m-305's serial #'s

my old(er) norc is 0092###, my new norc is 0088###. Not sure how the new rifle ends up with a lower serial number than my older one. Must have been in storage waiting to get shipped over for a looooong time.
 
I wouldn't assume that serials will tell you much. They were applied when the receivers were made, not when the rifles were assembled. Notice the US marks on the receiver? The receivers were made for export to the US. After the embargo, they were in storage until assembled into rifles for sale here. Not too long ago, it was reported that there were a couple of thousand 305s that could be assembled, then that would be it. It may be that the Cdn. market is too small to justify new manufacture.
There are reports that in some serials the first two numbers of the serial are the year date - 01 - 2001.
 
tiriaq said:
I wouldn't assume that serials will tell you much. They were applied when the receivers were made, not when the rifles were assembled. Notice the US marks on the receiver? The receivers were made for export to the US. After the embargo, they were in storage until assembled into rifles for sale here. Not too long ago, it was reported that there were a couple of thousand 305s that could be assembled, then that would be it. It may be that the Cdn. market is too small to justify new manufacture.
There are reports that in some serials the first two numbers of the serial are the year date - 01 - 2001.
Click to expand...

Tiraq, who reported that there were a couple of thousand and that would be it?
 
Couldn't find the thread. Did find a post by Peter that Marstar has contracted for all remaining 305 production. IIRC the number mentionned was 2400. Do not know if that included the shipment recently received.
 
tiriaq said:
I wouldn't assume that serials will tell you much. They were applied when the receivers were made, not when the rifles were assembled. Notice the US marks on the receiver? The receivers were made for export to the US. After the embargo, they were in storage until assembled into rifles for sale here. Not too long ago, it was reported that there were a couple of thousand 305s that could be assembled, then that would be it. It may be that the Cdn. market is too small to justify new manufacture.
There are reports that in some serials the first two numbers of the serial are the year date - 01 - 2001.
Click to expand...


The use of the first two digits as year indicators is typical of recent commercial firearms production from the PRC and Russia.

I can't find my info at the moment but this relates to some international convention regs.

If that is so, the serials were applied post US ban (from 2000 on for our rifles). The importer markings seen were for China Jin An, an organisation operated on behalf of the People's Armed Police to generate western currency. The PLA general staff operated Poly Tech for similar reasons.

In the mid-late 90s, the Central Committee of the CCP re-established direct control of the arms factories from the PLA and closed these companies. This was done due to international criticism but more so because it enriched individuals in the armed services and diluted the power of the Central Committee.

Marketing was placed back under control of China North Industries. Norinco is an umbrella company which controls all heavy metal industry production but is best known here for it's arms.
 
Thanks for the clarification. Is it correct to assume that the US importer's marks were applied at time of manufacture - prior to the embargo - and the serial is applied later, perhaps upon assembly into a rifle?
 
The only blued ones I recall was that batch that had the scope mount base ground off. But seeing as these are assembled from parts, I suppose that anything is possible. Perhaps the receiver was in the white, and it was just as easy to blue it.
 
Just bought one 2nd hand with sn 0069xx - would be curious to know when you got yours new if from the same series...

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tiriaq said:
Thanks for the clarification. Is it correct to assume that the US importer's marks were applied at time of manufacture - prior to the embargo - and the serial is applied later, perhaps upon assembly into a rifle?
Click to expand...

That's the way I see it. Prepared for but never delivered to the US market. They probably made thousands anticipating major US sales.

Whether the factory producing the assembled rifles makes new receivers once the CJA marked ones are used up remains to be seen. I suppose it relies on demand in the world market as well as our own.

Given that the M305 remains on Norinco's international website as a current product, perhaps they will.
 
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