SKS Russian 1956 letter series non-refurb?

[Hambone]

Guys,
I'm a WW2 collector, but I like the SKS and have a factory 26 1966 factory original Chinese and have been wanting a Russian for a very long time without the extra receiver stampings and English repeat of the numbers. Saw this one on Gunbonker and ended up with it:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/770510371

Didn't see it in your databases. From my experience with Russian WW2, and German reworks generally, which is what I collect, a reblue with a brushed finish takes out the raised metal from die stamping. The brush marks from finishing look to be in the proper directions, the metal stamps raised, none of the known rework markings, stock finish looks right, there is the hint of what looks like chrome plating at the muzzle, and bayonet has the staking marks, though it looks like they have shifted a bit and could probably be lined up. Would it be the opinion here that this is factory original? I have opinions re reworking from observations of WW2 era firearms, but withhold those as you guys are the SKS experts. Great site and thanks in advance.
Kind regards,
HB

[Phosphorus32]

Looks like an honest as-issued SKS-45 to me. Recoil lug cartouches, buttstock cartouche looks like an off- center strike. Fonts appear to match. Nice score 

[carls sks]

hi HB and welcome. good to have you here. looks like a nice one, you did good. 

[Hambone]

Thanks Phosphorus, Carl's. I don't know that much would have changed with Soviet manufacture and rework methods, marking and numbering in the 10 years after 1945. If it's refinished if blued it would be buffed, or painted/coated, or simply dipped. A nice polished blue finish would smooth and buff out more of the "ridges" around the numbers caused by the die strike metal displacement.

Even with WW2 MNs it's sometimes tough to tell the extent of the rework. Again, exceptional site and thank you for the guidance.
Regards
HB

[Direct Connection]

I like the Russian : ) Beautiful  !! I also like how the seller wrote quote " I’m selling this rifle as a collector’s item. I have never fired or disassembled it."  HOW DID HE TAKE A PICTURE OF THE BOLT ? If he never tore it apart ? You did good HB.. Show us pictures of your WWII stash.. We all here more or less live for that era of collectible surplus.. I don't even fire my Russians I love them so much ))) // Welcome to the Files : )

[Hambone]

Thanks DC. Some of my Soviet WW2:
SVT.38
http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?5974-SVT-38-Tula-1940
SVT.40
http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?5973-SVT-40-Tula-1941
M.91/30 1944
http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?8276-M-91-30-Izhevsk-44
M.91/30 PU
http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?5978-M-91-30-PU-Ishevsk-43-Sniper

[martin08]

Looks good to me.  Great choice if you're only going to have one!  Very decent price, too. The original hardwood stocks are not easy to find on these Letter Series carbines.

And the HB-prefix (Ham Bone) had nothing to do with your decision to buy?   

[Hambone]

Thanks Martin, the "HB" was an added bonus SKSs are cool and I could get way off into them and I'm already all over the place with WW2.

[Phosphorus32]

Thanks DC. Some of my Soviet WW2:
SVT.38
http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?5974-SVT-38-Tula-1940
SVT.40
http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?5973-SVT-40-Tula-1941
M.91/30 1944
http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?8276-M-91-30-Izhevsk-44
M.91/30 PU
http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?5978-M-91-30-PU-Ishevsk-43-Sniper

All very nice! But a rare SVT-38 in excellent condition 

[Hambone]

Thank you Phosphorus. Regrettably I sold the SVT.38 off several years back to help a buddy out. I wish I had kept it. It was the nicest one I've ever seen. It hung for years, like 30+, off of a "winter Fritz" mannequin with a German overcoat and helmet in a little old militaria / gun shop on the main street of a little old town. My bet is it came into the US in the 60s from Finland. Beautiful rifle, matching, but the bore was a sewer pipe, horrible, despite all my efforts, shooting clean, scrubbing, etc. It belonged in a dedicated Soviet WW2 rifle collection. The SVT.38 is far and away one of the rarest WW2 issue semi-autos in nice, matching shape. Far rarer than a G.41M. A nice matching original unreworked SVT.40 is far and away rarer than the G/K.43 series, rarer than a G.41 as well IMHO. I remember back in the 90s walking away from a beautiful unissued condition Izhevsk SVT.40 41 date with all THREE matching mags, the .1, .2, and .3 because it was "too expensive" at $700  .

[running-man]

I like the Russian : ) Beautiful  !! I also like how the seller wrote quote " I’m selling this rifle as a collector’s item. I have never fired or disassembled it."  HOW DID HE TAKE A PICTURE OF THE BOLT ? If he never tore it apart ? You did good HB.. Show us pictures of your WWII stash.. We all here more or less live for that era of collectible surplus.. I don't even fire my Russians I love them so much ))) // Welcome to the Files : )

Laugh DC, that's a pretty good observation there!

Noce collection HB, great to have you on the files.  Please let us know if you need help with anything! 

[Hambone]

Noce collection HB, great to have you on the files.  Please let us know if you need help with anything! 

Thank you RM. Y'all have already helped me a great deal just with the information on the site in determining that this was a 1956 "letter" M.45 SKS and likely factory correct. I also learned from the site what a correct sling for it looks like and found one in NOS shape on epay for $19. I knew that those on most of them were 70s-90s AKM/AK74 slings, but didn't know what a proper one looked like. Again, thank you, great site.
Cheers,
HB

[Phosphorus32]

Thank you Phosphorus. Regrettably I sold the SVT.38 off several years back to help a buddy out. I wish I had kept it. It was the nicest one I've ever seen. It hung for years, like 30+, off of a "winter Fritz" mannequin with a German overcoat and helmet in a little old militaria / gun shop on the main street of a little old town. My bet is it came into the US in the 60s from Finland. Beautiful rifle, matching, but the bore was a sewer pipe, horrible, despite all my efforts, shooting clean, scrubbing, etc. It belonged in a dedicated Soviet WW2 rifle collection. The SVT.38 is far and away one of the rarest WW2 issue semi-autos in nice, matching shape. Far rarer than a G.41M. A nice matching original unreworked SVT.40 is far and away rarer than the G/K.43 series, rarer than a G.41 as well IMHO. I remember back in the 90s walking away from a beautiful unissued condition Izhevsk SVT.40 41 date with all THREE matching mags, the .1, .2, and .3 because it was "too expensive" at $700  .

The matching Izhevsk with all 3 magazines certainly was a very rare opportunity but I'd be ecstatic to find an SVT-40 (for a decent price) like the one you have now. The last (only) one I saw at my local gun shop was $1300, with "issues" (complete mismatch, sanded) and it sold regardless.

[Justin Hell]

Serialed bayonet even!   That is a very nice score...with Russians I am a little less intrigued by the later years due to the refurbishment, but this one looks like it never was looked at by an armorer again after it was made.  You hit it out of the park, for sure...but it looks like you called your shot to the stands before even swinging!   

[Hambone]

The matching Izhevsk with all 3 magazines certainly was a very rare opportunity but I'd be ecstatic to find an SVT-40 (for a decent price) like the one you have now. The last (only) one I saw at my local gun shop was $1300, with "issues" (complete mismatch, sanded) and it sold regardless.

I've never seen another in about 30 years of collecting and it's one of those I kick myself over. It was in the same condition as the one I have now, just with three matching magazines! I primarily collect German WW2 rifles and finding a nice matching factory original SVT.40 is very difficult. I know because after I sold my first one to a buddy I started wanting one and it took me almost 10 years, without having to give up a kidney and a child. But you know Phosphorus, you may see one walk into a funshow for $500 next month. In order to have that happen you need to give up on finding one and stop looking I never can find things I'm looking for.

[Hambone]

Serialed bayonet even!   That is a very nice score...with Russians I am a little less intrigued by the later years due to the refurbishment, but this one looks like it never was looked at by an armorer again after it was made.  You hit it out of the park, for sure...but it looks like you called your shot to the stands before even swinging!   

Thank you JH. You guys helped me figure out what it was and make the purchase with the information here.