Tula 1955 rarity

[Boris Badinov]

Any connection between the relatively low numbers of 1955 Tulas and the start of Chinese production in 1956?

[newchi]

One would assume that some of the machinery was being taken down and boxed up to ship, or at least i would.

[Phosphorus32]

Interesting question. Plenty of Russian SKS-45 examples observed for '54 and '56, but perhaps they disrupted production in dismantling and shipping a line from Tula to the land of Mao and Honey (Huan). No documentation so we're left with observation, correlation, but with any link to causation unknown.

[spongemonkey]

One would assume that some of the machinery was being taken down and boxed up to ship, or at least i would.

I tend to agree and that would be my guess as well.

[running-man]

The whole "They picked up a whole Tula/Izhevsk line and moved it to China/Romania/Yugoslavia/Bangladesh!" has been floated out there so many times it's basically internet gospel anymore.  I've yet to see a primary source that says it's true though.  Many sources say that newly built Soviet machine tools were flowing to the PRC as early as 1950. 

Another explanation might be that '55 was slated to be end of production and they simply built until they used up all their surplus hardware.  When '56 rolled around and demand from outside the USSR spiked up, production was restarted and went into overdrive.  This was enough capacity to build all the Russian '56s as well as all the early ghost Chinese barreled receivers and the '56 '57 Romanian barreled receivers (by my observations, all three are absolutely identical and impossible to tell apart w/o an identifying S/N).  By '57 and into '58 as the Chinese were becoming more and more self sufficient the Russians once again tapered down production such that they were only supplying the Romys with barreled receivers until the cutoff in '60. 
Also in '60 the Sino-Soviet split occurs and Russia cuts off barreled receiver deliveries to China, forcing them to go 100% domestic before they are really ready and creating the severe shortage of 6 mil /26\ type 56s. 

Pure speculation, but I think it's equally plausible to the moving entire factory lines to another country.  I'm sure there are other scenarios that might be plausible too. 

[Greasemonkey]

and the '56 Romanian barreled receivers (by my observations, all three are absolutely identical and impossible to tell apart w/o an identifying S/N).  By '57 and into '58 as the Chinese were becoming more and more self sufficient the Russians once again tapered down production such that they were only supplying the Romys with barreled receivers until the cutoff in '60. 
Also in '60 the Sino-Soviet split occurs and Russia cuts off barreled receiver deliveries to China, forcing them to go 100% domestic before they are really ready and creating the severe shortage of 6 mil /26\ type 56s. 

Pure speculation, but I think it's equally plausible to the moving entire factory lines to another country.  I'm sure there are other scenarios that might be plausible too. 

A '56 Romanian...............where do I get one, find one.......wait a sec...    my Romanians are..........Russian made

[running-man]

One lousy typo and you jump all over a guy, sheesh!! 

And yes, deep down you know Romys are just cross dressing Russians...

[newchi]

It could be that the raw production was exactly the same but the parts they made were getting put in boxes to go somewhere else too.
Ak production might have been taking more and more factory space too.

[Boris Badinov]

I forgot i started this thread. Thanks for the replies.


also

One lousy typo and you jump all over a guy, sheesh!! 

...wait...So there's no such thing as a 1956 dated Romanian M56?

[Greasemonkey]

I forgot i started this thread. Thanks for the replies.


also


...wait...So there's no such thing as a 1956 dated Romanian M56?

There is a no date M56, which is possibly a 1956, but it's speculation, they could be a 1961 as well, could be the first production or last production. These usually have a PS prefix, but.. then again.... some PS prefixes have been found dated 1957, and 1 or 2 unconfirmed later year PS prefix rifles have been found(again unconfirmed). The PS prefix is the odd bird in the Romanian serial methodology. As far as a M56 stamped with the date of 1956.. one has not been seen as far as I know.

This next thing might throw RM in to a frenzy, so I might as well clear the air on it..

Or.... those oddball no dates/PS prefix rifles "could possibly" be like the Soviet-Sino Tula marked Chinese... totally Russian built prototypes/barreled receivers/parts kits sent there and then copied by Cugir in Romania.

That second opinion is what I like to think, hey...one can always hope....besides it sounds alot better in my feeble mind than all Romanians cross dressing as a Russians       

All I know......is I want one, cross dressing or not

One lousy typo and you jump all over a guy, sheesh!! 

Well......you kinda got my hopes up...............and then you crushed them

[running-man]

This next thing might throw RM in to a frenzy, so I might as well clear the air on it..

Dammit man, I expected to have a nice relaxing Saturday afternoon...but nooooo, you just have to fart in the elevator don't you!? 

The non dated PS prefixes are all very low number guns.  Higher numbered PSs have clear '57s on them.  I believe them to be early '57s (could be '56s too I suppose, but that's a pretty good stretch w/o anything to back it up besides someone calling them an "M56").

Or.... those oddball no dates/PS prefix rifles "could possibly" be like the Soviet-Sino Tula marked Chinese... totally Russian built prototypes/barreled receivers/parts kits sent there and then copied by Cugir in Romania.

(It could very well be.  I'd be darn surprised if the Russians didn't do very similar things with the Romanians that they did with the Chinese.....)