I've been going through my photos categorizing Russian guns for the new database and forthcoming Comprehensive Russian SKS45 Survey. I ran into this one that I think is pretty neat. I remember seeing this one posted on both Gunboards (link here (http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?330503-Question-on-Refurb-Mark&p=2714795#post2714795) & the 'other' boards (not even worth posting the link). This gun has three refurb markings on it: 1st GRAU / Balakleya at the tip of the gas piston cleaning rod head (which is wild, I've never seen one of those!), what looks like an empty diamond refurb stamp on the top of the receiver cover (though it could be one of the filled diamonds as well since the stamp is not evenly struck), and finally, an unknown GRAU/ABV marking in the form of an electropenciled cross within a diamond mark along with a scribed 196(7?) date on the receiver cover.
Just goes to show you the extreme variation the Russians had when refurbishing some of these old warhorses! As always, turn a skeptical eye on anyone who claims to know something absolutely, positively 100% when it involves a Russian SKS as we are *always* finding new information. thumb1
(http://i1352.photobucket.com/albums/q647/jelucer/Russian/refurb_stamp/B3555_gas_piston_end.jpg~original)
(http://i1352.photobucket.com/albums/q647/jelucer/Russian/refurb_stamp/B3555_receiver_cover3.jpg~original)
(http://i1352.photobucket.com/albums/q647/jelucer/Russian/refurb_stamp/B3555_receiver_cover_refurb_mark.jpg~original)
(http://i1352.photobucket.com/albums/q647/jelucer/Russian/refurb_stamp/B3555_receiver_cover_refurb_mark2.jpg~original)
(http://i1352.photobucket.com/albums/q647/jelucer/Russian/refurb_stamp/B3555_receiver_cover_refurb_mark3.jpg~original)
Yeah... Thats bizaro and cool. thumb1
neat, thanks for sharing. :o
The gas piston refurb mark is very neat....definitely haven't seen that before.
Quote from: armedhippie on October 24, 2015, 08:56:04 PM
The gas piston refurb mark is very neat....definitely haven't seen that before.
looks more like cleaning rod head
:o
I think he's right.... You van see the through hole shadow at the bottom.
Quote from: Loose}{Cannon on October 27, 2015, 07:46:36 AM
:o
I think he's right.... You van see the through hole shadow at the bottom.
Got it. I think I might get confused with another sample (reported on the 'other' boards or gunboards.com) with a refurb mark stamped on cleaning rod head
Good catch! While that photo is a pretty good closeup, I kept being bothered as to why I didn't see the dish shape at the top of the piston head. Now it's clear that the proportions of head to shaft don't match a piston either. It certainly makes more sense that it's the top of the cleaning rod head & I've changed the OP. thumb1
Odd indeed...a refurb mark on a cleaning rod?
Fastidious Russian anal retentiveness or the rarest of rare....a refurbed rod.
Can you translate Viagra into Cyrillic? rofl
Perhaps the armorer was so enamored by this particular gun he couldn't bring himself to proof it anywhere else?
Fascinating, thanks running-man.