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?
(https://i.ibb.co/Tq01rrV/Screenshot-2025-01-04-at-04-28-13-RUSSIAN-SIMONOV-Model-SKS-Iraq-Issue-Caliber-7-62-X-39.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
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!
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.