Thanks for all the helpful suggestions...



  Still struggling with this problem.
I may part this out and cut the receiver up.

Quote from: MikeT on May 02, 2026, 06:11:46 PMStock and mag do not match. Question: should I keep this or move it along?

Nice looking Russian for sure. Keep it

Quote from: Boris Badinov on May 02, 2026, 09:15:42 PMOr Ground. I can see that.

"Stamped" is inaccurate. Ive always imagined it like carbon steel punches with a sharp cuttin point like a chisel made for hardened steel. Not a stamp, but applied like a stamp using a hammer.

Are you thinking maybe a small dremel-like tool?

The early Tula stars and arrows on the covers were also apllied by hand, not with roll stamps.


Roll stamps for the covers start in mid -late 1950 and continue through 1954/1955.

1955 dated carbines arent very common, but its not unusual for 1955 dated covers to have one or more numbers that appear to have been applied by hand.

Quote from: Boris Badinov on May 02, 2026, 09:15:42 PMOr Ground. I can see that.

"Stamped" is inaccurate. Ive always imagined it like carbon steel punches with a sharp cuttin point like a chisel made for hardened steel. Not a stamp, but applied like a stamp using a hammer.

Are you thinking maybe a small dremel-like tool?

The early Tula stars and arrows on the covers were also apllied by hand, not with roll stamps.


Roll stamps for the covers start in mid -late 1950 and continue through 1954/1955.

1955 dated carbines arent very common, but its not unusual for 1955 dated covers to have one or more numbers that appear to have been applied by hand.

Quote from: Boris Badinov on May 03, 2026, 01:07:46 PMThe early cover stars were most almost certainly applied with 10 individual strikes from a straight edged cutting punch/chisel:

Definitely possible.  They got better results than I would have.  lol

The early cover stars were most almost certainly applied with 10 individual strikes from a straight edged cutting punch/chisel:

With the handguard off you can test for air leaks in the tube beneath the wood.

Plug the rear opening with a finger and begin pouring rubbing alcohol into the tube. If there are corrosion holes where recoil gas is escaping the alcohol will spill out around the wood of the underside of the handguard.

Quote from: Boris Badinov on May 02, 2026, 09:15:42 PMOr Ground. I can see that.

"Stamped" is inaccurate. Ive always imagined it like carbon steel punches with a sharp cuttin point like a chisel made for hardened steel. Not a stamp, but applied like a stamp using a hammer.

Are you thinking maybe a small dremel-like tool?

The early Tula stars and arrows on the covers were also apllied by hand, not with roll stamps.   


Roll stamps for the covers start in mid -late 1950 and continue through 1954/1955.

1955 dated carbines arent very common, but its not unusual for 1955 dated covers to have one or more numbers that appear to have been applied by hand.

I almost believe 1950 and later Tula SKSs had the Tula star/arrow pantograghed on rather than stamped (with the serial on the rear face beind stamped), similar to some PU scope markings.  That would also explain the font difference between the date and the serial stamps on the numbered parts, even on factory matching examples.

But it's pretty clear that '49s were hand-done, as every one is subtly different (and slightly crude).   I'm wondering if they maybe used some kind of template for the star, which kept it relatively neat if you didn't let it move too much.

Quote from: Greatguns on May 02, 2026, 10:06:36 AMRaise your rear sight leaf so you can see into the hole underneath.

There is no hole under the rear sight leaf. Sorry.

When I look at the serial numbers I see a change on the letter 1. Sans serif vs serif fonts

Got it! Thanks for the great info.

There is a simple function test for the gas piston:

With hand guard removed, and piston installed. Set piston head flush with the opening of the gas tube, cover the opening entirely with your thumb. With the opeing covered. turn the handguard perpendicular to the ground and let the piston fall with gravity.


A properly functioning piston will fall slowly in the tube, and you should feel light suction on the pad of your thumb. A marred pistonn should funnction prefectly if it can pass this simple gravity test.