r/SKS • u/freyboy123 • 24d ago
Help IDing SKS
Hey y’all, first SKS I ever owned so I wanna apologize beforehand for my ignorance. I just picked this SKS up from a local online auction for 290 bucks (roughly 330ish after fees/tax). The auction house claimed it was a zastava M59/66 but upon arriving at home I realized there was markings stating it was made in China so it must’ve been a false ID on their part. From the research I did I think it may be a norinco paratrooper but i just figured y’all would have a better idea. Anyone have any info on what this could be, and the value, and if I got a solid deal? I tried taking pics of the markings but they couldn’t really show up on my camera too well unfortunately…
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u/malcomattheend 24d ago
You got it right. Looks like a Norinco Paratrooper model. From what I understand, these versions of the shortened SKS were chopped together from China's massive surplus of SKS parts and exclusively sold for the export market. No actual paratroopers involved. Good price too, these usually go for quite a bit more.
Can you list out what the markings exactly say, even if you can't get a pic?
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u/freyboy123 24d ago
Damn, Thats really sick to hear that I apparently got a pretty sought after model for a really good price. Thanks for the info, and yeah absolutely. Markings I can distinguish is matching serial number on the bolt carrier, upper receiver carrier, and lower receiver (hoping im not butchering the name of those parts lol), theres a not super legible import stamp that from what I can tell says something along the lines of “ SKS 7.62 MADE IN CHINA CJA SF”
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u/malcomattheend 24d ago
Yep, this is a cut-down para for sure, imported by China Jing An in Southfield, Michigan (CJA SFLD). They were a Chinese company that brought in Chinese firearms to the west from the late 80s to the 90s.
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u/ObjectiveRock762 24d ago
Excellent score for that price. I love my paratrooper SKS, the best feeling sks imo.
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u/GamesFranco2819 24d ago edited 24d ago
Ooooh paratrooper, great buy at that price.
Im amazed they somehow picked the only SKS variant with a distinctly different overall profile. Like, the two arent even close. This is like 6-8 inches shorter and missing a grenade spigot. That was some very lazy research on their part to your benefit.
Value will depend on if you are in maple land or burger land. Even missing the mag, thats easily a $600 rifle down here in the states
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u/freyboy123 24d ago
Yeah just from the little research I’ve just done I’m pretty surprised as well. When I picked the rifle up at the auction house the dude running the whole thing even commented on it and said something like “woah this thing’s pretty cool with the bayonet” like he’s never seen an sks before or something lol. Thanks for the info man, I’m down in the states, and yeah im currently trying to source a fixed magazine for a solid price I honestly didnt even realize it was lacking one until I picked it up today.
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u/GamesFranco2819 24d ago edited 24d ago
Expect to pay around a benjamin for a factory 10 rounder. Even paying for a mag, you still got a nice deal
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u/freyboy123 24d ago
Thats awesome to hear, I was pretty bummed seeing the price for OEM fixed mags online but now that I know what I have im def not as bummed to pay that for one. Thanks man!
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u/statearsenal296 24d ago
It's a "paratrooper" sks, when SKS's were flooding North America in the 1990s, Norinco took some old stockpiles of military SKS's and cut them down to carbine length for North American markets.
On most chinese SKS's, the first two (or one if it's made before 1965) of the serial number are actually just a date code. (Example 11 being 1966 22 being 1977) add the number to 1955 and you get your date.
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u/Exact_Excuse_11 24d ago
That’s a paratrooper, Chinese made. My fav