A long dry spell for milsurps, then a couple of interesting finds on GunBroker. I already posted the Saginaw M1 Carbine a couple of days ago:
https://sks-files.com/index.php?topic=6819.0This Chinese SKS popped up in my auto-search email notification from GunBroker at O'dark-30 with a BIN that made me BIN at 2am
This is presumably a late 9th year (1964) M21, given the relatively high serial number for this
9 series M21. It almost looks like a cache gun with the cosmoline present in the mag well, inside the receiver, recoil spring assembly, gas piston and tube, etc.
but it was clearly carried based on the wear where a hand gripped the foreend. The bore is clear and shiny, so I'd guess it was minimally cleaned and fired at least a few times in it's residual storage grease condition, before it was captured. No import marks of course. Jungle patina but not bad and all matching. It came without a sling but I had a nice worn sling I picked up for $5 in a pawn shop recently.
Personally, I think these N
o 8 and 9 series M21s are a really interesting variation of the definite Vietnam bring-back rifles, 4th to the Trinity rifles, but a close 4th behind the North Vietnamese
Star 1 variant.
The books I picked up in a large lot of USMC manuals etc. at an online auction about a month ago. I've presented a couple of pages of interest on the US understanding of the Chinese 7.62x39 ammo ca. 1971.