Documented Vietnam Bringback Question

[Bunker]

I've seen several documented Jianshe Arsenal Vietnam bringbacks and the latest one I've seen documented on a DD-603 is 13M.  Does a Vietnam 14M bringback exist or was 13M the latest documented Vietnam bringback?  As a follow-on question, what years was the M21 produced that were exported to Vietnam and what is the latest known documented M21?  I'm assuming the M21 was produced at the Jianshe Arsenal.  The reason I'm asking is I'm trying to see if the SKS and T56 Assault Rifle follow the same pattern as it relates to Vietnam.  I realize they are different factories but for instance, I would think the M21 and M22 were potentially being produced and sent during the same timeframe since they were deemed "clandestine".  The documented M22s I've seen were all produced prior to the 68 amnesty period and I have specific dates of capture on some of them.

[running-man]

They are good questions Bunker, and I'd suspect the answers are going to differ depending on who you ask.

I can only speak for myself, but this is how I see it.  I've not personally witnessed anything higher than a 13 mil /26\ with DD603s (these photos not mine, I'd credit whose they are, but that's been lost to the sands of time):



I've heard claims that 14 mil /26\s, /?5\ (also known as /0406b\'s), and /116\s are VN bringbacks, but I haven't seen the paperwork to prove this.  Still, assuming that a 13 mil /26\ is a 1968 fabricated gun, captured in 1970 as shown in the DD I attached above, it's not inconceivable to think that a 14 mil /26\ could have been captured in 1971 after the exact same amount of time in the field. 

The M21s are indeed widely thought by the collecting community to be produced at Jianshe, but again there is precious little proof of this so I would suggest taking that with a slight grain of salt instead of gospel.  If they were produced in the pre '65 timeframe, I think the assumption is that they have to be Jianshe as other SKS arsenals don't pop up until '66 at the earliest.  The M21s may or may not have followed the standard serial dating pattern.  Many here think they probably did (me included).  They are all 8 and 9 prefix guns, so if they did, they are 1963 and 1964 built guns.  I have this 900K S/N'd M21 being captured in 1970 (again, not my photos and I don't know who to credit):



I would suggest also delving into the M20 TT pattern pistols.  They should have similar pedigrees to the M21s and M22s. 

[Bunker]

Thanks RM...very helpful!  I'm looking at the M20 s as well but I have a leg up on the T56s, so I was just looking at those first.  I have a few documented /66\ 12M T56s (Assault Rifle) and some undocumented /66\ 13Ms.  Never seen a /66\ 14M, so that lines up with what you have seen on the SKS side.  Not to say they don't exist, just I personally have not seen any and I have a lot of examples.  What is interesting is that after 13M there seems to be a gap.  13M T56 Assault Rifles and below all have some variant of the milled receiver (Type 3), to include export variants.  Then the I have a 15M example (stamped receiver) with no documentation.  It seems that 17M is when we see a lot of them again, all stamped receivers, mostly 56-1 variants.  Only the 17M examples can be confirmed to be used in Vietnam and we know that very limited numbers of stamped receivers were used in Vietnam.  The 15M and 16M may have very well been used in Vietnam but I have no documentation to confirm that.  Either way, I have never seen any /66\ 14M T56 Assault Rifle of any variant.

[Loose}{Cannon]

RM nailed it.... Geez, Didn't even leave any meat on the bone.