I just got an email that RTI now stocks them at the Classic price:
https://www.royaltigerimports.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=SKSK0045
https://www.royaltigerimports.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=SKSK0045
$39.00 At Roses.
I just got an email that RTI now stocks them at the Classic price:
https://www.royaltigerimports.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=SKSK0045
I'm relatively new to the gun culture compared to you guys, but I remember seeing them at gun shows (STACKS of them) for $175, and I thought: "I'll get one later, they're cheap and plentiful". Boy did I make a mistake.
Lesson to the newbs out there: Buy what you can, now. Prices will only go up, and availability will only go down.
"I love the color of the common Chinese catalpa wood (most of them are stained orange though, not the raw wood color)."
In birch stocked M1 Garand jargon, that would be a blonde. I helped a fellow employee to procure a match grade Garand for her husband (also a fellow employee) as an anniversary gift. Inside joke is she is blond. She told her husband there are two blonds in his life. This was about 20 years ago.
Oh, and if you buy one: Do yourself a favor, get authentic surplus stripper clips. The reproduction ones suck, and they'll jam every time, but you can find a pack of ten surplus on eBay for under $20, no problem.
2A Sales and Supplies over in Savage might have one or two, or at least know where you can find one.
I own a Yugo, personally; it's a bit heavier than a Russian or Chinese, but she shoots straight and functions well. I found it at The Gun Center out in Frederick, and they usually maintain a decent amount of surplus--same with The Gun Shack in Mt. Airy. United Guns and Engage Armament in Rockville usually have surplus, too, so maybe give them a call. I know these are all a bit of a hike, but they all have reasonable prices and availability for surplus, so they're worth it, imo.
Oh, and if you buy one: Do yourself a favor, get authentic surplus stripper clips. The reproduction ones suck, and they'll jam every time, but you can find a pack of ten surplus on eBay for under $20, no problem.
Bring back with paperwork is worth 800 to $1,200 on average unless it's something special like a North Korean then it will be worth about 3 Grand
Well it sure isn't worth it to me either. I want a shooter that is all.
I think I've put 20 rounds through this one. Lives in the back of the safe. I believe it's an all matchy-matchy Russian-made rifle from 1952. Nice and clean, shoots well (I mean, other than how short that stock is!). I believe I paid $75 for it. It's the only thing I've got that will shoot 7.62x39, so it stays! Especially for what it cost me. It was a goofy impulse at the time, but now I'm glad it's lurking in the collection.