1978 French tickler in cosmo

[theSKSguy45]

I got this rifle a few months ago. It was part of the big shipment of unfired rifles that Canada received. Pretty standard rifle minus the staining I noticed on the bolt carrier. Anyone know what could have caused that? My 1969 has the same staining (see other bolt carrier pictured) and even some missing bluing in spots. Additionally the cleaning kit doesn?t have any knurling of any sort on it. I wasn?t aware that those cleaning kits existed.

[firstchoice]

Nice Type 56 SKS, theSKSguy45! Great series in those years from /26\.

I'm not sure what caused the staining on your Bolt Carrier, although I've seen many like that. I've wondered how using a glass bead treatment would turn out. Regular sand blasting would be too course and change the original finish fairly drastically. I suppose it would depend on the depth of the staining as to how well that option would work. All this depends on your dedication to preserving the original finish and keeping it in "as-issued" configuration. If that's not a concern to you, then polishing it with a compound would take it to a higher gloss and remove the stain. As they say....It's your rifle....

The '78-'79 /26\ rifles are some of my favorites. I had a couple extra of them still new, unfired, in original boxes with the issued accessories that I sold last month a a local gun show. Both sold for $800.00 each, cash, without an argument. They didn't even try haggling. I'm continually being surprised at the appreciation in value that many of the SKS models have enjoyed. Out of curiosity, what are these costing folks north of the border now? (go ahead, make us jealous again.    )

P32, Running Man, or Greasemonkey may have a good answer for the cause of the staining. They be smart!  Actually, we have a LOT of smart, well educated members here. And that keeps the content interesting.

firstchoice

[theSKSguy45]

On sale for $450 CAD before tax?

[running-man]

The second bolt carrier most certainly looks like oxidation to me.  Likely caused by an incomplete/inadequate protective grease layer applied during storage in the crate.  Most bolt carriers are not surface treated in any way, so they are very prone to develop corrosion in the nooks and crannies.  With this one, perhaps this carrier had a piece of paper, cloth, or something in contact with it that was able to attract moisture and begin the process over that wide an area.  Or perhaps more likely, the gun was stored with the carrier and bolt locked in the open position and the close clearance area between the receiver cover and back of the carrier was ripe for moisture intrusion...

The first one looks like maybe there was some liquid (either water or the outlines of the grease where it flowed when still liquid) that started the process going.  This one is in much better shape than the second and is a good candidate to hit with some brass wool (or a big 45 pad) to see if that surface corrosion will lift off.  I suspect it will.  The second one is going to need quite a bit more TLC and like FC said above, it would change the original finish considerably I think to get that much pitting to come off...

Nice carbine all in all though!  They are, in my opinion, some of the nicest type 56's made.