Description on the Atlantic website says that they all have "new production polymer handguards"
Priced at $599.00
https://atlanticfirearms.com/chinese-sks-m56-rifle
Quote from: Boris Badinov on April 22, 2025, 03:08:22 PM
Description on the Atlantic website says that they all have "new production polymer handguards"
Priced at $599.00
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/marin-crash-students-identified-20285082.php
Probably from the same stash as RTI, they've been advertising for almost 2 months... plus Yugos in the mix.
A corrected link... I feel bad for the girls in your link, but....
https://atlanticfirearms.com/chinese-sks-m56-rifle
RTI's link, same price..... Description is awfully close...
https://royaltigerimports.com/shop/chinese-sks-model-56-cal-7-62x39/
The Atlantic description of the carbines says:
Quote from: https://atlanticfirearms.com/chinese-sks-m56-rifleThese are Chinese SKS M56 rifles that have been professionally refurbished by skilled gunsmiths
Appears these were bottom of the barrel T56s that had enough issues to warrant not even selling as gunsmith specials back in the day.
It's interesting. When there is no source of OEM hardware, the market will step and generate some, *if* the profit margin is high enough and it looks like that's what happened here. Injection molding a plastic handguard (these new repros are not bakelite but look to be HDPE or another stable thermoplastic) costs pennies per part after the initial tens of thousands of $'s of mold fabrication and initial setup fees are absorbed. For a moulding shop that can pivot to making any plastic part with a simple swap of molds, this is easy money whenever anyone wants to pony up a couple $k for a 'production run' of a few hundred units. I suspect these new, old style handguards will pop up from time to time at various places in the future.
oops. I corrected my OP to include the correct link.
The other link was for someone else here in Marin/Sonoma
The Atlantic Firearms price is just under what I paid for a mint condition /636\ this weekend at a show. Add in shipping cost plus state tax and it exceeds what I paid. Seems a bit much for a refinished rifle unless I am missing something.
The rifle in the video that Atlantic posted in the advert is a 17th year example from Factory /636\. No visible dot-matrix import billboards on the receiver or on the barrel (that I can see)
So these may not be (or may not ALL be) from the Albanian caches, but appear to include previously unsold rifles from the early 1984-93 imports. ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkVqGz5NzzA
Perhaps import stamps were removed during the rebluing and professional refurb process?
Very exciting that ATF has allowed the importation of non-/26\ marked (and non-ghost) carbines. Score 1 for SKS-Files dating system! thumb1
That carbine most certainly has a replacement beech stock judging from the fish scales near the stock ferrule. the question is, is the stock what was on the the carbine when it came in (would point towards Albanian origin like a good majority of the 2014+ imports), or is it a replacement the gunsmith added on during his refurbishment and the stock came from a donor gun or NOS from Albanian caches?
Import mark appears to be under the barrel just forward of the stock ferrule (TGI used this location on some of their imports a good while back, not sure who imported these ones though):
(https://i.ibb.co/BK5mfXKk/Screenshot-2025-04-23-at-12-01-00-PM.png)
Quote from: Boris Badinov on April 23, 2025, 12:29:41 PM
Perhaps import stamps were removed during the rebluing and professional refurb process?
When you posted this, I was thinking to myself, "there's no way that ATF would allow that!!" I looked it up and it turns out, the only thing required to stay on a firearm (non NFA, NFA have additional requirements!) is the serial number:
Quote from: Title 18 USC 922
(k) It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to transport, ship, or receive, in
interstate or foreign commerce, any firearm which has had the importer's or
manufacturer's serial number removed, obliterated, or altered, or to possess or
receive any firearm which has had the importer's or manufacturer's serial number
removed, obliterated, or altered and has, at any time, been shipped or transported
in interstate or foreign commerce.
When you think about it makes sense. Importers markings can and often are removed when gunsmiths repair, rebarrel, or otherwise replace hardware on firearms. thumb1
RM--
Funny. I thought it was you who told me that importer stamps could be removed (not serials).
In gunboards message thread some years ago, SteveK had alluded to the existence of non-26 type56 carbines in the Albanian caches. But he never identified which arsenals-- as bladed 26's were their only focus at the time.
Do we know for certain that these non-26 are from Albania, though?
Might importers/vendors have been sitting on a substantial cache of parts from both import eras? Thus we end up with '84 - '93 imported actions paired with Sino-Babian, surplus beechwood stock?
That import stamp in the vid (good eye, btw, if thats what it is) is in the same location as many of the 20th century imports, no?
It may have been Boris! :P
Heck I'm finding that when re-reading a post of mine from 10 years ago, not only don't I remember posting it, I don't remember knowing the subject matter I was speaking of either!!! :o
I don't think we can truly determine whether these latest non-/26\'s are from Albanian caches or not. That is most likely, but they may be from an African country or even SE asia for all we know.
GM and I went down a bit of a rabbit hole yesterday with some of the more recent Atlantic Firearms SKS offerings. Looks like they have a variety of importers they sell. We saw a Foxtrot Skaneateles stamp, a PW arms stamp, and even a Southern Tactical stamp that I had not seen before on a Yugo M59/66.
(https://i.ibb.co/5zXptDD/2943836835505909603.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/wh12cqwP/7926220125501122518.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/kY4Bb0M/2643501999080708123.png)
Quote from: running-man on April 23, 2025, 02:29:04 PM
When you posted this, I was thinking to myself, "there's no way that ATF would allow that!!" I looked it up and it turns out, the only thing required to stay on a firearm (non NFA, NFA have additional requirements!) is the serial number:
Occassionally I run into dealer sample NFA firearms that no longer have their import markings due to those markings having been originally on the barrel and over the years the barrels have been replaced for one reason or another. Mostly I have seen this with BARs and Thompsons which would have been imported between 1968 and 1986. Never have heard of ATF making anything of this situation but just in case I am waiting on an email reply about that from a friend who at one time was the acting director of NFA Branch.
Quote from: running-man on April 24, 2025, 10:32:39 AM
Heck I'm finding that when re-reading a post of mine from 10 years ago, not only don't I remember posting it, I don't remember knowing the subject matter I was speaking of either!!! :o
Same here. thumb1
Quote from: RoscoeTurner on April 24, 2025, 11:36:58 AM
Occassionally I run into dealer sample NFA firearms that no longer have their import markings due to those markings having been originally on the barrel and over the years the barrels have been replaced for one reason or another. Mostly I have seen this with BARs and Thompsons which would have been imported between 1968 and 1986. Never have heard of ATF making anything of this situation but just in case I am waiting on an email reply about that from a friend who at one time was the acting director of NFA Branch.
I ran across this post on Northeaastshooters (https://www.northeastshooters.com/xen/threads/the-answer-on-removing-import-marks.178959/). Note the highlighted text on their reasoning NFA firearms are to be treated separately from non-NFA firearms with respect to "other non S/N markings":
Quote from: https://www.northeastshooters.com/xen/threads/the-answer-on-removing-import-marks.178959/
Thank you for your recent inquiry to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This is in further response to your email in which you inquired about removing import markings (except for the serial number) from a firearm.
It is unclear whether you are asking about a GCA or NFA firearm. Here’s a summary of the law in this area depending on the firearm in question:
Please note that if you are a licensee, you must mark the firearms in accordance with the law and regulations unless you have a variance.
From the questions presented, we assume that the firearm was properly imported, properly marked and placed in to commerce. An individual then wishes to remove the markings.
Under the Gun Control Act (GCA), the serial number requirement comes from 18 U.S.C. 923(i). On those weapons considered “GCA firearms,” serial numbers may not be removed because 18 U.S.C. 922(k) explicitly prohibits this, as you pointed out. 18 U.S.C. 923(i) also requires other markings that the Attorney General shall prescribe. However, the statute requires only the serial number. Further, there is nothing in 18 U.S.C. 922(k) or any other section that prohibits the removal of importer’s marking (other than serial number) from a weapon that is only a GCA firearm.
Under the NFA however, 26 U.S.C. 5842 requires the serial number, the name of the manufacturer importer or maker, and the other markings that the Secretary (AG) may prescribe. 26 U.S.C. 5861(g) of the NFA prohibits the obliteration, removal, change, or alteration of the serial number or other identification required by the NFA. Likewise, 26 U.S.C. 5861(h) prohibits the receipt or possession of a firearm having the serial number or other identification required by the NFA obliterated, removed, changed, or altered. Additionally, section 5861(1) prohibits a person from making, or causing to make a false entry on any application, return, or record required by the NFA, knowing the entry is false. Read in conjunction, these statutes prohibit the removal of any required information from the firearm, to include the model designation, as well as the entry of a false identification (e. g , model) on any application, return or record.
Therefore, if the firearm is a NFA firearm, NO marking may be removed, obliterated, changed or altered.
Please note also that the location of the markings is legally insignificant in any of this. If they may be removed, they may be removed from the receiver, barrel, etc.
There may be State laws that pertain to this proposed activity. Contact State Police units or the office of your State Attorney General (www.naag.org) for information on any such requirements.
We trust the foregoing has been responsive to your inquiry. Should you have additional questions, please contact your local ATF office. A listing of ATF office phone numbers can be found at: http://www.atf.gov/field.
Regards,
Firearms Industry Programs Branch, ATF
Now it's not a scan of the original signed letter so the pedigree is perhaps a bit suspect, but it reads like a BATF inquiry response from the 2012 timeframe. I'd be very surprised if it's not a legit ruling from BATF
I believe I ran across the same post when I was looking into this yesterday. Still waiting on a response from my friend at ATF on this. I have been collecting NFA firearms since the early 80s and the only times this issue has come up was when people were moving serial numbers around, I have not heard of any cases strictly involving the import marking. This subject has very much piqued my interest in this, hoping I hear back from my friend soon with his answer. Surprisingly while he works for ATF, he also collects NFA firearms.