I would also like to say this, I owned a 1955/56 Tula from Wolverine that came in the IZH shipment and had the rod welded to the follower arm done in Canada. I must say almost all the rifles I have seen pictures of that had the IZH magazine pin job had brutal scuffs and almost dents and scratches on the wood stock just above the magazine. I guess this is where some guy has put your stock in a vise and clamped the teeth right down on the wood leaving your nice SKS stock damaged!
I don't notice this nearly as much on the Leverarms/Westrifle shipment, somebody in Russia may be taking a bit better care or they are securing the gun another way for the rod pin welded to the mag.
good observation , yes, some of the woods near the mag were badly scuffed by the dudes welding the blocks in canada.
altho i havent seen the ones from wolverine, i did talk to john and he mentioned to me his displeasure at the workmenship.
having said that, not all are that badly scuffed, my russian from epp and homeharware werent too bad and the best would be the ones from moving target , he had them pinned locally .