Odd carrier on 1955 Tula. Iraq capture.

[Boris Badinov]

This was shared in a discussion on gunboards. The rifle was sold in a Canadian auction last in April 2024. The carrier has been decapitated -- i.e the slot for stripper clips has been removed, and it has an Alby-style charging handle.

Maybe the slot was damaged so it was removed?  The bolt serial also appears to match the receiver serial....so was the original charging handle modified?




Here's the Auction link. Rifle looks the part of a Middle East carbine. It also has the Jeem stamp on the receiver with the number 3 stamped on the left side of the carrier fore end and on the receiver. 
https://www.icollector.com/RUSSIAN-SIMONOV-Model-SKS-Iraq-Issue-Caliber-7-62-X-39_i52295920

Also interesting to see a replacement, early trigger housing (1949-52) on a 1955.

Quite an interesting rifle!

[Phosphorus32]

Interesting. I think some bubba (armorer with too much time on his hands) used a combination of cutting, grinding, then heating and hammering the stub of the original Russian charging handle forward to create that AK-like handle. That little hollow depression on the forward end being from the hollowed part of the charging handle.