Stamped Type 56: The Details

[jmaurer]

Here's one I picked up a LONG time ago after reading Peter Kokalis' blurb in Soldier of Fortune magazine regarding the import of these rare specimens. If I recall correctly, Kokalis mentioned that perhaps 500 (?) of these arrived stateside in a single import shipment on a pallet of rifles. Given the import mark, I wonder if some cast receiver rifles were on that pallet as well.

As an aside, I met Kokalis at the Waffle House in Shepherdsville about 3:00 a.m. in the distant past while getting fortified for the festivities at Knob Creek...those were TRULY the SKS days!!

Anyway, here you go, and I ask the mod's forebearance for the number of photos:

[running-man]

Great photo spread! 

Looks like a nice one!  The stock is in good shape w/o cracks at the front of the receiver where the rivets stressed the thin wooden section near the crossbolt.  That's always a plus on these. 

I don't know about 500 number imported (I think a bit higher, they are not über rare like you see with Soviet-Sinos or thin Chinese laminate stocked /26\s), but they are uncommon for sure as you only see 10-20 up for sale per year. 

Based on the S/N's in the database, we can say there were at least 5.3k made at [0138] in '70, 6.9k in '71, and 3.6k in '72.  There was also a smattering (possibly 1500) made in '70 at [0145], though I only have a single specimen in the database from there.

[Justin Hell]

Among a plethora of strange things I saw on this excellent photo spread...
I haven't ever seen a spike bayonet stock with only one reinforcement pin.

[Phosphorus32]

Great photo spread on a scarce rifle  These are a very interesting production experiment  It’s hard to imagine that this would have saved many/any labor hours per rifle but not hard to imagine that it would have reduced the rounds per rifle.

That’s cool that you met Peter Kokalis. Seems appropriate that it was in the wee hours of the morning  Like RM said many thousands were produced, but perhaps the pallet of 500? or so that Peter saw or heard about was the only shipment to the US. Who knows for sure.

[jmaurer]

If you weren't out the door and driving toward Knob Creek Range by 0300, you were NOT going to park ANYWHERE close. Those were the good old days; I remember turning up my nose at $85 new-unfired-in-the-cosmoline M59/66 variants with all the accessories 'cause I didn't like the stock color! And man o man, the stuff that Cole Distributing had at their tent for cheap...

[Sindone]

Among a plethora of strange things I saw on this excellent photo spread...
I haven't ever seen a spike bayonet stock with only one reinforcement pin.

Could you point out the one reinforcement pin. Maybe circle it on a photo.  I'm trying to learn.  Thank you. 

[Justin Hell]

Among a plethora of strange things I saw on this excellent photo spread...
I haven't ever seen a spike bayonet stock with only one reinforcement pin.

Could you point out the one reinforcement pin. Maybe circle it on a photo.  I'm trying to learn.  Thank you.

Last photo, the silver dot in the stock.... spike stocks usually have two pins rather than the one reinforcing they wood for the bayonet cutout.

[Sindone]

Thank you

[Bacarnal]

Great job on the pix!!  Too bad Knob Creek is no longer doing the MG Shoots.