Picked up an SKS

[Tom in N.J.]

Back in the 1980s, when the Chinese SKS was first imported in numbers, they came in light oil. I knew a NY dealer (since passed) who used to dip them in cosmoline so the buyer thought they were military. Val Forgett told me that all of the SKS rifles had to be certified as police / security weapons as military Chinese SKS rifles were banned from importation. Bayonets were banned on all Chinese SKS rifles around 1989, and the installation of one on a rifle required 922r compliance. My 1988 Navy Arms import SKS has a memo under the hand guard giving the date of import and thus exempting the bayonet. I got it on-sale for $50.00.