Warrior?

[Indy762]

Local guy had this for sale. Once I saw it up close, I couldn't resist.




Except for lack of a sling, looks to be complete, all numbers matching. The wear seems to be authentic, but I'm far from an expert on these things.

[running-man]

Looks to be a Chinese type 56.  It's a /26\ letter series from '59-'60.  I'd bet dollars to donuts that it's a recent Albanian import; either from IO Inc. Monroe, NC/Palm Bay FL, or a TGI import.  Nice acquisition!   

Everyone should have an early Chinese in their collection! 

[Indy762]

I need to check the import mark. I forgot to take a picture, but there are some marks in the hand guard are that look like they might be tally marks.  With it beat up as much as it is, it is hard to tell. If I get a chance, I'll get it out tomorrow and take a couple more pics.

[Phosphorus32]

Nice find! That's a decent looking stock. Some focused pictures of the trench art in natural light would be great if you can manage it. The flash makes it a bit difficult to study the letters.

[Loose}{Cannon]

Total war horse you have there... If that SKS could talk!!

[Power Surge]

If that SKS could talk!!

We wouldn't be able to understand it... lol..

[Loose}{Cannon]

If that SKS could talk!!

We wouldn't be able to understand it... lol..

[gregsthe1]

Total war horse you have there

Isn't more like "militia horse"? I thought these were carried by low level army personnel or local militia members for training? The insides of my 5-digit ghost are pristine showing little signs of use where as the outside shows lots of patina indicating it was carried often and shot little. Did these Sino-Banians actually see conflict?

-side note- The /26\ mark looks like it was electropenciled on, is that common for letter guns?

[armedhippie]

-side note- The /26\ mark looks like it was electropenciled on, is that common for letter guns?

I see what your talking about Greg, but I'd say it's more the pic lighting and maybe a lil corrosion giving it that squigly look. The angles are still sharp.

Indy, Nice letter gun ya got there man. A lot of us in the collector world fell in love with these Sino-bainian imports. ( Me included) The history and age on these..... Well lets just say even though I've got a few of 'em...I'd have a hard time passing on another 

[reddragon23]

Looks to be a Chinese type 56.  It's a /26\ letter series from '59-'60.  I'd bet dollars to donuts that it's a recent Albanian import; either from IO Inc. Monroe, NC/Palm Bay FL, or a TGI import.  Nice acquisition!   

Everyone should have an early Chinese in their collection! 

"Albanian import",    we're getting 56's from albanian?

[running-man]

Yup. All the type 56's that have been imported from 2012 to now have been from Albania. Likely Chinese aid to Albania from the mid to late 60's, though nobody truly knows for certain.

[Phosphorus32]

Total war horse you have there

Isn't more like "militia horse"? I thought these were carried by low level army personnel or local militia members for training? The insides of my 5-digit ghost are pristine showing little signs of use where as the outside shows lots of patina indicating it was carried often and shot little. Did these Sino-Banians actually see conflict?

I think you have a point, but I'd say that when impoverished Albania received these from China in the 60's the SKS may have been top notch weaponry for their professional armed forces.  Of course Hoxha did have this notion of every citizen a partizan due to his own love for his partizan past, so they almost certainly were issued to the militia or "partizans" as the AKs came in and SKSs became second line weapons. The "trench art" stock carvings likely occurred during this less disciplined militia role, and/or after the economic collapse after the communist era when the state lost control of the weapons.

Did they see use during the Kosovo Conflict, crossing the border into the Kosovo province of Serbia? To my knowledge, this can't be proven but I wouldn't be surprised if a subset of the Albanian SKSs did see use in that conflict.

[echo1]

-side note- The /26\ mark looks like it was electropenciled on, is that common for letter guns?

I see what your talking about Greg, but I'd say it's more the pic lighting and maybe a lil corrosion giving it that squigly look. The angles are still sharp.

Indy, Nice letter gun ya got there man. A lot of us in the collector world fell in love with these Sino-bainian imports. ( Me included) The history and age on these..... Well lets just say even though I've got a few of 'em...I'd have a hard time passing on another 

^ What he said. Mine with "trench art" I've put in other stocks as shooters, and let the war warn furniture rest. PAX

[Indy762]

Still haven't had a chance to get good pictures. I do have a question, probably been asked before. Why would a Chinese built gun have Arabic numerals for the serial numbers?

[Phosphorus32]

Still haven't had a chance to get good pictures. I do have a question, probably been asked before. Why would a Chinese built gun have Arabic numerals for the serial numbers?

Good question. I don't know the cultural or rational reason for this choice, perhaps it's  just that Arabic numerals were more practical for long numbers. Regardless, it was/is common practice in both China and Japan to use Kanji for the Type designation but Arabic numerals for the serial number, e.g. Type 53, 54 and 56 Chinese firearms, and Type 38, 44 and 99 Arisakas.

[running-man]

I would guess that it's the way the Chinese 'learned' to do it.  For example, the Chiang Kai-shek (Type 24) was a domestic made copy of the Oberndorf Export Mauser (Standard Modell of 1933).  The Germans provided the tooling to make the type 24 in China and I would suspect that they provided expertise along with the tooling including QA controls and serialization methodology.