New 2019 type 56 imports at Classic tracking thread

[running-man]

This thread is for tracking the type 56 SKSs that Classic Firearms has begun selling as of March 18, 2019.

https://www.classicfirearms.com/chinese-sks-rifle-762x39/



The video shows quite a few crates being opened and various firearms being looked at.  From the video and our knowledge of past imports, we think we know the following information:

These guns are all Chinese Type 56 spike bayonet guns with C&R status.  This infers that the S/N range should be year 9 to year 13 or 14 depending on the dating scheme you want to use. (Classic has a year 15 gun on their website, clearly this gun is not 50 years old per the SKS-Files dating scheme, but as we know from previous imports, mistakes are made, then corrected, at the end of the day, everyone has done the best job they could at identifying these properly and following the spirit if not the letter of the law.)


These guns are very likely Chinese guns via Albania.  Some of them clearly have beechwood replacement stocks:


They have a fair amount of trench art as was seen in previous Sino-banian and Yugoslavian imports:


Many have cracked stocks or are missing cleaning rods.  Some have MacGuyver type hardware repairs where needed:


Replacement bayonets are all over the map, there are three different type here with std tri-lobe Chinese, a blued Mosin style bayonet, and a paratrooper sized cut down trilobe Chinese bayonet all shown in just this one crate.  There is also a gun in the video that has a spike bayo with a blade bayo groove cut into the stock:


Importer appears to be (per GM's excellent detective work!):
SKS JIANSHE CHINA 7.62x39
FOXTROT SKANEATELES NY




Edit: We were right on the importer.  Good job GM! 


They got quite a few in with at least 6 crates opened in the video and probably more off camera:





And there are 18 crates in this image taken at the importer.  18 crates at 50 rifles per crate is 900 guns at least:



So quite exciting as up to now we haven't had a single Chinese T56 spike bayo gun that was verified as a C&R import.  This will open the doors to *all* original configuration type 56s with spike bayonets in the serial number range of year 9 to year 13 are indeed C&R rifles as of 2019.  (Year 13 guns were made in 1968 per the SKS-Files dating method, 2019 - 1968 = 51 years ... we leave the extra year in there because we don't know the exact day of manufacture.  We want to ensure they are *over* 50 years old because there is some question as to whether a gun made on Jan 1 vs one made on Dec 31 can both be called 50 years old on August 20th 50 years later, but there is no question that they are both *at least* 50 years old on Jan 1st 51 years later.) 

Please post up photos of your new buys and we will start a tracking thread going.  If you want to XX out the last two digits of your serial number, that is perfectly fine.  The last two digits are not necessary for the type of data analysis we are planning on doing with this list. 

We'd like to find out the S/N ranges, general condition, clear Albanian connections, the exact import stamp, and any additional information we might be able to glean out of this import.  As we know, once this import batch is sold at retail and scattered to the four winds, our opportunity at gathering this data goes *poof*. 

Thanks for all your help! 
-RM

Photos from various auction sites and internet postings are used under 17 U.S. Code § 107, fair use, not for profit educational purposes.  If any of the photos in this post are yours and you explicitly do not want them shown, please contact me.

Edit 3/20/2019: From a member of the 'other' boards who bought one of these:

Howdy fellow SKS fellers,

I just ordered 1 of them SKS's from Classic even though I thought it was too pricey.  I asked which country they came in from. I held for a long time while they checked and  was expecting Albania as an answer (because the last few I ordered from Classic a few years back came from Albania but they had blade bayonets).

They came back and  said the country they were imported from was Austria. Now they could have originated in Albania years ago, but these were imported from Austria. I was so surprised you could have knocked me over with a feather when I heard Austria.

I'm gonna check the trap door in the stock for Austrian beer bottle caps and Vienna Sausages! 

I will get some pix up when it shows up.

They said they had more than 300 of them left in  stock.

Of course, the Classic ad has numerous errors all throughout it but who knows with these.  It's an intriguing piece of evidence, even if the source is highly suspect. 

Another piece of supporting evidence unearthed by GM is this:
https://panjiva.com/Foxtrot-Lima-Enterprises-Llc/46796517

Then I started to snoop around and found this:
https://www.importgenius.com/suppliers/limex-gmbh

It appears that FL is indeed getting various weapons such as Mosin Nagants from German Austrian suppliers (Limex GMBH).  It's not a stretch to say that these type 56s also came via the same supply channel.

Edit: It appears Classic has gotten a new batch in.  (thanks to P32 from this post way down this thread)
Per Classic's webpage:

Update 05/07/2019 - These are the remainder of the very exclusive lot of rifles that we originally offered several weeks ago. We committed to this entire lot of rifles very early in the year but they got separated onto 2 different vessels during the import process and this second batch took far longer to arrive than expected. The good news is that they are finally here and we are happy to be able to offer them.

New thread with Ben pimping the remaining lot:

[running-man]

Serial Numbers:

Year 9 /26\:

Year 10 /26\:
1015431x 10155xxx

Year 11 /26\:
1120144x 1122647x 1123184x 1123565x 1123912x 1124060x 1124747x 1124763x 1125016x 1125815x 1128161x 1128280x 1128337x 1128339x 1129282x 1129481x 1129947x 1130596x 1143348x 11437xxx

Year 12 /26\:

Year 13 /26\:

Year 14 /26\:

Year 15 /26\:
151177x 151301x 151355x 151xxxx 151590x

[Greasemonkey]

Replacement bayonets are all over the map, there are three different type here with std tri-lobe Chinese, a blued Mosin style bayonet, and a paratrooper sized cut down trilobe Chinese bayonet all shown in just this one crate.  There is also a gun in the video that has a spike bayo with a blade bayo groove cut into the stock:

  

Bet it's a Chinese Type 56 Ak spike bayonet, they are around 2 1/2 inches shorter than a regular SKS spike..................a Paratrooper is commercial 

[running-man]

I thought that, but Chinese AK spikes aren't quite that short are they?  I think Albanian Bubba ground it down to get it to fit in the blade bayo slot in the stock instead of milling the wood out properly.   

Edit: This was bugging me so I checked "worldbayonets.com" http://worldbayonets.com/Bayonet_Identification_Guide/China/China_2.html#t56c

T56 carbine (SKS) bayo total length is 12"
T56 rifle (AK) bayo total length is 9.75"

It's plausible GM...I didn't think there was that big a different in them but there clearly is. 

[Greasemonkey]

I thought that, but Chinese AK spikes aren't quite that short are they?  I think Albanian Bubba ground it down to get it to fit in the blade bayo slot in the stock instead of milling the wood out properly.   

Could be...but, it looks like around 2 inches is missing

Type 56 Carbine Blade length 12.00 - SKS
Type 56 Rifle Blade length 9.75 - AK

http://worldbayonets.com/Bayonet_Identification_Guide/China/China_2.html

[running-man]

ROFL, too late man 

[Loose}{Cannon]

Looks to me like bubba ground it down because instead of grinding the top/bottom, they ground the sides. There is a clear shot of this in the Baby Gap commercial..

[Justin Hell]

I initially thought Chinese AK bayo when I saw that too...but I wonder if they were just trying to fit a Chinese bayonet into either a blade stock or Albanian....and ground it down?  I about choked on my coffee when he said it was a paratrooper bayonet. 

[Phosphorus32]

I initially thought Chinese AK bayo when I saw that too...but I wonder if they were just trying to fit a Chinese bayonet into either a blade stock or Albanian....and ground it down?  I about choked on my coffee when he said it was a paratrooper bayonet. 

No, no, it's a Vietnamese Paratrooper Bayonet, very rare 

[Boris Badinov]

Great photo editing  above.

Thanks.

[running-man]

Added a bit of info to the end of the OP with regard to these coming from Austria.  It's actually somewhat likely that they did indeed come from Albania via Austria. 

[Phosphorus32]

Added a bit of info to the end of the OP with regard to these coming from Austria.  It's actually somewhat likely that they did indeed come from Albania via Austria. 

Interesting. Albania sells to Limex in Strau, Austria, they sell to importers like FL or PW Arms and ship them across the pond, they sell to retailers like Classic. Yikes, no wonder they’re pricey. Wonder how much Albania charges Limex per SKS?

[Greasemonkey]

Added a bit of info to the end of the OP with regard to these coming from Austria.  It's actually somewhat likely that they did indeed come from Albania via Austria. 

Interesting. Albania sells to Limex in Strau, Austria, they sell to importers like FL or PW Arms and ship them across the pond, they sell to retailers like Classic. Yikes, no wonder they’re pricey. Wonder how much Albania charges Limex per SKS?

https://ammoterra.com/company-limex-gmbh-products

[Phosphorus32]

Uh, I’ll take one of each 

[Boris Badinov]

I'm guessing there will be no 14th year guns.

However, if there are,  wouldn't his mean that C&R was granted on some basis other than the 50 year requirement?

[Greasemonkey]

I'm guessing there will be no 14th year guns.

However, if there are,  wouldn't his mean that C&R was granted on some basis other than the 50 year requirement?

One has to remember... weapons like the Cz.82 and some Yugo M59/66s are from the 80's and C&R. There is the other side, Curio.. that could meet the requirements.

[Boris Badinov]

One has to remember... weapons like the Cz.82 and some Yugo M59/66s are from the 80's and C&R. There is the other side, Curio.. that could meet the requirements.

Yep. P32 may have found proof of this. He seems to have located a 14mil serial in Classic's un-crating video:

https://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?1082683-Shipment-of-Chinese-SKS-rifles&p=9655505#post9655505

The photo is kinda blurry, and the 7's appear to be with serif (thought they were sans-serif by 12th or 13th year, but who knows?).


My logic followed the path of least resistance for the importers-- which seems like it would be to go with the already method already approved by the BATF 56+millions and /26\ only-- inaccurate as it may be.

Maybe the they took the long way around this time, and submitted a curio request on historical appeal.

If true, one can only wonder if this will open the floodgates for all standard configuration carbines?

[Phosphorus32]

I consider the 14 million guns C&R. They're 50 years old by calendar year of manufacture, which is as precise as the law says you need to be. Personal opinion, not official SKS Files guidance.

[Greasemonkey]

Maybe the they took the long way around this time, and submitted a request on historical appeal.

One can only wonder if this will open the floodgates for all standard configuration carbines?

And if they find them later or a non /26\

It could be like the last batch, the ATF will flag and sequester certain ones for destruction because they don't meet requirements.

Kinda where collectors can be their own worse enemy.... posting photos and hashing out the dates,"Oh look I got a '71 model", it's a "insert your favorite infernal word here" . Guess people don't think the ATF keeps tabs on forums such as this, that Facebook thang, Twatter and and other social media crap, they don't have the man power to examine every rifle and everything online could give them a general consensus of whats being sold at retail. Then they can tell the retailer/importer, any above serial numbers above BR549 needs to be sequestered/set aside and we, the ATF will take control of them.

How and where did they figure out the last batch had Russians in the batch? an importer or retailer aint going to say anything, thats cash money waiting for a buyer, sell'em as fast as possible, make as much as possible... The ATF ain't going to reimburse them if snatched up due to a legal issue, it's give us the rifles or face legal repercussions for selling weapon grade contraband and join us at Club Fed, where we offer free cable TV, exercise facilities and 3 hots and a cot!!

Time will tell.

[Boris Badinov]

I consider the 14 million guns C&R. They're 50 years old by calendar year of manufacture, which is as precise as the law says you need to be. Personal opinion, not official SKS Files guidance.

If the 14mil was granted status using the modern dating theory, then there is argument enough that 1969 d.o.m. would qualify for C&R.

However the 1.5mill gun indicates that the modern theory was NOT used.

In fact the arrival of both 14th and 15th year guns carries the suggestion that NEITHER dating method was used. This C&R batch may have come through on a Curio Request.