Amusing "Tutorial" on the 1949 sks45

[running-man]

There is a good chance that these were 50's that originally had the stamped eyelet latch. Due to their frailty, they probably broke frequently. At refurb it would be no problem to get a blank latch(short or long tab) and drill a hole for a small nub. Question is, why would they not put original receiver cover back on? Unless cover was damaged trying to remove pin.

I've only ever seen the late loop takedown levers on guns with a И"_" prefix.  I think the part was tough to stamp & bend within tolerances and they changed the design to something much more manufacturable after a very short and mostly unsuccessful run.  You just don't see those late loop takedown levers on any other guns.  It's the Edsel of the SKS world. 

I think that question was answered long ago (on the Canadian boards oddly enough as a response to a majority of members over there taking the receiver cover at face value 100% of the time instead of looking at them with a skeptical eye): We know they scrubbed and swapped covers routinely pairing early parts with late guns and late parts with early guns.  The why is generally unknown, but it happened quite often during refurbishment.  The pin damaging the cover is pretty low down on my list of likely causes though.

Here's a '57 with a '49 cover:




Here's a 56 with a '49 cover:




Here's a '49 with a '53 cover:

[jstin2]

There is no way you can argue with facts along with pictures. I took a closer look at the sks shown in the 49/50 tula sks and it looks like the receiver cover has been scrubbed by the way it fits into the receiver. Also finish is different from receiver. Scrubbing  the cover would remove a layer of the metal to eliminate the existing S/N. A flush fit with receiver would not be seen afterwards. If I still had mine, I would check it out. I did check that it was top pinned(moved stock ferrule), so it was not made for a spike bayonet. It has been shown that the 49's and very early 50's had 90 degree gas port, forged eyelet receiver cover latch pin and spike bayonet and bottom pinned stock ferrule (early 50 still in question about spike bayonet). Stock for a spike bayonet is different than a blade bayonet.

[jaroslav]

jstin2,
how is the stock for a spike bayo different than a blade bayo?

[jstin2]

I have documented this before and will show this again. Also the stock ferrule is different, bottom pinned for spike. Spike left, blade right. I would also state that although arctic birch stock were used for the production of the sks, laminate stocks were made later to replace damaged stocks including ones with a spike bayonet(example of my 50 with spike).
https://ibb.co/gJYOew

[jaroslav]

I'm sorry, silly me. I was thinking about the difference in the HANDLE of a bayo.