SKS-FILES FORUM
SKS Carbines => Unaltered SKS Rifles => Russian SKS => Topic started by: 22srfun on November 10, 2019, 05:14:46 PM
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Hello,
First time posting here. Put these same questions on another site and got some feedback. I thought I would try here too.
I recently purchased a numbers matching 1953 Izzy. The metal is in very nice condition.
But the stock has a Tula star with matching numbers.
There are no XX'ed out old numbers. And the serial # and other marks all appear to have been stamped after it was varnished.
On the other side of the stock are two marks applied after the varnish. But there is one more faint mark that appears to be under the varnish. It is a circle with an oval inside and a "T" shape.
There is only one cross bolt.
There are no clear arsenal refurbishment marks on the cover or elsewhere.
The other site only allows 4 pictures per post. I do not see anything about a picture limit here so I will attach as many as I can. I hope that's OK.
What have I got here?
Has it been refurbished?
What is the meaning of the circle/oval/T mark?
Thanks
(https://i.ibb.co/Wgrn26D/Cover.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
image uploader (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/C299PGj/Stock-serial-close-up-comp.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/NNPRqB1/Marks-on-right-butt-close-up-comp.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/DW5XnQ7/Cover-serial-comp.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/fH7x5tN/Import-mark-comp.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/Fx7XVL2/Magazine-serial-comp.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/RhF3fNw/Receiver-serial-comp.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/nBcVY6Z/Trigger-guard-serial-comp.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/FWKLLbx/Tula-Star-and-serial-comp.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/17MCj2w/Right-side-comp.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/V0yFtGs/Left-side-comp.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/sgth3F7/Butt-plate-end-comp.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/TKQ6MQg/Bolt-serial-comp.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/qkphn0d/Bayonet-comp.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
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hi and welcome. good to have you here. sorry, don't have any answers. dash2 i'm sure others will be able to answer your questions.
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Very nice SKS and welcome to the forum! thumb1
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Hello, yes likely a refurb due to stock. The stock was likely sanded also that is why the proof/inspection stamp on the right side of the butt stock is faint. I would consider it refurb'd.
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I guess they did not sand it hard enough to get everything off, so the Tula is still visible.
And if it was done years after Izzy stopped production, they would not stamp the stock to match the manufacturer.
It may be that the reason there is no XXX over the old number is because they stamped a new one over it.
See the baby powder "enhanced" photo of the serial number on the stock.
But the two "Cyrillic" characters appear unaltered. Did Tula use those same two characters in their serial numbers?
In any event, the metal is beautiful and I do believe the rest is original Izzy. I'll keep her!
(https://i.ibb.co/XymWFwM/Close-up-enhanced-stock-serial.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
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it's a refurb and the refurb mark is on the stock.
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Which mark is the refurb one on the stock?
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Yeah, I know what the refurb mark looks like but I don't see it?
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Here is the refurb mark that pcke mentioned:
(https://i.ibb.co/K61gmRy/Marks-on-right-butt-close-up-comp.jpg)
Here is an identical mark on a more legible example, the "57" is likely the year of refurbishment (1957):
(https://i.ibb.co/1L6gXSb/P2760-right-stock-refurb.jpg)
The mark itself is still on the "unknown" list of refurbishment arsenals. It is the second hexagon down in the left column in the second table of markings.
(https://i.ibb.co/YRm1G4t/Chumak-refurb-stamps-updated.jpg) (https://i.ibb.co/PMF054G/unknown-russian-refurb-shops.jpg)
The metal looks quite good on this gun. The font is indicative of components on an original Izhevsk gun while the font on the stock is clearly stamped over an old Tula number at a later time. The two digit prefix was used in both '53 and '54 but is much more prevalent in '53. thumb1
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Also, the 'circle oval T" mark you called out is some kind of acceptance stamp from the original stock on the original gun at manufacture from the Tula plant, always on the right side of the stock:
(https://i.ibb.co/j8SP8bf/tula-cartouche.jpg)
The Izhevsk acceptance stamp can be on the right or left side of the stock and looks like this:
(https://i.ibb.co/DGc6ztJ/izhevsk-acceptance-stamp3.jpg)
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Thanks RM! I'm so used to seeing the 1st GRAU refurb stamp I thought there was all numbers there. Thanks for info.
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Thank you all for the information, this is quite an education for me!
I have attached an enhanced picture of the refurb mark.
If the two marks next to it are a date, would you say it is a poorly stamped 58 or 68?
(https://i.ibb.co/9wvRqGw/Refurb-mark-and-date.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
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learned something, good info from everyone. thanks. thumb1
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Thank you all for the information, this is quite an education for me!
I have attached an enhanced picture of the refurb mark.
If the two marks next to it are a date, would you say it is a poorly stamped 58 or 68?
(https://i.ibb.co/9wvRqGw/Refurb-mark-and-date.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
Hard to say. Maybe even a 56 or a 66. dntknw1