Russian sneak - tons of pics!

[Loose}{Cannon]

That star stamp is an inspectors stamp... Its seen on rear sight leafs mostly.

[running-man]

Pretty nice one there PS.  I've got nothing on a PИ as the two I have don't have original receiver covers or stocks (both are IO sinobanians thoughm so your gun was in good company!):



Features look like a '53 or '54 to me.


As for the receiver cover.  I think ghost as well.  Here's a couple covers close to the 46.4k ghost.  The font seems to grow as time goes on and certain numerals change gradually too (1's).  I can't find them right now, but I know I've got guns with multiple font sizes in the same line too.
 
44095:


47179:


Here is a 271k /26\:


2.41 mil /26\:


3.22 mil /26\:


and a 7.07 mil /26\:


finally an 8.14 mil /26\ (totally different 4, though parade rifle may be a bad example)

[Loose}{Cannon]

See...   RM has spoken.   Mystery solved.     

[running-man]

There is a РИ2797 marked as 1953 in the Canadian Russian SKS registry.  There is also a 55/56 designated РИ3504 (which shows a bit of sloppiness in dropping the K as I have a PИ1985_K) and a 1951 РИ1067_X which is total bull****, likely a K suffix and replacement or mistakenly identified receiver cover.

I'd say you have a '53 there PS if I was hard pressed to pick a year.

[running-man]

See...   RM has spoken.   Mystery solved.     

Laff, you darn well know that I'm wrong as often as not.  I just posted what I thought with some photos to help show the progression, doesn't make it gospel!! 

[Loose}{Cannon]

Zero reliability in the CA survey....    I say its a 54 because RM says 53.   

[Loose}{Cannon]

See...   RM has spoken.   Mystery solved.     

Laff, you darn well know that I'm wrong as often as not.  I just posted what I thought with some photos to help show the progression, doesn't make it gospel!! 

Lol....     Its about time you posted.  Now PS has someone to believe!     

[running-man]

Lol....     Its about time you posted.  Now PS has someone to believe!     

Believing isn't be about who posts it, it's about whether it's true or not! PS is good to be skeptical of it being a ghost cover.  At some point, the evidence points one way or another.  I know darn well those 4's changed ~8 mil or so, so unless someone wants to say it's a cover off a [0223] or something (dang I crack me up!), it's gotta be at most a 7 mil or earlier gun.

I've also seen that star stamp all over both 100% native Russians, Sino-Banian Russians/Chinese, and 100% Chinese guns.  I think it's a common stamp like the circle O ad circle Y's on the barrel lugs.

[Loose}{Cannon]

See...   There ya go PS.   

[Power Surge]

See...   RM has spoken.   Mystery solved.     

Laff, you darn well know that I'm wrong as often as not.  I just posted what I thought with some photos to help show the progression, doesn't make it gospel!! 

Lol....     Its about time you posted.  Now PS has someone to believe!     

Come on now, lol.  I never said I didn't believe you....but I also like to know WHY

[Loose}{Cannon]

I say we make it a poll and start a full blown investigation.     

[Loose}{Cannon]

Come on now, lol.  I never said I didn't believe you....but I also like to know WHY

I like short answers...   Easier.   

[CARBINE]

So what is everyone's guess on year? I have been reading threads and looking at pics of other guns all night, any my feeling is that it has to be a 52-54 year Russian. Guns before and after those three years have different attributes.

Also....I have seen discussion of how do you identify a Tula from an Izzy without the receiver cover or stock.

This may be old news, or maybe I just stumbled onto something here, but....

While taking pics of my sneak, one stamp in particular jumped out at me. Look at the pic below:



Notice the little STAR stamp? Could this be something to show a Tula receiver from an Izzy? Can we get someone here who has 52-54 Tula and Izzy guns to pull the stocks and check? CARBINE maybe?

Yes, it's 1952-54 from looking at gas block and take down lever..... I will look on some guns today and see about the star.

[Power Surge]

So what is everyone's guess on year? I have been reading threads and looking at pics of other guns all night, any my feeling is that it has to be a 52-54 year Russian. Guns before and after those three years have different attributes.

Also....I have seen discussion of how do you identify a Tula from an Izzy without the receiver cover or stock.

This may be old news, or maybe I just stumbled onto something here, but....

While taking pics of my sneak, one stamp in particular jumped out at me. Look at the pic below:



Notice the little STAR stamp? Could this be something to show a Tula receiver from an Izzy? Can we get someone here who has 52-54 Tula and Izzy guns to pull the stocks and check? CARBINE maybe?

Yes, it's 1952-54 from looking at gas block and take down lever..... I will look on some guns today and see about the star.

I'm curious to see two things... 1- does that star stamp appear in the same area of different 52-54 guns, and 2- if so, does it appear on any izzys

[Dannyboy53]

My Russian has that star also, it's small and hard to see.

[Power Surge]

Thanks Danny. I'm still curious if it's only seen on known Tula made guns or not.

[Loose}{Cannon]

That star stamp is an inspectors stamp... Its seen on rear sight leafs mostly.

[Dannyboy53]

Thanks Danny. I'm still curious if it's only seen on known Tula made guns or not.

I understand your curiousity but I am of no help with that question! There are some among our ranks that believe my carbine may be an Izhesvk, but no one can say for certain. Mine has been heavily refurbed (possibly even twice) and as you can see the rear sight leaf is a "new" item so that leads me to believe this star is not specific to either Tula or Izhesvk arsenals.

[Power Surge]

So what is everyone's guess on year? I have been reading threads and looking at pics of other guns all night, any my feeling is that it has to be a 52-54 year Russian. Guns before and after those three years have different attributes.

Also....I have seen discussion of how do you identify a Tula from an Izzy without the receiver cover or stock.

This may be old news, or maybe I just stumbled onto something here, but....

While taking pics of my sneak, one stamp in particular jumped out at me. Look at the pic below:



Notice the little STAR stamp? Could this be something to show a Tula receiver from an Izzy? Can we get someone here who has 52-54 Tula and Izzy guns to pull the stocks and check? CARBINE maybe?

Yes, it's 1952-54 from looking at gas block and take down lever..... I will look on some guns today and see about the star.

Carbine, did you ever get to check some izzy vs tula receivers?

[running-man]

I found this one while cataloguing the Russians, S/N ОП8597:

Wickedly similar to yours Sal, unfortunately it has a mismatched receiver cover on it too:







Anyhow, it's of limited help in ID'ing your sneak, but that non-tabbed gas tube takedown lever is a big clue on this one.  That is a 1954+ feature.  I have two as-issued '55 ОП prefixed guns with the highest having a 5675 number.  I think it's pretty likely this one is a '55 also. 

Your tabbed takedown lever is pre-mid '54, yet both have the 'Tula' star on the right side of the receiver just in front of the bolt locking keystock.  Those stars being in the same spot tie these two guns together in some way.  Another thing tying them together is the fact they both came from Albania in the IO Monroe shipment.  Maybe the star on the right side of the receiver means some kind of "ready for surplus" symbol?  It would be interesting to see if the other IO sneaks also have this feature...