Is there any significance to a "last four" digit serial stamp/replacement stock?

[Stoned_Oli]

The first time I noticed this was on a letter Chinese I bought some time ago. There are two sets of numbers on it, but the second set matches the last four numbers of the serial.



This SKS has the small CAI import mark on the barrel with the "SKS 7.62 CHINA" mark, indicating an early import.
I really didn't think anything of it until I examined the stock on "Sneaky Bastard", my early Russian masquerading as an IO Chinese.



It is hard to see, but stamped on the stock is  a faint 2475, the last four numbers of the serial.
There would seem to be no connections between these two SKS', other than the style of stamping. The font is even different.
Could there be some connection here, or just coincidence? Anybody else ever see this on another SKS?

[Loose}{Cannon]

Early century chinese......    hmmm.  More pics please!    The serial, import stamp... everything.

[Stoned_Oli]

You've seen this one before, over yonder...















There appears to be no extraneous marks on the receiver or barrel, but the finish on the receiver, mag, and receiver cover appear almost more like parkerizing than bluing, probably just wear and oxidation though. It currently resides in a beautiful S series stock with correct red shellac ($10 at the gun show!). If anyone has S8672, I have your stock! 
I still have the "original" stock, taking the place of a beat up F series stock for shooter purposes.

[Loose}{Cannon]

I said it was sanded?   Hmmm..   it does look light colored for a used Israeli capture.   

The stock it these pics is the stock it came in?

[Stoned_Oli]

I said it was sanded?   Hmmm..   it does look light colored for a used Israeli capture.   

The stock it these pics is the stock it came in?

ETA: My bad! it wasn't you who said it was sanded...
Yes it is... and I can put it back in a heartbeat or two...
Another Israeli? Hell, if these keep popping up, they will become common and that Tula on layaway will be ordinary again... 
So I take it the early CAI stamp is evidence of Israeli capture? How definitive is that, for future reference?

[Loose}{Cannon]

From what we can tell, century only used that mark for a couple of years and its consistent with a very spicific batch when your talking chinese.  In this same timeframe and stamp, there was a crapton of like new russians imported from likely the Ukraine. Century was not importing new and refurbed to new rifles from china in this timeframe. 

Furthermore......   I/we are convinced there was everything from early chinnese to 12m and even russians captured by Israel and within this batch.  The arab rack numbers, laminated stocks, and blued bolt carriers are simply the easy spotters. 

[Stoned_Oli]

Thanks for the info, and the sharp eye.
So, no connection between this and the "Sneaky Bastard" and the last four serial stamp? One would presume that the SB was kicking around Eastern Europe with all the recent imports due to the recent IO import stamp, but it looks like it traveled a lot after the stock stamp was made...

[Loose}{Cannon]

No tellin.....   a former owner could have put it on there.  Did you get it from century in early 80s?

My quote from other place

Looks to me like it wasn't sanded, but more than likely smoothed out and simi-stripped with mineral spirits

 

[Stoned_Oli]

No tellin.....   a former owner could have put it on there.  Did you get it from century in early 80s?

My quote from other place

Looks to me like it wasn't sanded, but more than likely smoothed out and simi-stripped with mineral spirits

 

Found the post, and fixed mine... Mea culpa! 

BTW, Sneaky Bastard seems to have a 1951 Tula stock... with it's 1951 or prior features and lack of chrome lining. Pretty sure it is not original though, but the original serial is too hard to make out. Looks like two Cyrillic + three digits without XXXXX...

[Loose}{Cannon]

I have an early century letter gun also.  V12***

Well used gun....  remember, the chinese were aiding the plo with small arms as early as 1958, and thats who Israel smashed in Lebanon 1982 capturing a buttload of plo and syrian small arms.

[running-man]

Interesting oli!  Is the first S/N on that stock a J9671?  I've never understood the rhyme or reason the Chinese had when stamping the letter series stocks. Some were small narrow font while others were small wide font, but it doesn't go In ABC order. I know C E F and X have wide while G I and J certainly have narrow. M has a mixture of and narrow letters, but the numbers have all been narrow.  The second set of stamps must have been done at some kind of refurb.

As for the Russian, who knows?!  We've seen horizontal stamps, XXX'd out, sanded out, numbers only w/o Cyrillic, Cyrillic with numbers on a separate line, huge numerals, no numerals you name it. I'd have a hard time attributing that second stamp to anyone other than the Russians at this point, there's just no proof.

Just for grins, do you see any star stampings anywhere on either stock?  Inside where the receiver cutouts are included? 

[Loose}{Cannon]

Ok...  I see now.  The 7544 on the stock matches the receiver.  I would think the park type finish on some of the metal, and the replacement stock with forcematch # were done in china prior to going abroad.

OR...   someone such as the syrians had swapped the stock and numbered it.
A
I'll go with the latter as that fancy 7 font I haven't seen out of china.


Some Syrian porn

[Stoned_Oli]

Interesting oli!  Is the first S/N on that stock a J9671?  I've never understood the rhyme or reason the Chinese had when stamping the letter series stocks. Some were small narrow font while others were small wide font, but it doesn't go In ABC order. I know C E F and X have wide while G I and J certainly have narrow. M has a mixture of and narrow letters, but the numbers have all been narrow.  The second set of stamps must have been done at some kind of refurb.

As for the Russian, who knows?!  We've seen horizontal stamps, XXX'd out, sanded out, numbers only w/o Cyrillic, Cyrillic with numbers on a separate line, huge numerals, no numerals you name it. I'd have a hard time attributing that second stamp to anyone other than the Russians at this point, there's just no proof.

Just for grins, do you see any star stampings anywhere on either stock?  Inside where the receiver cutouts are included?

No stars, other than the faint Tula star on SB. The 7544 stock has a lot of grit on the inside, though, like I have read that Israeli captures do. I always thought the other serial was 19641, but it could be a J. The grain and wear in that area is not helpful...



BTW S seems to be a mix as well...

[Worm]

Interesting oli!  Is the first S/N on that stock a J9671?  I've never understood the rhyme or reason the Chinese had when stamping the letter series stocks. Some were small narrow font while others were small wide font, but it doesn't go In ABC order. I know C E F and X have wide while G I and J certainly have narrow. M has a mixture of and narrow letters, but the numbers have all been narrow.  The second set of stamps must have been done at some kind of refurb.

As for the Russian, who knows?!  We've seen horizontal stamps, XXX'd out, sanded out, numbers only w/o Cyrillic, Cyrillic with numbers on a separate line, huge numerals, no numerals you name it. I'd have a hard time attributing that second stamp to anyone other than the Russians at this point, there's just no proof.

Just for grins, do you see any star stampings anywhere on either stock?  Inside where the receiver cutouts are included? 

Don't forget the slashed ( / ) out numbers on my Israeli-Capture 9 mill w/ Russian Hardwood field replacement stock:

[Loose}{Cannon]

Look familiar oli?

V gun







12m Israeli Cap

[Worm]

Stoned,

Can't be certain, but almost every early barrel-stamped Century import (Chicom) has pointed me towards it being Israeli-Captured. The two that i have seen now that don't have any specific traits that point it towards the middle east have been:

-LC's 'V' Letter Series
&
-Your letter Series here.

Makes me wonder.. Both letter series.. Same import batch, no specific middle east traits.

But, there have been plenty of 9 & 12 mills that don't scream "Israel cap!" but are. They are easily looked passed and disregarded as what they truly are. I do believe both of your letter series to be Israeli Captures but we cannot be 100% certain.

What will really help their case is if we come across a Letter Series that does have the common features: Arabic marked stocks, red reshellac, black painted part(s), a jiim stamp, etc.

What both of yours has going for it is the Century Mark, and the battle-like patina. Both of which are usually found. Also, let's not forget that China was supplying the PLO very early in the 60's, which fits the Letter Series time-frame spot on.

Something you need to note is there is an oddity. We see plenty of weird markings coming out of the middle east, and the serial restamp is a little odd.

Definitely keep the gun, and an eye out for other rifles and their features. But always look for that Century barrel mark first.

[Worm]

Here is the one on my 12 Mill

[Stoned_Oli]

Yes, LC that does look familiar.
Something else I noticed about 7544... it has a level of bayonet wear that none of my others can even approach! Not even Bajraktar (A tale of two Russians... in Russian SKS - Page 1 of 1), and it saw service in the Balkans apparently, and has virtually no finish left.

[Loose}{Cannon]

Plo musta been scared...   alot   

Or... maybe it was used by the guard and in the fixed position alot.

[running-man]

I'll drop the fart in the elevator:

LC's V gun and 12 mil gun have similar, but not identical import stamps.

The SKS 7.62 CHINA stamps are identical.
The 12 mil has a CAI ST.ALB.VT while the V series has a CAI ST. A. VT. (same as Oli's in the OP) which is clearly a different stamp.

Worm's 12 mil is identical to LC's 12, but both stamps are on the same side and one isn't upside down (which is no biggie in the grand scheme of things, maybe a different guy stamping that day or something)  The different stamp itself, I have a bigger issue with.  Likley from a totally different batch of guns.  I think grouping the V and the 12's together based on only the stamp is a bit of a stretch.  (but based on other characteristics like stock finishes, etc. the argument is easily made)  Both were obviously brought in before CAI moved from St. Albans to Georgia, VT, but I'd have to say a different batch of guns.  Now, it's needless to say they both could have come from the same place such as we've seen with the Monroe, NC / Palm Bay, FL IO stamps on the recent Sino-Banians, but I think unlikely they were brought in at the same time....

What do the stamps on the blued bolt guns typically look like, or maybe they are a mixture of these two stamps?  Maybe there are other 9/12 mils with the same stamp that is seen on LC's V series gun?  That would help solidify at least a couple separate Israeli capture import batches maybe?