Muzzle of 1955/56 Russian SKS looks differently?

[dron]

Hi lucky owners of "letter" series of SKS. Is it true that these SKS have a muzle which looks different than other years chrome lined ones? Instead of having a white ring of chrome over otherwise blued muzle (see picture below), the 1955/56 rifles have an all around shiny nickel-like bare steel muzzle.

Muzzle of ordinary chrome-lined barrels:

Could someone post a picture of their 1955/56 guns taken from a muzzle end?

Thanks guys!

 

[Andurp]

I can confirm that my 55/56 does have the muzzle you describe, here's a picture.

I do however have evidence to refute the suggestion that this ONLY appears on the 1955/56 version of the rifles, as my absolutely unrefurbished 1950 Tula also has the same muzzle, here's a picture of that as well. Notice the differently shaped gas block that appears on the 1950 Tula rifles, so you know I'm on the up and up.

In fact, out of my three Russian SKS rifles, only my 1954 Izhevsk doesn't have this. It could be that the bluing has worn off due to the bayonet being attached and removed often, as I'm starting to notice that happen on one of my most well used Chinese Type 56 rifles. Or maybe it's made like that, I have no idea. Maybe someone will know, but this is probably just another SKS mystery.

Hope this helps a bit.

Also, one final note, I wouldn't call us 55/56 owners "lucky," exactly. These rifles are not very hard to find at all in Canada, look on the EE for Weimajack, who seems to have get a lot of 55/56 models, some are even unrefurbished.

 

[svt1940]

Hi lucky owners of "letter" series of SKS. Is it true that these SKS have a muzle which looks different than other years chrome lined ones? Instead of having a white ring of chrome over otherwise blued muzle (see picture below), the 1955/56 rifles have an all around shiny nickel-like bare steel muzzle.

Muzzle of ordinary chrome-lined barrels:

Could someone post a picture of their 1955/56 guns taken from a muzzle end?

Thanks guys!

All my un-refurb SKS have all white muzzle, the refurb i owned have their muzzle blued and on chrome lined bore, only a small white ring appear.
Joce

 

[dron]

Thanks for your input. So it looks like bluing on the muzzle is yet another hallmark of refurbished rifles.

 

[Andurp]

Thanks for your input. So it looks like bluing on the muzzle is yet another hallmark of refurbished rifles.

Maybe, but not all of them. My 55/56 is a refurb and doesn't have the bluing. Maybe it only has to do with replaced barrels, or something?

 

[dron]

Maybe, but not all of them. My 55/56 is a refurb and doesn't have the bluing. Maybe it only has to do with replaced barrels, or something?

Well, that does not contradict to what I said. We can re-phrase it: Not all bare steel muzzles imply non-refurb, but all blued ones mean refurbishing.

 

[Andurp]

Yeah, that's better put. Good thread.