1992 Norinco. Just a functioning SKS

[Phosphorus32]

I got this beater at an auction for $215. Another one of those Charlie Brown bringing home the Christmas tree projects. It was sold as poor, non functioning. I figured it'd be worth the parts even if I couldn't get it running. Turns out, some brilliant gangbanger had left out the op rod and apparently fired it, because the gas piston was jammed hard inside the op rod spring in the channel. I cut off a piece of 1/16" steel rod, placed the muzzle end down on a piece of carpet on a concrete floor, and banged away on the rod until the gas piston dislodged. It was undamaged, so one $7 delivered op rod later and it was back to functioning.

Metal wasn't too bad. Certainly quite a bit of bluing loss and some surface rust in spots that I managed to clear up fairly well with oil, bronze wool and a brass brush. The buttplate needed some pounding with a steel rod on the clean concrete to get it back in reasonable shape. Also had to supply a spare lower swing swivel from my parts bin.

If it was an early Chinese I would have left the stock alone, but given that this is a "recent" import commercial variant and the stock looked like beat up driftwood, I decided to clean and recoat with shellac. I used a mix of garnet and amber flake shellac dissolved in denatured ethanol and applied four coats with steel wool between.

It's interesting to me just because it's a "commercial" Norinco but still in straight up Type 56 configuration. So it book ends my Chinese collection with the early Chinese from 36 years earlier. Pressed/pinned barrel, no lightening cuts, riveted spike bayonet (never installed, or removed?), only 4 serial numbers: receiver, stock, bolt and bolt carrier. CSI Import mark "# 8", last style.


BEFORE & AFTER





























4 SERIAL NUMBERS









OTHER PICTURES

[Loose}{Cannon]

Scrubbed gun it seems....  no arsenal or t56 characters?

Needs more bayo.   

[Greasemonkey]

Addict!! Enabler!!

This man needs an intervention..

Denial is a sign

I like it.. it has an avant garde look to it.. it's not all fluff and buffed new looking.. just that certain hint of ugly from use, and being redone tastefully... it's like the really cute hollar honey just missing a tooth ...

[Phosphorus32]

Scrubbed gun it seems....  no arsenal or t56 characters?

Needs more bayo.   

Nope, no Arsenal or Type 56 characters. So, not new late manufacture under Norinco?

I've been thinking about getting a bayonet retention rivet, but not sure I want to "spend" my only spare spike on this one.

[Phosphorus32]

Addict!! Enabler!!

This man needs an intervention..

Denial is a sign

I like it.. it has an avant garde look to it.. it's not all fluff and buffed new looking.. just that certain hint of ugly from use, and being redone tastefully... it's like the really cute hollar honey just missing a tooth ...

What problem? I'm on the SKS equivalent of the see-food diet. 
I mean really, it was just an altruistic undertaking...the greater good and all that. The SKS was dead and it needed some TLC to revive it 

[Loose}{Cannon]

I dunno.  Maybe the receiver was new, but looks like it has long belt sander marks left on the side of the receiver.

Dont see a 1992 date very often... def one of the last to make it in.

[Loose}{Cannon]

Looks like you did a fine job btw.....  needs that bayo!

Are you positive there are no threads in the bayo lug for a screw?

[Phosphorus32]

Looks like you did a fine job btw.....  needs that bayo!

Are you positive there are no threads in the bayo lug for a screw?

Thanks!  Okay, okay, I ordered the rivet 

Good eyes, I can see the small horizontal scratches upon closer examination. Also the bottom of the receiver cover was ground flat on both sides to sit flush.

[Loose}{Cannon]

Yup   

[Power Surge]

It's a new production gun. Those "belt sander" marks are very common on the new production Chinese guns, even going back to the 1984 Clayco M8. And the patterns also go into the receiver covers most times. I believe it was a final finish part of the new production process.

What is a bit perplexing, is the machined trigger group....although that is an easily changed part.

The riveted bayo is interesting too. It was previously believed that only SKS-30s and SIX CORP Type 56s had that feature, however, I have seen quite a few of this same standard model with them now.

[Greasemonkey]

What problem? I'm on the SKS equivalent of the see-food diet. 

I know, I know... You pay your bills, you make your meals. you function. Secretly suffering...hiding behind dumpsters on a cold rainy night with your next fix, trying to unwrap in a paranoid state with shaking, trembling hands    I'm there...suffering too..

I'm sure there are programs we can get you in... 


Always wondered the reason for a riveted bayonet.. Since it seems to follow the commercial rebuilds.

Was the riveted style bayonet used as a replacement for stripped bayonet screw threads, just drill the hole out and pop a rivet?  In theory it would be quick easy repair vs. changing an otherwise functional sight base.

[running-man]

I'm going to have to disagree.  Looks to be a salvaged parts frankengun to me.  I could easily see this one having started out life as a /\ or [] gun in the 70's and when the time came, getting scrubbed, having various parts matched up and restamped, new stock and there you go.  Heavy use/abuse/neglect since '92 certainly took its toll.

[Justin Hell]

I have a late Chinese cover like that with the flattened sides.  It isn't from scrubbing...I think they are a little more robust though. This one was serialed to a gun, and scrapped later...but not much later...it looks almost brand new.  It lives on my newly resurrected /606\...and came from a parts lot that made me build a 'new' gun.

I dig the shellac job on this. Nice restoration...I have done up a coupe of stocks that ended up on mismatched SKSs and have been quite pleased. I have never played with shellac though, yours looks pert dern close to proper.  Toss it behind the pickup seat between the speaker boxes and it will get the proper aged look.

I almost inhaled a cigarette butt when I read 'spend my only spare spike' though...my wife just finds them around the house for back scratchers. She is a good egg. It was funny as hell when I had a paratrooper spike and she couldn't reach or figure out why...I traded that one off though...it had the rivet.  I should have kept it to help you out and keep the short spike for comedy purposes.

[Loose}{Cannon]

Every time I have seen the flattened/sanded sides of a cover, it was on a scrubbed gun.  Its likely the cover was attached to the receiver when it was done. Its the same concept as sanding a stock with the buttplate attached so the profile matches. 

[Greasemonkey]

My NR has a cover like that..and as I understand they weren't scrubbed, but purpose built commercial rifles, it's cover flattened on the sides. It's almost slightly different style cover from the typical cover. I will post and show the 2 side by side.... when I get home @ about daybreak thirty from work and catch some beauty sleep.

Some of us ain't got or even want a chushy plush daywalker job.

[LKermit]

Very nicely done! 

KTF

[Justin Hell]

Every time I have seen the flattened/sanded sides of a cover, it was on a scrubbed gun.  Its likely the cover was attached to the receiver when it was done. Its the same concept as sanding a stock with the buttplate attached so the profile matches.

I wrote this a day ago, but a crash and a power outage must have not let it post....GM's photos I am interested in seeing. It does seem like a different type of cover.

It should be too thin to fit properly on anything else but a scrubbed gun.  I was a little surprised when I got it, I think I brought it up on the chatterbox last year.  It fits like normal on the /606\  a little tight even.  Seems like it would be tough to scrub the gun with the cover in place too without leaving traces that there was a latch in the way of the belt sander.  I haven't weighed it, but it seemed heavier when I took it out of the package before even noticing the sides. It may be just a weird anomaly akin to the dented /906\ mags maybe?  I have been kind of keeping my eye out to see if I spot another like this to see if it correlates to a specific factory....since mine is unknown. 

And dangit...this factory is unknown also. It sure is neat for a 'normal' 56 to have very late features...and still have all of it's length left....and a rivet bayonet system. Kind of like finding a factory red Model T with power steering and cruise control. 

[Loose}{Cannon]

Don't think the latch would affect much on the left side...  The side being scrubbed, but who knows. 

[Luke2236]

Nice clean-up!

[Phosphorus32]

Okay, got a rivet for the bayonet and a well used Type 56 sling that came with a Swedish M/96 of all things