Year old YouTube Video on dating the Chinese SKS

[Greatguns]

Someone posted this up on the 'other' boards today. Has anybody else seen this? I didn't watch the whole thing, but the guy seems to take his info directly from the 'Files' database. I'm waiting for all the old school guys to chime in trying to debunk it, LOL.

https://youtu.be/qWUwe6AHGDg?si=Lms_aq8VOC18X7if

[Boris Badinov]

He does a really good job explaining sks-files' dating method. It's pretty obvious where his information comes from. I would liked to see him give some credit to those who deciphered it first.

I also wonder how long the thread will last before it is deleted at the other site.

[Greatguns]

I didn't feel like kicking the hornet's nest so I sent the guy a PM with a brief explanation and history of the updated info and where it came from. Also was able to give him a round about way to get to the Files site so, if he ain't already here we may see him soon, LOL. Who know, maybe I'll kick it anyway.

[Direct Connection]

Airborn Ranger : )  Great video. Best part was at 20:10 to 21:15

[running-man]

It's a good video.  He seems to grasp at some things like assigning letter guns A-L to 1959 and M-Z to 1960 though.  I've never seen any evidence that shows that at all. 

Overall he has a pretty good grasp of things, it would appear he's using Chinese sources based on his exact serial numbers assigned to the ghost gun demarcation along with exact production #'s for years 9, 10, 11, & 12.   

He still falls into the trap of emphasizing 5 or 6 digit serial numbers though...the Chinese had 4 and 7 digit numbers as well.

I'd heard the M21 0296 prefix of 709 = 1979 but darned if I can remember from where....

[Boris Badinov]

It's a good video.  He seems to grasp at some things like assigning letter guns A-L to 1959 and M-Z to 1960 though.  I've never seen any evidence that shows that at all. 

Seems like he's trying to break it up into two equal production years-- first half of the alphabet in 1959 and the 2nd half in 1960.  Personally, with only 20k attributed to 1961 (6th year), It seems possible also that some letter rifle production may have occurred in 1961.

If anything, it makes far more sense stock serial size (small-font-vs-large-font) would be the dividing line for chronological order of production-- which has no basis in alphabetical order.

Given the very low 3 year production total for 1959 thru 1961 there is also the possibility of a prolonged halt in production. Just as the serial data show for the type53 and type54. It would be interesting to see the AK56 serial data for that time period, too.

Overall he has a pretty good grasp of things, it would appear he's using Chinese sources based on his exact serial numbers assigned to the ghost gun demarcation along with exact production #'s for years 9, 10, 11, & 12.   

I was wondering about this too. I thought ≈530k was the highest known yearly total for Type56 production (11th year).

Perhaps his numbers are from Howie's serial number thread?

[running-man]

Agreed with the narrow font vs wide font on the letter gun stocks.  You are also correct with the very low production of year 6 carbines, there may very well have been carry over of the letter guns into '61. 

His exactly 600,010 (or whatever the number was, I'm not going to rewatch to try and find it) carbines produced in year 11 probably isn't too far off.   The highest S/N I have a photo of for year 11 carbines is 590,050:



Howie's S/N thread was mostly limited to CAI imports from 2012.  He did have a master tracking list in an MS Word document from 2014 where he lists the following carbines "11601393-11608286-11691746-11704720-11711221-11737160-11898001".  I've always assumed those 600k plus numbers are transcription/reading/typing errors as I've noticed several other issues with the data in his lists; to the point where I will no longer add a gun into our database unless there is a clear photo of it that can be verified later on.  Heck even with this method, I have uncovered issues where several years after I enter something, I happen to view the photo again and realize I screwed something up and my entry was wrong!   Keeps me humble every time I find one of those though!  I'm no SKSgod for certain...

[echo1]

I kinda used my poker stick a bit in that thread and through a slice of logic too, PAX

[Greatguns]

I think most over there are either ignoring it or, have been around long enough that they're like 'nope, not going there' 

[running-man]

I think most over there are either ignoring it or, have been around long enough that they're like 'nope, not going there' 

Yep. About par for the course. I'd be surprised if they ever do anything that goes against the grain over there ever again.

One can only hope that the 'authorities' over there eventually stop interacting with the plebs and the plebs are able to uncover the truth. Of course that probably means that the place would finally go dark though (and at this point I don't know that would be all that bad for the collecting community...)

[echo1]

....(and at this point I don't know that would be all that bad for the collecting community...)

Then main issue would be to lose some of the older (ancient) threads where actual SKS projects went away. There used to be a lot of activity at one time with many contributions. Now days, basically one fella has a continuous thread going about his handy work and that's about it. I'd like to replicate some of that early work. I'll throw a bone out there now and again but I've throttled back on my cheap Chinese SKS collecting and have tried to get a handle on FN49s, Hakim and Garands iron. Although I did pick up a light Tula refurb and a KSI Hunter for dirt. I'm still a sucker for a deal. PAX