54 as issued

[padams8888]

I know the 54's are plentiful, but since this one was still with it's original importers box and had the accessories.....she had to come home to me!  And yes, as usual, the first pictures suck!

[running-man]

That's a beauty Pat! 

When she arrives cold you do me a favor and take some good closeups of the left side of the bayo lug?  I'd like to see the peen marks on the screw holding this chromated bayonet in place.  From everything I've seen in my rapidly growing Russian database, these should not be original to the '54s, but I really don't have hard data to make that call for certain.

However the bayo falls, I still feel it's an as-issued example.  It's a darn nice one at that, nice find! 

[Dannyboy53]

Awesome...just awesome!

[padams8888]

That's a beauty Pat! 

When she arrives cold you do me a favor and take some good closeups of the left side of the bayo lug?  I'd like to see the peen marks on the screw holding this chromated bayonet in place.  From everything I've seen in my rapidly growing Russian database, these should not be original to the '54s, but I really don't have hard data to make that call for certain.

However the bayo falls, I still feel it's an as-issued example.  It's a darn nice one at that, nice find! 

Absolutely. ...I'll get some decent pictures once she arrives. ....curious about that bayonet as well.

[Phosphorus32]

Oh definitely  that one would have followed me home too, if I found it stranded in the wild without a good home 

[carls sks]

beauty, what a great find. 

[Direct Connection]

Nice going padams A Russian in that condition is getting harder and harder to find . A Big 50.00 bonus added with the box ta boot .

[padams8888]

Here is some pics of the bayo....rifle came in today...need any other shots RM?

[Direct Connection]

Yes !! 20 More detailed Pics like the one's you just posted 

[Loose}{Cannon]

Yes !! 20 More detailed Pics like the one's you just posted 

+1...   But make it 21.   

[running-man]

Laugh, it's certainly a nice carbine!  Make it 22!

I wonder if the discontinuity I *think* I see in the leftmost peen mark is real or just an artifact of the peen spanning two different pieces?  I've always hated using the peen marks as anything other than determining whether the bayo screw has been completely replaced.  If the same screw is removed, replaced, and tightened back up to original torque specs those peen marks should line up exactly. 

I just found another '54 as-issued with a gold bayo.  This one is a bit easier to see that the peen marks don't quite line up as they should, maybe off 5° or so.  Otherwise the gun is almost as nice as the one you have Pat:

[padams8888]

I have not a clue on the status of the stake marks. Everything on this one screams original, but there is definitely other 54's with the tinted bayonets. Breaking it down to the pics for original line up on the marks I have not done. I also would not doubt it if others had swapped them before to enhance their auctions (for whatever purpose that would serve) I'll take a couple more closer shots of the stake marks and blow them out as well. Did you really want me to post the series of pics of the rifle?

[running-man]

I never get tired of seeing pretty Russians Pat!   Maybe not a full suite of photos, but enough to give everyone an idea of how truly nice this one actually is!  It's certainly a special one. 

I'm simply not good enough to make a judgement call on the stake marks.  I doubt anyone truly is just based off of photographs.  Maybe that's why I so dislike the idea of using them as "proof" that a gun is 'unrefurbished' so much; it's a judgement call, never a black and white one.  Stake marks can line back up exceptionally close to where they started even when a screw is completely removed and then reassembled, that's just how threads work.  For every thing the community thinks it knows, there are 5 additional things we are simply clueless about. 

I can buy a chromated bayo being original equipment on a '56 gun.  '55s are iffy in my book, and for these '54s I'd lean towards not being, but hey, I've been wrong many times before.  Regardless of the bayo type, this is still an as-issued gun  (and a mighty fine one at that) in my book.  I'd consider it the same as seeing a EP'd number on a gas tube or buttplate.  Some as-issued guns have them, some as-issued guns don't, it's a judgement call as to what those truly mean in the grand scheme and really doesn't detract from the gun itself.