The ?5 Arsenal

[Matchka]

Picked up this all #'s matching /?5\ a little over three years ago. Any updates, further clues, guesses on these things since '18? YOM, production numbers, etc? 




2013 genesis 3.8 0 60

[Greatguns]

Very nice, where do you keep finding these odd-ball arsenal stamped SKSs?

[Bubbazinetti]

Seems like the 8 digit serial number would denote 1966 mfg. to me.Has the short lug screw in bbl.Looks unfired.

[Matchka]

Very nice, where do you keep finding these odd-ball arsenal stamped SKSs?

A helluva lot of lookin' 

[Matchka]

Seems like the 8 digit serial number would denote 1966 mfg. to me.Has the short lug screw in bbl.Looks unfired.

Seller noted "unfired". Has very, very light cosmoline in some of the crevices. Tks for the tip on the YOM.

[Boris Badinov]

Seems like the 8 digit serial number would denote 1966 mfg. to me.Has the short lug screw in bbl.Looks unfired.

From the unique serial number pattern (1 - 14...)its from the first month of the fourteenth year

Now thought to be triangle arsenal stamp /0406\.


Nice catch, matchka.

[running-man]

Boris has it, Jan, 1969 manufacture. One of the earlier years made for this arsenal though there is a year 10 gun in the database. 

Looks like a nice one Matchka.  This is a good candidate for the S/N config threads. 

[Matchka]

Boris has it, Jan, 1969 manufacture. One of the earlier years made for this arsenal though there is a year 10 gun in the database. 

Looks like a nice one Matchka.  This is a good candidate for the S/N config threads.

Any other pics needed?

[running-man]

No you've got all the views nailed.  It's really a beautiful specimen Matchka, one of the nicest I've seen from this arsenal from year 14!

[firstchoice]

Very nice! That's a beautiful specimen by most arsenal's output.

firstchoice

[Bob_The_Student]

Gorgeous!

[carls sks]

beauty! looks never used.

[Matchka]

Came across this Files Data Collection info on another forum. Has the ?5 has been identified??

[Greatguns]

Came across this Files Data Collection info on another forum. Has the ?5 has been identified??

Got a link? That definitely does not look like a 386 to me. 406 is closer, or 0406, or maybe 4006(no wait, that's a S&W .40 cal hand gun, LOL)

My guess would be a version of 0406

[running-man]

No, that is Howie Bearse's 'translation' of the symbol applied to an ID of the 36/386 factory from Steve Kehaya back in 90's. 

Though that figure was used in the Poyer/Kehaya book "The SKS Carbine (CKC45g)" I don't really put much stock into it, nor into many of the ID's made in the book.  There are lots of inconsistencies throughout the book that cannot be easily explained away. 

[Matchka]

No, that is Howie Bearse's 'translation' of the symbol applied to an ID of the 36/386 factory from Steve Kehaya back in 90's. 

Though that figure was used in the Poyer/Kehaya book "The SKS Carbine (CKC45g)" I don't really put much stock into it, nor into many of the ID's made in the book.  There are lots of inconsistencies throughout the book that cannot be easily explained away.

So, as I read it, the jury is still out on the ?5. I didn't want to get into a pizzin contest with the guy - cuz the 2018 arsenal list still reflects - "?".

[running-man]

Pretty much.  It's basically the reason SKS-Files was founded.  SKSBoards (and Gunboards for the most part) took everything Howie and the old guard said as gospel.  When inconsistencies were pointed out, discussion was suppressed.  When new ideas were floated such as our dating hypothesis backed by data, they were immediately dismissed.  When additional evidence was presented, they either demanded more, or claimed that since an authoritative source such as the US or Chinese government has not released XYZ, the answer is unknowable so it's not even worth trying. 

It got to the point with threats and bans that a few of us packed up our ball and moved here where we could have a civil discussion of everything with anyone who wanted to discuss it.  Everyone is on equal footing if they have data to back up their claims.  All of what I present in the stickies and any answers to questions I give is backed by a decent amount of data.  Take the month-year-S/N format of these /?5\ guns. They are quite consistent and I think we are right with our analysis of it.  We have S/N boards so we can keep testing our hypotheses and when some verified data doesn't match, we change the hypothesis.  That's the way it should work, but unfortunately that's not the way those guys typically operate. 

Ultimately, each collector needs to determine for themselves what to believe and what to question.  The hope is that this site allows everyone to do that on their own. 

[Greatguns]

Okay, I was joking around some in my last post, but here are my serious thoughts on these stamps.
When you take the 6666 4 digit arsenal stamp that look similar, 0406 is the best guess. I, in no way, can see any 3 out of that lower left-hand corner digit let alone anywhere in the stamp.

Here are my thoughts on all the ?# arsenal stamps using top to bottom, left to right standard reading practices. Which are consistent with the other stamp readings.
?1 = 6602
?3 = 6618
?4 = 0226
?5 = 0406
?6 = 6626
?7 = 6766
?8 = 6636
?9 = 6656

I think it can also be construed that arsenal 256 could also be 625 given the 25 is set inside the 6.

[running-man]

Which is why each one of those is ? arsenal.  You may be right, Howie may be right, but nobody knows so it's best not to assume.

The /256\ was deciphered via a stroke of luck.  It actually came about when looking at some Chinese crates Marstar was receiving and the rilfes inside from a post on facebook.  Howie (and much of the SKS world) still thinks that arsenal is /625\. 

[Matchka]

RM, Bravo Zulu.