Lets see your Albanian rifle accsessories

[monkeyboy]

I took some pics of pieces in my collection and though I'd share. The first pic is of SKS oilers, a steel variant and a bunch of plastic variations. Followed by firearms slings, then SKS pouches, including one very hard to find field used pouch with a wooden ID tag sewn on the wearers right hand side.

Finally my holy grail of Albanian SKS collecting, an Albanian SKS manual dated 1976. The manual mentions the spike and blade bayonet versions but as you might imagine there doesn't appear to be any mention of Albania's indigenous production. Jon

[spongemonkey]

Nice collection!                                              

[Loose}{Cannon]

Nice collection!

Killin me seeing these Albanian slings and not having one... You ever decide to let one go, please let me know.

[newchi]

whats the difference between those chest rigs and chinese ones?
Are they stamped somewhere?

[carls sks]

nice collection! 

[Loose}{Cannon]

whats the difference between those chest rigs and chinese ones?
Are they stamped somewhere?

Plastic finger pulls, and I believe no grenade pocket.

[monkeyboy]

whats the difference between those chest rigs and chinese ones?
Are they stamped somewhere?

Plastic finger pulls, and I believe no grenade pocket.

There's a lot more to it than that!

Without going on and on here are a few things to keep in mind.

Known Albanian pouches are constructed entirely of sewn fabric. The waist ties, shoulder straps, everything is sewn fabric. There are tight weave fabrics and loose weave fabrics. The toggles are crudely cast plastic of varying colors, though there are Albanian pouches with wood toggles as well.

Metal hardware on Albanian pouches varies, but it too is crudely made.



direct image link

Chinese pouches are very different. Fabric colors vary quite a bit. While the body of the pouches are sewn fabric, and better quality than the Albanians, the shoulder straps are webbing and the waist ties are woven tape (yes it's called tape). The typically seen toggles are wood, though some look like bamboo. Other fasteners include green plastic toggles, Bakelite buttons and tape ties.
 
There are other variants but you get the idea.

P.S. There isn't a "grenade" pocket on any of the pictured pouches. The Chinese variants feature a slightly larger pocket on the wearers left in the last position to carry an oil bottle and any other related stuff.

[spongemonkey]

Very good info!  Thanks for sharing it!   

[Loose}{Cannon]

Ah...  I thought there was a grenade pouch on one of em.   I didn't exactly dig all mine out to inspect them all over again.   

[Power Surge]

The training manual is neat. It looks to me like it was printed specifically for the Chinese Type 56s being sent over there. Either that, or they just borrowed the graphics from a Chinese manual.

[Loose}{Cannon]

I would like to see this Albanian having wooden finger pulls.

[monkeyboy]

I would like to see this Albanian having wooden finger pulls.

I've seen a higher res version of this pic. I see wood toggles. Another collector reported a wood toggled version as well. Interestingly the pictured pouch has the same type of wooden unit(?) ID tag as mine posted above.

[Loose}{Cannon]

I can't tell if it's actually wood.  Also, we know Albanian received all the other major accessories for the aided T56s, whose to say that this isn't Chinese? 

[Direct Connection]

Nice display Monkeyboy ! Thanks for sharing all your mouth watering surplus.  Maybe you posted them already somewhere but may as well show the Albanian hardware that goes with your accessories. Good job on the pics ect. very nice 

[monkeyboy]

Maybe you posted them already somewhere but may as well show the Albanian hardware that goes with your accessories.

The "hardware" you speak of?

[monkeyboy]

whose to say that this isn't Chinese?

I don't have a lot of time to get into it now. But lets apply that same question to the beech stocks found on the recent Chinese imports from Albania.

The stocks are beech. China isn't know for using beech for their stocks. Albania did!

The beech stocks are typically cruder in construction and workmanship than Chinese stocks. Who makes crude copies of Chinese stuff? Albania!

Sure there are those that refuse to believe the beech replacement stocks we see on the recent Chinese imports are Albanian, and at least one guys convinced his is Romanian wt@?, but does it really make sense that they're anything other than Albanian copies?

The same premise applies to their gear. They made crude copies of Chinese gear using different materials. It's just that simple......

Gotta run, I'll continue another day.

[Phosphorus32]

Well, I think LC was referring to the "Albanian" chest rigs that have the wood toggles like the Chinese. The argument you just stated was:

The stocks are beech. China isn't know for using beech for their stocks. Albania did!

So, using the analogous argument:

"The toggles are wood, Albania isn't known for using wood for their toggles. China did!"

Then you would reach the conclusion that they're not Albanian, they're Chinese.


Regardless, its a very nice collection of Albanian accessories you have there 

[Loose}{Cannon]

Im getting the 'apples to oranges" sense here.

Most of us own or have owned the albanian replacement stocks and have inspected them thoroughly. This Albanian chest rig said to have wooden finger tab/pulls however.... we have one picture and nobody with hands-on. 

 

[spongemonkey]

Im getting the 'apples to oranges" sense here.

Most of us own or have owned the albanian replacement stocks and have inspected them thoroughly. This Albanian chest rig said to have wooden finger tab/pulls however.... we have one picture and nobody with hands-on. 

 

I have the same feeling.  Has all of "this info" been proven beyond a reasonable doubt?  Sorry, but I dont think so.

[firstchoice]

  Nice collection! Don't know how I missed this before now?  I'm glad you posted your collections! Wow, and nice collection of the "hardware" side, too! 2 dozen Alby's and counting! Thanks for posting this monkeyboy! 

  Dang, man. Were you standing at Customs when the Alby's were brought in??    I have a few of each color of the Oilers, (don't have any of the "swirly" colored ones, though), two of the darker green, sewn Chest Rigs, and the old Chinese sling that my lone remaining '69 Alby was supposedly imported with. (How would I know for sure? I wasn't there when they imported it.) But you..., where in the heck did you come up with all those fabulous sewn Alby slings? 

 

  #'s 8 and 10, from the left, are about the same color as my '69 Alby. #'s 3,5,6,7, and 8, from the right, are what color/shade I've usually found in the '71-'78 Alby stocks. Is that close to what you've seen, as well? (speaking of original stocks, not replacements) There are originals that were very abused, neglected, etc., and color is no longer recognizable. I realize that.

  The original numbered stock from a '71 Alby that I have since sold: (as example)





  My Alby Chest Rigs: (for color comparison purposes)






  The old Chinese slings that came with the two Alby's that I have owned:






  I'll have to take pics of my Alby Oilers. They're the same as your black, yellow-white, and tan colored ones, though.

  Thanks again for posting, monkeyboy!


  firstchoice