Another impulse buy.

[Cz315]

Picked up a somewhat beaten up SKS. Had to rescue it I guess. Can't decide whether the bolt carrier had the BBQ paint removed or not. The bolt itself is definitely refurbed with a phosphate(?) coat on, the same that is what under the top cover. It's all matching, there is no EP'ed number on the extractor. The stock's numbering scheme is of the Irkutsk variety, yet I see a Balakleya stamp on it (and a faint Ф under the finish). Interesting arsenal stock repair near the ferrule. The bayonet definitely seems like someone removed the paint off it. This letter series is not seen in the database under this year/production site in the database. What do you think the value of it is? Wondering how much I overpaid...

[Cz315]

Forgot to add, it was definitely used a shooter. Some of what you see on the bolt/BCG is carbon.

[Greatguns]

Yeah, but if it is numbers matching then it is a '53 Izzy and a great score. Good rescue Cz

[Shoot The Refurbs]

Forgot to add, it was definitely used a shooter. Some of what you see on the bolt/BCG is carbon.

More like forgot to add its also a matching 53' izzy refurb. 

It kind of looks like someone has tried to gussy her up to look non-refurbished to the unknowing.
My reasoning is like yours, the bayonet and bolt carrier looks like someone has scrubbed them down with something abrasive, potentially to remove bbq paint.

There is a same prefix variant as yours in the database that sported a 1953 izzy cover as well, 279 serial numbers after yours.
It's still a matching 53' izzy refurb, although it kind of sucks if I am correct and someone has gone slightly bubba on it, but then it's even better still that you rescued it before they decided it would look better with a scope mount 

And lastly nice score regardless, at the end of the day you own a 53' izzy, not everyone here can say that. 

[running-man]

That's a nice pickup CZ.  I'm not particularly fond about the stock, but in the current condition of the whole gun it's probably a good candidate for doing something with it should you choose to.

As everyone has mentioned, the '53 Izhevsk connection is very strong with this one.  The font is of course Izhevsk, so the only question is whether the the '53 cover is original or not.  I believe it is but to verify this the S/N on an original cover would need to be the same font used on the other parts and must be all on a single line. 

As STR says there is gun АЛ600 in the database that resembles yours.  Unfortunately I don't have a full photo spread but the receiver cover at least looks to correspond to yours in that it's a '53 Izhevsk:





I agree your gun had a BBQ finish on it (likely heavy BBQ on many components) and a previous owner decided to strip several of the components for aesthetics.  Not the end of the world, but they certainly didn't do you any favors either. 

Nice pickup all in all. 

Edit:  Forgot to mention that it's not improbable to have multiple refurb stamps on a single gun.  We have examples of two and sometimes three distinct refurb marks on the same gun.  The /1\ Irkutsk marks are notoriously hard to see sometimes, but often are stamped forward of the receiver S/N under the stock line.

[Cz315]

Thanks! The fonts seem to be matching. I'll post pics later. Just found the gas tube to be a force match- I did find remnants of old ep, looks like it was done prior to BBQ painting. The wood stamp probably suggests it was force matched during arsenal refurb. It also has the same 6 in a rhomb on the stock I see on that example.

The buttplate is rusted, since it's not ep'd it should be easy to replace. Poor thing was not treated kindly. The bore is good, go chrome plating!

[BMont]

Impulse power confirmed... you picked up a good one!

[Greatguns]

If buying one SKS is an Impulse buy, would buying more than one at one time be considered a Warp buy???  Asking for a friend, LOL.

[Cz315]

Here are the serials. What do you think?

[Cz315]

And refurb/non-refurb stamps

[Cz315]

That's a nice pickup CZ.  I'm not particularly fond about the stock, but in the current condition of the whole gun it's probably a good candidate for doing something with it should you choose to.

Yes, I'm not quite sure what to do with it, that's why I was asking about the value. It's not exactly a collector's piece but it is not exactly a garden variety rifle, either. I might restock it and continue using it as a shooter. Put it back int he original stock after. It is a rare rifle, but it's not exactly a beauty queen and Bubbas got there first. The problem is the more I collect those guns the more reluctant I'm to shoot them...

On should I just put on GB with something like: THE HOLIEST OF HOLY GRAILS!!! THE RAREST OF THEM ALL!!! EAST GERMAN AND '53 IZHEVSK IN ONE!!! TO DDR AND BACK ON STALIN"S PERSONAL ORDERS. SMITHSONIAN IS CALLING ME TOMORROW!!! DON"T MISS!!

[Phosphorus32]

Nice score  A heavily used since refurbishment 1953 Izhevsk is still a...1953 Izhevsk! (confirmed by the original matching receiver cover).

[running-man]

Laugh, you're learnin'! 

Value-wise, it's probably what, a $700 to maybe $1000 gun in todays environment (can believe I'm typing that, but that's what it appears to be these days).  I wouldn't pay that for it (that stock and all the gouges in the finish are *really* bothering me for some reason!  ), but someone certainly would. 

You could always restock it with a Russian Hardwood stock or re-shellac it, fully remove the rest of the BBQ everywhere and have a nice looker that would also be shootable and still semi-collectable because of what it is.  Flipping it is always a possibility too.  You may get quite a bit more than you paid for it depending on who is looking to fill a '53 Izhevsk hole in their collection.  Hard to say what I'd do with it were it mine.  I do know I wouldn't be afraid to use it.  It's not a smithsonian grade anything anymore, might as well enjoy it. 

[Cz315]

The gouges actually look worse on those photos than in real life but no doubt it was heavily used . I'll probably end up restocking and using it. I'm reluctant to do anything to the stock as I might bubba it irreversibly. By 2035 it'll be a very expensive rifle

[Phosphorus32]

The gouges actually look worse on those photos than in real life but no doubt it was heavily used . I'll probably end up restocking and using it. I'm reluctant to do anything to the stock as I might bubba it irreversibly. By 2035 it'll be a very expensive rifle

Yup, I'd just use it as is and not have to worry about the stock. It's not original as-issued but it's still matched during Soviet repair/replace/refurbish.

[echo83]

If buying one SKS is an Impulse buy, would buying more than one at one time be considered a Warp buy???  Asking for a friend, LOL.

Ha! I see what you did there...

Great find, Cz315!

[Boris Badinov]

This letter series is not seen in the database under this year/production site in the database.

There are at least two other 1953 Izhevsks with the АЛ serial prefix that I have seen evidence for.

АЛ 600 and АЛ 4371

Nice catch. A very Hard year and arsenal combination to find.

Congrats!

Both are also 1953 Izhevsks

[Larry D.]

Well, I like it.
A lot.

You don't find one like that every day. If it were mine, it would be my shooter Russkie.