[grumpy_old_man]

Hi pvster;

Best times to go hunting for gun bargains are:
1. gun buybacks (you already know that one - congrats on your score!! )
2. tax time - I used to see all manner of choice guns show up at the shop during tax time for way less than someone had in 'em. Still happens, since when uncle sugar wants a piece of you to keep your home, you pay or else. 'Lotta the guns I'm seeing now are way overpriced, but the people offering 'em figure they don't need to sell them the way people who owe taxes do.

You should just be patient for a little while - tax time rolls around in quarterly installments most places, and we're still coming in off the panic pricing. Gonna take a little while for some people to figure out that they're not going to get $800 for a bubba'd Norco SKS, just the way they're figuring out that they're not going to get $60 for a PMag. Not now, and not until the next panic. Funny thing is that some people had it figured we were 100% goners in January now they figure we're 100% safe. Neither was true. We were in high risk in January, and we're at lower risk now but the next Sandy Hook can happen literally any time. So expect a bumpy road on prices and buy when a good opportunity presents itself, like that super job you did at the buyback. That's way better success than anything I've done in years, so you can't guarantee that kind of success every time.

I'd say if you could find another SKS for threeish you'd be doing fine on a fixer-upper (bbl and action need to be sound). Anything less than that for a sound action and bbl is another home run on your part. One thing to look for is dry rotted wood in the stock - this gives you some wiggle room on the price, since "aw jeez I'm gonna have to replace this". A missing bayonet is another bargaining chip you can play to negotiate a lower price.

Good luck and all the best,
Grumpy

 

[grumpy_old_man]

Have a link?

Sarco, Inc., Firearms, Firearms Parts and Accessories

I'd call and ask for availability and details. Be aware up front that you're going to have to set something up with a local FFL holder to handle the transfer if you ever buy a firearm online. Basically, its okay to buy online but no one will ship it to you unless you're an FFL holder, so the transfer complete with 4473 and NICS check takes place at the gun dealer (FFL holder). The FFL has to fax or snail mail a signed copy of his/her FFL to the vendor otherwise its no-go. Some vendors won't even talk to you until they know you've already got arrangements with an FFL in place with them. Not sure about Sarco these days.

If you already knew all that, sorry! But with all the media BS about "stopping the gun show loophole" and "stopping internet sales", most people think you can just point/click/take delivery at your doorstep the way you buy a CD from Amazon. You can't, and if you somehow did, its a federal felony - very very bad, don't do this at home kids, etc. But so long as the transfer is handled at a local FFL according to all fed, state, and local laws, you're GTG.

On the guns themselves, check price of a barreled action and see what you're getting - is there a headspaced bolt, trigger group, gas piston assembly, etc. Then see how much its going to cost you to finish it out as a project gun. Sounds like a fun project if you get 'er going. Keep us posted, I may do one myself if $$$ becomes available. Just had some bad news here that's not appropriate to discuss on a forum, so my spare "gun money" just went bye-bye for a while, once I get the last payment on my SAA in.

Anyway, good luck and all the best,
Grumpy