Trade for Albanian 561

[Greatguns]

Okay guys, I am looking at working a local deal on what will be my first ever actual Albanian SKS. Not the best condition, but looks decent. The stock has been camo painted, but I can probably fix that (if I have a mind to). Has the bayonet and cleaning rod, but no kit in the butt. Would probably like to find an Albanian kit, sling, and chest rig to go with it.
I am not up on Albanian SKSs and for as many years as I have collected and worked on them, I have never handled, worked on, nor owned an actual Albanian made SKS. This is NOT a prime specimen, but most(if not all) the numbers match and looks to be a complete-able unit.

Anyway, below are some pics and the guy is asking $600 with possible trade fodder in the works. Question is a simple yay or nay as to get it or not along with any thoughts and opinions you may have. Here are the pics I have from the seller.

[PAX]

JUMP ON IT! There's not that many. The last Alby I let go kinda cheap $850 but the same fella took me up on a bulk SKS buy, 3 Chinese C&R and the Alby, also C&R.  At the time, 2018-19(?) Martin08 said I could have got $1K easily on its own. Not that bad of condition even if camod. Is the stock numbered to the rifle too? PAX

[Greatguns]

Right now I'm working on a trade of a used Ruger PC Carbine in a MagPul backpacker stock w/glock magwell and mag for his Alby SKS and $50.

[PAX]

Right now I'm working on a trade of a used Ruger PC Carbine in a MagPul backpacker stock w/glock magwell and mag for his Alby SKS and $50.

That trade works. If you can salvage the stock and it's numbered to the rifle, sweet. Looks like paint. Great snag Alan, PAX

[Greatguns]

Okay, so I did make the trade. I took a bore light with me, the bore is good and the bolt and stock match the rest of the rifle. It just needs the correct cleaning kit, sling, and maybe a chest rig to be complete. After that it's just deciding on whether to redo the stock or leave it. So, it is an all matching 1968 Albanian 56-1. Here's a few more pics.

[Hodgie]

Some gel paint stripper and a plastic scraper will make short work of that paint. I sold most of my SKS collection years back. I regretted selling my Alby and I actually bought it back from Darin a few years later for the same price I sold it for. I won’t be selling it again.

[Greatguns]

I thought of a follow up question on the accessories. With Albania being in close proximity to Yugoslavia and other Soviet influenced countries and having received Chinese SKSs, if an Albanian SKS was to get a sling replacement "in the field", would it most likely be Chinese, Russian, or Yugoslavian? I'm thinking, with the Chinese contract they possibly received a bunch of spare parts, etc. so a Chinese sling would be more feasible than the other 2, but any of the three is possible. Thoughts?

[PAX]

I thought of a follow up question on the accessories. With Albania being in close proximity to Yugoslavia and other Soviet influenced countries and having received Chinese SKSs, if an Albanian SKS was to get a sling replacement "in the field", would it most likely be Chinese, Russian, or Yugoslavian? I'm thinking, with the Chinese contract they possibly received a bunch of spare parts, etc. so a Chinese sling would be more feasible than the other 2, but any of the three is possible. Thoughts?

A Chinese sling may be plausible for the M56-1 type but those were actually in service prior to the Chinese rifles being allocated/issued. Though I have heard there were Chinese slings with Albanian script. PAX

[Greatguns]

I did find an actual Albanian made sling for $95, but I cheaped out and got the Chinese with Albanian writing on it

[PAX]

At the prices I'm seeing for the accessories I'm going to wait until I trip over them. Now that I know what they look like I'm seen the slings before and passed on them because they were shoddy looking. The leather and clot AK units don't hurt my feelings and if I decide to sell, I'm sure it won'lt effect the sale not having the right bits. PAX

[Prince50]

update?

Did you strip the paint?

I'll bet it turned out nice!

D

[Greatguns]

I decided, not knowing whether the camo job (it ain't your normal paint job) was done pre or post import I was going to leave it alone.

[JimmyJamesKY]

I will say the camo paint doesn't look bubba, at least to my untrained eye it's pretty nicely done.