r/canadaguns • u/DieKastKollector • Apr 05 '26
Buy recommendations Just got my PAL about a month ago and looking into getting and SKS and was curious which of these two is the better buy most likely.
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u/sardaukarqc Apr 05 '26
As someone who hasn't looked at SKS prices since I bought mine in 2010, holy crap!
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u/Sunray21A Apr 06 '26
They used to be $149. You could also get a crate of 4 and some ammo for $500
What a world.
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Apr 06 '26
My parents bought our house for $80k and sold it for $500k...
Prices go up.
Supply and demand.
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u/HornyGoatWeedGuzzler Apr 07 '26
There is probably AT LEAST 100,000 more SKS in Canada than there was in 2010. This is just sellers inching and inching their prices up for no real reason
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u/Wooden_Celebration34 Apr 07 '26
It’s supply and demand. We aren’t getting them from Russia anymore due to trade embargo’s. And the supply from China isn’t what it once was. Like all surplus rifles, once the supply dwindles the price goes up accordingly. My first SKS cost me $99. My older neighbor remembers Lee Enfields for $29 standing in barrels at the local Army & Navy store back in the day. Those same rifles in unmolested condition go for $1400 or more now. Same with Mausers.
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u/HornyGoatWeedGuzzler Apr 07 '26
Go back a year ago and they were still $600 on gunpost. The prices they're going for now are just greed.
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u/RGundy17 Apr 08 '26
Don’t make flimsy, half-baked excuses for the mass gouging that the ruling class tries to tell us is natural
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u/KyllikkiSkjeggestad Apr 05 '26
The French tickler is the best SKS on the Canadian market, go for it. If you want to buy a Soviet, use gunpost, as you can actually see the condition that way.
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u/mwmwmwmwmmdw Apr 06 '26
its all relative though. i had a clapped out russian one i shot thousands of rounds through without cleaning that was 100% reliable.
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u/Quirky-Delivery-3236 Apr 07 '26
Ya no shit but the French is gonna be a tad bit lighter and it’s cheaper and in better condition so why not it’s a more modern sks
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u/rastamasta45 Apr 05 '26
Honestly both, I personally prefer the Russian one but the French ticker is amazing
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u/mokapotWONTmokapot Apr 05 '26
Both?! In this economy?!?! That’s like getting the soup and salad with two desserts from the keg
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u/rastamasta45 Apr 05 '26
Lmaooo, fair but my biggest regret during this lib nightmare wasn’t buying more.
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Apr 05 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/anti_worker Apr 05 '26
I believe most of the Chinese examples have a chrome lined barrel.
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u/SpaceVikings Apr 05 '26
Soviets chrome-lined their barrels from 1951 onwards. As long as OP gets one from that point onwards, they're fine.
But I'd go for the Chinese SKSes at these price points anyway as they're more likely to have seen light, if any, service and that's usually better when buying something sight unseen online.
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u/gspotcowboy Apr 06 '26
I bought my 51 Tula out of the crate in 2008 and it was one of the better ones that hadn't been picked through yet. It was a 7/10 for a Russian but on that same scale the unissued french ticklers are a 15/10 lol.
The Russian ones are way cooler IMO but they're priced at FT levels at most websites and that's crazy to me. Any Soviet stuff left has to be beyond trash tier at this point or it would have sold years ago, right?
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u/FD4L Apr 05 '26
Everyone used to gravitate towards Russian because... Siminov was Russian, but as time went on, people started realizing that many of the soviet sks' we received had been issued, used, beat up, non-matching etc. By comparison, many of the Chinese one are brand new.
If youre able to get to the shop thats selling them, you should still do so. Ask to see 2 of each model youre interested in, give them a really thorough exam, in the receiver, down the barrel check for cracks in the stocks, etc. Even the newest iterations of these guns aren't that new. Then pick the one you think looks the best and go with that.
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u/Bulky_Pop_8104 Apr 05 '26
They aren’t in stock at the store, just available for order through whatever depot they use. (I went in there a little while back to check them out myself)
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u/Hot_Cheesecake_905 Apr 05 '26
It depends on whether you want an almost “new SKS” with a plastic handguard or a well-used Russian one.
I went with a Chinese French Tickler.
You can also get Chinese SKSs with a blade bayonet that has a wooden handguard and are usually in good condition.
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u/parkix Apr 05 '26
Does this website actually have it in stock? Every other retailer I looked at is out of stock for the french tickler.
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u/718_NotAGT4 Apr 05 '26
I got the French Tickler when it was $600, and it was brand new, unissued and never fired. Came with chrome lined barrel as well.
Only annoyance was that it was covered in Cosmoline, so took awhile to clean everything. I have about 1000rds through the pipe and not 1 failure.
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u/Quirky-Delivery-3236 Apr 07 '26
How do you tell if your sks was issued when I got mine I didn’t see any cosmoline on it or at least not much and it shot good but it has a couple marks on the wood and it’s from 1963 but idk if it was issued because it seemed to have been used a bit but not much so mabye it was a training rifle
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u/718_NotAGT4 Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 07 '26
From my knowledge, if the left side of the receiver has the triangle 26, Chinese characters, and the rifle is from 1956-1978 it's most likely issued and used by the Chinese People's Liberation Party. Seeing a widespread of usage but almost impossible to tell what it was used for. So if it's still all matching serial, meaning it's not refurbished, and in good condition, I can assume the rifle was probably used in reserves, training or ceremonial use
The French Tickler on the other hand are from 1978-1980 still having the triangle 26 and Chinese characters, but with the plastic handguard top cover. These were made, and just stored without getting used.
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u/GopherRebellion Apr 05 '26
French Tickler. I was very impressed with the finish compared to my Russian.
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u/DifficultReference99 Apr 06 '26
If your gonna buy a russian this day n' age buy it used, you'll get one thats way better shape. The really nice ones are long sold.. The chinese ones now on the otherhand are almost all i un-issued now. Those FT are a nice gun. Easy way to distiguish russians: Blueing on the steel >usually not refurbished, not heavily used. Black bbq paint> heavily refurbed, probally had rust at one point. Look for guys who boight thier sks 2000-2010 "and i just don't shoot it anymore".. Thats the timeline when prestine russians where everywhere.
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u/CurlyWurly61 Apr 05 '26
French tickler has tighter fitting parts and pretty much has no rattle to them, but for the price difference, i'd say russian
Edit: the russian looks like repair work was done on the butt. If that bothers you, the French tickler looks really clean
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u/throwie2k Apr 05 '26
The cheaper the better. They are all about the same with the newer Chinese ones in better condition cuz well, it's never been issued
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u/No_Praline_1835 Apr 05 '26
Buy a gun you like. Both are absolutely great. And both have their own problems. Just how guns are, lol.
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u/Thunderbolt747 on Apr 06 '26
I like the soviet ones better, Mine's a Tula '52 and it shoots pretty well.
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u/Successful_man_797 Apr 06 '26
As someone who owns both and they were like new when I bought them, my French tickler is way better in both build quality and accuracy.
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u/lolshveet Apr 05 '26
Imo, i would stretch to the soviet made since it has a sling from what it looks like, but cant go wrong with either.
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u/Bright_Resist_5896 Apr 05 '26
Holy Cow the prixe of the SKS. My bro in law got a nice one a few years ago for 299
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u/Timelesturkie Apr 05 '26
Russian is a milled reciever Chinese is stamped, I’d buy the Russian as my first sks.
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u/NeighborhoodWest8294 Apr 05 '26
The russian with the black blade bayonet is likely a refurb. The french tickler will likely be an “as issued” like new condition. They are both great rifles. If it were me, id buy the french tickler unless I was looking for a russian sks to add to a collection.