Some Russian refurb stock examples

[running-man]

I'm going through and re-categorizing all the Russians on the Breaking the Russian Cyrillic Prefix code thread and I thought I'd share some of the more interesting stock reworks that I've run into.  It's pretty clear that the Russians did not consistently rework their stocks, the rework is very likely dependent on which Grau Arsenal or ABV the work was done at, and may even have been dependent on which technician was actually doing the work.

• One of the more common rework patterns is to take a pristine stock, sand very minimally (leaving the arsenal cartouche) and X over the old S/N while applying the new serial number somewhere beneath it (note the circle Б stamp, I have no idea what it signifies, but is likely an approval or 'inspected by' stamp):
  
  
  


• Instead of using X's, sometimes you will see the old number crossed out with slashes (/) instead.  Note that this one has the new number above the old number, the entire cartouche was likely sanded off allowing room for this:
  
  
  


• Sometimes instead of including the Cyrillic prefix, only the new number was stamped into the stock:
  
  
  


• Sometimes the restamped number is much larger than the original S/N.  Check out the massive X's crossing out two digits at a time on this one:
  
  
  


• Sometimes everything on a stock will be sanded off and a new number only stamped:
  
  
  


• Sometimes a stock is partially sanded and the old number still left legible, and a new number stamped beneath it.  These ones must have been confusing:
  
  
  
  


• Here is the classic "ex-'ex-DDR'" horizontal stamp on a mostly sanded stock:
  
  
  


• They utilized sanding as well as the Cyrillic letter "Ш" to fully blot out any remnants of old serial numbers like this one.  Again, there is a horizontal "ex-'ex-DDR'" S/N on this one:
  
  
  


• Sometimes the above is done, and they add another stamp, in this case a large circle 35.  Many of the guys on guns.ru think this is a mark for one of the Graus.
  
  
  


• Unfortunately, you can't tie circle 35 to horizontal lettering or to the "Ш" overstamp.  This stock has been sanded to within an inch of it's life, circle 35 applied and a new vertical S/N directly over the old number:
  
  
  


• Here is another gun with a huge restamp, yet the stock has obviously been heavily sanded and the old X's are pretty dark with grime:
  
  
  


• Sometimes, the Russians just went hog wild with reusing a stock.  There are at least 4 uses that I can tell from this stock - an original S/N sanded and X'd out, a new vertical number Ш'd out, a horizontal number Ш'd out, and a final horizontal number:
  
  
  


• Again, 4 uses for this one, though all the numbers are vertical and X'd out:
  
  
  


• Here's a "new" replacement stock off Carbine's carbine () that likely had never been on a gun before being put on this one.  Note the stock repair splice in the lower right of the buttstock:
  
  

[Loose}{Cannon]

Its ex-ex-ddr or lisky <--  spell check.     Make it happen.   

Fix it to the correct rework location and it wins a place on the russian sks guide.   

[Phosphorus32]

This is a really nice resource for the Russian SKS buyer/collector, thanks   

Liski

[CARBINE]

Here is a 54 izhevsk refurb I have that I was looking at today and curious what your thoughts are on it......it is next to the serial number wondering if it is one of those refurb location stamps with the date 1961 on each side? Just a thought.....

[Loose}{Cannon]

Yup...  1961 rework at either the 80th, 1827th, or ABV Serbdosk

[running-man]

Its ex-ex-ddr or lisky <--  spell check.     Make it happen.   

Fix it to the correct rework location and it wins a place on the russian sks guide.   

  but remember not all the horizontal #'d refurbs are Liski's.  Remember when there was that big bruhaha about horiz numbered guns not having the /1\ and the SKS gods decreed that it need not have the /1\ to be an ex-DDR gun?    There you go.

I found another nice circle 35 example, adding it to the list above and will change the "ex" to "ex-ex". 

[running-man]

Here is a 54 izhevsk refurb I have that I was looking at today and curious what your thoughts are on it......it is next to the serial number wondering if it is one of those refurb location stamps with the date 1961 on each side? Just a thought.....

Tony, very similar to this gun that fenceline shows in this thread: 1953 Russian Tula SKS with "1959" in Russian SKS - Page 1 of 1


Other guns like this pop up from time to time too like this one from RayG_Wisconsin on Gunboads a while back:


It's very likely a refurb stamp as the Russians used this exact method of "19 <Grau stamp> <year>" on everything from scopes to binoculars to Makarovs:

[Dannyboy53]

Running-man I believe my Izhevsk stock falls in your #8 category! The old numbers are blotted out with that weird 'W' symbol also, I did not notice this until you started this post. Other than the Izzy symbol there are no other stampings on either side.






I don't know if it's significant but this is stamped on the wrist behind the cover.

[running-man]

Danny your stock bugs me.  (in a good way)

Look as I might, I just don't see the 1953r or 1954r stamp sanded away below the Izhevsk cartouche where it should be.  It also bothers me as to why they would thoroughly scrub away the year to be almost undetectable, but leave the Izhevsk cartouche almost untouched...that is a relatively crisp cartouche. 

Maybe it was sanded that way intentionally?
Maybe that stock started life without a year marking & they just missed it? 
Maybe it was a blank stock made with a S/N but without any cartouche and that Izhevsk cartouche was stamped there at refurb w/o a date because Izhevsk was the shop performing the work? 

There are lots of possibilities, but they are all WAGs right now I'm sorry to say.  Wish I had more for you on this one. 

[Loose}{Cannon]

How about the serial only stocks that seemed new with no sanding?

[running-man]

I may have a couple examples of those, I'll see if I can find them.  I also have some examples of "new" laminates, but those are a bit trickier since you don't have a cartouche to base the sanding off of and I'm terrible at determining 'soft' edges and stuff like that. 

[Dannyboy53]

Running-man I understand what you are saying. I have looked under bright light and in sunlight with a large magnifying glass and can find zero evidence of a date having been stamped there or any sanding in the area.

It looks as though (I'm sure it is) the new number and the stamping out of the old number were done after the finish was put on the stock. The Izhesvk cartouche is covered by the finish however and you are correct it is still relatively crisp.

[CARBINE]

How about the serial only stocks that seemed new with no sanding?

Like this one, 54 Izhevsk refurb....

[Loose}{Cannon]

Yup...  They always seem to have some type of repair.  I have one on the earliest Chinaman

[running-man]

Kind of like keeping some of the substandard NOS stuff on hand to use as replacements?  Kool! 

I'll add to the list.