Traits of Middle East/IC SKS45's

[firstchoice]

On the Russian SKS45 in the auction posted above;

  1.) Is this an Isreali Capture/Middle East gun? (LC said something about the possibility that someone can just paint the Arabic numbers on? I guess anything can and will be faked. Eventually.)

  2.) If this is a Canadian gun, it wouldn't have import marks, would it? I was thinking that was the case on Canadian firearms. Is that correct?

  3.) Has anyone seen this funky sling before? Interesting, if not a bit bulky around the buckles. Not sure if it's a milsurp or something else? Looks stout, anyway. The canvas part looks a little like Enfield-type slings.







I wish I had known there were so many questions about these. I would have requested more detailed pics before the auction ended. 

firstchoice

[Greasemonkey]

On the Russian SKS45 in the auction posted above;


  3.) Has anyone seen this funky sling before? Interesting, if not a bit bulky around the buckles. Not sure if it's a milsurp or something else? Looks stout, anyway. The canvas part looks a little like Enfield-type slings.


firstchoice[/size]

It's a regular Ppsh sling

[Greasemonkey]

I hate to say it, but have you ever considered Carbines rifle was like martins when it came here and someone found out what it was and added the white painted Arabic numbers?    Personally I find it interesting that EVERY norinco marked rifle is in new condition minus Carbines. What are the odds that all these guns came in and the new ones were for some reason separated from the well used examples specifically to mark them norinco?  I would say not likely at all....

All I can say... your asking why Century Arms did something... the king of doing weird unexplainable oddball sh*t through he years. Even better.. your asking why they did something way back in the 80's, when they could get away with alot more. Separation and remarked... I could easy see it... hand picked excellent condition ones, make more $$$ on them, next up - used lower grade ones. If there is a reason, I'm sure it was financially motivated, thats what drives this world, that almighty dollar. Are you gonna sell a really nice minty condition one for the same exact price as a used, half nasty camel crap soaked one, I would imagine not, if they did, they really are as ignorant as I thought. Change the stamp, make people think it is something different...little classic retail deception... not everyone knew about stamps, It was, hey this one is better shape, a little more money and has a different stamp, so it must be different than that one.

Realistically.. if marked Norinco China or Made in China.. they are still correct, as they are of Chinese origin. It could have been.... opps we forgot to stamp these laying over there on a pallet, while they were in the middle of another run.. the current stamp is close enough..lick'em stick'em and send them on their way. Kinda like why go from stamping the barrel, to stamping the receiver and then back to stamping the barrel. I would think the receiver should have been import stamped....considering the receiver is the actual ATF controlled part... any jack leg can buy a barrel, but a receiver requires an FFL transfer.


I say... it's a 50/50 guess. Speculation at it's finest. flip a coin..

[running-man]

Looks at the stamps prior......   They had no problem stating NORINCO where applicable i.e imported from China PRIOR to the 'A' and 'ALB' version in question.

• CAI #1, Century International Arms out of Saint Albans, Vermont:
  
  NORINCO SKS
  7.62 China
  CAI ST A VT
  Type: Ink Marking
  Location: Left Rear Receiver Cover
  Notes:  I'm calling this one the first CAI stamp out there.  Early St. Albans etching located on the rear left of the receiver cover.  Obviously a simple receiver cover swap makes this entire import stamp go away.  BATF certainly had issues with this type of marking, due to it not being on the barreled receiver as well as the very minimal depth of this type of etching. (Photo courtesy of padams8888.)
  
  
  
• CAI #2, Century International Arms out of Saint Albans, Vermont:
  
  NORINCO SKS
  7.62 CHINA
  CAI ST A VT
  Type: Ink Marking
  Location: Left Front Receiver Cover
  Notes: Almost identical to CAI #1, only a slightly noticeable change to all caps in the CHINA text.
  

Then, out of the blue we have the ELIMINATION of the norinco text. 

• CAI #3, Century International Arms out of Saint Albans, Vermont:
  
  CAI ST.A. VT
  SKS 7.62 CHINA
  Type: Stamp
  Location: Bottom of Barrel between FSB and gas block.
  Notes: I think this one is the next logical one to place in the CAI progression as the St. A. is still prevalent, there is no Norinco marking, and the location is on the barrel.
  


• CAI #4, Century International Arms out of Saint Albans, Vermont:
  
  CAI ST ALB VT
  SKS 7.62X39 CHINA
  Type: Stamp
  Location: Right Front Receiver Cover
  Notes:  Slightly more information (X39) added beyond the CAI #3 stamp.
  
  
• CAI #5, Century International Arms out of Saint Albans, Vermont:
  
  C.A.I. ST. ALB. VT
  SKS 7.62X39 CHINA
  Type: Stamp
  Location: Right Front Receiver
  Notes: Almost identical to CAI #4, but distinctly different with the punctuation.
  
  
• CAI #6, Century International Arms out of Saint Albans, Vermont:
  
  SKS 7.62X39 CHINA     C.A.I.ST.ALB. VT.
  Type: Stamp
  Location: Left Rear Receiver
  Notes:
  

So, why in the height of NOT using the norinco designation did they break out a separate stamp as an addition to the normal text?

I think this discrepancy calls into question the order I've placed the CAI stamps on the importers page rather than casting shade on Worm's hypothesis.  It could very well be that the non-Norinco stamps are the first ones and the ones with Norinco came along later...even the ones with etched receiver covers.  Maybe CAI decided that they wanted to go away from a heavy barrel stamp to a light etch on the receiver covers for aesthetics or ease of marking but BATF squashed this quickly and they were forced to go back to the heavy barrel and receiver stampings...

[Loose}{Cannon]

I hate to say it, but have you ever considered Carbines rifle was like martins when it came here and someone found out what it was and added the white painted Arabic numbers?    Personally I find it interesting that EVERY norinco marked rifle is in new condition minus Carbines. What are the odds that all these guns came in and the new ones were for some reason separated from the well used examples specifically to mark them norinco?  I would say not likely at all....

All I can say... your asking why Century Arms did something... the king of doing weird unexplainable oddball sh*t through he years. Even better.. your asking why they did something way back in the 80's, when they could get away with alot more. Separation and remarked... I could easy see it... hand picked excellent condition ones, make more $$$ on them, next up - used lower grade ones. If there is a reason, I'm sure it was financially motivated, thats what drives this world, that almighty dollar. Are you gonna sell a really nice minty condition one for the same exact price as a used, half nasty camel crap soaked one, I would imagine not, if they did, they really are as ignorant as I thought. Change the stamp, make people think it is something different...little classic retail deception... not everyone knew about stamps, It was, hey this one is better shape, a little more money and has a different stamp, so it must be different than that one.

Realistically.. if marked Norinco China or Made in China.. they are still correct, as they are of Chinese origin. It could have been.... opps we forgot to stamp these laying over there on a pallet, while they were in the middle of another run.. the current stamp is close enough..lick'em stick'em and send them on their way. Kinda like why go from stamping the barrel, to stamping the receiver and then back to stamping the barrel. I would think the receiver should have been import stamped....considering the receiver is the actual ATF controlled part... any jack leg can buy a barrel, but a receiver requires an FFL transfer.


I say... it's a 50/50 guess. Speculation at it's finest. flip a coin..

Thats precisely it, too many possibilities to make a definitive declaration.  You made my point for me.