Jianshe Type 56 Model Year 66 Stock stamps

[JoeBrownBagaDonuts]

Last week I received my SKS from Palmetto State Armory. Got it all cleaned up and it’s ready for rounds. Based on much of your information found here, my rifle is a 1966 Model /26\ and has a milled trigger. No cleaning rod, so if anyone has a bead on some that WILL fit, love to hear it. Many of the ones I’ve found online, reports and reviews say they most don’t fit without alterations.

Anyways, I’d like to ask about stock stamps. I’ve got a circle stamp with a triangle and a 2 inside the triangle. The triangle is about 1/4 of the way in the circle, but not quite. Any intel on what that indicates, if anything?

Thanks!

[Phosphorus32]

Welcome Joe!

You have it mostly figured out. The Chinese characters say Type 56, which is the model number for the Chinese SKS. The /26\ is the symbol for Jianshe Arsenal, the initial and most prolific manufacturer of the Type 56. The circle intersecting the triangle is a scar from the impact of the charging handle of an adjacent SKS, received during careless handling during stacking or shipping. The triangle 2 mark is commonly observed but its meaning is not known with certainty. It's quite likely a quality control marking, though other hypotheses are possible. There are different numbers observed in the triangles on the stocks of other SKSs, as well.

[Greatguns]

Welcome to the Files. For your cleaning rod needs you can usually find them on Ebay for around $10.

[Larry D.]

Welcome, Joe.

Post up pictures of the whole rifle. It looks like it's got a whole lot of "been there, done that" on it.

Those are my favorites.

[JoeBrownBagaDonuts]

Some before and after cleanup

[JoeBrownBagaDonuts]

Charging handle impact. Haha. Makes absolute sense, never considered that. Sadly, a few fresh dings from recent handlers and one chip in the stock just forward of the receiver. But, I’m really happy to get this one and for the PSA Deal of the day a couple weeks ago, $299; money well spent.

[Bob_The_Student]

Agreed, it looks pretty good for the money. Welcome!

[Phosphorus32]

That cleaned up very well, with a lot of bluing remaining. Nice score!

[running-man]

Welcome to The boards Joe.  Nice type 56 you've got there.  When I read your stock had 'fresh dings' in it, my mind immediately went to Ben over at Classic Arms.  The videos of him manhandling crates of SKSs are cringeworthy.

[Bob_The_Student]

Same thoughts RM!!

[JorgeSKS]

Very nice SKS, great score!

Off topic a bit here... 
A question for for the wise ones? The third serial number “1” on JBBD’s SKS appears to bigger/different the the first two, why?

[owenj492]

Very nice SKS, great score!

Off topic a bit here... 
A question for for the wise ones? The third serial number “1” on JBBD’s SKS appears to bigger/different the the first two, why?

I've noticed that also! Good question!

[echo83]

Great looking rifle, and nice job of cleaning it up. That's a keeper, for sure!

Sarco has cleaning rods that are in great condition,  I would definitely recommend them.

[ffjoey]

Very nice SKS, great score!

Off topic a bit here... 
A question for for the wise ones? The third serial number “1” on JBBD’s SKS appears to bigger/different the the first two, why?

That is odd....

[Justin Hell]

Very nice SKS, great score!

Off topic a bit here... 
A question for for the wise ones? The third serial number “1” on JBBD’s SKS appears to bigger/different the the first two, why?

That is odd....

It looks like the 11 was stamped first and then the rest later, those sevens are pretty beefy too.

[Bob_The_Student]

I think the serial number is fine and when RM or P32 tells us why it will all make sense. I'm thinking what Justin said but...

[ffjoey]

Very nice SKS, great score!

Off topic a bit here... 
A question for for the wise ones? The third serial number “1” on JBBD’s SKS appears to bigger/different the the first two, why?

That is odd....

It looks like the 11 was stamped first and then the rest later, those sevens are pretty beefy too.

Yeah, they look heavy compared to the others as well

[running-man]

Very nice SKS, great score!

Off topic a bit here... 
A question for for the wise ones? The third serial number “1” on JBBD’s SKS appears to bigger/different the the first two, why?

You see that quite often in the post later Chinese type 56s.  On certain guns (I assume in the desire for efficiency), the arsenal stamp and the year prefix were stamped separately from the gun serial number.  It is likely that the receivers after being mass produced, are then mass stamped with the S/N and the current year code before being sent to the line for fitment to the rest of the gun.  Once fitment is done and the gun receives a serial number, that S/N is then stamped on the receiver and piece parts and out she goes. 

This effect is really easy to see on the 11 mil series because for the first 100k guns, you have three 1's in succession.  It is also visible on later /26\ guns where the numbers aren't quite spaced right or the stamps are different fonts/different depths if you have a large enough sample size:








And then you get to non-/26\ guns where they are so badly lined up that it's laughable:

[Phosphorus32]

Very nice SKS, great score!

Off topic a bit here... 
A question for for the wise ones? The third serial number “1” on JBBD’s SKS appears to bigger/different the the first two, why?

You see that quite often in the post later Chinese type 56s.  On certain guns (I assume in the desire for efficiency), the arsenal stamp and the year prefix were stamped separately from the gun serial number.  It is likely that the receivers after being mass produced, are then mass stamped with the S/N and the current year code before being sent to the line for fitment to the rest of the gun.  Once fitment is done and the gun receives a serial number, that S/N is then stamped on the receiver and piece parts and out she goes. 

This effect is really easy to see on the 11 mil series because for the first second 100k guns, you have three 1's in succession.  It is also visible on later /26\ guns where the numbers aren't quite spaced right or the stamps are different fonts/different depths if you have a large enough sample size:








And then you get to non-/26\ guns where they are so badly lined up that it's laughable:

I'm quite sure that the above minor edits are what RM meant to say but thought it too presumptuous of me to just edit his original post 

[running-man]

Yeah, total fail there wasn't it?   

What I was trying to convey (poorly) is "for the guns that have 11,1xx,xxx in the S/N you have three 1's in succession"