun last monday and arrived tuesday so it was 6 business days. This gun came caked in cosmoline, which if you know what youre doing, it wasnt that hard to clean. Id say it took me and a buddy 3 solid hours of cleaning. There were a few tiny rust spots but they were easily sanded down and touched up with a bluing pen, to where you wont notice the spots anymore. In all honesty the stock was the worst part of the gun, but with some elbow grease it will be beautiful again. DO NOT order this if you expect a perfect gun with 100% bluing and the stock is untouched. This gun has a ton of character and a story behind it. The gun also came all matching, which i ordered as well. Even though it wasnt a sino-soviet, which i was keeping my fingers crossed for, this gun is still pure quality. This gun has seen some action, which i do not doubt at all. The bore looks like it has never been shot. It is shiney as a new rifle. I am a purest with my military rifles, but i chose to redo the stock, but not sand off any markings or numbers. The stock had 20% of the finish left on it, and a bumch of scratches and splinters sticking up. I am going to try to keep it original looking as i can. I cannot wait for the 5 feet of snow to melt so i can get to the range! Ive heard good things about these guns and how accurate they could be! I dont know what gun it will be, but I will be ordering another gun from classic firearms in the future once i put more money into my firearms fund! These are great people with a great business! You wont be disappointed!
Excellant firearm
Review by edmrb52 on 3/7/2014
I didn't know what to expect as this was my first purchase from Classic. Aside from the cosmoline, the weapon was in extremely good condition for a weapon mfg. in 1953. great markings no pitting just a few wear marks that can easily be touched up. Wish I had the cash to buy a 1/2 doz. of these. Go Classic.
Great rifle,
Review by shabby on 3/7/2014
This was my first sks purchase and I sure am glad I got it from you guys at classic. it was more than the description let on, very early sino soviet, perfect barrel and the furniture wasn't that bad either. As soon as I get a little money saved up. I'm going to get another. I just hope there's some left. I also can't say enough about the customer service, GREAT!
Thanks guys for a great rifle.
All I Can Say is WOW
Review by Crazy Ivan on 3/6/2014
My SKS arrived today, last than a week after placing the order. I paid extra for "Hand Select for Cosmetics" and "Matching Numbers."

The rifle arrived wrapped securely in bubble wrap/paper, so it arrived without any (new) scratches. :-) The gun was drowned in Cosmoline, wich is great, as there doesn't appear to be any rust on the rifle anywhere. The bluing on the metal parts seems excellent and the wood seems in better than average condition as far as I can tell.

Like some others on here, I appear to have a "ghost" gun. There are no markings on the receiver/bold cover at all, with the exception of the serial number. I wish I could find out some history on this rifle.

I cant wait to clean her up and go shooting. I definitely plan to purchase another CHICOM SKS from Classic.
Great value
Review by Nicholas on 3/6/2014
I payed for numbers matching and cosmetics and ended up with a 5-digit "ghost" gun, with good bluing, pristine rifling, and a pretty decent stock. All in all got what I paid for. Thanks Classic
Another great purchase from Classic
Review by Jack on 3/5/2014
I received my Sino Soviet SKS yesterday and I am very pleased with it. I opted for both the numbers matching and exterior cosmetics for the additional $40 and although every piece has matching numbers, the stock was a little more beat up than I was hoping for. I do understand this is the nature of the luck of the draw and I am fine with it. After all these rifles most likely have seen battle.
A few things I do want to mention is the bore looked like polished chrome that has never been used and the crown passed the bullet test. Most of the edges on the internals were still sharp. The bolt didn't show signs of wear and looked new. 98% of the bluing was still intact. I'm sure this will be a great shooter and a nice piece of history. No Chinese characters were present and since it had a eastern character followed by four digit serial and a /26\ in a triangle, this makes it an official Sino Soviet SKS.
Thanks Classic Firearms, another great buy that I am very happy with.
Sino Soviet SKS is amazing
Review by Will on 3/5/2014
I promptly received my numbers matching Sino Soviet SKS and it was in fantastic condition. Classic has not yet let me down! :D

The stock was beat up, as expected, but the metal was in perfect condition. No rust, no pitting, very smooth.

The gun was coated in cosmoline which cleaned up without much difficulty. I swapped the gun into an SGWorks bullpup stock and love it.

Great gun for the money!
Very nice rifle
Review by Malot1 on 3/5/2014
Ordered a #'s matching, received a 1951 Tula refurb in really good shape. Am impressed with the rifle as I had expected much worse from the description givin. This is my second purchase from Classic and will do business again.
expecting a gun in worst shape
Review by Thomas on 3/5/2014
Bought the sks thinking it was gonna need a complete overhaul....all matching #s and only on defect...a damaged front sight ring....she's all stripped down getting fresh blueing and stain finish! Just need warm weather to get the stuff to dry!...will definitely buy from classic again thanks guys for taking care of my and Semper fi!
Very nice rifle
Review by John on 3/4/2014
This is the third SKS I have ordered, 1st was in Dec 2012, last two in January 2014 and March 2014. 1st and last were Outstanding in finish and numbers, went cheap for finish with the middle one and was pleased with a "warrior" finish and matching numbers...best trigger of the three! Really pleased with Classic. Had a problem with a pistol order and customer service did me right immediately. Go Classic! Thanks John
Completely Satisfied
Review by Michael on 3/4/2014
Ordered matching numbers but not hand select on cosmetics. I started to get a little nervous on condition and was regretting not getting both hand selects. When i got the rifle i was happy as can be. All matching # as ordered, all the metal parts were great! Stock was very rough but no cracks. I sanded lightly but left all the dents and dings fir character . Turned into a beautiful rifle! Very happy with purchase. First time with classic, will not be last.
Better Than Expected
Review by Steven on 3/2/2014
I bought 1 of these a year ago from arms.no upgrades,great gun ,stock looked real bad,just bought another,paid for the upgrades,well worth the extra$,clean bore and metal in great shape,stock in very good shape ,just some cleaning and some refinishing to the stock,one nice looking hog buster,very pleased with arms.
As described
Review by Linda on 3/1/2014
As described. Battle scarred but very functional. I wanted to retract my former review of 2 stars and give this one a solid 4 stars.
Great buy
Review by Customer on 3/1/2014
Great service as always. The gun turned out better then I expected. All matching, the stock was if good shape without too many deep scratches and majority of the wood finish still
intacked. Very happy with this purchase.
Not the prettiest of the bunch, but...
Review by davem on 2/27/2014
I could care less. I'd like to think of it as character. Not sure how others fared but the two I ordered actually came with the cleaning rods. Like the other folks these came covered in cosmoline and were a pain to clean. I'd also like to recommend completely tearing down the bolt for cleaning. You can never be too safe when it comes to possible slam fires.

I'd also like to thank Classic Firearms for their superb customer service and fast shipping. Many thanks.
Clean up nicely, and great shooters!
Review by Scott on 2/27/2014
I order two of these fine rifles and after some elbow grease and patience both were cleaned of cosmoline. It was worth it, both have great bluing and function flawlessly with very little rust (which cleaned up). And to my amazement both are factory 26, 1956 dated Sino-Soviet's, which I had asked for. (well I asked for five digit serial numbers) Thank you again Classic! You have made a loyal customer here, all purchases I have made have surpassed my expectations substantially.
Great Gun, Better than Expected!
Review by cswilkins on 2/26/2014
To start off with, I didn't order matching numbers or exterior cosmetics, so what I expected was a frankengun with a terrible stock and no bluing. What I got was a 100% numbers matching ghost rifle with a stock better than at least 3/4 of the reviews on here.

The rifle I got doesn't have the /26\ marking, but it has all of the advertised "sino-soviet" features such as the heavy barrel lug, milled trigger group/receiver, threaded barrel, "n" on the rear sights, etc.

As far as the stock goes, it's dented in many places, and the finish is a bit rough, but there's no bare wood showing through/splinters. The gas tube handguard does have a spot where there's about a 1 square cm spot of splintered wood, but that's an easy fix. I plan to refinish the stock anyway, and when that's done, I expect to have a stock that looks almost like new (minus the obvious dings that you could expect from a rifle this old)

The gun was shipped a week and a half after I ordered it, and was covered in what seemed like a block of cosmoline; so much that the bolt wouldn't budge regardless of how hard I pulled back on it. Cleaned it by throwing all of the metal parts in a pot of boiling water, then using WD-40 and paper towels to remove the last bits of cosmoline.
MAKE SURE TO COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLE THE BOLT AND CLEAN THE FIRING PIN CHANNEL! Even after boiling, the firing pin was still tight, and water was trapped in there by the cosmo. If I had left it, it would have rusted and caused a major safety issue.

The bolt channel for the stripper clips doesn't fit those crappy NCStar strippers, but that's not a problem with the gun, it's the crap strippers. Just thought it was worth mentioning.

The stock is completely saturated with cosmo; I am currently in the process of removing it with a heat gun.

All in all, extremely satisfied with both the price and the quality of the gun that I received.
Chinese sks
Review by Buzz on 2/26/2014
Ordered the sks in late January-early February, picked up from ffl one week later, checked both boxes but still was keeping expectations low. I was very happily surprised. I was fully expecting to refinish the stock, but the wood, while nicked and gouged, was not cracked and was nice enough to leave as is. The metal finish is barely worn at the muzzle, and the butt plate has finish wear, but there is NO rust that I can find, the bore looks very good, and the rest of the metal finish is very good. Won't take it to the range until spring, can't wait. Very pleased. Thanks Classic.
EXCELLENT!!
Review by xanthan_gum on 2/26/2014
Excellent rifle (not carbine). Great condition!
Great Buy!
Review by NM USA on 2/25/2014
Purchased two at $319.99 ea. before to Feb. sale. One was a Sino-Soviet with the Alpha Character followed by four digit S/N. The second was a Russian with the Cryptic Character followed by the numeric S/N. The russian took some work as the barrel was not cleaned by the chinese soldier who used it before application of the Cosmoline. Was really rusty, but nothing some hard scrubbing and soaking did not solve. The Sino-Soviet over-all was in really great shape, with some art scrapped into the stock. Buy them as soon as you can!
Outstanding!
Review by Kevin on 2/24/2014
Ordered this SKS with numbers matching and cosmetic hand select, received a 6 digit ghost, no arsenal with trench art on the stock, great bluing, perfect bore. I am 100% satisfied with my first purchase, might just try and grab one more.
Awesome Rifle
Review by Yael on 2/22/2014
Purchased a SKS from Classic and I will say that the service provided was top notch. I paid the extra $40 for matching numbers and cosmetic condition and I am so glad I did. I received a real beauty the stock was in good condition and the bluing was 98% and all the numbers match from the trigger assembly to the gas piston. the bore was shiny and looked like it was never fired. I give you all a A+ and have recommended you all to my buddies.
Awesome Rifle
Review by Yael on 2/22/2014
Purchased a SKS from Classic and I will say that the service provided was top notch. I paid the extra $40 for matching numbers and cosmetic condition and I am so glad I did. I received a real beauty the stock was in good condition and the bluing was 98% and all the numbers match from the trigger assembly to the gas piston. the bore was shiny and looked like it was never fired. I give you all a A+ and have recommended you all to my buddies.
Definitely a shooter
Review by Joseph on 2/22/2014
I had purchased this SKS with high hopes. When I actually went to my FFL to pick it up though, I was very disappointed. I spent hours cleaning up the cosmoline (believe me, these suckers are SOAKED!), and what I found underneath the gunk was really beat up. I don't know what the heck this thing had been through, but the stock was gouged, scratched, and had all kinds of writings on it. The bluing in many places was pretty much gone. There was some pitting on the outside of the receiver cover, magazine cover, and the gas tube. But though it was beat up on the outside, the rifling was perfect, and the internals looked great (except a chipped firing, but that was an easy fix). But I was still pretty disappointed. I tried selling it to my friends, but they weren't interested. So I decided to give it a chance at the range.

So I took it to the range to see what it could do, not at all expecting anything more than minute-of-barn accuracy. I saddled up on the bench, loaded the mag with some Tulammo, and fired three shots at 50 yards. I peered through my spotting scope to see that it placed them right where I aimed and all three shots were right next to each other in a horizontal line. I was thoroughly impressed. I thought that certainly this thing was on its last legs, but appearance isn't everything. In short, if you are looking for beauty, this is not the gun for you. But it is definitely a shooter and would make a great gun to drag through the woods or toss in the back of the truck. This is the ultimate utility rifle.
Product was 1 star, I got the one nobody wants
Review by Eric on 2/22/2014
I don't care one bit about too much cosmoline. This one had a broken stock, severe rust, to make a long story short the stock, barrel, and other parts would have to be replaced to bring it to a NRA antique good condition. There was at least a quarter cup of sand still on it so it was dug out of some hole. This is not a review of Classic as I've ordered a few times from them and they get 5 stars on the other orders and their customer service. I refused at my FFL and Classic RMA was very professional and fast. This specific rifle was one star and Classic has been 5 star to me so that is why I rate it at 3.
Chinese SKSs
Review by AMB on 2/20/2014
I recieved two Chinese SKS rifles a month apart. First one is a 5 digit Ghost that almost number matches except for the Tula dustcover. Very nice Russian Artic Birch wood and metal finish. Second one is a F prefix numbers matching Sino-Soviet with 26 stamp in great shape. The stock is soaked with lots Cosmo but the rifle has that battle field look to it that is very authentic. If you don't enjoy a good project or like the smell of 10 pounds of greasy Cosmoline included free per rifle, these aren't for you. Shipping is fast and the rifles are as described, no surprizes. I will buy more of these SKS rifles. Classic is great!
Questionable
Review by David on 2/19/2014
Waited anxiously for these to come back in stock. Paid the extra $20 for matching numbers. Got the matching numbers and a whole lot more. The stock has engravings on both sides and cannot be refinished. I'm torn between having something kitschy and getting a new composite stock. I'd hoped to have a solid wood stock for authenticity. The big disappointment was that the weapon was 100% white. Someone had buffed off all of the bluing that showed outside of the stock. Fortunately it was packed in heavy cosmolene, but long term it's likely to rust without treatment. When I tried to disassemble to clean, I could not get the gas tube off. It's now at a gunsmith to see what they can do. Hopefully no major repairs, but it will have to be re-blued. By far the worst of the weapons I've purchased from CF.
Good
Review by brandon on 2/19/2014
picked mine up at my ffl a few weeks ago and was pretty happy with my purchase.

mine is a mostly numbers matching (not gas tube, stock or top cover) Ghost gun with a PN38** serial number. this weapon has early chinese features along with russian. i am really at a loss as to where its actually from. the stock appears to be a russian hardwood stock with bottom sling mount with domed head screws. the gas tube lever has a tab on it. i wish now i had not have removed the cover toggle and installed a tech sight. should have left it alone! gun passes the "bullet" test very well. cannot speak to the chamber but i assume it is good as well. bore is very bright. most of the bluing is gone.

overall i am happy with it and hope i can get all of the cosmo out of the stock and get it looking good again!
decent rifle great customer service.
Review by paul on 2/11/2014
Rifle came as expected, cosmoline nightmare. The stock was ok a few big gouges and some initials carved in. No serial number. Only a tiny spot of rust under charging handle and blueing wear around the muzzle/bayonet area. I got it all broke down and cleaned and these are my impressions.

It seems to be a patchwork rebuild. No arsenal markings. The receiver, bolt, carrier, cover and trigger guard all have matching 5 digit serial number with the gas tube having it electro penned on and the stock carved on the inside. (the number would put it built in 1960 if I knew for sure where it was built) on the bottom of the barrel where it meets the receiver it has a completely different serial. One character followed by 4 numbers. So the barrel is of sino-soviet origin but the rest is anyones guess without any other markings.

I did not pay the extra money for any hand selecting for numbers or condition. Even if I had I don't think I would have gotten any different of a rifle.

Im satisfied overall with the purchase and the experience with classic and have no doubt once its refinished and assemble I will have a good shooting rifle.
Better than expected
Review by rb on 2/11/2014
I took a chance on this recent batch of Type 56 SKS rifles. I was hoping for a nice Sino-Soviet and that's what I received. The wood is better than some I've seen. Metal had about 60% bluing left. All matching numbers, including stock. These are great rifles to shoot and collect.
Chinese SKS Rifle
Review by Robert on 2/11/2014
What I thought I was purchasing was a Chinese SKS. However, based on the arsenal markings, what I got was a refurbished Russian SKS from the Tula Arsenal in 1950. I just unboxed this a couple of nights ago, and it is very heavily coated with cosmoline which I have not yet started to remove. I'm looking forward to seeing it after it is cleaned up, and I'm certainly looking forward to shooting it.

One downside to it is that the post on the front sight is missing ---- that makes it a tad bit harder to be accurate with when shooting, which is part of the reason for marking it 4 stars.
good gun, good price
Review by tb on 2/10/2014
Everyone needs an SKS. That's a fact Jack. Gun was covered in heavy cosmoline, but after a thorough cleaning, shot 100 rounds without an issue.
ANOTHER CLASSIC WHAT CAN I SAY
Review by dave on 2/10/2014
#2 SINO RIFILE RECIVED ALL NUMBERS MATCH. 95% BLUE/ WOOD IS GOOD TO BETTER CONDITION CLASSIC HAS MY ORDER WHEN IT COMES TO CLASSIC ARMS .THANKS CLASSIC SERVICE #1 WILL BUY AGAIN . THANKS
249.00 cracked stock review
Review by Mailman on 2/9/2014
First I ordered the rifle knowing it may have crack or two in the stock. When i unboxxed the rifle it was covered in cosmoline and looked good. after the removal of the cosmoline i found one 4 to 5 inch crack going between the indention above and too left of magazine going diagonal toward the trigger. which gives me a nice project like i wanted. also it was a 1953r russian tula , Thanks classic
Great condition and great value for the money!
Review by Matt on 2/9/2014
Being a Maryland resident, AKs and ARs are now outlawed in this wonderful state, with a few exceptions. Fortunately SKSs are still able to be freely owned with no hassle. So I ordered a hand select with nos. matching sks last week. This was my 5th SKS ordered from Classic and I had been happy with all of them so far. When the ffl recieved the rifle I couldn't wait to see what I had gotten. What I received was a beautiful matching 4 digit ghost with a very nice red varnished stock and 95% blueing. There are no deep gouges or scratches on the stock, just 2 circular indentations from the bolt handles of other rifles pressed into the wood and a few areas of missing varnish and minor gouges. No stock refinishing needed, just some polish and cleaning! The blueing is beautiful and overall this rifle was well cared for and used very little. The bore is sharp and bright too.
One problem I had was the bolt stop was frozen with a little rust and the bolt would not stay open. A few well placed taps with a screwdriver fixed that. Just a very few areas of rust pitting can be seen on the left edge of the dust cover. Overall the rifle is a beautifully well preserved time capsule from 1956 and I couldn't be more pleased. It will be a great addition to my collection. As soon as I can I
will be buying more of these from the fine folks at Classic.
The best deal in town
Review by Todd on 2/9/2014
I got what I think is a ghost rifle, no markings at all plus its a very low 44xxx matching # rifle. THE PRIDE OF MY COLLECTION. Thanks again Classic Firearms
Got me hooked!
Review by sman on 2/8/2014
Bought an Chinese SKS about a week ago shipping was fast and hassle free. (Even in the southern snowstorm!) Opened the box up to view my rifle for the first time and to my surprise it was a Russian Tula 1953! All parts have matching #'s from the dust cover all the way down to the gastube. It is SOAKED in cosmo but thats always expected with milsurps. The stock is in great condition only about 2 minor gouges in it that can be mended and taken care of with some time and effort. VERY lucky to have this SKS fall into my hands. No pitting on any metal parts or notable bad scratches. The bluing left is only about 50% but hell, Id take that compromise any day to receive an actual Tula in otherwise great condition. WIll be buying from these guys as soon as I can and adding to my collection.
Sweet
Review by spiderjm on 2/5/2014
SKS came packed in cosmoline. Only downside is I have to clean it. I can't wait till it is cleaned and checked out to take it to the range!!! Thank you Classic once again for another easy and great experience!!
Chinese type 56 s/n 46***
Review by Hugo on 2/3/2014
As a retired aircraft inspector, I am very pleased to get this early Type 56 SKS with a low serial number 46***. it is really worth the extra $40.00 to hand pick the better SKS and also get the matching serial numbers. Every part of this SKS has the matching serial number, the bore, rails, bolt and hammer all have some wear, still all the parts are still in very good condition. This Chinese SKS completes my collection, I also have a Russian SKS dated 1951. Thank you very much Classic Firearms. Some day my collection will be passed to my son, who is a Police Officer here in California. I will be looking forward to doing future purchases from you and enjoy reading all your customers reviews.
Most Excellent!
Review by Thomas on 2/1/2014
I seem to have received a Russian SKS 55/56 Tula, Yea, with a light star on the side of the receiver. I also a ghost gun, too. I'm still trying to figure that one out. I did the hand pick for both and that turned out well! I'm going to get the new Murray firing pin, spring, and carrier work done so I don't have any slamfires.
Good condition gun, look forward to getting it to the range.
Review by Chad on 1/31/2014
Got the tail end of the last batch, had a cracked stock but classic contacted me ahead of time to verify that I still wanted it and gave a good discount because of the defect. Everything else was in very good shape, just cleaned all of the cosmoline out really well and she was ready to go.
Best price and service available
Review by Chuck on 1/30/2014
Ordered sks on Monday and picked up from FFL on Friday. All matching numbers. Can't say enough about Classic. Very helpful and courteous. Kept me up to date on shipping. Will certainly purchase from them again!
classic comes thru again
Review by artie on 1/26/2014
Chinese sks..nasty beat up stock..full of character and history . metal finish nice ..bore bright and sharp...function flawless...all milled early sino-soviet production..just what I hoped for.thank you again...love it
A tale of two SKS's
Review by xylophone on 1/26/2014
Ordered two of these back in December. One was an all numbers matching Chicom in decent shape, bluing wasn't bad and it was complete, worked flawlessly for the few boxes I ran through it. The other one was missing the op rod and spring, easily fixed, but after removing the cosmoline I had trouble finding the /26\. After a few hours snooping on Google I found out it was really a 51-52 tula with a Chinese receiver cover. Very happy with that.
A bit of work, but definitely worth it!
Review by Nathan on 1/26/2014
When I received my rifle, it looked as if it had been stored at the bottom of a lake; the thing was quite gross. However, after an afternoon filled with a few gallons of Simple Green, hot sun, and elbow grease, I got her looking a bit more presentable. The stock is still pretty beat up, and there's a bit of rust pitting throughout the metal; these things don't appear to affect function, and do give the rifle quite a bit of character.

Even though hadn't requested it, I received an all matching numbers Sino-Soviet out of Jianshe (Factory 26), which is awesome. The bore is bright and shiny, and despite outward appearances, she shoots like a dream. Very little recoil, the sights were pretty much on target, and no malfunctions. The first time out to the range I was smiling like an idiot because the rifle was so much fun.

Overall I'm very pleased with my transaction with Classic Firearms. Thanks guys!
Great SKS
Review by Drydock on 1/24/2014
Ordered one of the $250 "cracked stock" specials. Recieved a Sino-Soviet with all matching numbers, including the stock! And I can't find a crack! I've had good luck with Classic, and it continues with this rifle!
Good condition very happy
Review by Michael on 1/24/2014
Got the sks from CF the rifle is cover with heavy Cosmoline, but the stock is in very good condition, after clean up all the Cosmoline, it is a great shooter.
Great rifle
Review by clintdude on 1/24/2014
I bought one of these last year. When I went to pick it up, I was going to reject it and send it back, it looked so bad, not just the cosmo but it just looked so beat up and ugly. I was going to send it back and spend a bit more and get one already refinished and looking good. then I thought why not make it a project? if your lucky you might get one that's in good shape and just needs some cleaning up and could have some cool markings on it. This is half the fun, finding out what all the marks mean. it's like a detective story. mine turned out to be one of those ghost rifles with no chinese markings on it, but a few soviet ones, so I got a russian receiver and barrel with an albanian stock. The stock was in horrible shape so I took the whole thing apart and spent a ton of time and work refinishing the stock and wood parts. stained it a nice rich red color and put it all back together and it looks like a dream. Like they said, now it is my favorite rifle and I have a chinese AK 47 and a Cetme 308 and a few mosin nagants. it shoots just great and is such a solid solid rifle. All the parts had matching numbers except the top cover which I heard was common with these but I was very satisfied. If I had the money, I"d enjoy buying 10 of these and refurbishing all of them just to enjoy the detective work of finding out where they came from.
Overall happy!
Review by Brent on 1/23/2014
I bought two of these back in December 2013. Both were caked/covered in cosmoline as described. Nothing that the dishwasher couldn't fix. The first was a Sino-Soviet with all matching numbers. It came out fantastic. The barrel had no pitting or frost and shined like a mirror.

The second was all matching with the exception of the stock. It too was a Sino-Russian. The stock had a few hairline cracks and was completely trench arted up. That being said I can ignore the cracks. However, the metal was a bit more corroded than I would have liked. With the stock the way it is, I don't plan on shooting it much though. It too had a a shiny barrel with no pitting or frost.

Overall I was very satisfied with how they came out and would highly recommend this rifle to anyone looking for a shooter SKS!
Suprised .....
Review by Fro on 1/23/2014
Ordered this Chinese SKS , but when I cleaned it up , it turned out to be a 1955 Russian SKS . Hot damn .... love it . All matching numbers , except for the receiver cover , that said 1950 and had a different serial no. I checked on the Internet , and found out that it was common to have mismatched covers , due to loss , cleaning ... ect. Good blueing , good shape . I stripped the stock , and rubbed in Boiled Linseed Oil which gave the gun a rich character look . Love this gun , .... I'll be ordering more guns from Classic Firearms . ..... Steve Fro
More than I Expected
Review by Jim on 1/22/2014
I agreed to receive an SKS with a small split stock. I little Gorilla glue and repair looked like no split at all. There was some rust but a little Kroil, and lots of rubbing with fine steel wool, and cold blue finish; all is new again. The firing pin was rusted into the bolt but lots of soaking in Kroil. penetrating oil, and patience then buffing, the pin in as good as new. I stripped all the wood, stained with Min Wax Provincial stain, and three coat of semi-gloss poly urethane varnish. My SKS is ready for the firing range. Thanks Classic Firearms for being a great supplier of quality firearms.
A Historical and an Excellent designed Semi-Auto Carbine !
Review by Paul on 1/20/2014
I accurately fired 50 rounds and the SKS performed 100 % with no jams, miss feeds or slam fires. The Gas system operation was flawless.

A sweet and fun to shot semi-auto Carbine.
great for the price
Review by bill on 1/19/2014
Barrel shines like new stock as they said thats ok put 922r stock and gas tube looks great
sks purchase
Review by Mike on 1/18/2014
Ordered sks and m44 early DEc. 2013 and didnt receive until end of month. After receiving the wait was worth it. Excellent quality and condition. The sks had alot more cosmoline but they cleaned up great with some ole faithful WD40. My first purchase with c&r license and the staff at Classic was really great to work with. I will be back again soon .
Shocked with joy
Review by Bwingle on 1/17/2014
I placed my order dec 6 13 for 3 hand selects and was stunned to receive 3 beautiful Tula arsenal Russians!!!! Two were all numbers matching ! Shocked again the third was all matching except for bolt carrier and charging handle! I live in ca and rifle registration started jan 1 2014 so I was anxious to get these guns in time! Even though Classic was behind due to holidays I emailed as jan was getting near and explained my dilemma, my 3 rifles went out that day!!! Wow classic that is the kind of customer service I'm talking about!!! Way to look out for a calgunner!!! I will be making many future orders Lord willing!! Keep up the good work classic
Better than expected
Review by Wesley on 1/13/2014
The one I got was a Factory 26 made in 1956. Stock is pretty dinged up but as expected. All matching with the exception for the gas piston. Rifle was CAKED in cosmoline and it took several hours to clean most of it.
What A Find!
Review by Lester on 1/11/2014
I was a bit concerned after I placed my order for a Chinese Type 56 SKS because I saw the ad very late. I would have been happy with anything close to what was advertised but when I finally got my SKS, I knew it wasn't Chinese but also not sure of the origin.

I posted it on an SKS Board for the experts to identify and to my great surprise and luck, I got a 1954 Izhevsk with all matching numbers (including the stock) except for the receiver cover! The stock is all beat up like it was dragged through the jungles of 'Nam so it will have to be preserved. I've read the history of the SKS and the Izzies are noted as the scarcest of the Soviet SKS's. And, Rick was great to deal with so I'll be watching out for when CF has them back in stock. Thanks Classic.
great rifle
Review by henry on 1/10/2014
this is my second purchase from Classic Firearm. the rifle is described as advertised. it covered in heavy cosmoline. after cleaned, it appears in very good condition. all matched number, no rusted. I also like the Classic Firearm service.
What a treat!
Review by Ryan on 1/10/2014
This was my first SKS. When I opened the box I found out I had received a Russian Tula SKS produced in 1951 with all matching numbers. My girlfriend and I made a day of cleaning it and now it's finally ready to shoot. The stock is dinged up but it adds character. The bore is a little dark after much cleaning but the rifling is crisp and I have no doubt it will shoot great. Thank you Classic and thank you cosmoline.
Great Deal
Review by Tony on 1/8/2014
Stock was in pretty bad shape but I was made aware of that and given a discount. Looks like it will glue up ok. Not a lot of bluing on the parts but they are all rust free and everything is functional (I haven't shot it yet). The bore was unbelievably clean (almost like new)
Exactly what I wanted!
Review by ac on 1/5/2014
I feel like I got exactly what I wanted. My SKS was used enough to have "character", but not so much that it didn't clean up very nicely, and operates flawlessly. I'm thrilled with the rifle and with the customer service I got from the nice folks at Classic.
Very nice sks
Review by Mrfisher on 1/5/2014
I just received my sks about two weeks ago and it was just as described covered in cosmoline Once I got it cleaned up I was surprised at how good it looked. I took it to the range yesterday and it shot like a dream 300 rounds and not a single problem. Thank you classic firearms you earned my business.
Great SKS
Review by Gungoboom on 1/4/2014
This SKS is beautiful! It arrived in record time. Sure the stock is beat up , but what war relic is not? The metal appears to be in great shape. It is my first C&R rifle that is covered in cosmoline. I started to remove it but realize I will need to devote more time to this task. This may need to wait for a few months before the rifle is ready for the range. That's OK though because I know it will be a great shooter. I give it 4 stars until I get that chance to shoot her.
Terrific Purchase Experience
Review by ac on 1/4/2014
I was able to pick up my SKS from Classic in person. The folks who work there are some of the nicest people you are ever going to deal with, and the description of the product was spot on honest. These are people you can trust.
1954 izhevsk
Review by Mosin hunter on 1/4/2014
I had seen that some people had gotten some sino-soviets and was hoping to get one and when I received the gun I was amazed to see that I got an all matching 1954 izhevsk russian sks, there were only a couple downsides the first was that there were two descent cracks on both sides of the stock next to the receiver but I do enjoy a project so no big deal to fix, second was the rear sight leaf spring was missing but that's easy enough to replace, so overall a GREAT! Buy defiantly thinking about getting another if they come back into stock, thanks for the great gun classic! God bless America.
product as advertised
Review by duke on 1/2/2014
received gun ,product as advertised, can't wait to shoot. Thanks Classic for another great gun.
Impressed
Review by Joseph on 1/1/2014
I bought two.
One cleaned up nicely and is a great shooter. The other was ugly and I ended up having to paint the stock. But It gave me consistent 3-1/2" groups at 100 yards with Brown Bear. I didn't realize till now these guns or this cartridge were capable of such accuracy. You live, you learn.
What a dream this gun is
Review by Vash on 1/1/2014
Wow I can not say how much I love this rifle! It came caked in cosmoline but it was real easy to remove leaving g the stock in the sun all day and pouring and soaking boiling soapy water on it and the cosmoline just melted away. After cleaned I Put 160 rounds of tula through it with no jams. It shot perfectly and was smooth like warm butter. Could not find any rust and the blueing was 90% the stock it worn but in great shape and I plan to sand 8th and re stain it this weekend. Thank you so much classicfirearms!!!
Gun not in working condition
Review by Anthony on 12/31/2013
The gun was received in basically the condition I thought it would. I paid extra for "hand select exterior". The stock is beat up, yes, but no major cracks or structural damage.
problem was that the gas piston, which was the ONLY non matching numbers piece, did not fit into the gas tube, as it was badly pitted and not at all smooth around the circumference of the rings at the end of the piston. Would not even remotely seat into the tube. So now I must buy another piston, so after hand select and buying a new piston this SKS will cost me closer to $350. Not the greatest deal.. but such is life. Classic Firearms are always friendly and the phone staff very professional. Too bad they didn't have another piston laying around to ship to me. Would still do business with them, as there was no way they could know the condition of the cosmoline caked piston/rifle.
Nice milsurp!
Review by reed on 12/28/2013
I received this sks, after 3 hrs of cleaning cosmoline off I was surprised that most like %95 of bluing was left. overall great condition. polished the bolt and refinished the stock. stock was a little beat up. looks great now. thank you classic firearms. I will definitely be doing business with again. p.s. I payed the $20 extra for cosmetics.
Chinese SKS
Review by Skser on 12/26/2013
I recently purchased a Chinese Sks from this website and I wasn't too happy about what I received. I understand that there are going to be scratches and what not from when the rifle was actually used during combat but when I noticed fresh marks on my stock I was a bit surprised. There were 2 nice sized marks on the stock and they were definitely recent. I like the rifle and everything about it except for this!! I probably won't buy from here again but who knows.
Would buy again
Review by JG on 12/26/2013
1956 All matching Sino-Soviet, stock is really really rough but functional. Bore is bright and shiny. Caked in cosmoline so no rust :)
Great deal!
Review by Kevin on 12/25/2013
All matching Sino Soviet to go with my two ghosts. Stock very rough, has some trench art, but sound and usable. Bluing and metal excellent. Bore sharp and shiny. Rifle cleaned up really well. Surprised such good rifles are still coming out of this lot. Very historic lot of rifles. Thanks to the gentleman who picked this one!
Tula
Review by Charles- on 12/25/2013
I ordered a Chinese Type 56, but I received a Russian SKS-45g in very nice shap from the Tula factory. I put a 200 hundred rounds downrange and it functioned flawlessly.
Outstanding Buy
Review by Robert on 12/22/2013
Ordering was a breeze-Classic is the way to go for on line purchases. Fast efficient service, timely e-mails etc. the pros take care of you pronto at this site. Gun arrived carefully packed
via UPS and met and even exceeded description. Can't thank you enough, keep up the good work. Can't wait to write another review on my next purchase ;)
Sweet Handpicked Excitement
Review by kicktubs on 12/21/2013
My friend and I purchased 2 of these handpicked beauties and received them yesterday. We both claimed our gun while it was still boxed which made it a surprise when we opened them. The first was a 5 digit matching early 1956. The bluing was immaculate and the bolt was spotless. Almost looks unused! The second was a Sino-Soviet with all matching #s. It was clearly used with some trench art but overall is a fantastic purchase. The chrome barrels are just as shiny as my AR-15! We will be ordering more soon and I highly suggest you do too!!!!
Amazing sks
Review by Alan on 12/21/2013
Classic firearms is amazing , shipped super fast and the customer service was fast and reliable . I first got it and it was in such good shape I didn't expect it to be that good of shape . I couldn't fine one rust spot . All the blueing is perfect still the stock had no dents or dings only acouple scratches . All matching serial numbers and it's even a SINO SOVIET!!!!! Couldn't be happier it was more then I expected . No matter what for now on if I need something classicfirearms.com is where I'm going !
Above and beyond the Call of Duty
Review by Joshua on 12/19/2013
This workhorse is tough as well as cheap an excellent weapon if you want to add numbers to your arsenal. Things I have noticed it's more accurate than your average AK 47 and for a few more bucks you can make it 30 round detachable able to keep up with a $800 AK. The soldiers who carried these weapons in battle must have been at ease knowing they possessed such a excellent weapon.
Extremely Pleased with Classic Firearms and my new SKS.
Review by Sammy on 12/18/2013
This was my first order from Classic Firearms. I must say I am impressed with my Norinco SKS. It came as advertised. Tons of cosmoline which will be fun to clean, but from what I can tell, all numbers matching. Stock is a little dinged, but I must say it appears in much better shape than I expected. I can't wait to get this bad boy cleaned, and in the Tapco Stock I ordered. Thank you Classic!
Very happy with this purchase!
Review by Birdman on 12/14/2013
After cosmoline removal, rifle was found to be in very good condition. (Select grade,matching numbers). After checkout by a gunsmith, rifle printed 2.25" groups at 90 yards with Silver Bear ammo and 2.75" with Wolf Military Classic! However, hammer/sear has negative engagement and requires rework for safety ($65). Overall , so far I am very happy with this purchase.
Not Bad For The Price
Review by Donzi on 12/14/2013
I recently bought an early Chinese T56 SKS carbine from Classic and just hoped for the best, based on my prior experience,a Chinese Type 53 Mosin Nagant carbine purchased from another online vendor. Imagine my surprise when I received a very early (Sino-Soviet?) piece with all matching S/Ns(I paid extra for that) and metal in very nice, altho used, condition but with ZERO corrosion, due, no doubt, tothe tons of grease/preservative applied. The wood, true to Chinese military tradition,is dented, gouged and generally sad, but I'm in the process of bringing it "back to life" and it's starting to look pretty good.. Overall, I'm well satisfied with this purchase, which was well packaged and shipped to me(C&R) in a pretty short time frame. Based on this experience I'd definitely order from Classic again.
overall Excellant
Review by john on 12/14/2013
Gun was received in heavy cosmoline as expected. cleaned same found trench art. Found last owners name carved into fore end Last user was PATJIM. Have cleaned up and will shoot this weekend overall I was very surprised to condition very happy and will buy again.
Very Pleased
Review by The Oregonian on 12/12/2013
I have purchased several Com-bloc surplus weapons over the years and have never found any that were soaked in as much cosmo as this SKS-which is a VERY good thing. It took a full day to remove the cosmoline ( I like to soak parts in diesel fuel to loosen up the cosmo a bit). This I did not mind doing, as it gave me a chance to become familiar with the inner workings of the rifle. I went on You Tube and found about a dozen vids on break down and cleaning a SKS. Tip: choose the shortest video. After cleaning I had a rifle with all matching parts except for the dust cover which was stamped with the Tula star and the year "1951". The bore on my rifle is absolutely perfect with mirror shine. I could prattle on and on about how pleased I am, but suffice to say both the gun and my first experience with Classic Arms both earned five stars. Get one of theses rifles, you will not be disappointed!
A Company that is service oriented.
Review by Rick on 12/8/2013
My order was shipped immediately . The hand was unbelievable great. Classic sent me a Russian Tula SKS much better condition than I was expecting . That was luck but their service wasn't . Try Classic out.
Better than advertised
Review by Larry on 12/8/2013
Ordered the Chinese SKS and got a 1950 Tula rifle, barrel and receiver in excellent condition. Yes it was smothered in cosmoline but it did it's job, no rust on any metal parts. Stock had some dings but not too bad. Looks like dark birch or something with a Tula "arrow within a star" marking on butt. Maybe it's all Russian due to date earlier than 1956, please advise! Cleaned up easy and shot great right off the bat, even used the 10 rd stripper clip to load the SKS. I and my son had a blast. I've had 3 purchases from Classic Firearms, 2 Mosins and this SKS. Have been pleasantly surprised each and every time.
bad stock
Review by hrcpapa on 12/7/2013
the gun itself is good but stock is so bad had to replace
Happy camper.
Review by Kevin on 12/6/2013
I ordered two guns about a month apart. Both rifles are "ghosts", no factory markings and all number serial numbers that are in the 4xxxx range. First gun was all matching, including stock. Second gun was purchased after the all matching select option was gone, but still all matching, including stock, except for a 1955 Tula receiver cover. Both guns have well worn bluing and stocks with character. Used hand select for finish, and kind of scary to think what I might have gotten otherwise, as the stocks are pretty rough. The first one had pretty extensive trench art and the second had a painted rack number. Bores are very good to excellent and all parts are in very good to excellent mechanical condition, with no rust or pitting. The quality of these guns is equal to my Russian SKS, though they are nowhere near as pretty, but on the other had, I have no doubt that these have seen some action. These will be good shooters and have significant historical value. Pretty much as described.
shiniest bore ever!
Review by ajklmnop on 12/5/2013
I haven't fired it yet, but alkl the cosmoline is of the metal. I'll work on getting the cosmoline out of the furniture over the winter. The bore is gorgeous. Classic Firearms is also fantastic.
Awesome service and rifle!
Review by PistolPete1234 on 12/4/2013
Awesome service from person on the phone when I ordered and the shipping was fast too. I paid the extra 20 for matching number, and another 20 for guaranteed matching numbers. It was definitely worth the extra money and came in great co diction for a battle hardened rifle of its age. Definitely look forward to doing business with these folks again!
Very Pleased Get One!
Review by Steak and Eggs on 12/4/2013
Got my rifle today and it was better than I had hoped for! 1957 from Factory 26. Bluing is at least 85-90% and may be 90%+ will know when it is fully cleaned. Was caked in cosmoline but thats why it is so nice. Did the hand select and numbers match and recommend both. All numbers did match inside and out. Wood is in really good shape. Even came with the cleaning rod. Was my first internet purchase and was very smooth, Classic kept me very informed. I am very pleased and glad I ordered it. Thanks Classic
Much More Than Expected
Review by Deadly in OKC on 12/2/2013
A 1965 SKS from the Jianshe factory (26). The stock looked like it had been dragged through the jungles of Southeast Asia. However, the barrel was chrome-lined and in excellent condition. Bluing was excellent - - a slight scratch on the gas tube was easily repaired with Eastwood's Metal Blackening Solution applied with a Q-tip and sealed with Eastwood's Diamond Clear Satin Finish for Bare Metal. It matched perfectly. Since the stock was trashed, I put the cleaned and pristine SKS rifle in a TAPCO Timber Smith brown laminated Monte Carlo Stock. Cutting a slot in the bottom forearm kept the bayonet in place and safe for operation. The rifle was topped-off with a TAPCO M-16-Type Cage Muzzle Brake. Pay the extra $ for cosmetics and extra $ for barrel condition; it is definitely worth it. I now have a beautiful "new" rifle. I'll try to send pictures and a range report after firing next week. Thanks again Classic Firearms!
A very happy customer
Review by Bill on 12/1/2013
This was one of the best purchases I have ever made. The SKS I received was in much better condition than I expected and was delivered on time with no hassle at all. My interaction with Classic Arms staff was pleasant and helpful. This is the way online purchasing should be but often is not. Now two of my friends will be doing business with C.A. in the very near future.
follow up from 11-24 review
Review by al on 11/30/2013
was able to put 40 rounds thru classic sks.not one ftf or fte.amazing what these old military weapons will do.pretty acuarate as did not have time to adjust sights.love the sound.gun was just as classic described.a good company to do business with.
excellent quality
Review by paul on 11/29/2013
ordered a sks from classic, paid extra for matching numbers and best condition very pleased as usual after cleaning off 8 tons of cosmoline found it to look like new except for the stock but that gives it some character. cant wait to try this gun out thank you very much for another great gun at a very good price.
Great company and firearm
Review by ALF on 11/29/2013
This was my first purchase from Classic Arms and I am very happy with the SKS and the prompt and courteous service. The rifle was in great shape and after cleaning took it out and was knocking dust off gnats at 100 yds. Will buy again!!
Classic WOWED me
Review by John on 11/27/2013
Thank you Classic! The SKS i received is in superb condition, 90%+ Bluing, wood is almost immaculate, I am completely satisfied. The description of the product certainly explains the worst case scenario, as the rifle I received would have been a good value at $499.99, and I only paid $319.99 with the hand select upgrade! I would recommend this rifle to anyone in the market for an SKS, and I would recommend Classic Firearms to anyone int he market for a quality Firearm! GOOD JOB! My wife is pretty angry however, because I'm going to buy another one!
chinese sks
Review by al on 11/24/2013
have been wanting an sks to go with 91/30. sale price was the kicker to order one.ordering was easy and shipped right to door with c&r.spent a week cleaning.all numbers are matching and liked the trench art.only reason for 4 stars is have been to busy to shoot.hope to take care of that this week end.always pleased with classic.
excellent service
Review by William on 11/24/2013
My first purchase thru this company, great service and sks was better than expected and will definitely order from this company again.
So So
Review by PB on 11/23/2013
I was definitely not expecting anywhere near a perfect rifle, but this one was a little worse than expected. Not hardly any bluing left and despite a TON of cosmoline there was still some significant pitting and some rust. The stock is cracked, has many dents, dings, carvings, missing chucks and, strangely, nails driven in to it in many places. This is the third firearm that I have purchased from Classic and to be honest the worst. On my previous 2 purchases I wound up being pleasantly surprised at how much better the firearms were than how I thought they would be, on this one it was the opposite. I haven't shot it yet, but the barrel looks fine. It is just going to take a lot of work to get this thing looking decent.
Excellent rifle. Received quickly and it shoots well.
Review by VCR on 11/23/2013
Summary says it all. Very satisfied.
Great Rifle but not necessarily what I ordered
Review by Texianlibertarian on 11/23/2013
I ended up with a really great old SKS that I'm not entirely convinced is purely Chinese, there's not a single Chinese charector anywhere on the rifle and its covered in Cyrillic characters. Over all a really neat old rifle but there are some problems in not pleased with.
For one it has a small crack in the wood along the receiver. Which was a disappointment. Also I payed extra for the all all matching option but the dust cover was mismatched. The rest of the rifle matched. Overall I'm very pleased but the crack and the mismatched dust cover were a let down. I believe these rifles are a tremendous value despite the occasional flaw. Five star rifles over all but for mine I'd give four stars.
SinoSoviet SKS
Review by archerbb on 11/22/2013
I had planned on putting up a video review, but whitetail season intervened and a written review will have to do. I am completely satisfied with my first experience with Classic Firearms. I asked for matching number and hand select options and less than a week after my order, I received my SKS. It was meticulously wrapped in bubble wrap and soaked in cosmoline. After a brief wipedown, I was able to verify all matching numbers including the stock - H xxxx /26\. Though I have yet to complete the cleaning process, there is no rust, no apparent missing parts except the cleaning kit in the stock. I would rate the bluing at over 85%. The stock was my major concern and to my surprise, it shows minimal storage scrapes and lacks any obvious trench artwork. I would encourage anyone having interest in these historic firearms to order theirs soon. I would have been pleased to receive an SKS in half so good a condition, I believe you'll be similarly impressed.
Awesome rifle, awesome price
Review by Dan on 11/21/2013
I couldn't be happier with this rifle. I love taking apart old firearms and doing light restoration, and this was perfect. The firearm came packed in HEAVY cosmoline, more than I had ever seen on a rifle before. Be advised, this gun took several hours to restore to working condition.

I selected the matching number and hand select options, and that was great. All parts are numbered, and the metal was in very good condition. The stock was in terrible condition, full of scars, cuts, nicks, and paint, but that's ok. I feel this adds authenticity to the firearm.

I'm not sure what exactly they check for when hand selecting, but my rifle contained no factory markings whatsoever and an unusual serial number. After doing some research, I found that this was a sino-soviet sks built in 1956, and one of the first million made in China!

Lucky me.
Russian SKS!
Review by VH on 11/19/2013
I couldn't be any happier. Awesome customer service and SUPER fast shipping. This was my first gun from Classics, I was skeptical (as I am with any online purchase).
When the gun came in, it was caked in cosmoline. This is a good sign, because cosmoline is what preserve the gun. After spending countless hours cleaning the rifle, I then realized I got a RUSSIAN SKS! I did chose hand pick and matching serial number. I got a amazing gun, the stock was great, couple scratches thats it. No rust, all matching serial number, everything is GREAT! Very happy I was lucky enough to get this Russian SKS.
wrong serial number
Review by David on 11/18/2013
As described although the serial number on the invoice does not match the rifle.
Great Deal-Nice Rifle
Review by edward on 11/17/2013
First SKS from Classic, about the 4th gun purchased here tho.

As always, customer services and quickness of shipping is 5 star stellar.

This gun was packaged correctly, came without sling or accessories other than cleaning rod.

After thourogh cleaning and oiling I was able to quickly dispatch some menacing bowling balls!!

Great gun, numbers matching (paid for matching and hand select) furniture was in good shape, clean bore, strong rifling, great shooter.

First Chinese SKS, won't be my last.

Won't be my last purchase from Classic either.

Thanks Classic!!
Great gun, great price!!
Review by dwight on 11/16/2013
I had been holding off on purchasing one of these SKS rifles for a while now. But now after receiving one, I'm wondering if I should purchase another!

The finish of the metal and the stock are worn, but the gun is solid and exactly what I was hoping for!
On top of that, I've received one of four digit sino-soviet models, which I am very happy about as well.
Can't beat the price or the great customer service!
Golden Rule all the way. Classic is great company to purchase from
Review by Moses on 11/15/2013
What more can really be said about the last batch of true Sino-Soviet sks that Classic is selling that hasn't been already been said? Well, let me tell you I have purchased and cleaned up a LOT of surplus sks rifles in my time and the current ones that Classic is selling are from a very very nice batch at an awesome price! Great job whoever did the purchasing! No rust or pitting on any of the internal metal parts that I have discovered very much to my pleasant surprise. These have been very well taken care of. Don't let the rough stocks on some of these of these SKS fool you. Many stocks I found were even stamped Russian number matching! The stocks on some may be rough but the real goods/metal parts are 100%. A little application of cold bluing Black Magic and these look like new Russians selling for $600 if you can find still find them. Did I mention the fact that these are true early production Russian and Chinese built SKS's - before factory /26\ was putting their stamp on the receivers! I even found some that were likely 100% Russian imports into China (had two alpha characters followed by 4 numeric ). Thanks again Classic. You rock. -Moses
AWESOME!!!!!!
Review by Daniel on 11/13/2013
Classic is AWESOME! This was my first order with them..I submitted my C&R on Monday and ordered my SKS at the same time, and the gun arrived around noon today...it's only Wednesday! The gun is exactly want I was hoping for! Thank goodness these are covered in cosmo because it has preserved these amazing pieces of history! I'm wiping my down and the fit and finish is simply fantastic! I paid for the hand select and got a matching numbers example (except for the stock) and it just looks great! Don't get me wrong, the stock has dings all over, but thats what makes it cool! The metal is great, and I just cant wait to get my shadow box built so I can display this with my other C & R rifles..Thanks Classic! I'll be ordering more as soon as I am able! Danny
Great where it counts!
Review by C. Mullins on 11/13/2013
It was exactly as i expected don't get me wrong the stock was beat up, but the meat and potatoes were in excellent condition internally. After i stripped and cleaned it up, it chunks rounds down range like it did in 1950.
Another Great Gun from Classic
Review by David on 11/12/2013
By the time UPS showed up today I was ready to start getting the cosmoline removed, By the time i finished 3 hours later, i found I have a Tula SKS with all matching numbers. I'm looking forward to hitting the range tomorrow and give it a workout. This i my sixth SKS and they are like potato chips, you just can't have one
Exactly as Described
Review by Terry on 11/11/2013
Ordered my SKS last weekend after seeing the price drop. My local dealer received it in 3 days and I picked it up the next day. As expected, it was covered in a generous layer of cosmoline, so I broke it down and began the cleaning process. I received as early Sino-Soviet model, threaded barrel, s/n F6332, all numbers matching except for the trigger group. The stock is pretty beat up, but the blueing is excellent, there is no corrosion anywhere, and the chrome barrel looks perfect. I cleaned the stock with degreaser, stripped it with Stripeze, and scrubbed it with hot soapy water and steel wool. After drying overnight, I rubbed it down with lacquer thinner and then applied a few coats of Watco Danish Oil. It looks great, and my wife says it has "character". The best thing about this purchase is that there were no surprises, it was exactly as described by Brutus. I can't wait to shoot it. Thanks to Classic Arms. I will be a repeat customer.
Stoked!!
Review by Michael on 11/10/2013
What a great buy! Usually I would complain that I bought the SKS and two days later it went on sale but won't because I'm so happy with my purchase. I added the hand select (which I NEVER do) and can say its worth the $20. The rifle is in great shape and even came with a cleaning rod. The wood is surprisingly good shape and the only (not really) complaint is the bluing is worn, which I think adds to this rifle. Definitely buy and as always, Classic was fantastic to purchase from. One of my favorite online retailers, providing a hassle free transaction. Thanks again for a great new toy!
Great SKS
Review by Richard on 11/8/2013
Purchased the SKS with the all matching #'s option. Received a Sino-Soviet 4 digit SN gun in great shape. All numbers were in fact matching with no serious wear on any of the metal. Stock was a little beat up, many spots show from what may have been being thrown around in the vats of cosmoline, of which it was truly packed in. Bore was great. Really happy with the purchase and the great service from Classic.
Wish I could rate it 10 stars
Review by Louis on 11/4/2013
I already did my review in early September but I just had to come back again and say how satisfied I am with this weapon. I am so glad I bought it!

Finally got out to the range with it a few times and this gun is pin-point accurate at 100 yards! I was getting as good of groupings as the guys next to me at the range---and they were using scoped bolt action rifles! Now I need to find a longer range so I can see how accurate she is at 200 yards....or more!

Looking forward to doing a lot more business with Classic!
very accurate description, and a great rifle
Review by Joel on 10/31/2013
I bought this rifle because it seemed like a good value. I took my chances without requesting a hand select or matching serial. I got a sino communist, all matching low serial in great condition. although it has seen some use the bluing is still 80% and the stock had minor dings and dents.
very pleased, classic firearms is honest and I will be buying from them in the future.
condition "as shipped"
Review by rotten on 10/29/2013
Gun arrived promptly to FFL in Kali. Quick check for any cracks in stock, stock ok..No C&R so gun gets 10 day "jail" sentence. Pickup gun today, all numbers match except stock, blueing looks good, cleaning rod and serial H 33## with /26\ stamp indicates early chinese "sino-soviet". Some graffiti on stock. I did do the hand pick for exterior condition. Very happy, thanks Classic!!!
Great purchase :-)
Review by Paris on 10/26/2013
Fast shipping great purchase :-) My weapon had been used very little :-) Looks like it had been carried more than shot :-) The action shows very little wear. All numbers matched and there was some wear on the bluing on one side from shouldering it on guard duty or parade use :-) The butt plate had a little rust so I cleaned it with some vinegar and applied some cold blue to stop the rust . The upper receiver had a place where it looked like some tape had been applied for some reason so I cleaned it as well and cold blued it. The cold blue will wear off soon enough so it won't look out of place in the future :-) There was one thing I was concerned about ! The safety catch spring was missing. I have the part but have decided not to replace it because the company that I ordered the part from said that some rifles were shipped without it :-) When I shoot it I will be aware of this and only shoot until the mag. is empty and the bolt stays open. I also ordered 1000 rounds of Wolf ammo. It looks great but have not used any too date. The stock was well worn with some of the original finish still on it. After I cleaned the cosmo off I applied some tung oil and just rubbed it down. There were a few deep gouges where I used fine sand paper to remove the splinters. Not very much :-) I would post a photo if I could. I like to leave my old military weapons as original as possible :-)

Paris Miller
Fantastic sino soviet sks
Review by Erock75 on 10/25/2013
Ordered all numbers matching and hand select and that is exactly what i received! Every number matches including the bolt itself. The bluing is about 70%. Slight surface rust on a few areas but nothing major. It has trench art on both sides of the stock which is awesome! This rifle has definitely seen some action in its life. And as an added bonus it is a sino soviet also! The bore looks very bright with good rifling. Thank you classic firearms!
I want another one
Review by cambo on 10/23/2013
Just got my second one. Its in much better shape than my first. The first one had good metal but the stock was trashed. The one I just got has a reasonably good stock. I'm happy with both. I will buy another when I get paid. First one is a sino Soviet, the second is not.
Superb gun. Definitely will recommend this to friends.
Review by Aaron on 10/18/2013
Cleaning the cosmoline was a bit of a pain, but when I took the gun to the range, it proved itself a solid shooter. I will hang on to this gun for the rest of my life.

If you are into milsurps, this one is an absolute must-have.
A great value from a great company
Review by chris on 10/17/2013
Have purchased 6 of these rifles (so far).
Most early 1956 built, very little deterioration and a unique personality in each one.
The folks at Classic Firearms are among the best I've ever bought from. I had one faulty part issue - Handled promptly with the highest level of courtesy and responsiveness.
Will very likely buy another or two if they're available for a while.
Love it. Hope to buy more
Review by Bern on 10/16/2013
I figured the hand select would still be pretty beat up, so I paid extra for all matching numbers. Spent two fun days cleaning cosmoline and ended up with a well used, all matching example with an excellent bore. I appreciate the history of beat up stocks, so I couldn't be happier. The stock is not that bad. My Chinese Mosin is WAY worse. Love it.
The shipping was REALLY fast. Thanks Classic.
Way better than what I was expecting
Review by Vic on 10/11/2013
Mine was hand selected. It turned out to be much better than what I was expecting. It had a little surface rust under the barrel and some under the Receiver. Bluing is about 80%. The bore is basically flawless. Nice and bright with crisp grooves. #'s matching. I haven't had a bad purchase from Classic. These guys are awesome!
Chinese SKS
Review by Mark on 10/2/2013
Received product real fast. Overall very pleased with rifle, expected rough and little blue to be left. All matching numbers except for bolt cover.
Cleaned it up and took to the range and this SKS was almost spot on, very nice shooter. Although I already had a Yugo version I wanted a Norinco. Since I mainly collect Military arms of significance this was a must have. Thank you Classic Firearms!
Great product & service
Review by Victor on 10/1/2013
Well, this is my first buy from Classic Firearms, and can't be more pleased with their customer service and product.
Ther rifle arrived with cosmoline everywhere, but well preserved. The bluing is worn out with a kind of patina finish which makes it
very interesting. Took 2 day to clean, but I'm a happy camper. The stock is pretty good shape to be a Chinese SKS. All numbers matching including stock.
When I fired this thing it went off like a kitty cat. yehaaaa!
The customer service was outstanding. Follow up of your order is outstanding too. Will like to get another one of this and it won't be my last buy from Classic Firearms.
good buy
Review by cameron on 9/28/2013
Good for the money. Very heavy cosmo, but not a big deal because it has done a good job protecting it (and I think it smells good). I got best hand select and matching serial numbers. My steel, bore, and barrel are in great shape, except for some staining on the bolt carrier. Some bluing wear but not a lot, and small pockets of rust but some oil and fine steel wool made it disappear. The reason for 4 stars and not five is that my stock is very beat up, I expected better due to the hand select but I find it to be of acceptable quality ( lesser beauty than pictured above ) . After three hours of cleaning ( using a Ultrasonic Cleaner and Industrial Parts cleaner with a solvent flow brush), I took it out and blew about 300 rds. I must say it shoots very well. I only had a chance to shoot at 50 yards but was able to hit a 9" x 9" steel plate as fast as I could pull the trigger. Keep in mine its an old rifle and has been carried a lot but perhaps not fired a lot. My stock shows it. I have no plans of refinishing. Over all I am very happy with my rifle. Everyone needs an ugly rifle in the safe. I will purchase more in the future. Thanks Classic Arms!
Sino-Soviets and even a Tula!
Review by Matthew on 9/22/2013
I ordered 3 SKS's all of them with the handpicked option but not the numbers matching. I ended up getting 2 Sino-Soviets with matching numbers (except for the stocks) and 1 1951 Tula Russian model. I was super excited to see that little gem mixed in with the Chinese rifles. The blue on all 3 was 80-90% gone and the stocks are in fair condition with minor dents and dings. Bores are bright and shiny. Covered in cosmoline but an old toothbrush and MINERAL SPIRITS made quick work (relatively). Spent maybe 3-4 hours per rifle getting them totally cleaned, cold blued, lubed and ready to fire. Very happy with my purchase!
Excellent Rifles
Review by Chris on 9/21/2013
I called Classic Arms and spoke to there friendly staff and ordered two rifles. They arrived quickly and were in excellent condition. They are soaked in cosmo times 100 but that just preserved there great condition. Be ready to spend several hours cleaning but it is well worth it. I am so pleased I am going to order 2 more. Nice to get a SKS that bubba has not messed with. I have purchased over 50 rifles and pistols from Classic Arms and they all have been in great/excellent condition. Great place to do business.
Very :-)
Review by Paris on 9/20/2013
This weapon is just what they said it is :-) 56-26. My rifle was well used in the carrying department but not fired much at all :-) The stock was dented and the finish was well worn but the action was perfect :-) All stamps and numbers were correct. After I cleaned the cosmo. off with K1. I touched it up a little on the butt and the mag. with some cold blue and applied some tung oil to the stock :-) The safety spring catch was missing but I decided to leave it this way because I didn't know if that was some import reg. in the past ? Idid order the part and have it. Wen I shoot this weapon I will only load and shoot till empty (open bolt) for safety reasons :-) Very happy with my purchse in every way
YOUR NAME AND SERVICE
Review by DAVID on 9/20/2013
YOUR NAME AND SERVICE SAYS IT ALL! ALL NUMBERS MATCH SINO RIFLE IN DESCRIBED CONDITION. CAN NOT WAIT TO GET MORE COINS TOGETHER FOR A CLASSIC FIREARM. THANKS DAVID
Excellent Condition
Review by Steven on 9/15/2013
My SKS is in excellent condition considering the age. I ordered a hand select and it paid off. The stock has a few dings and some of the metal is worn, but nothing I didn't expect. My rifle was completely covered in cosmoline, the bore and gas tube were packed. Not complaining, the cosmoline did the job it was supposed to. This is my second purchase from Classic and I am still a satisfied customer!
Outstanding
Review by Joshua on 9/14/2013
Received rifle and it was covered in cosmoline and to me that was a great thing. Received all matching sinosoviet sks with a mirror barrel which was is awesome. The stock is pretty banged up but of course I love it for its character and it cleaned up very well surprisingly. Once again I could not be happier with the purchase, you will not regret one of these fine rifles or working with this great company.
Diamond in the rough
Review by JohnB on 9/9/2013
A very solid gun. The wooden stock was a bit dinged up, but it adds to the character of the rifle.

Once I got all the cosmoline off and out of this SKS I noticed all the serial numbered parts match, a huge plus in my book.

The bore is bright and the rifling is superb! Looks almost new when I check out the barrel.

I also found a cleaning patch hidden under the butt plate on the stock. It was cool to find something that was used by someone that carried it.

I am so pleased with this SKS that I may have to buy another one...or two.
Should've gotten a hand selected stock
Review by GW on 9/8/2013
Buying the rifle was easy. Th shipping was super fast. The stock was cracked (even though the ad says no cracked stocks seen), but still functional. Still very pleased with my SKS!
Great Value
Review by MattG on 9/7/2013
I am very happy with this purchase. The large amount of cosmoline is a good thing, as it preserved the gun very well. Like many others, I also got an early Sino-Soviet model. The bluing was around 80-90%, but its worn on the spots you would expect and adds quite a bit of character. I also got some cool stock carvings (in Albanian I think) on mine, which I was hoping for. The stock was nicked up, but the original shellac was still holding up and there were no cracks. This is a real bargain and I'd advise anyone interested to get one before they run out. Shipping was also very fast (2 days).
Great rifle! Even better service!
Review by CHRISTOPHER on 9/5/2013
Placed my order expecting a rifle that looked like it was "drug behind a car" as one person said. But what I received was a awesome aost all numbers matching early sino soviet. Stock wasn't perfect has dings, but metal finish is 95% looks great and shoots great!
The people over at classic are nice, helpful and fast. What more could a man ask for? I just wish I could order a few more.
Good deal for a 60+ year surplus rifle
Review by Southern Boy on 9/4/2013
I received my SKS in good to very good working condition. The stock is marked and scratched up and much of the bluing is gone. However, I see it as every dent or scratch brings more history and character to the gun. I have cleaned it and shot it many times. It is a reliable gun and the lowest priced SKS on the market today! I'm thinking about buying one more.
great purchase well worth it
Review by mike on 9/2/2013
I kind of knew what to expect, when I ordered one of these. Because, of all of the reviews. So I took a chance and ordered one when it arrived. I was pleasantly surprised, it was a all matching sino- soviet sks. The stock was a bit rough, but I expected that. Blueing was a little worn but mechanically it was very good, with a very bright and shiny bore. This thing was caked in cosmolene. I soaked all the metal parts in mineral spirts for a couple hours, then, washed them off, and lightly oiled, and let the stock sit outside in the hot sun, to draw the oils out of the stock. Now, with the gun thourghly clean, off to the range I went. The gun functioned perfectly,and was very accurate. All in all, I was very happy, and i hope to buy another one soon. If they don't sell out. Thank you very much classic firearms.
Worth every penny
Review by Mark S. on 8/30/2013
This was my first purchase from Classic, and didn't know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. It did come caked in cosmoline, but didn't take too long to get it cleaned up. I did pay extra for matching numbers and extra for exterior condition. I did get all matching numbers, and it is in excellent condition except for the blueing and the stock. I think its probably at around 60% with a few rust spots. Definitely to be expected with a rifle of this age. I haven't shot it yet, so I cant say how well it shoots, but it is certainly a nice little gun! May buy another next payday if there are any left.
A Great Deal !!!
Review by Lone Wolf on 8/30/2013
I received my Chinese SKS yesterday, and i couldn't be happier. It was in far better shape than I expected and will take very little work (mainly cleaning) to get it where I want it.

This is a great deal---thanks, Classic Arms !!!
exactly as described
Review by Kenneth on 8/29/2013
The gun was as described, full of cosmoline everywhere. Stock very scarred. I purchased a Tapco stock and removed the bayonet, sent the bolt & carrier to Murray guns to get firing pin replaced with SS one with return spring. Anxious to shoot it.
Love it
Review by Alan on 8/28/2013
Love the rifle. The description is very accurate. It was covered in cosmoline, as expected. The chrome lined bore is nice and shiny. Shoots great, I was very happy with the accuracy.

As far as the order, CF couldn't have been any more professional and awesome from top to bottom. Would definitely buy here again.
nice gun
Review by David on 8/27/2013
Nice gun, very solid carvings on stock, nice shape.....bought Tapco stock and 30 rnd mags. now it's a really nice gun!
Excellent
Review by Tadpole on 8/26/2013
Couldn't be happier with the purchase of my first sks. Once I removed the cosmoline great looking rifle. Great customer service . Very fast shipping. Will definitely buy from Classic again. All matching numbers. Love the Christian based company and the Bible Verse. Have referred numerous friends to your website. Keep up the great work and products.
WOW -- What a gem
Review by Walter on 8/24/2013
Two should have been enough, but it wasn't ... these really ARE like potato chips. Only of course they don't make type 56 milled receiver SKS anymore. This one came as ordered with matching #s and about 80% finish, with a well-used stock like most others in this lot. Finish is dark shellac AND it has trench art. Letters 'LA,' numeral '3' (dots done with what looks like the point of a round) and a Christian cross scratched on the stock.

VERY NICE gun. Cleaned up okay, no sign that it won't shoot just fine but I think I'll keep it as received.

Even when our Gun-Salesman-In-Chief leaves office I don't see prices for historical interest guns going back to where they were 5-10 years ago. More likely they'll keep going up.

Get an extra now and if you need another rifle to do about anything this side of 300 yards, you'll have it. If you don't really need it you'll probably be able to pay for both by selling one in a few years.

Even at 65+ years the SKS isn't really obsolete. A recent Time photo essay shows Syrian snipers using new-looking scoped SKS's -- though Time called them Dragunovs. Scope looks like a hunting scope on a PU-type mount.

War correspondents used to know stuff like SKS v. Dragunov.

I have a scope on my first Classic SKS now; at 100 yards the first group was 5" wide by 7" high but half or more is an unclear target, poor trigger (very long travel, gritty), my poor control of recoil, and perhaps some from milsurp ammo. I'm thinking 3" or so when my homework's done.
A SECOND fine SKS
Review by Walter on 8/22/2013
Couldn't control myself: Ordered another, again hand select matching numbers, best of 10 metal. This time the receiver cover was non-matching S/N; Classic instantly refunded the matching fee for this and the previous rifle. Their customer service is unbeatable.

This is a nice example. Stock has Tula logo and 1954 manufacture; there's an X'ed out S/N with a new serial stamped below that matches everything but the receiver cover. Looks like a 1954 Tula rifle came back to the arsenal, its metal went ??? but the stock was remated with a set of metal parts for assembly in China.

This one has been fired some -- maybe a few hundred rounds? No metal wear to speak of, 75% finish or so -- it was more often carried for drill purposes.

Both this and my first Classic SKS shoot as well as my eyes can see, 50 years on from when I shot expert -- I plan a scope to deal with that. I had one failure to feed on the last cartridge in the magazine -- it wound up bullet end up between the bolt and chamber. Need to check follower alignment.

This is an impressive design. More intricate than our M1 and because of the chrome bore and shorter barrel, not likely to be quite as accurate. But I can believe that some SKS' shoot 1 or 1-1/2" groups at 100 yards with good ammo. Unlike the AK and some later versions, the better of these SKS' probably could hold their own (within 7.62x39 ranges) with an average M1.

As an infantry weapon for 1940-50 I think the SKS beats the M1. It's shorter and lighter, you can carry twice the ammo, it has a larger magazine, and the action is better protected against dirt and weather. The effective range is less but from WW II on, infantry combat rarely occurred beyond 300 yards. The M1 is slightly faster to reload, simpler to field strip, has a safer safety, and is perhaps cheaper to make but these points seem less important. And advantage Ruskies for developing infantry cartridges with steel (non strategic material) cases.

Two bits of advice:

1. As others have said, CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN. Every inside space is full of the stuff and at best you'll get malfunctions if you don't get every bit of it out.

2. If you want to add a scope, spend a few hours studying your options. There are good answers but there is no one great choice that will suit everyone. Some things that look okay don't work well at all.

If I could have only one rifle to do all the things I might need or want to do in the next ten years, one of these SKS' would be it.
Great bargain on a really collectible firearm
Review by JoelM on 8/21/2013
I have quite a collection of SKSs and I had purchased several from the recent batch imported by another company. Quality on those guns was mixed but you got what you paid for. When I saw that Classic was offering all matching examples of similar early Type-56s I decided it was worth the $20 premium to order one and roll the dice; I wasn't disappointed.

What I got was an all matching Sino-Soviet in as-used condition, not perfect, but the wear and tear is from honest use... not abuse. I can't think of anything to complain about with my purchase and I highly recommend picking one up if you need to fill a gap in your collection, or just want a nice all matching early SKS to shoot.
better than expected
Review by james on 8/21/2013
this is the third rifle i have purchased from classic and have been very satisfied with all. i also got the K91/30 and M24/47 and will not think twice about making future purchases. the SKS i got was as good as the russian SKS i got 25 years ago
My First SKS
Review by Michael on 8/20/2013
I was a bit nervous as I've heard some mixed things coming from this lot of rifles, but several people have gotten nice ones. I payed for matching numbers and got what I asked for. The stock is the roughest part of the rifle, which I think is to be expected. The finish on the exposed parts is worn, but overall I'm very happy with the shape of the gun -- everything seems to function perfectly and the bore was shiny clean. I'm really looking forward to getting this out to the range!
Good Rifle
Review by cnsjea on 8/18/2013
The construction of this SKS is excellent. Well used rifle with approximately 70% bluing left on the metal areas. Stock was marked with the initials Sh and rough but the serial number 66524 found. No Chinese marking found yet, (can't figure out what year produced due to only serial numbers found on rifle). All serial numbers matched (ordered this way). Good bore noted.
Over all good value found in this rifle. Classic Arms displayed prompted delivery. Will do business with again.
Nice rifle!
Review by Bob on 8/16/2013
My rifles was all number matching with a lot of good honest wear. Mine has just a straight number S/N with no signs of Russian made parts. How China manufactured these rifles is some what of a mystery. Some of the receivers of these rifles have Cyrillic markings and Russian arsenal markings, some don't. I will say the machine work in mine is some of the nicest I have seen on a SKS. There is little to no machine marks any where. Now on to the condition of the rifle. Some of the blue is missing around the edges and there is very minor pitting at the stock line. The bore is bright and looks to be in very good shape. The crown of my rifle is flawless. My stock has lots of dents and dings, but no major damage. My rifle was carried quite a bit in it's life time. It arrived packed well and covered in some very nasty cosmoline. Plan on spending some time to remove it as with any surplus rifle you buy. If you are wanting a early example of a Chinese SKS, you had better buy Quick! Who knows when or if they will ever find another stash of these that can be imported!
happy overall
Review by chuk on 8/16/2013
My review echoes most I have read. Got mine when the only upgrade option was "Hand Select", which I opted for. Specimen #1 is all-matching factory 26, not much metal finish left. Shoots fine with wolf military classic hp. Specimen #2 appears to have been dunked in a bluing tank at some point in time, and is matching minus the bolt and stock. The stock on #2 is cracked in two bad ways, the worst crack has made the stock pretty much unusable. Hunting for a jungle stock now, which as you may know have become rare/expensive...after restocking and checking headspace hope it shoots well also.
Perfect
Review by Jeff on 8/16/2013
I had just purchased 2 sks from here at first they were packed with cosmoline, which is a good thing. But after cleaning the barrel and refinishing the stock they were both in excellent condition. The bore was mirroring and had in my opinion excellent rifling. I'm satisfy and happy, happy, happy =]
Nice rifle, buuuuuut...
Review by Richard on 8/15/2013
Pros - Easy ordering, fast shipping, great customer service. Rifle is in ok shape, the stock is in really rough shape. I think this rifle saw hand-to-hand combat...a lot.
Cons - I've purchased many C&R eligible firearms and have learned to deal with cosmoline removal. However, having said that, I was not prepared for the amount of cosmoline on, in, around and through this SKS rifle. There was so much cosmoline in the moving parts of this rifle that most of the moving parts would not move. I couldn't even get the bolt to move. The trigger assembly was totally caked and had to be disassembled to get it to work. 3 days of soaking in mineral spirits followed by a soak in hot water and simple greem hardly touched it. Had to remove most cosmoline by hand scrubbing. Love the finished product, but be prepared for a lot of work. Also, due to rough shape of the stock, this rifle is already destined for a Tapco Intrafuse stock kit.
Used and abused but awesome.
Review by Constitution? on 8/15/2013
Okay, a buddy of mine got one of these this week and since I did him the favor of cleaning it up for him, I am going to write a review of the overall looks and condition of the rifle. First, I want to say, SKSs are beautiful pieces of machinery and there aren't many surplus rifles out there that is as reliable, accurate, and as beautiful as an SKS as well as comparable and still up to date with today's firearms and technology. With that being said, I am going to start with the cons, then move on to the pros about this particular SKS that we received. First off, I personally think if all the rifles are in the same condition ours came in, I think the price should be a bit lower. I have a later model SKS with a light brown stock and spike bayonet that is in pristine condition. I bought it last year for $300. The first thing I noticed when we un-boxed it was that the actual bluing on the receiver cover color matched the silver that was on the charging handle/bolt carrier... it was that worn down. The charging handle/bolt carrier itself had surface scratches back and forth as if someone took a piece of sandpaper to it. As well as the bottom of the magazine and parts of the barrel were almost completely silver. The receiver cover did not match the rest of the serial numbers but other than that, the gun matched. The stock was chipped and beat up from the rifles being stacked on one another. There is a circular dimple and gash from another rifles charging handle on the left side of the rifle stock. Classic has no way of preventing that because that's how they are stacked and boxed. The overall condition of the stock in my opinion would be bad. There are dents and chips covering it but these rifles are old and it's understandable.

For the pros, the one we received was actually from the late 50s early 60s and it was a triangle 26 Jianshe arsenal meaning it is generally a hunkier SKS than post 1965 models. Longer barrel lug, heavier firing pin, etc. They started making the rifles a bit lighter (cutting down on cost) around 1965. The rifle we received was made exactly like the Russian SKS besides the stock. The rifling on the rifle we received was superb. There is mirror shine down the bore after I cleaned the 12 pounds of cosmoline out of it. My buddy says he likes the used look of the rifle so he is happy. If he changes his mind later, he said we could go ahead and refinish it to make the wood a bit better looking. But after all, it's an SKS. They are built better than tanks and they are, and will withstand the test of time. I gave this rifle 3 stars due to overall condition/looks of the rifle. Everything works fine. I get very tight groups with every SKS I have shot at 100 yards. So I have no doubts in this thing just because it's ugly. Thanks for reading and I appreciate what Classic Firearms is doing because not many people honor their prices through horrible political climate and keep things stocked. I sometimes don't understand business's greed because it is a horrible business tactic. Thanks for reading and hopefully we can get some pictures up soon. Cheers.
Once the cosmo was cleaned off and the bolt dismantled completely, and cleaned good the firing pin fell on it's own weight and rattled with little effort. That's very important with this kind of rifle. The bolt must be very clean and firing pin free mov
Review by Alfred A. on 8/11/2013
Very happy with the purchase and waiting for the next one to arrive Monday, then the 10 day wait. Will go to WEGC Sunday and give 'er a try out.
Beautiful Action... ROUGH stock.
Review by Nick on 8/9/2013
The rifle I got was sino-soviet type 56 and serial matching as most people got. My action and the mechanical portion of the rifle itself was in excellent condition. The stock however was a completely different story. I know the Chinese stocks tend to be beat up a fair bit, but this one was worked over pretty hard. It had a fairly deep gouge on the left side of the rifle that matched up perfectly with the changing handle of the rifle that was likely next to it in the crate. The left side also had what looked like a burn in the stock that someone originally tried to repair with a brillo pad. Most of the original shellac and finish was gone. After trying to clean it up, I decided to do a restoration instead. So stripped what little finish was remaining and started the process. I decided to lightly sand the rougher areas with broken fibers and a tung oil finish to try to keep true to the roots of the rifle. The finished product is actually beautiful. I wanted to leave the patina earned from the years on the rifle, but needed a better finish. All in all it was a great success, the color is less red than the original, but it looks amazing. I will try to post pics if I can figure out how. All in all for my first restoration I am very happy with how it turned out.
Good SKS rifle
Review by Dave on 8/9/2013
The SKS rifle was in good condition. The stock is has been used in the trench, but not cracked. Early sino-soviet, type 56, factory /26\ stamp, no chinese markings, 4 digit Cyrillic serial number matching numbers on the stock, receiver cover, bolt carrier, bolt assembly, trigger and magazine. Gas piston had cyrillic, ю, 4 digit serial number. Cosmoline cleaned up real well and the bore was clean and bright. I was glad the cleaning rod was installed. Thank you Classic Firearms! sigillvm militvm xpisti -D
Great older heavy duty version, with all matchin #'s, great metal, Don't miss out!!!
Review by Mustang on 8/9/2013
The rifle I received (paid $20 for best in 10 pick), has great metal, no rust, very few blue-less areas, fixed with basic cold bluing Cobalt/acid and some Q-tips.
the numbers all match-even the stock, This is the older, exact copy of the original Russian, has the heavy screwed in barrel and lugs, like a tank,. The most fun is cleaning all the cosmoline off and finding the early 1960's(looked up the serial #) jewel underneath. I just barely sanded some rough spots and re-varnished the stock (too cool to change)!! Oh, and it shoots sweet! All my friends want it. Also the best price on the web, even counting the auction sites. Get One Yourself, You can't go wrong! don't miss out!
As always classic is classy.
Nice condition
Review by Vern on 8/8/2013
I paid for hand select just before they added the option for matching numbers but the one I got looks like "best of 10" and is great condition. Tons of cosmoline but it's coming off. Wood stock better than expected. Nice historic rifle. Heavy and solid.
Great
Review by Dave_Hulud on 8/6/2013
Ordered it and a week later it arrived. Once I cleaned up the Cosmoline (a pain but a good thing), it was in decent shape. Not necessarily good but considering the age and the usage of this rifle, not dissapointed at all. Shot 80 rounds through it already and had no problems. Mosin Nagant next! Thanks!
Excellent
Review by doctorscriv on 8/5/2013
The one I got was in excellent condition, worked perfectly and with no signs of serious corrosion. The stock was in good shape; there were no cracks or flaws. The price is an excellent deal. Customer service was again first rate. Very satisfied with purchase.
Great rifle!
Review by Frank on 8/5/2013
I didn't know what to think when I first saw this gun. It was covered in cosmoline and had a lot of dings on the stock, but overall it was not in bad shape. I stripped it down completely and cleaned it piece by piece, then refinished the stock. I took it to the range this weekend, and it's a great shooter. It looks good too! I got some compliments on it while I was there. I have an AK47 that I purchased about 2 years ago, and I would rather shoot this gun any day. It's a very well built gun. It makes the AK seem like a cheap toy when you see them side by side. I'm very happy with this rifle!
Very Nice Condition
Review by donmon on 8/3/2013
Great Gun!! Great Purchase!! You can never go wrong owning an SKS. One of the first rifles I grew up with. Thanks Classic for another rifle in good condition. You guys are the best.
God bless.
Solid Historic Firearm for a Great Price
Review by DDM on 8/3/2013
This was my first (but not last) purchase from Classic Firearms. I was looking for a Chinese SKS for my otherwise fairly complete SKS collection, but I received, like many others, a Russian SKS with a Chinese receiver cover, so I was a bit dissapointed I did not get a true Chinese-marked rifle, but I am still happy with the good condition of the weapon and its shootability. I now understand the early rifles made with Russian parts and assistance are collectible themselves. I am very impressed with the extensive descriptions, photos and reviews provided for each product. I'll be ordering again soon!
Really Nice Rifle!!!!
Review by John C on 8/1/2013
5 Stars from Classic Firearms on my recent Chinese SKS purchase. This is my 4th purchase from Classic and so far I have not been disappointed. This is my first SKS and I am really happy I pulled the trigger on this purchase considering the price tag. My friends remind met they bought theirs when they going rate was under $100!
I opted for the Hand select and Matching Serial numbers options and I am glad I did. The rifle is in good to very good condition, the stock looks like a Russian stock and has few dings and scratches.
The blueing is about 80-85 percent and has some wear on it.
The bayonet looks new.
As one reviewer stated, "Holy Cosmoline Batman" it is everywhere and is thick! I pushed out about a 4-5 inch glob of it from the bore when I ran the first patch through the barrel.
The stock was really coated with it so I will definitely need to let it sit out in the sun to sweat it out of the wood.
Be sure to completely disassemble the bolt to clean out the cosmoline around the firing pin.
Don't let the price deter you, get one!
Time to hit the range
Great condition but missing critical parts
Review by Jeff on 8/1/2013
Ordered my SKS Monday afternoon and received from my FFL Wednesday evening. Great shipping time. Rifle is in much better condition than I anticipated. I did pay the etra $20 to have best of 10.

Unfortunately my rifle is missing the bolt. The bolt carrier is present and in excellent shape but now I have to track down a replacement bolt.
Extremely Satisfied
Review by DW on 7/30/2013
I ordered 2 of the hand select Cinese C&R SKS rifles. The first one to arrive was an honest to goodness Sino-Soviet specimen with the /26\ stamp and a serial number consisting of a letter followed by 4 numbers. Everything except the top cover (blank) matched, including the stock. It is truly a lovely rifle.

The 2nd one was a broken disaster but Classic's customer service corrected it with a no-hassle RMA. I had to pay return shipping but other than that the return was simple.

The replacement rifle is actually a Russian SKS, with laminate stock. Again, all the numbers matched except the mismatched top cover. The Cyrillic serial # clearly makes it a Russian but the stock was blank (but lovely) and without the original top cover I cannot date the rifle. Lots of finish wear but a totally solid rifle and well worth the money.
Amazing piece of history at an affordable price
Review by Christopher on 7/30/2013
I received a beautiful 1956 production Sino-Soviet SKS (one letter prefix and four digit serial number) with all-matching numbers from Classic the other day, and I am pleased to say that it has met all of my expectations. Yes, these are old rifles that have seen lots of use; however, I am almost certain that these rifles were carried more than they were shot. For example, my rifle has about 30% of its original bluing left and the stock is in good shape considering its age (with no cracks whatsoever), but the internals are in excellent shape. The bolt is in excellent condition and the barrel is very bright/shiny with crisp rifling. I haven't taken the rifle out to the range yet, but I am 100% certain that it will make a great shooter. I would also like to say that Classic's customer service is some of the best that I have seen in the industry. I had an issue with the last SKS that I ordered but they quickly resolved the issue, making sure that I was happy. They are very customer-oriented and will go out of their way to make sure you are completely satisfied with your purchase. Thanks Classic for the great rifle and customer service!
More of the good stuff !
Review by Dana on 7/30/2013
Ordered and weapon was shipped quickly. FFL dealer and I unboxed at time of transfer and encountered a ton of cosmoline. Had to wipe barrel to get imprter name for the paperwork. I recently wiped off some more of the stuff and found an all numbers matching(which I selected), 5 digit serial numbered model. Carving in the stock denotes 1953 I believe, or it could be an 8 ? Another carving that I cannot quite make out. Expected bluing loss as expected by the NRA Good rating provided in the description. Will have to thoroughly disassemble a,clean, and reassemble to report further. Keep your eyes peeled for yet another video review ! I am very pleased with this weapon, the ease of dealing with ClassFirearms.com and the accurate descriptions provided. Keep on getting the good stuff ! God Bless.
Surprised!
Review by Frank L. on 7/29/2013
I unboxed my order and discovered that I had received an all numbers matching Sino-Soviet SKS without paying extra. The blueing was about 75-80 percent and the bore after cleaning the globs of Cosmoline was found to have a mirror finish.
Better than expected!
Review by David D on 7/29/2013
This was my first order from Classic Firearms but it will not be my last. I received a rifle that exceeded my expectations. I paid extra for hand select and received a rifle with matching numbers, at least 85% of the bluing, a cleaning rod, and a stock with only minor dings and dents. Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the gun.
Type 56 - Solid Shooter
Review by JB on 7/29/2013
Great shooter. Ordered on Thursday ...delivered on the following Monday. Hand select with all matching serial numbers. Bright chrome bore with 75% of bluing. The cycling on this weapon has been crisp with no FTEs for 100 rounds. Stock was carved up with Serbic names and what looks to be Jesus Christ!
very good deal
Review by ello on 7/28/2013
Once you get beyond the cosmoline, you'll find yourself with a well used and mechanically sound rifle in great condition.
Having to dismantle the rifle to clean every nook and cranny, and you'll have to, is good practice and familiarizes you to the workings and routine to maintain what promises to be a great shooter. The bore has a mirror finish with good rifling, and the metal parts are all clear of pitting. I did encounter one small rust spot under the butt storage flap which was removed easily.
The stock looks rough and well used, but is free of detrimental splits or voids.
Great
Review by Bobby on 7/28/2013
Got a great early Chinese factory 26 rifle good shape 70% bluing,the stock a little rough but good enough,the bore is outstanding, this is my third one and again I ordered Tuesday the 23 and got it on the 24th thanks Classic for a great gun and good customer service and fast shipping.
not bad if it worked....
Review by jesse on 7/28/2013
Cosmetic Condition is very close to what is being advertised. That part is good. Bad part is mine has a missing spring retainer and the safety spring is missing..trigger issue as it doesn't work......that's what I have found wrong so far. As is, its not a working rifle. I have to go hunt for parts and I guess since replacing missing parts digs me into 922r compliance problem I have to change more parts with american made to not have an illegal rifle, I think? Got to go read the law again. Not real happy about that...but I don't mind a project...just wished I had known id get a nonworking rifle, upfront. Shipping time, packaging, all done very professionally. No isses with classic fellows as this is the risk you take on milsurplus.
Great rifle; I can only guess the history
Review by Walter on 7/27/2013
VERY pleased; for $360 plus shipping, etc. and five hours removing cosmolene, I've got a gun that's 80-85% finish and looks close to unfired. Bore appears perfect and the gas cylinder and piston were perfectly clean and showed no wear. All the external S/N's match but the bolt and firing pin are marked with an electric pencil and that number doesn't match the others.

The action wear points that are blued have the blue mostly off but there's no loss of metal. There's some rack wear and the trigger has thin blue only at the highest point -- maybe the rack had a rod or cable through? Blue is a bit lighter at the points that make contact when carried at right shoulder with the left side of rifle flat on shoulder. There was grit under the buttplate, consistent with use on a sandy drill field. Possibly a school or drill team rifle?

This stock, however, had its own career before joining this rifle action. There are no markings whatever and the wood is considerably darkened in the places normal for a right handed shooter. There are a few dings and scratches as typical of a rifle that's been in the field. The wood has a grain similar to oak; the handguard is a good color match but different grain.

The buttplate is slightly misaligned because the screw holes in the stock were drilled out of place and at an angle; an arsenal job would have been jigged I expect. The lower swing swivel has the swivel axis parallel to the line between mounting holes but it is crudely installed on the toe edge of the stock so the swivel is 90º to the usual position; there never was a swivel on the side of the stock. Because of there's an extra hole under the swivel plate I think this stock had the proper toe edge swivel installed at an earlier time but it was replaced with one intended for the face of the stock. I cannot find an SKS picture with a swivel setup like this one.

The buttplate has the trapdoor for a cleaning kit but the stock recess is slightly off center and the trapdoor cannot be aligned in a way that allows it to open. The rear sling swivel and screws are beat up; they appear to have been used as a hammer for a metal object. There's a reparable crack in the stock that may be a result. I will fix this stuff in the course of time.

All of the above adds to the interest. Near-unfired mechanical condition covers a few problems with wood and furniture. VERY satisfied.
Just awesome - get one while you can!!
Review by Lurch on 7/27/2013
I ordered 3 from this latest batch with hand select for condition.
Rifle #1 - All matching metal late Soviet with replacement stock. Metal is in great shape, stock has a minor repairable crack.
Rifle #2 - All matching metal early Chinese 6 digit S/N without a factory stamp. Replacement stock had a large split on the buttstock. Contacted Classic and they immediately issued an RMA for return.
Rifle #3 - All matching metal and stock early Chinese 5 digit S/N without a factory stamp. This rifle looks great, I uploaded 2 pics of it.
RMA replacement for rifle #2 - All matching metal and stock early Chinese 6 digit S/N without a factory stamp. Also in great condition, not quite as nice as rifle #3.
Opening the box for the first time is like being a kid at Christmas. You have no idea what you're going to get! Hats off to Classic Firearms for coming thru again and for awesome customer service.
The ONe I Got Was Good
Review by Bruce on 7/27/2013
The one I got was much better than advertised.. It has matching numbers and no blue wear. The rifle has a good bore, and the wood was not too bad at all. Fast service from Classic as always. I am very pleased with my purchase.. I did get the hand select
Christmas in July
Review by Sim on 7/27/2013
So kudos to Classic Fire Arms for the super fast shipping! I ordered on Monday, gun arrived 2 days later just to be shipped back by UPS!!!! After the screw up I still got the gun on Friday.

First, I would like to say that ordering any mil surplus rifle online is fun... Its like Christmas... you never know what you are going to get once you open up that package. I have read all of the reviews on here and I felt pretty confident that I was going to end up with a decent looking rifle...

I paid the extra $ for hand select and matching #'s and I got just that. I received a decent looking rifle. The barrel has about 75-80% of the bluing left, bayonet is near perfect, all numbers match, bore looks great, and I even got the cleaning rod. I personally enjoy some of the dings on the stock because to me that shows its "war wounds".

After opening the box at the gun store, we were both trying to figure out what factory this rifle was made in... I know these are early Chinese models but I am unable to find any known markings on this one. It has a 5 digit serial number and the only other marks I found was a "21" inside of a triangle on the right side of the stock.

If I had more money I would definitely buy another 1 or 2 of these as I'm ion love with this gun and I have not even cleaned it yet..
Great Gun, Great Service!
Review by AdamBomb on 7/26/2013
I purchased a SKS and it got to my FFL pretty quickly. I paid the extra for hand select and numbers matching, but the numbers didn't match and there was fresh damage to the stock. Other than that the gun is great it has obviously been well used, but that's expected.  With that being said I contacted them and I got a quick response from Rick Jones and he took care of me right away. I believe they just made a mistake selecting my gun, but hey nobody's prefect. I will definitely buy from them again. Great customer service!
DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
Review by will on 7/26/2013
fast shipping as always. Boxed and bubble wrapped, when opened sks was entombed in earwax cosmoline and as ugly as homemade sin. when cleaned up <10% original blueing but uber nice bore. Low and behold first year sino soviet factory 26 rifle with beechwood stock complete with trench art. Don't know if stock is original but everything else is matching with out re-furb. Import stamp is now almost invisable. Lightning cut bolt, etc. Took my time with her and she is gorgeous now.
nice rifle
Review by george on 7/25/2013
I got a sino soviet SKS. All numbers matched except the dust cover. I would say about 85% bluing. The bore is excellent. The stock is rough but acceptable. All parts are in good shape and I rate the bayonet excellent as well [no chinks or scratches]. Only flaw I could find is a broken safety lever that will still function using my thumb nail. God only knows where this rifle was. I am very pleased. with the gun and Classic as usual. .
great rifle
Review by william the great on 7/23/2013
Just finished cleaning & reassembling. Was very impressed by the barrel. better than any other military rifle I have. Just need to get out & shoot it. Am also impressed by the people at customer service. Thanks!
Outstandinng Silky Sexy Rifle
Review by John on 7/22/2013
What can I say? I have a new favorite rifle.
Went with the hand select and matching serial#s. Outstanding choice. Man, she cleaned up so good. Got the cosmo off the metal with hot water and simple green. The barrel is like a mirror. Wiped down the stock then stripped it with Citristrip. Applied a couple of hot coats of linseed oil. Greased up the receiver with white lithium grease. Man, she is silky smooth. I've in love!
OK
Review by Bobby on 7/21/2013
Shipping was fast ordered on Monday and showed up Tuesday, now here is why its getting 4 stars. I ordered 2 rifles and paid for the matching numbers for both, when I got them only one had matching numbers,but both of the rifles were in good shape for the age and I decided to keep the non matching and settle for a refund.I am happy with this purchase and will do busines with Classic again.
Got a bad one
Review by Pacoman40 on 7/20/2013
A friend of mine ordered a SKS just before me. His was nice and was as described. Mine other other hand had two cracks in the stock. It specifically said in the descriptions that the stocks were not crack. It had a lot of trench art which I thought was great but the metal had almost no blue on it. When I found out the safety was broke. That was the final straw and I sent it back. Paid for hand select by the way.Classic had fast shipping and kept me informed on the delivery all the way. Gave me no problems when I wanted to return it.
I thought you get what you pay for
Review by JoeyP on 7/19/2013
I received my Chi-Com SKS rifle today...First off, I've ordered from Classic before, and have been very pleased. Shipping was FAST!!. The description of the Chi-Com SKS rifle is pretty accurate. If I had ordered the rifle without the extra $20 for "Hand Select for exterior condition" I probably would have gave this four stars. (I also selected matching numbers, which I got)... So there's my issue. The stock was rough and had marks all over it. Not "carvings" that some collectors would like. I myself am not into the carvings, but I would have understood. The metal was borderline. Not much blue left. Barrel seemed bright and was tight. So yea, I got a 'shooter' which is what I wanted. But I guess I just expected better furniture and metal. As I stated before, If I hadn't paid the extra $20 I would have been expecting what I got. Maybe I waited too long and the better ones were all taken. Will I order from Classic again? Probably. Just wont get hand picked for cosmetics anymore... Other than that, I cant complain.
Early Sino-Soviet (Actually)
Review by Crucible Arms on 7/17/2013
All numbers match including the stock. This is a true early Sino-Soviet model. People need to research their markings. I'm seeing a lot of "Sino-Soviet" claims that the markings don't support. This rifle was made in the Jianshee Arsenal under Soviet consultancy in early 1956.

The metal on this rifle is 95%, the stock is fairly beat up Cleaned it and linseed oiled it as I didn't want to reduce what value it has which admittedly isn't a lot. Included cleaning rod but no cleaning kit. Bore is in incredibly good condition. Fully functional and I find it easy to be very accurate with this rifle. Shoots like a dream.

Decent value for an all milled, military issued, Chinese SKS. Recommended
Five Stars
Review by Jim on 7/17/2013
After a slight shipping delay because of the July 4th holiday I received my Chinese SKS from Classic.

Once I cleaned the thick layer of cosmoline that was included at no extra cost, it appeared I had a pretty nice rifle.

Based on the serial number it appears to be an early 1956 model. It had all matching stamped numbers including the stock. Bluing was very good on everything but the top of the gas cylinder and it a strong shiny bore.

Stock was a little rough but I have seen worse selling for more.

Five Stars for customer service and for the rifle itself.
Mr
Review by Jon on 7/16/2013
Well, received my Type 56 yesterday and I was kinda disappointed. I read the reviews of people getting really nice ones. I opted for the hand select and if mine was hand selected, I would hate to see what the others looked like. Looked like my Type 53 did. The stock looked like it had been dragged down a gravel road, dumped in a river and hung up wet, beat to hell. Cosmoline is thick and in abundance.The bluing is about 70% on the exposed metal. It is an early 56, 4digit serial, Sino-Soviet model.
I am in the process of disassembly and cleaning. I can't seem to get the gas tube off though. I hope it cleans up nice. Look forward to some range time. I have ordered from Classic before, and I know it depends on the 10 that they pick from as to what you'll receive. Just hoping for better though. I will order again from Classic. Hope she's a good shooter!
Very nice overall- matching numbers
Review by rogbro710 on 7/16/2013
Overall- very pleased with the SKS I received from Classic Firearms. I did not choose the hand pick option, but still received a nice looking rifle with all matching numbers. LOTS of cosmoline to wipe off, but that usually means the metal is in pretty good shape.
The stock was in average condition, but I was going to replace it anyway so not a big deal. I am sure if I spent some time cleaning the stock- it would clean up pretty nice. Very happy and will be ordering again soon- Very fast shipping I might add.
Great Buy
Review by Donald on 7/12/2013
Just got back from the range after 120 rounds through this gun. All I can say is WOW! This SKS is dead-on accurate. When I received the gun last week, it looked pretty rough, but the more I wiped off the cosmoline the better it got. The bore also looked pretty dark after the first pass of the cleaning rod, but after a few passes it was shining brightly. I paid the extra for hand select and glad I did. All numbers match, the bluing is about 80% and no rust spots.
The stock has lots of dings and a couple really deep scrapes but overall it's not too bad. No cracks or repairs that I could see. I recently purchased a brand new Mini-30 and I must say, I really prefer this SKS.
What a great buy!
Review by spb_la on 7/11/2013
Got my Chinese SKS from Classic couple of days ago, and boy, what a great buy that turned out to be.
I see from other reviews that some buyers got very nice rifles without the hand-picked option. I opted for "best of of ten", and this SKS does not disappoint!
Usual minor dings and scratches on the stock aside, it is in a good condition - no cracks of any kind - smooth and solid. Bluing is great with only the tip of the barrel and the bottom of the magazine shining through. All numbers match, including the stock, import marks by I.O. are not as obnoxious as CAI ones, and bore is shiny (once you get past all the cosmoline).
Can not wait to take it to the range!
Thank you, Classic!
A few hiccups and missing pieces but a wonderful SKS anyway!
Review by Kommissar Steve on 7/11/2013
Well let me start out by saying this thing was absolutely disgusting. The barrel cleanup in particular was a grotesquely fascinating experience. It was like squeezing a tube of ear wax toothpaste. But the gun (after about 4 hours of rigorous cleaning) was impeccable. The barrel was shiny and well unused or close to it.

I did however notice some missing pieces. The spring in the stock behind the trigger group was gone and made the metal it's wobble, I fixed this by stuffing a bit of a cotton ball in where the spring should be. Also the safety lever spring was gone, I bought a new one but before I did I simply tied a length of string (commie string from an ammo tin) around it to keep it from flopping around. I mean, these things were used by Vietcong, it seemed proper. I did run into a problem when I took it shooting. There were jaggies on the gas piston preventing it from cycling the bolt. I took a file to it.

Yeah this thing had problems but it was so much fun to clean and troubleshoot, I couldn't downgrade it. It has all matching parts, interesting rough stock with trench art, bluing loss, and all the important parts are in perfect condition. It just has so much character I think it's my new favorite.
Great gun, great price.
Review by Tim on 7/9/2013
Package arrived faster than expected and the gun was packed well. Tons of cosmoline., but I'm not complaining--there wasn't a spot of rust and most of the bluing was intact. Bore bright and shiny, flawless really.
The stock was pretty dinged up, nothing that a refinishing won't fix. No cracks or splits or missing chunks.
The action works perfectly and the gun fires flawlessly.
Note: I soaked the bolt overnight in mineral spirits then used gun scrubber and compressed air, and there was STILL Cosmoline binding the firing pin. So I tapped out the retaining pin and took the bolt apart and cleaned it right.
This is IMPORTANT because a binding firing pin can cause slam fires (the gun fires when you release the bolt--not good). So clean and lube it well, and just to be safe get a firing pin and spring replacement.
Anyway--great value, wish I had bought two.
Paid for Chinese and got a Russian
Review by Michael on 7/9/2013
I love you, classic. Cyrillic serial number, star in the stock, no factory marking either way, shellac paint job. Gotta be Russian. Y'all have done right by me every time I've ordered, but this just iced the cake.
condition grade of gun was very conservative
Review by dustin on 7/8/2013
wow. the rifles may have been rated good, but mine was a VERY good example of the early production run if i remember the features used on the early ones right. i did not opt for hand select, and i would say there is about 85% or more metal finish left. functions flawlessly except the safety spring arrived broken so i cannot engage the safety and the lever kind of flops around when i fire. yikes. i just tie the lever to the trigger guard with 550 cord when i shoot it. will have to get replacement A.S.A.P.
odd thing though: mine has absolutely no factory marks or serial numbers on the gun at all, no signs of scrubbing either. only has the importer mark from i.o. inc. i have never heard of that happening. also after cosmo removal (was a PITA!) the rifle was clean as a whistle. even the gas piston has no signs of use. though now it does ;) the stock is a bit beat up from storage, though nothing major. just gives it character. came with cleaning rod and surprisingly a cleaning kit in the butt stock.
of note: usually triggers on norinco sks are terrible in my experience, but this one is truly magnificent. no play/creep/grittiness and has very short travel and MAYBE a 4 lb pull when it fires, and has good positive engagement. (look up why positive engagement is important) it is superior to a friend of mines tula by far. and that one is good as well
ordered 06/28, shipped 07/01, arrived on 07/03. not bad
Holy Cosmoline Batman!!!!
Review by Flash on 7/8/2013
If you like to play with cosmoline, this is the gun for you. I think the Chinese were having a contest to see who could use the most. Once cleaned up, the metal is in awesome shape, wood furniture just as described, with some sanding, will look very nice with all the character of the wood remaining. All matching, Tula Stamped. Glad I bought it. Goes to the range on Thursday.
Very Pleased
Review by JG on 7/7/2013
Ordered on Monday, and by Wednesday a 6 digit Sino-Soviet SKS showed up. All stamped numbers matching, even the dust cover. Stock was in a bit better condition than I expected and the bluing was about 70%. Cleaned it up and fired 80 rounds of a mix of Tula, Wolf and Norinco ammo. Gun functioned flawlessly and is accurate. LIked it so much I ordered another.
Sino-Soviet SKS
Review by Nate on 7/6/2013
Received my new-to-me Factory 26 Simonev, and I am very satisfied. Shipping was fast, even with July 4th! I did not pay for hand pick, and still got a 4 digit rifle in good condition with a cleaning rod, and except for the bolt cover, everything numbered matches (including the stock). I'd say she has 80% bluing left. Quick swab of the barrel looks great, and the crown is also great, no rust spots anywhere and only cosmetic wear in the expected places. I honestly think these were rifles that were carried a lot and shot very little, I plan to strip the stock and stain it as most of the dings and dents are barely through the shellac. Action is smoother and trigger feels better than my shiny Yugo 56. Oh yeah, and there are still huge gobs of cosmoline left, which to me, is mandatory for a positive surplus bargain such as this!

Thank you Classic!
Mine was a Winner
Review by NorthernIndiana on 7/6/2013
Received a very nice early 1956 production Sino Soviet SKS. +95% blue. Stock has dings but not abused. Pulled a wad of paper out of hole in butt stock. Not chinese characters, maybe russian. Loaded with cosmoline, but I couldn't be happier with what I was sent. I did request hand select. Thanks Classic Arms!
Love this shooter
Review by Bassinator on 7/6/2013
Received this SKS in just four days after ordering. I ordered 2 , both were in the expected condition ,covered in cosmoline , it took a couple of hours to clean both and take to the range and they fired flawlessly ! Love these weapons. I have ordered from Classic before and have always been extremely please! Thank you Classic Fire Arms.
Love this shooter
Review by Bassinator on 7/6/2013
Received this SKS in just four days after ordering. I ordered 2 , both were in the expected condition ,covered in cosmoline , it took a couple of hours to clean both and take to the range and they fired flawlessly ! Love these weapons. I have ordered from Classic before and have always been extremely please! Thank you Classic Fire Arms.
Proud of my first SKS
Review by oxfordethan on 7/5/2013
I recieved an all-matching 6 digit s/n without the /26\ arsenal mark. Stock it a bit beat up...like I was hoping. The metal on this thing looks great! Very little wear on the bluing. I fired 3 rounds yesterday on the property(celebrating the 4th). Worked great. Can't wait to get in some proper range time.
Great Rifle
Review by Rocco on 7/4/2013
I received a numbers matching Sino-Soviet rifle. Very nice collectible.
Outstanding specimen of the Sino-Soviet SKS
Review by Seagrave on 7/4/2013
Have ordered through Classic Firearms several times and have never been disappointed as is the case with my latest order. WOW! The ChiCom SKS received is near museum condition! Stock had only 2 small indentations and the butt plate showed the only bluing wear (probably from storage), The serial number indicated a very early model 56 from Soviet tooling and with matching numbers except the bolt cover (left over parts from the Soviet factories as part of the sale to China perhaps?). The copious amount of cosmoline ensures it was well protected for the past ~60 years and cursory inspection shows that it appears to be in unfired condition! Once again, another outstanding purchase from Classic Firearms - THANK YOU!
Satisifed
Review by The Dude on 7/3/2013
I was extremely satisfied with the processing time - I ordered on a Thursday and picked up the rifle from my FFL on the following Tuesday. The SKS that I received was Russian - all Russian components with the exception of the dust cover which was Chinese and is considerably loose. The condition is good (very good considering this is a 60+ year old firearm) with scarring of the stock and about 85-90% bluing. The rifle has not been fired at this point.
Great transaction
Review by Latentcarry on 6/28/2013
The shipping was unbelievable, Order at 12;30 PM on Thursday and recieve the piece at my door at 11.00 AM Friday ...WOW....
This SKS was better than described with personal carvings in what looks to be French that I'll check out better after I remove the promised coat of cosmoline. This is a 5+ transaction and I order a few weapons online...never seen customer service like this.
Love This SKS
Review by saxman on 12/23/2012
This gun arrived exactly as described. The packaging was horrible, but lucky the gun was not damaged. I have redid the stock and it looks like new. I used minwax and tru oil. I have put 100 rounds through it with no problems. I paid for the whole 9 yards and got a nice one. Bluing around 85%. I liked it so much I was going to buy another but they were sold out. Had to get one from another place.
Couldn't be more pleased!!
Review by Root6t6 on 12/23/2012
Glad I took the plunge and ordered one of these before they ran out! As usual Classic was a pleasure to deal with and the rifle arrived promptly at my FFL. I kept putting off the purchase due to tight funds Christmas and all but when I saw they were below 99 left I pulled the trigger. I didnt even get the hand select so I was concerned what would show up but was nicely surprised! All serials matched!! The wood is in great shape. The blueing is mostly gone on the metal but otherwise all in great shape! Lots of Cosmo but I look forward to getting it cleaned up. What a great piece of history and I wish it could talk. Of course I would have to learn Chiniese LOL!! Can't wait to put some roumds through it!!!
Good shooter
Review by dg on 12/23/2012
When mine arrived, it was dirty. How dirty, very dirty. After a good degreaser soak and scrub and no real progress I switched to the steam cleaner and the air compressor. Under the dirt I found a well preserved SKS. There are a few worn spots on the bluing, and yes the stocks are very worn, but the metal, action, etc. all look good, cycles and shoot well. The bore is bright and shiny. No problem ringing the gong at 200 yards with some Wolf ammo. I'm glad I got one. Thanks!
Great little carbine
Review by warriflefan on 12/22/2012
This is one sweet little rifle. It has little bluing left above the wood line but it has that cool battlefield pickup look. Mine came with a sino-banian stock (with two cleaning kit trapdoors) as well. The wood was in very good condition. It has rifling all the way to the crown, and has funtioned flawlessly so far! There was quite a bit of cosmoline on the internals, but that is half the fun! I recommend this rifle if they ever get any more!
cool historic fun
Review by heath on 12/19/2012
very pleased with this.shoots well mechanically sound for its age,hey they look old because they are supposed too!im gona cleanup the stock somhow no big deal.instead of whining about cosmetics of appearance be thrilled that classic allowed us to aquire such a badass gun!
Average
Review by Jason on 12/18/2012
I went to the gun shop to see the SKS I ordered and it was not what I was expecting. I knew it would not be in prestine shape but was thinking it would of been pretty good. I ordered many Mosin's from here before and were no where near bad of a condition as this one. The SKS I got was rusted in many places on the barrel/reciever/trigger and the stock had paint, gouges, and it has a crack on the end about 4 inches long. I went ahead and transfered it to myself since I would of been out atleast $75 and no gun. I was going to post a video on this but I do not have time right now with job and christmas coming up. I will after christmas and when I'm not gone. I was also thinking it was going to come with the cleaning kit inside the stock but did not. I do understand these are used guns but it was disappointing especially since I have gotten many really good one from classicfirearms in the past.
I expected More
Review by Chogan on 12/15/2012
I choose a hand select/matching and recieved a rifle with a decent stock and surface rust on the bolt receiver and all over the barrel. To me this is not what falls into the grade for a hand select based on there criteria. Blueing is easily 30%, broken cleaning rod thats was rusted from top to bottom. I still will enjoy gun but think this falls under the standard ones.
Awesome rifle1
Review by James on 12/11/2012
Very pleased with my purchase- i paid for both hand select and matching numbers- it was well worth it. all numbers match- receiver, bolt cover, mag floorplate- even the gas tube. awesome.

shipping was fast to my dealer- shipped on a monday, arrived thursday. i had to wait until today to go pick it up- it was torture

i just took it apart and cleaned it- TONS of cosmoline- worse than my mosin, but nothing i didnt expect, almost no surface rust and blueing is still great, what i was really suprised by was the condition of the bore- so friggin bright.

cant wait to shoot it this week!

i will buy from Classic Firearms again.
Great Value, Great Shooter
Review by Highdesert on 12/11/2012
I was very pleasantly surprised by the condition of this rifle. The metal is in excellent condition, a testament to the ample cosmoline. The wood is worn, but without gouges, carvings, or other significant markings. Two hours of cleaning, oiling, and safety checks was all that it required. I paid for hand select and matching numbers...

It fires exceptionally well and is dead on up to 100 yards. I haven't tried anything further yet. I was out with a buddy today. We shot a wide variety of new and old firearms, and by the end of the day he was on the internet trying to find an SKS for himself. Both of us preferred it even to my Saiga 7.62 (converted).

Great value, great shooter. I may pick up another for the safe if they become available again.
Great rifle! Exactly as advertised
Review by JOHN on 12/10/2012
After receiving the hand select at home, there was very little cosmoline on the outside but a ton on the inside. But that is a good thing. After a thorough cleaning, this 50 something year old SKS did not look bad at all. Took it to the range this weekend and wow. The iron sights were right on the money. Great purchase.

Thanks Classic!
Very nice piece of history
Review by Ken on 12/10/2012
These rifles are exactly as described. I am in the process of cleaning up the 2 that I bought, and so far have found that they were produced in 1959 and are Sino-Soviet rifles.

The parts appear to be all Russian mid 1950's. On the stock of my one rifle I found an Izhevsk Arsenal stamping on the right side.

The stock is a dark hardwood with the sling swivel attached to the toe of the stock rather than on the side which is common to a Soviet made stock as well.

The trigger group milling and the action are made like Soviet rifles of that time.

The barrel cleaned up nicely and is very bright and shiny with plenty of rifling.

The stock is pretty scarred up as described but that just adds to their history.

It is really a nice piece of history to own. I am very pleased with the rifles I received.
pretty good
Review by Fox on 12/7/2012
I bought this rifle for $249 and compared to others on themarket, I'm happy. i bought my first sks "yugo" in 2005 for $100 but the market has gone up. The rifle that i recieved from Classic arms really is in pretty good condition. the stock is soaked in cosmoline and the metal has about 20-30% blueing on it with a little amount of rust and pitting. This rifle appears as though it will clean up nicely after I clean it, re-blue it and sand and coat the stock. I also plan on buying a synthetic stock for it. All and all I believe it is a good deal for the times we live in. As for dealing with Classic Arms I also ordered an AR-15 from Palmetto State Armory to ship with this item. When I ordered these two items I felt that the rep from Classic Arms was a liitle un-friendly with me but still my order went smoothly. I have ordered form Classic Arms in the past and will probably order from them again. Also Classica Arms does sometimes have some of the best deals I can find on the internet. Thanks Classi Arms.
Short and positive.
Review by Jeff on 12/7/2012
Functional, accurate, very blue, all matching, kinda ugly......Wonderful, and all at the standard grade price. Can't wait for next great deal . Thanks Classic Firearms.
Update of my previous review
Review by Tim on 12/6/2012
Now that I've had a chance to go voer the gun more throughly and actually fire it I had to come back and update. To be honest, my first impression of this rifle was disappointment - as the description says they are ugly. That said, after thoroughly cleaning the rifle I found that what I thought was pitting on the bolt face was just heavy tarnish, there is some pretty nasty looking cosmoline/grease inside the receiver, etc that didn't help. After cleaning it up and actually firing it -- I love this rifle. I initially purchased it because it was the cheapest sks I could readily find with plans for a bullpup conversion, but now I think that would be a shame. Battle scarred and ugly is what makes it so appealing now - it is an actual piece of history. A piece of history that is a blast to shoot!!! Love this gun. Thanks.
Not quite what i expected.
Review by juancho on 12/5/2012
i recieved mine today and after removing all the COSMO i realized that the cleaning rod was missing, It was guaranteed for a hand select. There is no bluing left on mine, perhaps
whoever pick mine just got lazy. I gave it a 3 star because the customerservice is prompt with my inquiries.
Very Pleased
Review by Drew on 12/5/2012
. Very pleased with SKS as soon as I cracked open the box. Very little cosmo, 80% blue and stock was in very good shape. Glad I payed a little more for hand select and matching numbers, it was deff worth it.. FYI looks like the wood turns out blonde after good sanding and some lindseed oil. Thank Classic!
Exactly as described
Review by DAVID on 12/4/2012
I was fortunate to grab one the first day, before the hand picked price increase. I cannot believe how accurate this one is, for as old as it is. The only negative was the packing job. 1 piece of bubble wrap in a box 2x too big. It flopped around in the box during the 5 day trip. The box arrived with a hole in it and a fresh chip out of the top wood.
I did not expect this rifle to look as good
Review by spg on 12/2/2012
Honestly I did not expect this rifle to look as good as it does. I was looking for a nice SKS shooter and the SKS market around here has been rough. This SKS is in good shape. I did order mine the 2nd day and happy I did. The description about the sks being mostly clean of cosmoline and ready to shoot was not right with mine. This SKS was loaded with it! There is no way this sks is going to shoot until I clean it up. Still this gun is a five star deal! Nice job CF!
Great SKS
Review by JJ on 12/2/2012
I just shot this rifle- pretty dang accurate considering my less than eagle eye visual abilities. Bright bore w/ good rifling. Paid for hand select for condition & matching numbers. AlI the metal parts, including the gas tube and piston as well as the stock have matching #'s. The wood is not pretty. I took it apart for a good cleaning and found cosmo was almost absent except for the gas tube parts. I am very happy w/ this rifle.
WOW - A piece of history I never thought I would own
Review by Eric (Surplus-E) on 11/30/2012
I own a Russian SKS and still regret missing out on the flood of cheap Yugos. Now I have an original 1956 Chinese! According to this website that I found, because these have 6-digit serial numbers, they are late 1956 production! Love it, and I love classicarms! http://www.yooperj.com/SKS-24.htm
Nice Rifles
Review by Michael on 11/30/2012
Received my 2 Chinese SKS's rifles today. Great Rifles! Both Nice bores, Hand Pick for Condition Well worth the extra $$. Non-hand picked spot on with the picture examples. Hand Picked stock is much nicer along with 90% blue. Can't wait to take em out to shoot...Thanks Classic Arms for my first purchase...Very Pleased!
Great deal
Review by rwingsfan on 11/30/2012
Mine is great, steel is 60 percent, wood is poor, but better than originally thought it would be. Got all matching numbers. Paid for standard grade. Laughable description about being mostly clean of cosmo and ready to shoot. Not with mine....it was loaded with cosmo...everywhere, no way was thing going to shoot until completely cleaned. Other than that pretty pleased.
Nice Early SKS's
Review by Eville on 11/29/2012
Just picked up my 2 rifles at my local FFL. Very pleased with them, the condition of mine were better than I expected by reading all the these are ugly statements in the description of them. I bought these for a restoration project this winter, glad I bought two of them. Because they are what I'd say is good condition, for a old used military rifle, so the restore wont be very complex. My FFL also said that he would classify them as good , and not fair condition, Mine were not hand picked.
satisfied
Review by David on 11/27/2012
Metal is very nice wood is horrible. Over all I would do it again without getting the hand select for condition.

satisfied
Review by David on 11/27/2012
I recieved my SKS yesterday the metal is in very good condition (80 percent blue) the stock is what made me give 4 stars I paid for hand select condition only and on the left side of the reciever there is a hole in the stock where a knot or a repair used to be. All in all I am satisfied just wish I had not paid for hand select. On to project SKS.
Great Deal
Review by Matt on 11/27/2012
Got my rifle yesterday and spent today cleaning all the cosmo out. Stock was in better condition than pictured on the site and all my serials are matching (paid for hand-select for both quality and matching numbers). I'm going to throw the stock in a black garbage bag and leave it on the roof to sweat the cosmoline out of it, then chemically strip it and refinish it, as there's not much finish left on the wood. The bore looks perfect and the only rust I found was a little bit of surface rust on the inside of the buttplate, which isn't important at all.

All in all a fantastic deal, though I only gave 4 stars because shipping was pretty slow.
Somewhat disappointed
Review by Tim on 11/27/2012
Description is accurate, these guns are ugly. In preparing to login and do my review I happened to read the updated description of the grading process which added to my disappointment. I ordered very early on within the first few days of thes being posted and paid for hand select for condition only. Of course the stock is beat up and dark - I expected that. It also has almost no bluing, the bore is very dark and the bolt face is pitted. I didn't want a pretty gun, just one in good mechanical shape. If the gradng description is accurate, ordering early on and paying for hand select condition I would expect to have gotten one of the best availalble. I'm not sure I got what I paid for. Still a cool piece of history. Ordered this and one of the last of the Mosin's a few days apart. Mosin which was among the last of the batch should have been a dog is a beautiful rifle -- blown away by it. These were my first orders from Classic Firearms and my first purchase of classic military firearms. Hoping that a through cleaning of the SKS will improve my feeling about the purchase.
ugly is beautiful!
Review by big stan on 11/22/2012
....Like my old lady these rifles are functional but a bit rough.I like mine and will get another for my collection(gun lol)....Stan
Another Great Gun From Classic Arms
Review by Deerhunterr82 on 11/21/2012
Received my rifle yesterday and it was as described. The stock is rough but only adds character to it. I also lucked up and got all matching numbers without having to pay extra for hand select. Very Pleased.
Thanks
Disappointment
Review by Duane on 11/21/2012
Seeing the other reviews I guess I just got a bad one. Stock is pretty beat, but I expected that. I didn't expect all the rust and pitting on this "hand select for condition" rifle. If I had to do again I think I would pass. Only gave it 3 stars because the stories this rifle could tell.
bought a 2d one
Review by Christopher on 11/21/2012
Liked the first one so much I bought a 2d. This type 56 SKS is identical to the Russian SKS, since it was manufactured on the same tooling but at half the price. High quality materials and workmanship. Stock appears to be a tropical hardwood, either teak or mahogany Got the hand select, serial numbers (all stamped matching including stock, matching electropencil on gas tube, gas piston and extractor) put date of manufacture 1958. Description is accurate, except I think it is very important to clean these rifles before shooting. In particular disassemble the bolt and clean the firing pin and the channel in the bolt so you dont have a potential safety issue with slam fires. Given the spots I found a bit of rust, places that dont get wet normally, i think the weapon spent a lot of time in a hot humid climate and the picture on the Classic website of the Viet Cong crouching in the tunnel with one may not be far off from where these weapons last saw combat.
Another Great Buy from Classic Firearms
Review by LT on 11/21/2012
Just picked up my SKS, what a beauty. The stock is not in the best shape, however better than described. The bore and the rest is just excellent. Will probably buy another one. Didn't realize the rifle is so light.
Can't Beat It!!!
Review by Flash on 11/21/2012
Received today...very nice piece of history. Not beautiful, but will be soon!!! Another very positive transaction from Classic. Can't wait to shoot it on Sunday!!!
Well Used but Interesting Chinese SKS
Review by James on 11/18/2012
Received a Chinese SKS from Classic, its almost all matching including the stock and is caked in cosmo. Nice clean bore. Very little finish left on the metal. Stock is very rough with lots of dents and creases but it was advertised that way. Soldiers name carved in the left side of the stock.

Altogether its a neat rifle with a lot of 'character ' to it, I'm happy with my purchase.

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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

KEY SPECS

Manufacturer

Norinco

Caliber/Gauge

7.62x39

Action

Semi Automatic

Barrel Length

20

Condition

Surplus / Used

SKU #

LNG-CHICOM-SKS
 
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