Chinese SKS serial numbers

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drumstyx

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I pulled out my other SKSs that I've had tucked away since I bought them during the 'great brand-new Chinese SKS sale of 2013'. Getting back into cleaning the cosmoline up, I noticed something interesting about the serial numbers of the ones I tucked away. My 'shooter' up till now has a serial in the 1,6xx,### range, but the first extra I pulled out: 0103000, the one after that: 0102951.

Now, it may not be significant at all, but considering a 1.5 million + serial number gap, it's definitely enough to warrant consideration I think.

I'm vaguely considering refinishing one of these, and I'm not sure if I should leave specific ones alone. The 0103000 is a shellac finish for sure (I can see the overrun on the gas tube), but the 1,6xx,### seems to sweat cosmoline, which leads me to believe it doesn't have much of a finish to speak of.

So, SKS experts of Canada, what do you think?

EDIT: Oh wow, no factory markings on the 3000 one...weird

Update:

Should have done some more research for info here. I'll add pics later. To consolidate the bits I've found out are important:

#1
Factory 306, serial number 1,6xx,###
Features:
Spike bayonet
2-piece gas tube/hand guard
stamped trigger
pinned barrel

#2
No factory markings, serial number 0103000
Features:
Spike bayonet
1-piece gas tub/hand guard
milled trigger
threaded barrel

#3
Same as #2 as far as I can tell
 
Last edited:
Serial numbers don't mean much with Chinese SKS unless it has a Factory 26 stamp which means it can be dated using the "million" digit rule. Everything else is guess work when it comes to why they used what serial number. Other than the factory 26 guns, the only way to ballpark a chinese sks is by build features.
 
Only thing I can say with some certainty at this point (haven't started cleaning the 0102### one) is that the 01###xx are pretty well the same; one piece gas tube, milled trigger group, threaded barrel, no arsenal marking in the normal place. I suppose it's kinda neat to have 2 so close in the serial range and so similar (possibly identical!)

If only the perfection wasn't ruined by that damn magazine pin. If magazine limits are ever lifted, I'll have to see if I can fix the hole after unpinning. But that's another thought.

EL34/6L6 said:
+1 ^^^ Check the /Factory\ code.
Click to expand...

No factory markings at all. My 'normal' one, has /306\, plenty easy to identify that one. Other 2 are missing them, but aren't late production because of threaded barrel/milled trigger.

Leaf sights are П style, as opposed to 3 style on my 'normal' one.

On 0103000 I can't find any sino-soviet marking though
 
The best way to judge a Chinese SKS is to have it in hand. Chinese rifle manufacturing was done at many different factories where one produces barrels, one stocks, one trigger groups, another made receivers, ect. When these items were produced, they were shipped to unknown locations to be assembled and possibly marked or stamped. You can have two similar factory stamps yet not one part was made in the same location as the other.

The Chinese still manufacture products in a similar fashion today. The security of making rifles in a country where firearm ownership is prohibited was the fact that a rifle could never disappear as parts or the proverbial "Chevy in a lunchbox". My personal source of information to validate this method is a retired Chinese gentleman who in his youth worked in the transportation (trains) section of the Chinese military. They would load cars after cars of individual gun parts to be shipped for assembly in hushed locations.


At the end of the day, Chinese markings or stamps don't mean very much, and the Chinese Government is offering no information. Perhaps so the actual number of firearms produced remains classified.
 
I have previously seen two no factory code (nfc) with serial numbers beginning with 0 , more specifically 04###XX.

my guess yours was assembled in 2001 , the thing that's unusual is the threaded barrel.

drumstyx said:
#2
No factory markings, serial number 0103000
Features:
Spike bayonet
1-piece gas tub/hand guard
milled trigger
threaded barrel
Click to expand...
 
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