My First SKS - 1952 Tula

[Navy87Guy]

This is my first post - about my first SKS.

It's a 1952-dated Tula that went through an arsenal refurb at Balakleya. All the numbered parts match, but only the trigger guard looks to be renumbered. I'm told it has the 1952 transition features: rounded shoulder inside the receiver and the chrome liner. I've been told that it's unusual in that it has an "HB" prefix, which apparently hasn't been recorded before.

I'm open to y feedback: I'm always interested in learning about the history of the pieces in my collection!

[Phosphorus32]

A Russian SKS is a great place to start with an SKS collection. Yours is what we would call a "heavy refurb" with the black high temperature (BBQ) paint and many scrubbed and restamped parts, including the stock.

There aren't a lot of HB (NV) letter block serial numbers in our database, and they're found on 1954s and 1956s. The latter would have a D (Д) suffix, so it's certainly not a '56.

The font on the receiver cover doesn't match that on the receiver, indicating that it was a receiver cover chosen at random during refurbishment, scrubbed, and stamped to match.

Nothing at all wrong with a refurbished SKS, it just means the Soviets brought it back up to specifications to reenter service if and when needed.

[Navy87Guy]

A Russian SKS is a great place to start with an SKS collection. Yours is what we would call a "heavy refurb" with the black high temperature (BBQ) paint and many scrubbed and restamped parts, including the stock.

There aren't a lot of HB (NV) letter block serial numbers in our database, and they're found on 1954s and 1956s. The latter would have a D (Д) suffix, so it's certainly not a '56.

The font on the receiver cover doesn't match that on the receiver, indicating that it was a receiver cover chosen at random during refurbishment, scrubbed, and stamped to match.

Nothing at all wrong with a refurbished SKS, it just means the Soviets brought it back up to specifications to reenter service if and when needed.

Thanks for that info!

So do you think it's more likely a '54 rifle with a force-matched '52 dust cover?

I'm just interested in learning as much as I can about the rifle. The fact that it's refurb'd is just a part of its history. I love tracing the journey of all of the pieces in my collection!

[Boris Badinov]

A Russian SKS is a great place to start with an SKS collection. Yours is what we would call a "heavy refurb" with the black high temperature (BBQ) paint and many scrubbed and restamped parts, including the stock.

There aren't a lot of HB (NV) letter block serial numbers in our database, and they're found on 1954s and 1956s. The latter would have a D (Д) suffix, so it's certainly not a '56.

The font on the receiver cover doesn't match that on the receiver, indicating that it was a receiver cover chosen at random during refurbishment, scrubbed, and stamped to match.

The fonts on the cover and receiver look the same to me.

[Phosphorus32]

A Russian SKS is a great place to start with an SKS collection. Yours is what we would call a "heavy refurb" with the black high temperature (BBQ) paint and many scrubbed and restamped parts, including the stock.

There aren't a lot of HB (NV) letter block serial numbers in our database, and they're found on 1954s and 1956s. The latter would have a D (Д) suffix, so it's certainly not a '56.

The font on the receiver cover doesn't match that on the receiver, indicating that it was a receiver cover chosen at random during refurbishment, scrubbed, and stamped to match.

Nothing at all wrong with a refurbished SKS, it just means the Soviets brought it back up to specifications to reenter service if and when needed.

Thanks for that info!

So do you think it's more likely a '54 rifle with a force-matched '52 dust cover?

I'm just interested in learning as much as I can about the rifle. The fact that it's refurb'd is just a part of its history. I love tracing the journey of all of the pieces in my collection!

That would be my guess.

[Boris Badinov]

The magazine appears to be original-- serial font matches the receiver and it bears no signs of a scrubbed and restamped replacement.

1953 saw a design change in the magazine with the deletion the small gap in the follower groove just below locking lug.
If the rifle is 1952 the mag will  have the gap. If it's 1954 the gap will not be present.




Left: 1949-1953. Right 1953-1958

[Navy87Guy]

The magazine appears to be original-- serial font matches the receiver and it bears no signs of a scrubbed and restamped replacement.

1953 saw a design change in the magazine with the deletion the small gap in the follower groove just below locking lug.
If the rifle is 1952 the mag will  have the gap. If it's 1954 the gap will not be present.




Left: 1949-1953. Right 1953-1958

The magazine has the gap.

[Boris Badinov]

Looks like a 1952 rifle. Neato. No HB prefixes in the two Soviet serial lists that I know of. But various examples of 1952 rifles with the H as the first cyrillic letter in the serial prefix.

I spent probably too much time look at the serial numbers on this rifle trying to find inconsistencies in the cover and magazine serials when compared to the receiver. But I just don't see any differences significant enough to indicate anything other that the identical serial font.