My first purchase, finally going to join the club.

[u/GFN_good_for_nothing]

I’ve been planning this purchase for years. This is an earlier model factory 26 production SKS, unissued and caked in cosmoline. Same factory that made French ticklers, but these were produced in a manner closer to the original Russian manufacturing methods. Still has the chrome-lined barrel, but instead of being pinned like the ticklers it’s a threaded barrel, the hand-guard is wood instead of Bakelite, and instead of the spike bayonet it has a blade. Also a higher percentage of the parts are machined the original Russian way. Very excited to play around with this.

[u/Cre_AK47]

God, this price hurts my soul. I remember when SKSs were like... $200

[u/GimmeLemons → u/Cre_AK47]

Yea I remember my buddy getting one for $250

[u/GFN_good_for_nothing → u/Cre_AK47]

Yeah, at this point it was either this or buy a French tickler off gunpost, seeing them used for $700+ in questionable condition or there are people scalping new ones for outlandish prices. I’ve seen some that were nothing special, regular old ticklers for over $1000.

[u/cavegooney → u/Cre_AK47]

When I first got into shooting, you could get an SKS for $50 when you bought a crate of ammo...

[u/hunterofsteelhead → u/cavegooney]

Yea I used to buy $0.01 candy in the 90s. Candy went up too

[u/hunterofsteelhead → u/[deleted]]

Where?

[u/EnglishmanInMH → u/Cre_AK47]

I opened this thread to see where would be the first comment lamenting the SKS inflation...

Very first comment did not disappoint!

[u/OwnedByIRVING → u/Cre_AK47]

It wasn't even that long ago, I regret not buying a case of them.

[u/Stryker1-1 → u/Cre_AK47]

Right or 500 got you the rifle and a case of surplus ammo

[u/Significant_Step_517]

I used to sell army surplus at gun shows, and would trade my leftovers for SKS’ at the end of the shows…

[u/Armedfist]

I remember my first sks with a crate of ammo was $450

[u/default_ad_2026]

Thousand bucks for an sks. I thought $250 was a rip back in the day. The times are sure changing.
Edit: the timeline I’m referencing is less than 10 years. Things are moving very fast these days.

[u/GFN_good_for_nothing → u/default_ad_2026]

I regret not getting my license earlier and buying one when they were dirt cheap but without a Time Machine what can you do…

[u/Just-rz → u/GFN_good_for_nothing]

To be fair, 250 is damn near 1000 now so 💁🏻

[u/AresV92 → u/Just-rz]

$250CAD in 2001 = $425CAD today.

[u/Just-rz → u/AresV92]

True. now do houses mister mcsmarteypants

[u/AresV92 → u/Just-rz]

Yeah it's not the same for everything. Houses and rent have gone up disproportionately where some things like soybeans have actually gotten cheaper even before inflation.

[u/Old-Selection-1012 → u/GFN_good_for_nothing]

Only bought one to shoot my crate of 7.62 after my Type 81 was banned otherwise never even thought to waste my money on it when pistols and other semis were still available post 2020.

No regrets.

Paid $550, got a Chinese Chrome lined one.

[u/UnraoSandhu → u/default_ad_2026]

Seriously, I got my Russian for 500 2 years ago and that felt expensive lol.

[u/Even-Somewhere-9554]

One of us

[u/GFN_good_for_nothing → u/Even-Somewhere-9554]

Thanks brother 🤙

[u/Mammoth_Attention_59]

Rip

Bought mine from them for $400 about a year ago..

I am tired

[u/pooshlinger2]

Hell ya Tiger arms 🤙

[u/GFN_good_for_nothing → u/pooshlinger2]

I haven’t heard much about them outside of their google reviews, I’m guessing you’ve been happy with your dealings with Tiger?

[u/PermissionSafe2183]

Sks with tax not even 2 years ago 470 lol oofffff

[u/SierraRomeoJuliet]

I cant believe I bought my nice Chinese 2 years ago for 500 bucks.

[u/yummybunnybear]

Don't let all this SKS inflation talk discourage you. As Confucius said, the best time to buy an SKS was 10 years ago. The next best time to buy is now.

[u/GFN_good_for_nothing → u/yummybunnybear]

I’m not pressed over it honestly, look forward to cleaning her out and putting some rounds through her!

[u/LGzJethro66]

How much is a D nowadays??

[u/GFN_good_for_nothing → u/LGzJethro66]

Last time I saw one it was… “well-loved”(heavily used) for $1600

[u/Iokua_CDN]

 Welcome to the club!!!!!  779 bucks for an sks like that is honestly a rare find. The ones I see are over 800 before any taxes and shipping

[u/GFN_good_for_nothing → u/Iokua_CDN]

Same here at this point, I feel like most of the unissued rifles I see are over $1000 after tax and all the Russian/Yugo rifles are at least $1000 BEFORE tax. Seeing some for $1100-$1200 before tax now that all the stores are running out of stock.

[u/dark-skies-4682]

Where did you purchase it from?

[u/GFN_good_for_nothing → u/dark-skies-4682]

Bought the last one from tiger arms in BC

[u/Greenxgrotto]

I remember when they paid you’d to take them /s

[u/bcw_83]

It pains me how much these have gone up because of lack of other options. This rifle shouldn't cost $900 ever.

[u/Swellchapo95]

I miss $200 sks I should have bought 12 of them back then

[u/RiskClassic889]

Thanks to marketing team of Poly people who make this rifle great again. Sound funny but without their crazy obsession about this rifle, less would currently sell. Soviet Union, China and Yugoslavia please say thanks to poly people ( and was free !)

[u/Status_Ticket5044]

Under a grand for a legal semi-auto centerfire rifle in Canada that's not some kind of precious heirloom. Look at it that way. Shoot the shit out of it while you can.

[u/DifficultReference99]

You'll enjoy! Don't be worried about corrosive amm either, Thoroughly clean and 2 weeks later do a quick "once over" to look for residue you missed.

[u/Otherwise_Rub_9515]

Better late than never... What if they end up going for thousands like Valmets do?

You'd be kicking yourself saying remember when they were like $900

We use to have a ton of cool, quality semi's... So sks we're nothing really special, now with the current landscape they are suddenly the most sought after semi. 

You don't want to be the last man to a party. 

[u/Attilathecanuk]

Yeah, it’s expensive but you will LOVE it! Congratulations cause everyone should have one.

[u/China_bot42069]

5 years ago I got a 56 Russian for 300. Wow things have changed 

[u/Vahuo89]

That's an expensive bayonet

[u/dstubbs2609]

I got an sks from cabelas just last year for $600… holy moly

[u/vylemythic]

God, I bought mine 6 years ago for $150 from Cabelas 😅

[u/Meatball74redux]

Jeebus. I bought mine for $175….

[u/Munkey1973]

While $52 seems more than reasonable for shipping, $780 for Chinese SKS is a drop kick to the nuts! If a guy bought a pallet of SKS say 7 years ago, he could have nearly tripled his return selling them right now..... a better return than real-estate in most places in Canada.

[u/Brandon_awarea]

FT’s were also threaded. The only substance difference is the bayonet. All the machining changes are purely cosmetic, there is effectively no difference between the two. If you wanted a Russian style of rifle why not just buy a Russian SKS. They aren’t much more expensive.

[u/GFN_good_for_nothing → u/Brandon_awarea]

I didn’t realize that about the barrels, always heard they were pinned in the ticklers. I didn’t want a Russian style of rifle, I just wanted an unissued SKS. This was the most economical option for me at the time 🤷‍♂️

[u/Brandon_awarea → u/GFN_good_for_nothing]

Fair enough

[u/ben3465]

I wouldn’t pay the 51.86 you paid in shipping for that Chinesisum rifle

[u/Cool_Corey]

Lmfao you can't be serious paying that for an SKS

[u/AioliMindless]

I got a Russian SKS for $220 man the price of those things have gone up