electro scribed sks gas tube question

Blue Cooker

Blue Cooker

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If the SKS gas tube is electro scribed numbered, does it mean it is not original to the rifle? I have noticed while looking for a nice SKS, most are numbered this way. A couple I have seen have no markings. Just want to be sure I am buying the real deal, number matching. I hear the material is too thin to stamp. Is this the reason?
 
AFAIK, they were not produced with serial numbers on the gas tube. The electro-pencil was added during the refurbishment process... There are many knowledgeable users who will certainly have the info you seek!

BTW: if you're looking for nice SKS I suggest you look up weimajack on the EE, or deal with Sergey at Westrifle.
 
The original number on the gas tube is electro penciled, doesn't mean it was arsenal refurbished.

From what I've seen the refurbished gas tubes usually have their electro penciling on the side, rather than the very bottom, and in a different font/stroke/colour than the other penciled parts that are original. You can check under the rear sight leaf and on the extractor for other original penciled numbers.

I suggest you give this great thread a read over: http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/foru...SKS45-ID-FAQ-Collectibles-update-feb-8th-2011
 
Phat Eagle said:
AFAIK, they were not produced with serial numbers on the gas tube. The electro-pencil was added during the refurbishment process... There are many knowledgeable users who will certainly have the info you seek!

BTW: if you're looking for nice SKS I suggest you look up weimajack on the EE, or deal with Sergey at Westrifle.
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Yes the electro penciling are on non refurb originals too. The gas tube, ejector claw, rear sight leaf and gas piston were all electro penciled as these small, rounded, or thinner parts couldn't be stamped. It is harder to tell if original, but if the font is from the same hand on all the parts this can give you a clue. But this alone is probably the last thing deciding an SKS's non refurb status. Even the butt plates on some of the later non refurb originals have the electropencil marking. I have 2 of these.
 
I've noticed that the original electro penciled parts are often done with a lighter "pen stroke" than the more common refurb forced matching examples. That's by no means a scientific way of identifying a refurbished vs. an unissued example, just an observation.
 
It does not mean refurbished. All rifles in war emergency storage had to undergo inspection every 10 years. It involved complete disassembly. Part that gave most trouble when mismatched was the gas tube. This is the reason some arsenals would electro pencil the number.
There is 2 members on this forum who worked in Warsaw Pact armouries during 70s and 80s they are wealth of information. Most US sources are unreliable. Keep in mind that weapons including firearm production in former Warsaw Pact was covered under military secrecy.
Production numbers, models, variants, procedure, storage details etc. will not be readily available and are often guessing game. Government records are most often not available, man that worked at this arsenals are most often in their 60 nowadays
 
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