New to me 1949

[MikeT]

[MikeT]

I didn���t feel like taking it apart again for detailed photos, but bolt matches as well and has spring firing pin.

If you wish to see more, happy to do a detailed strip for
Photos

[running-man]

That's a nice one. US or Canada?  Will let others chime in first but I see some things with it that I want to comment on. 

[Ol Relic]

Nice one! Is there an acceptance mark on the right side of the buttstock? 

[Phosphorus32]

I'd be happy to have it! 

Could you take a straight-on picture of the back of the receiver cover to compare to the receiver serial number?

[MikeT]

RM: This is in Canada.

P32: yes bare with me. I will get that photo when im back down in the shop.

[MikeT]

[MikeT]

Seems the font is a bit different?

[Ol Relic]

It's been through a refurb (Arsenal #1), SO all the non-receiver fonts are going to be different.  But the date and Tula star/arrow on the receiver cover look weird.  I'm afraid someone has tried to "improve" it with a Dremel or the ike.  Unfortunate, as a '49, even refurbed, stands on it own. 

[Boris Badinov]

It's been through a refurb (Arsenal #1), SO all the non-receiver fonts are going to be different.  But the date and Tula star/arrow on the receiver cover look weird.  I'm afraid someone has tried to "improve" it with a Dremel or the ike.  Unfortunate, as a '49, even refurbed, stands on it own. 

The date on the cover looks legit to me. Where do you see bubba handiwork?

The dates on 1949 and early 1950 covers were hand stamped. Each number composed of multiple stamps. So there's a lot of variatiom in the date 'fonts' on individual covers from the earliest production rifles.

[Boris Badinov]

The cover appears to be a replacement-- scrubbed a restamped to match.

[Ol Relic]

It's been through a refurb (Arsenal #1), SO all the non-receiver fonts are going to be different.  But the date and Tula star/arrow on the receiver cover look weird.  I'm afraid someone has tried to "improve" it with a Dremel or the ike.  Unfortunate, as a '49, even refurbed, stands on it own. 

The date on the cover looks legit to me. Where do you see bubba handiwork?

The dates on 1949 and early 1950 covers were hand stamped. Each number composed of multiple stamps. So there's a lot of variatiom in the date 'fonts' on individual covers from the earliest production rifles.

I looked again, and it still looks fishy to me.  Fletching on the arrow is very asymmetrical (plus they tried to replicate the later style), star itself is a bit lopsided, font looks totally wrong, and the serial looks more "carved" than stamped. 

[Ol Relic]

Well, I've looked around, and have changed my opinion on the cover markings. I *still* believe they're ground, rather than stamped, but after looking at several '49 Tulas, they're all that way.  And they're all different--clearly hand-done,and *not* with a stamp.  You learn something every day.

[Boris Badinov]

Or Ground. I can see that.

"Stamped" is inaccurate. Ive always imagined it like carbon steel punches with a sharp cuttin point like a chisel made for hardened steel. Not a stamp, but applied like a stamp using a hammer.

Are you thinking maybe a small dremel-like tool?

The early Tula stars and arrows on the covers were also apllied by hand, not with roll stamps.


Roll stamps for the covers start in mid -late 1950 and continue through 1954/1955.

1955 dated carbines arent very common, but its not unusual for 1955 dated covers to have one or more numbers that appear to have been applied by hand.

[jstin2]

When I look at the serial numbers I see a change on the letter 1. Sans serif vs serif fonts

[Ol Relic]

Or Ground. I can see that.

"Stamped" is inaccurate. Ive always imagined it like carbon steel punches with a sharp cuttin point like a chisel made for hardened steel. Not a stamp, but applied like a stamp using a hammer.

Are you thinking maybe a small dremel-like tool?

The early Tula stars and arrows on the covers were also apllied by hand, not with roll stamps.   


Roll stamps for the covers start in mid -late 1950 and continue through 1954/1955.

1955 dated carbines arent very common, but its not unusual for 1955 dated covers to have one or more numbers that appear to have been applied by hand.

I almost believe 1950 and later Tula SKSs had the Tula star/arrow pantograghed on rather than stamped (with the serial on the rear face beind stamped), similar to some PU scope markings.  That would also explain the font difference between the date and the serial stamps on the numbered parts, even on factory matching examples.

But it's pretty clear that '49s were hand-done, as every one is subtly different (and slightly crude).   I'm wondering if they maybe used some kind of template for the star, which kept it relatively neat if you didn't let it move too much.

[Boris Badinov]

The early cover stars were most almost certainly applied with 10 individual strikes from a straight edged cutting punch/chisel:

[Ol Relic]

Or Ground. I can see that.

"Stamped" is inaccurate. Ive always imagined it like carbon steel punches with a sharp cuttin point like a chisel made for hardened steel. Not a stamp, but applied like a stamp using a hammer.

Are you thinking maybe a small dremel-like tool?

The early Tula stars and arrows on the covers were also apllied by hand, not with roll stamps.


Roll stamps for the covers start in mid -late 1950 and continue through 1954/1955.

1955 dated carbines arent very common, but its not unusual for 1955 dated covers to have one or more numbers that appear to have been applied by hand.

Or Ground. I can see that.

"Stamped" is inaccurate. Ive always imagined it like carbon steel punches with a sharp cuttin point like a chisel made for hardened steel. Not a stamp, but applied like a stamp using a hammer.

Are you thinking maybe a small dremel-like tool?

The early Tula stars and arrows on the covers were also apllied by hand, not with roll stamps.


Roll stamps for the covers start in mid -late 1950 and continue through 1954/1955.

1955 dated carbines arent very common, but its not unusual for 1955 dated covers to have one or more numbers that appear to have been applied by hand.

The early cover stars were most almost certainly applied with 10 individual strikes from a straight edged cutting punch/chisel:

Definitely possible.  They got better results than I would have.  lol