*SOLD* 1950 Tula Arsenal SKS 7.62x39 Blue 20.5" *HEAD-TURNING RUSSIAN MADE RIFLE*

Bryant Ridge's Analysis:

The SKS is a semi-automatic rifle designed by Soviet small arms designer Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov in 1945. The SKS was first produced in the Soviet Union but was later widely exported and manufactured by various nations. Its distinguishing characteristics include a permanently attached folding bayonet and a hinged, fixed magazine.  As the SKS lacked select-fire capability and its magazine was limited to ten rounds, it was rendered obsolete in the Soviet Armed Forces by the introduction of the AK-47 in the 1950s. SKS carbines continued to see service with the Soviet Border Troops, Internal Troops, and second-line and reserve army units for decades. The SKS was manufactured at Tula Arsenal from 1945 to 1958, and at the Izhevsk Arsenal from 1953 to 1954, resulting in a total Soviet production of about 2.7 million. Throughout the Cold War, millions of additional SKS carbines and their derivatives were also manufactured under license in the People's Republic of China, as well as a number of countries allied with the Eastern Bloc.

Specifications:

Manufacturer: Tula Arsenal
Model: SKS
Serial: B377
Date of Manufacture: 1950
Caliber: 7.62x39mm
Finish: Black
Barrel Length: 20 1/2" Barrel with Folding Blade Bayonet
Optics/Sights: Hooded Post Front with Adjustable Tangent Rear 
Stock/Grips: Smooth Wood
Action: Semi-Automatic
Markings: Standard / The left side of the receiver, back of the dust cover, the bolt, left side of the buttstock, and the trigger guard are all stamped with matching serial numbers “B377”. The top of the dust cover is stamped with the Tula arsenal mark and the date of manufacture “1950”.