Chinese /26\ "K" ??

[Shotgun12]

Hi Guys,
I've been looking over the tons of info on your site, and have especially been concentrating on the Chinese models.
Many years ago, I bought a /26\ .... 12212**8 .... and following this serial number there's a symbol that appears to be the letter 'K' .... but is not.  So far I haven't been able to find one like it, and wondered if you might be able to provide some info about it. 
Also, on the left side of the receiver to the rear of the (short) barrel lug is the letter 'S'.  I can post a few pics if you'd like.
Thanks,
Steve

[armedhippie]

welcome Shotgun, Glad your enjoying the place.  Post up some pics of your /26\, we love to see em, and the fellas will be able to tell ya all you need to know I'm sure.

[Loose}{Cannon]

Welcome!

Yes, pictures would really help. 

[carls sks]

hi Steve and welcome. good to have you here. 

[Shotgun12]

Here's a few pics.
I've had it down completely several times, and haven't noticed any other markings on the weapon except the matching SN's.
Also .... it has the 'dented' type magazine, and the take-down lever has the lug topside.

[Power Surge]

Nothing abnormal there. You've got a 12 mil gun, with a later serial, after they flipped the takedown lever.

The "k" is just an import/export stamp. Poly USA was extremely common for using those.

[Shotgun12]

Okay, just curious.
Any thoughts on the 'S' near the front of the receiver?

[Power Surge]

Okay, just curious.
Any thoughts on the 'S' near the front of the receiver?

Not sure on the S. Running-man would know that one better.

[Loose}{Cannon]

The "k" is just an import/export stamp. Poly USA was extremely common for using those.

Thats a sure strange K if I have ever seen one....  Not sure anyone can say one way or another who put it there and why, but Im guessing you have archived examples like this one?

Same with the 'S'...  This isn't something I've personally observed and would be interested in how many are logged in the survey.

[running-man]

It's hard to say.  Some kind of acceptance stamp perhaps? Might serve the same purpose as the early delta (Δ) on the receiver round.  The delta went away with the 11 mil /26\ guns, so it's not surprising that your 12 is different.  Your guess is as good as mine on this one, I don't have too many examples of letters on the receiver round at all...



The K at the end was either added at export, import, or at refurb.  The data tends to point towards the exporters adding these "extra" characters but it's not 100% conclusive.  Sometimes they are in front of the S/N and other times at the end.  Sometimes they are separated from the S/N by a considerable distance, so it's still up in the air as to whether these marks were meant to generate a unique S/N (something that the ATF requires for all importers) or whether it's some kind of record keeping that the Chinese did to mark the carbine as ready to ship, coming from a certain storage depot, or perhaps exported by a certain government controlled corporation.  Lots of unknowns with these Chinese type 56s

K's aren't terribly uncommon as suffixes though:

[Loose}{Cannon]

This K just looks....  Odd