Q: When was my Chinese Type 56 SKS made?

[running-man]

Nice!  With your permission, I'll use it as the '95 example.  Can you post a photo of the full import stamp for me too?  Just want to make sure we have all the info for this one straight since it's one I've not seen before.

[jjjxlr8]

Yes, please feel free to use the photos anyway you like.






















No import marks.  Did you happen to see the "06" serial numbered SKS D on Gunbroker recently?

[jjjxlr8]

This one is not mine but I've never seen another one quite like it with the odd serial number.  I believe this is an SKS D with the modification to take AK mags.

[echo1]

Does it have the removable bayo too? PAX

[jjjxlr8]

No, the 1995 example does not have the removable bayonet.

[firstchoice]

I didn't see a 1995 dated example in the excellent references so here's one for the record.  This is an SKS 30 model.

This one is not mine but I've never seen another one quite like it with the odd serial number.  I believe this is an SKS D with the modification to take AK mags.

Are these examples of Canadian imports?

firstchoice

[jjjxlr8]

Probably, but not sure.

[BP4W]

It is internet rumor that "only /26\ guns can be dated".  Almost all Chinese type 56s have coded S/N prefixes.  The patterns were readily apparent when the sample size got large enough.

This needs to be on the Chinese SKS site front and center... Unfortunately many people still believe this myth til this very day.

The dating system, or to be more accurate, the serial format, was first published circa.1955 by the 2nd Ministry of Machine Building (the department responsible for armament) but not fully adopted until 1960 or so. The switch was first observed on Type 53 Mosin carbines (M44 copy) made by Factory 296 in 1955, when the serial immediately jumped to 3 million despite the total contract was 100,400 newly produced T53 and 201,440 longer Mosins converted to T53/M44 standards, and the samp changed from 296 to 26, but no triangles yet.

The serial format had three noticeable features:

• No more "year" in the type designation. For example 五三年式 (53 Year Type) becomes 五三式 (53 Type).
• All state factories with 3 digit codes are shortened to 2 by removing the middle digit*. Factory 626 became 66, 296 became 26, etc.
• The first one or two digits of the serial denotes the nth year in production.

*this one didn't last long obviously, they soon ran out of the unique 2 digits so they removed this rule for all newly established factories

Tried to attach an image but no worky.


Source: Xiao, Wu, "The Cornerstone of the Chinese Military Industry: State Factory No.296", Small Arms, Issue #6, 2021

[running-man]

Yes. This thread needs a good refresh containing all the new sources available. I have the 2021 small arms article posted and relatively well translated on the data collection sources board: https://sks-files.com/index.php?topic=7352.0 (access restricted to riflemen or above)

We cracked the code way back in 2014~2015 using only primary data (feature progression, serial numbers, comparisons to T53, T54 etc., reassessment of the commonly held beliefs at the time). There are several good articles on factory 626 (/66\) that compliment the 296 (/26\) article very well too.

It's on the list of things to do. Hopefully I can find some time to update this thread sometime this year.