I have an album of an early 56. You can use any picture if you deem okay. Also in Canada, magazines have to be pinned to 5. Also, I no longer own this rifle.
https://ibb.co/album/YccZhX

I can get you any photograph you want, but the high quality (and a good photograph in general) might be hard to come by as I'm camera incompetent.

I've got 4 Sino-Banians that would fit your early type 56 criteria, but they are nothing special (certainly not as-issued) and some have replacement components as they were gunsmith specials. #2 is probably the nicest of the 4 as it only has a single replacement receiver cover:

Let me know if you want me to take out of the safe and I'll see if I can't get you a more decent photo:

#1



#2



#3



#4

Hey all!

I am in need of a high-quality photograph of an early Type-56 rifle, one with a blade bayonet and preferrably taken from the right side.
Anyone here have one and is willing to help me out?

The image will be used the newest edition of my book; Collectors Guide to Chinese Firearms.

Currently working on a new version, which will have quite some improvements and new additions!

Thanks in advance!

One I didn't understand when I first got into collecting milsurps.

No background check is required for antiques. But some businesses will still do it. I didn't understand why and argued that it wasn't required.

But it was the policy of a local business.

Their policy was all firearms (Modern to antique) require a background check as a "Cover its ass policy". Although an antique isn't considered a firearm by definition.

I understand it now, but didn't then. I don't have to agree with it, or like it, but when they got something I wanted at a you can't pass this up price. I had to play by their rules.

Un-numbered parts and groups are common. I've built and bought several scrubbed guns. Many commercial weapons only have serials on the receivers. Here's the last of my parts built scrubbed rifles in a phenolic stock, black/blued bolt carrier, black Alby bayo, black navel sling. Looks boss, handles great, with a few other home-grown/modded rifles (Paratrooper with short 14X1 Tridelta brake, P50 front sight, Mojo rear, cheese grater HG) - Black rifle cut to 18.5" (some commercial guns were cut to that length, http://chinesesks.weebly.com/18-inch-barrel.html), globe only front sight, Williams Fire sight rear, flush 5 round mag, Butler Creek furniture with no vent Choate hand guard. Lastly a French Tickler HG on a Paratrooper with unique sling keepers. PAX

Were magazines without any markings like non-SN stamped ever produced by any of the manufacturers, or is a replacement magazine perhaps?  I also had to remove the blueing to clean up corrosion starting to come through.

Quote from: running-man on April 05, 2026, 11:24:39 PM

Quote from: Boris Badinov on April 04, 2026, 03:57:05 PMIts common trait seen on receivers with the right angle corners.

Scroll down to the Early vs Late receivers section at the weebly link below. Early receivers have scalloped corners and the marks are not present. Later receivers have 90° corners and the marks are present. Possibly they are from recoil, and not from intial milling but you'll find those marks on receivers with the right angled corner cuts.  But they are nothing to be concerned with.


https://chinesesks.weebly.com/component-variations.html


Is the bolt even wide enough to make those marks?

Laugh, you know I've edited that weebly page more than once and many of those are even my photos, but I'm embarrassed to say that I never keyed in on the dimples on the late receiver innards.

Looks like in addition to the different angle the inner face is maybe 0.050" farther forward as well. Carrier bottom kissing that face makes sense. That it happens so frequently that you noticed it Boris likely means you are correct in that it's not a cause for concern. 


It's always nice to learn something new!

I'm pretty sure the marks have been discussed elsewhere in the last two decades. It would have been years ago, but I recall seeing the comments made about the dimples-- maybe a off hand  comment in a thread about something else entirely? But I know I've seen it somewhere.

When I read the OP I began scouring my photo files for screenshots I might have taken from the discussion, but I could not find any. I tend to take a lot of screenshots and then never follow through  with organizing them into easily retrievable folders.

Just to throw it out, a weak recoil spring can allow it, weak gas piston extension spring, an over gased gas system, or the previous owner bump firing can all cause the receiver contact.

One thing I've noticed in the later models, the springs seem weaker than earlier ones and the gas system seems a little more violent in its operation. Maybe it's just me or it was my particular variants.

Quote from: Boris Badinov on April 04, 2026, 03:57:05 PMIts common trait seen on receivers with the right angle corners.

Scroll down to the Early vs Late receivers section at the weebly link below. Early receivers have scalloped corners and the marks are not present. Later receivers have 90° corners and the marks are present. Possibly they are from recoil, and not from intial milling but you'll find those marks on receivers with the right angled corner cuts.  But they are nothing to be concerned with.


https://chinesesks.weebly.com/component-variations.html


Is the bolt even wide enough to make those marks?

Laugh, you know I've edited that weebly page more than once and many of those are even my photos, but I'm embarrassed to say that I never keyed in on the dimples on the late receiver innards.

Looks like in addition to the different angle the inner face is maybe 0.050" farther forward as well. Carrier bottom kissing that face makes sense. That it happens so frequently that you noticed it Boris likely means you are correct in that it's not a cause for concern. 


It's always nice to learn something new!

Thanks. I get tired of correcting folks, not just with these. I know they sell the plastic spacers that you can add in, but I dislike those as they restrict the travel of the bolts/carriers in any rifle. If it is an issue, I'll hear it when I fire. Since i am new to the SKS, I would rather ask than apply my logic from other firearms just in case. After gunsmithing for 50 years, I still see new things!