Taking a chance on a 49

[running-man]

Figured I'd look through my files.

All the '49s I have with the match # all showing on the receiver round and limited readability (if there at all) of the match # on the barrel.  (not terribly many, most people don't take photos of the left lug area with the stock off, but still it's consistent with jstin's observations)

AB2000:


EM972:


PЮ413



Among 1950's I see a definite transition:

ЛЯ1591 with the same style on the receiver round as the '49's.  I can't make out a barrel match # on this one, but the lighting may be too poor to resolve it:


УH2618 with different numbers in *both* locations, in this case an original 3 with a matching 3 on the barrel, and a presumably newer 29 in the traditional spot on the lower left of the receiver flat with a corresponding 29 barrel match number:


ФK2584 with a single set of match numbers in the places consistent with later produced carbines (receiver flat and barrel lug):


I had not noticed this before...

[theSKSguy45]

My transitional 1950 has the same markings as RM describes in his examples.

My 1949 has two timing marks struck on the receiver interestingly. Idk what to make of that but it’s interesting.

[running-man]

Very neat CZ!

You think that extra timing Mark could be the '1' of a 13?  Looks like they were a bit sloppy with those stamps in these early carbines.

[jstin2]

The last 2 pictures in the album had the index marking "2".

[theSKSguy45]

Very neat CZ!

You think that extra timing Mark could be the '1' of a 13?  Looks like they were a bit sloppy with those stamps in these early carbines.

Personally I don’t think so but I’ll let others judge for themselves

[jstin2]

My opinion is that the 3 is engraved and not stamped.

[theSKSguy45]

Is that typical in your experience?

[jstin2]

For an answer to that question, you need to ask the SKS gurus on this site. 

[running-man]

For an answer to that question, you need to ask the SKS gurus on this site. 

You are the guru on some of these early gun features 99% of the community has never even seen, like it or not jstin!

The 3 does look like an engraved feature, however.  Very interesting on the lower part of the 3.  Now is that a corrosion artifact that enhanced the effect or was it truly engraved?

Sorry SKSguy, I had CZ on the brain and misnamed you. 
I honestly have no idea what that mark really would be.  For a timing mark to be off by 10° like that...let me just say I've never seen one that wasn't within a few degrees of  horizontal on the receiver round. 

[jstin2]

Thanks R-M but I am still learning. I have been lucky in finding the odd and rare ones and posting them for others to note. Also, I think that if SKSguy45 took the picture directly above the timing mark they would line up. I have taken several pictures of the line-up marks and found that they do not line up if not taken at 90 degrees to rifle.

[jstin2]

I have previously mentioned the width of the front sling mount being wider than later designs. Here are the differences



upload image

[jstin2]

Took a picture of the sling mount.

[jstin2]

I don't have the tools to measure the inside of the sling mount, but a tapered pen will show the difference.

[jstin2]

On page 6 there is a post - 1948 Russian SKS. It is a deactivated 1948 SKS, but there is one picture that I am asking other's opinion on. On the trigger it appears that there are no knurls on safety or mag release. If that is so, then it is a 1948 carry-over to Sean's and my early 49s.

[theSKSguy45]

Another thing about that. I’ve been wondering about the 1948 and earlier dated rifles/dust covers we have seen. Do we know these were production rifles? They all seem to have СКС stamped on their dust covers. I was looking at early AKs to see if they shared this [model]-[year of adoption] format, and then I saw this on an AK46

Very similar to the markings on the 1948

Now correct me if Im wrong here but I think the 1948 rifle we see here isn’t a production rifle but is actually a late pre production prototype that was later converted to a cutaway, kinda like how a lot of PPS 42 SMGs were made into cutaways for the later PPS 43.

[pcke2000]

Another thing about that. I’ve been wondering about the 1948 and earlier dated rifles/dust covers we have seen. Do we know these were production rifles? They all seem to have СКС stamped on their dust covers. I was looking at early AKs to see if they shared this [model]-[year of adoption] format, and then I saw this on an AK46

Very similar to the markings on the 1948

Now correct me if Im wrong here but I think the 1948 rifle we see here isn’t a production rifle but is actually a late pre production prototype that was later converted to a cutaway, kinda like how a lot of PPS 42 SMGs were made into cutaways for the later PPS 43.

Possible. I have two uncut 1948 receiver covers and one uncut 1946 receiver cover. The serial formats on all three are consistent with reported trial rifle serial formats.